Tiered Approach

In line with the commitment to safeguard capacity and support personnel already in the Organization, a majority of UNDP UNCDF/UNV vacancies are advertised using a tiered application process whereby:

Tier 0: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV IP staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments, whose posts will be abolished, or contracts will be terminated or not renewed during 2026.
Tier 1: Other UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments
Tier 2: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding temporary appointments (TA), personnel on regular PSA contracts, and Expert and Specialist UN Volunteers
Tier 3 or no tier indicated: All other contract types from UNDP/UNCDF/UNV and other agencies, and other external candidates

Please make note of the Tier(s) indicated in the vacancy title, if any, and ensure that you satisfy the eligibility to apply.

Background

The Technical Specialist for Governance, Social Inclusion and Gender at UNDP Egypt leads the strategic formulation and management of a high-impact portfolio. This role involves analyzing socio-economic trends to design innovative projects that leverage technology for sustainable development. You are responsible for ensuring that all digital initiatives promote inclusive growth and effectively reach marginalized communities across Egypt.

Interaction with project personnel focuses on providing technical guidance and overseeing the timely delivery of results. You will coordinate project teams to ensure compliance with UNDP’s results-based management tools and quality control standards. By mentoring staff and facilitating knowledge exchange, you foster a collaborative environment aimed at solving complex development challenges.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the overall guidance of the DRR and supervision of the Team Leader, Governance, Social Inclusion and Gender, the incumbent is entrusted contributing to the technical and strategic formulation and management of a high-impact portfolio. This role involves analyzing socio-economic trends to design innovative projects that leverage technology for sustainable development. The Technical Specialist -is responsible for ensuring that all digital initiatives promote inclusive growth and effectively reach marginalized communities across Egypt.

Interaction with project personnel focuses on providing technical guidance and overseeing the timely delivery of results. The incumbent will coordinate project teams to ensure compliance with UNDP’s results-based management tools and quality control standards. By mentoring staff and facilitating knowledge exchange, the Programme Coordinator fosters a collaborative environment aimed at solving complex development challenges.

The Technical Specialist, Governance, Social Inclusion and Gender coordinates work with the NOC Team Leader through a structured reporting and advisory relationship. The incumbent acts as the primary operational link, providing the Team Leader with real-time data on project performance, risks, and financial delivery to support their higher-level strategic decision-making. Regular briefings ensure that the portfolio remains strictly aligned with the UNDP Egypt Country Programme Document (CPD) and broader UNDP Strategic Plan.

Operationally, the incumbent collaborates with the Team Leader to finalize Annual Work Plans (AWPs) and budget allocations, ensuring that all digital initiatives meet UNDP’s quality assurance and Results-Based Management (RBM) standards. As for resource mobilization, the Technical Specialist, Governance, Social Inclusion and Gender prepares technical briefs and impact reports for high-level meetings with government counterparts and donors. This partnership ensures that technical project outputs are translated into sustainable policy advice at the national level.

Below are the key responsibilities and expected skill sets for this role:

Provide top quality technical advisory services.

Provide cutting-edge policy advice in the thematic area of the project and facilitate policy dialogues with partners, promoting UNDP thought leadership and advocacy work. Establish advocacy networks at the country level and linked to international networks. Contribute to relevant, high-impact advocacy campaigns that are implemented with key partners.
Contribute to the analysis of the political, social and economic situation in the context of the project and advise the UNDP CO management on issues related to the thematic area of the project.
Contribute to the setting of technical standards based on regional and global best practices in the thematic area of the project/programme in areas Conduct thorough analysis of the political, social and economic situation in the country and collaborative preparation/revision of project documents, AWP and other documents in the area of Governance, Social Inclusion and Gender work including but not limited to:
- Digital Governance & DPI
- National Social Protection Framework
- Anti-Corruption & Integrity Systems
- Women’s Economic Empowerment
- Fiscal & Administrative Decentralization
- Inclusive Rule of Law
- Crisis-Responsive Resilience (HDP Nexus)
Provide strategic planning and technical advice for portfolio planning as well as formulation and periodic revisions of the project’s annual work plan (AWP), including plans for budget, Human Resources actions and procurement that are developed in close coordination with UNDP’s Country Office Programme, HR, and Procurement teams. Coordinate development of detailed implementation plans.
Coordinate Programme implementation to contribute to the overall Programme relevance and performance, the effective realization and quality of outputs within the specified constraints of time and cost as outlined in the project document, and adherence to applicable UNDP policy and programme management procedures and Government standards, rules, and regulations.
Ensure proper execution of all administrative activities associated with the thematic Programme area.

Support effective implementation of programme/project activities aimed at Governance, Social Inclusion and Gender

Provide technical support, working in collaboration with the Project Manager, in planning and effectively implementing project activities within the scope of approved budgets, workplans and other project documents and in alignment with UNDP’s programmatic priorities and goals. Supervise and coordinate the work of the project team and consultants. Provide guidance and support in the identification and sourcing of technical expertise, including preparation of TORs and evaluation of experts.
Provide timely and quality technical advice and guidance for the project implementation in line with UNDP’s rules and regulations, and UNDP Project Operational Policies and Procedures.
Manage and monitor project financial resources; and analyze project progress to identify risks and other implementation problems. Ensure timely collection of data for reporting on project activities, outputs, and outcomes; and substantially contribute to the preparation of narrative and financial progress reports, including donor reports. Provide technical guidance on risk mitigation measures to address implementation problems. Update risk logs.
Coordinate and participate in quality control mechanisms, seeking to improve the technical quality of the project outputs, products, publications, and policy discussion papers and briefs.

Support strategic partnership building and resource mobilization.

Establish and maintain a strategic understanding of and engagement with all the relevant institutions, including establishing contact and developing strategic partnerships with other UN agencies, government institutions, donors, NGOs, IFIs, the private sector, academia, civil society, and other stakeholders and beneficiaries at the national, regional, and local levels.
Participate in meetings with donors, prepare and deliver presentations of project results, and follow up with relevant counterparts if requested by the supervisor.
Implement resource mobilization strategies to achieve project outcomes that include facilitating liaisons with potential financing agencies and institutions to strengthen relationships and raise funds. Identify new funding opportunities for furthering the project ideas.

Contribute to knowledge management and information sharing in the UNDP country office.

Organize training for the project personnel to enhance their capacities in the technical matters of the thematic area of the project.
Identify, evaluate, synthesize, and document lessons learned and best practices directly linked to the project goals and activities. Develop knowledge sharing materials and respond to related queries.
Contribute substantively to knowledge networks and communities of practice within the thematic area of the project.
Develop and carry out a personal learning plan.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary forthe efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Institutional arrangements

The incumbent will work under the direct supervision of the Team Leader, Governance, Social Inclusion and Gender and the overall guidance of the DRR.

Competencies

Core
Achieve Results:	LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact
Think Innovatively:	LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems
Learn Continuously	LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences
Adapt with Agility	LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands
Act with Determination	LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results
Engage and Partner	LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration
Enable Diversity and Inclusion	LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies (insert up to 7 competencies)

Thematic Area	Name	Definition
Business Direction & Strategy	System Thinking	Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system
Business Development	Collective Intelligence Design	Ability to bring together diverse groups of people, data, information, ideas, and technology to solve problems and design solutions or services. Knowledge and understanding of Collective Intelligence Design principles, methodology and practices.
Business Management	Project Management	Ability to plan, organize, prioritize, and control resources, procedures, and protocols to achieve specific goals.
Business Management	Risk management	Identify and organize action around reducing, mitigating and proactively managing risks
Partnership Management	Multi-stakeholder engagement and funding	Knowledge and ability to forge multi-stakeholder partnerships, and remove any obstacles to resource mobilization and multi-stakeholder funding platforms
2030 Agenda: Peace	Governance	Inclusion and Participation
Digital & Innovation	Digital Awareness and Literacy	Ability and inclination to rapidly adopt new technologies, either through skillfully grasping their usage or through understanding their impact and empowering others to use them as needed

Required Skills and Experience

Minimum academic requirements	Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in fields related to Political/Social Science, International Law, Social Affairs, International Relations or related fields, is required. Or A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas stated above, in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Minimum number of years of relevant work experience	Minimum 5 years (with master’s degree) or 7 years (with bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible relevant experience at the national or international level in providing technical advice, conducting research, formulating policies, and/or developing and managing complex projects in sectors applicable to Governance, Social Inclusion and Gender.
Required skills	Experience in fostering networks and partnerships and ability to provide coordination with the UN Agencies, international and other organizations present in the sector. Experience in the use of computers, office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and web-based management systems, and advanced knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages. Knowledge and experience in relevant thematic area
Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section	Experience with project planning and consulting, including the effective provision of substantive technical leadership and guidance, oversight, monitoring, and reporting for projects/programmes with similar scale, scope, and complexity. Experience in Gender mainstreaming in projects/programme Experience in timeliness and quality of portfolio work
Required Language(s)	Fluency in English and Arabic is required. Knowledge of an additional UN language is desirable.

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination.

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles.

Right to select multiple candidates

UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

Use of AI by candidates

Applicants are invited to read UNDP’s guidance for candidates on using AI responsibly in UNDP recruitment and selection

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Technical Specialist, Governance, Social Inclusion and Gender (Open to internal & external applicants)