Chief, Programme Liaison Branch, Programme Division (PD), New York, D-1

UNFPA•New York, NY

About The Position

The Programme Liaison Branch (PLB) represents the work of the Programme Division (located in Nairobi) in intergovernmental and interagency work in New York and ensures that UNFPA Executive Leadership has direct access to timely strategic, programmatic and technical advice. The Chief reports directly to the Programme Division Director (in Nairobi) and has a secondary reporting line to the Deputy Executive Director - Programme (in New York). The Chief leads and oversees the work of a small but diverse team of New York based staff who are also functionally part of Programme Division Branches in Nairobi or Regional Offices. The Chief leads efforts to advance UNFPA’s programme mandate through global policy influence and high-impact advocacy and positioning in New York. 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. The PLB Chief serves as UNFPA’s principal programme adviser in intergovernmental and interagency engagement in New York. Acting as the primary bridge between the Programme Division (PD) in Nairobi and New York-based stakeholders, this role ensures that UNFPA’s strategic, programmatic and technical work is positioned to influence global policy and secure Member State support.

Requirements

Advanced university degree in one or more of the following disciplines: International Development, International Relations, , Public Administration, Management or other related fields.
15 years of relevant and increasingly responsible professional and managerial experience in development and multilateral institutions or government at the national and international levels
Strong knowledge and experience of working across the range of UNFPA mandate areas (as reflected in the UNFPA Strategic Plan 2026-2029)
Proven experience of UN intergovernmental and interagency systems - experience of operating at UN HQ in New York would be highly desirable.
Knowledge of and proven experience in development programming, particularly at country/regional levels, including programme and financial management
Proven ability to lead and manage teams to achieve demonstrable results
Excellent communication skills in speaking and writing in English

Nice To Haves

knowledge of other official UN languages, preferably French and/or Spanish, is desirable.

Responsibilities

Ensure UNFPA senior leadership has the strategic, programmatic and technical advice and support needed to facilitate engagement with Member States and Permanent Missions in New York to sustain support for the UNFPA’s mandate and programming
Work in close partnership with colleagues in the Division of External Relations to ensure that programmatic and technical advice is available to support intergovernmental processes in New York.
Represent the Programme Division among New York-based global stakeholders ensuring strategic visibility of programmatic and technical issues in global forums and interagency task teams
Lead the organizational representation and engagement in New York-centric programmatic areas of UNFPA work, in particular, Youth Peace and Security (YPS).
Working with relevant New-York based colleagues, facilitate the timely provision of quality assured corporate inputs by the Programme Division to Secretary-General (SG) reports and global accountability frameworks
Working with the Executive Board Branch engage with Executive Board members to secure endorsement for UNFPA Country Programme Documents (CPDs), and lead post-CPD approval actions, including Country Office human resource alignments
Provide guidance to UNFPA to ensure Country Programmes and Global and Regional Programmes (GRP) are aligned with the UNDS reform (e.g., UNSDCFs)
Oversee day-to-day collaboration on behalf of Programme Division with UNFPA’s New York based divisions to ensure strategic, programmatic and technical issues are addressed with a unified organizational position.
Lead the development and quality assurance of strategic briefing notes in support of ED/DED’s bilateral meetings with Member States and Permanent Missions and provide real-time contributions and advice during those meetings
Provide real-time policy and programmatic intelligence to the Office of Executive Director to inform executive decision-making
Ensure insights from political discussions in New York inform strategies to translate technical evidence into programme implementation and delivery
Guide the development of substantive advocacy and communications products tailored for engagement with Permanent Missions and other key stakeholders
Support programme division leadership and management to maximize the value of missions to New York, including pre- and post-mission support services, updates and follow-up
Carries out any other duties as may be required by the Division Director.