Chief, Innovation and Transformation Branch, Office of the Executive Director (OED), New York, D-1

UNFPA•New York, NY

About The Position

The Chief, Innovation and Transformation Branch, plays a pivotal role in driving UNFPA’s institutional transformation and strategic positioning, acting as a key partner to the Chief of Staff in advancing organization-wide reform, innovation, and performance. The role serves as a central integrator of cross-organizational transformation efforts, including UNFPA’s change management and transformation processes, broader UN80 reform processes, and priority corporate initiatives. In supervision of the team, the Chief will empower UNFPA through expert guidance, capacity building and knowledge management, fostering a dynamic environment where innovation thrives. By forging strategic partnerships across sectors, the Chief will secure vital resources and amplify UNFPA's reach, accelerating progress towards the three transformative results. The key priorities of this position are: ● Lead and oversee initiatives to enhance corporate performance and business transformation: Design and implement key initiatives, ensuring coherence with strategic plans and emerging trends. ● Drive UNFPA's innovation strategy: Develop and execute a robust innovation strategy aligned with organizational goals and insights from foresight activities. ● Foster an enabling environment: Build capacity, enable knowledge sharing, and develop and curate knowledge to support innovation and improve corporate performance, in line with broader UN processes. ● Build strategic partnerships and resources: Forge partnerships, advocate for UNFPA, and leverage innovative financing to amplify impact and secure resources. The position of Chief, Innovation and Transformation Branch, is located within the Office of the Executive Director and reports to the Chief of Staff, working in close partnership to advance institutional priorities and ensure alignment across strategic, operational, and reform agendas. How you can make a difference: UNFPA is the lead United Nations agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is intended, every childbirth is safe, and every young person's potential is fulfilled. The UNFPA Strategic Plan for 2026-2029 articulates the organization’s response to a complex global environment, providing a roadmap for resilience and renewal. It is designed to accelerate the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. This mandate is pursued through a focus on four interconnected outcomes: ending the unmet need for family planning; ending preventable maternal deaths; ending gender-based violence and harmful practices; and adapting to demographic change through evidence and rights-based policies. In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction. UNFPA is seeking candidates who transform, inspire, and deliver high-impact and sustained results and ensure effective external relations, communications, and partnership-building and resource mobilization in a rapidly changing development and funding landscape. We need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them, and who commit to delivering excellence in programme results.

Requirements

Advanced university degree (minimum Master’s degree or equivalent) in Social Science, Business Administration, International Development, sustainable development, economics, project management, public policy, public administration, or another relevant field is required.
A minimum of 15 years of progressively responsible experience in project or programme management, innovation, partnership development, inter-agency cooperation and related areas is required.
Extensive experience in leading and managing teams within large complex organisations, providing strategic guidance.
Substantive knowledge and practical experience in population & development, sexual & reproductive health, and gender.
Experience in leading the development innovation strategies or plans and implementing them across complex technical areas.
Experience in corporate transformation and/or performance projects.
Experience in leveraging innovation for sustainable development solutions.
Experience in building and managing diverse partnerships with governments, NGOs, private sector, and donors to secure funding and achieve development goals.
Proficiency in English required. Knowledge of an additional UN language is an asset.
Exemplifying integrity,
Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system,
Embracing cultural diversity,
Embracing change
Achieving results,
Being accountable,
Developing and applying professional expertise/business acumen,
Thinking analytically and strategically,
Working in teams/managing ourselves and our relationships
Identifying opportunities for enhancing effectiveness and efficiency,
Actively contributing to the setting or organizational priorities in a consultative process,
Revising goals and plans to reflect changing priorities or conditions,
Coordinating the translation of organizational strategies into concrete plans,
Advocacy / Advancing a policy-orientated agenda,
Leveraging the resources of national governments and partners / building strategic alliances and partnerships,
Strategically positioning UNFPA programme,
Providing a technical support system
Providing strategic focus,
Engaging in internal/external partners and stakeholders,
Leading, developing and empowering people, creating a culture of performance,
Making decisions and exercising judgment

Nice To Haves

Experience in working in the private sector around innovation or innovative solutions is an advantage.
Experience working in field settings including regional and country offices is an asset.
Knowledge of an additional UN language is an asset.

Responsibilities

Leading the management, strategic planning and coordination of innovation and transformation initiatives to support leadership with priority-setting, forward planning and strategic analysis.
Leading and coordinating with UNFPA Business Units efforts in designing and mobilizing innovative or change management solutions, and guiding and oversseeing their implementation, ensuring coherence with organizational priorities, Strategic Plans, UN Reforms, and emerging trends.
Driving the development and implementation of UNFPA's innovation strategy, ensuring alignment with the Strategic Plan, organizational goals, and insights from foresight activities to advance corporate performance.
Ensuring alignment of innovation and transformation priorities with executive decision-making processes, including direct support to the Executive Committee and senior leadership forums.
Ensuring harmonization and linkages with institutional messaging on innovation, institutional transformation, and corporate performance in interactions with the Member States, UN inter-agency groups, donors and other partners.
Serving as a Project Manager for high-priority corporate transformation initiatives and ensuring delivery of results across business units including special corporate or change management projects including projects/initiatives relating to innovation and transformation.
Acting as a central coordination point across divisions, regions, and governance bodies to ensure alignment and execution of priority institutional initiatives.
Delivering learning opportunities on innovation and enhancing corporate performance and building capacity of Business Units through these efforts.
Ensuring availability of technical assistance, best practices, tools, and methods for both innovation and driving corporate performance, empowering teams to overcome challenges and achieve progress.
Promoting institutional learning and capacity building through targeted initiatives and strategic knowledge dissemination.
Fostering learning exchange and knowledge sharing on best practices in innovation and corporate performance enhancement, both within UNFPA and with external partners.
Facilitating a dynamic community of innovators and knowledge sharing, internally and externally, including annual innovation events, recognition programmes, and innovation challenge calls.
Developing and curating knowledge resources on innovation and corporate performance optimization, fostering information exchange within and beyond UNFPA.
Providing operational support for both innovation and corporate performance initiatives, streamlining processes and systems to support efficient implementation.
Building, in collaboration with other Business Units, strategic engagement with public and private sector, development banks, International Financial Institutions, to enable financing and scale high-impact solutions, to broaden innovation initiatives and achieve organizational goals.
Championing initiatives that foster collaboration across Business Units and external actors, building synergies and maximizing impact to advance organizational outcome.
Advocating for and promoting UNFPA's innovation and corporate performance efforts within UN inter-agency groups, Member States, and the broader development community, leveraging insights from foresight activities.
Identifying and cultivating new models of partnership that leverage core business values across sectors, considering how these partnerships can enable both innovation and corporate performance enhancement.
Leveraging the opportunities offered by innovative financing, including investments in impactful solutions and proven solutions implementable at national scale.
Managing dedicated capital for both innovation and corporate performance initiatives, subject to availability, ensuring prudent and impactful allocation across both areas.
Providing specialist advice and support to strengthen donor relations and resource mobilization, maximizing resources raised and fostering donor stewardship for these initiatives.
Any other duties as assigned