Research and Partnership Analyst (Home based) [Open to Tier 0 & 1 & 2 applicants]

UNDP • Panama City, FL

7d • Remote

About The Position

UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the
UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to
realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s policy work carried out
at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels offers a spectrum of deep local
knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context,
UNDP invests in its Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and
global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in
support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in
UNDP’s Strategic Plan.

Within the GPN, the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the
responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the
results of UNDP’s Strategic Plan. BPPS personnel provides technical advice to
Country Offices; advocates for UNDP corporate messages; represents UNDP at
multi-stakeholder fora, including public-private, government and civil society
dialogues; and engages in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic
areas.

UNDP's 2022-2025 Strategic Plan highlighting our continued commitment to
eradicating poverty, accompanying countries in their pathways towards the SDGs
and working towards the Paris Agreement. As part of the Global Policy Network in
the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, UNDP's Nature, Climate, Energy,
Waste and Chemicals Hubs promote and scale up integrated whole-of-governance
approaches and nature-based solutions that reduce poverty and inequalities,
strengthen livelihoods and inclusive growth, mitigate conflict, forced migration
and displacement, and promote more resilient governance systems that advance
linked peace and security agendas.

BPPS’ Hubs on Nature, Climate, Energy Waste and Chemicals work with governments,
civil society, and private sector partners to integrate natural capital,
environment and climate concerns into national and sector planning and inclusive
growth policies; support country obligations under Multilateral Environmental
Agreements; and implement the UN’s largest portfolio of in-country programming
on environment, climate change, and energy. This multi-billion-dollar portfolio
encompasses:

Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services including forests;
Sustainable Land Management and Desertification including Food Systems;
Water and Ocean Governance including SIDS;
Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation;
Sustainable Energy;
Extractive Industries;
Chemicals and Waste Management;
Environmental Governance and Green/Circular Economy and SCP approaches.

This work advances crosscutting themes on innovative finance, digital
transformation, capacity development, human rights, gender equality, health,
technology, and South-South learning.

UNDP has developed its new Strategy for Food Systems to focus its vision and
enhance its support to transform Food Systems.

Food Systems are fundamental to the sustainable development of the 170 countries
UNDP supports. Food Systems are often the largest contributor to their
economies; food and nutrition is fundamental for citizen health; and Food
Systems have a key role to play in achieving the SDGs. Yet, Food Systems are in
crisis and need to be radically transformed to become sustainable. UNDP,
building on its experience, has for the first time consolidated its Food Systems
support and vision into this Strategy. The challenges and need for change
related to Food Systems have been highlighted by a suite of reports by many
research and international organizations and think tanks. The production
practices and consumption patterns of food and agricultural commodities are
taking these systems on an unsustainable trajectory with multiple impacts on
human development, the environment, and economies; from ecosystem degradation,
conflicts over land and natural resources, reduced capacity and resilience to
climate and other shocks, persistent poverty, food insecurity and related people
displacement and migration, to malnutrition including overweight and obesity.
There is a clear need to work in a systemic and integrated manner to transform
the Food Systems towards sustainability.

UNDP´s Vision for Food Systems 2030 is, through partnerships, to transform food
and agricultural commodity systems into resilient; equitable; healthy,
inclusive; environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable systems.
Working on Food Systems will contribute to not only recovery from the COVID19
crisis, by creating sustainable and resilient livelihoods for many along the
Food and Agriculture Commodities supply chains, but also to preventing further
zoonoses from emerging in the future. This will require a change in the current
paradigm of agricultural production focusing on maximizing productivity to a new
paradigm based on diversified agroecological systems which work simultaneously
on achieving economic, environmental, social, and health outcomes, with
smallholders as a key part of the solution in their role as the engine of
economic development. A Food Systems practice has been established within UNDP’s
Nature Hub, which is tasked to support UNDP Country Offices with Food Systems
related challenges in a way that is aligned with UNDP’s Food Systems strategy.

A Food Systems team has been established within UNDP´s Nature Hub, which is
tasked to support UNDP Country Offices with food systems related challenges in a
way that is aligned with UNDP´s strategy.  As part of its work on systems
change, the Food Systems team developed the Food and Power Initiative (FPI) and
the Conscious Food Systems Alliance (CoFSA).

The Food and Power Initiative (FPI) is an emerging global programme, launched in
2024, which aims to support countries and stakeholders to better understand,
navigate and address the power dynamics of food systems transformation. Through
this collaborative, multi-partner initiative, UNDP seeks to raise awareness on
the importance of addressing power asymmetries for a sustainable and equitable
transformation, to strengthen the role of marginalized communities in
decision-making, and to support policymakers to better navigate power dynamics
to adopt and implement public policy reforms. As it moves towards the
development of country support, FPI seeks a learning and research analyst to to
maintain and build out the Community of Engagement, to participate in relevant
Working Groups facilitating cross-sector collaboration, and to provide research
and analytical support to the development of knowledge products and country
level interventions towards a more equitable and resilient food system

The Conscious Food Systems Alliance is a global alliance that supports people
from across food and agriculture systems to cultivate the inner capacities that
activate systemic change and regeneration. CoFSA was publicly launched in late
2022 and have built a vibrant community of over 600 members, advancing thought
leadership and practical interventions on the ground. CoFSA supports inner
transformation as a key lever of change at all levels of the food system: from
community-led initiatives and local actions that promote deep connection with
Nature, to transformative experiences for policymakers to catalyse mindset
shifts in governance, to healing interventions supporting farmers’ wellbeing and
psychological resilience. In 2026, CoFSA is co-hosting a Global Conscious Food
Systems Summit with the Royal Government of Bhutan, advancing a new paradigm for
food systems transformation that recognises the vital role of culture, values,
spirituality, happiness and inner development in catalysing systemic change.
CoFSA seeks a Research and Partnerships Analyst to support the development of
knowledge products in relation to the Summit, and to convene the Researchers
circle before, during and after this flagship event.

UNDP seeks an individual with expertise spanning these intersecting thematic
areas, to support the integration of these two initiatives which work on
intersecting areas as part of the food systems portfolio.

Requirements

• An advanced university degree (Master´s degree or equivalent) in Anthropology, Development Studies, Agriculture, Economics, Environment Science, or other related fields; or A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the above fields, in combination with two additional years of relevant experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• Applicants with a master’s degree (or equivalent) in a relevant field of study are not required to have professional work experience.
• Applicants with a bachelor’s degree are required to have minimum of two years of professional work experience in sustainable development project management support-related functions (planning, communications, reporting, research).
• Fluency in English is required.

Nice To Haves

• Demonstrable interest and understanding of the role of inner capacities, inner change and power dynamics in driving systems change.
• Experience supporting projects on food systems transformation, agriculture, or rural development that integrate inner change, mindset shifts, power dynamics & political economy.
• Experience convening and moderating communities of practice, including organizing online and in-person events.
• Experience developing knowledge products that integrate insights on power, inner change, and food systems transformation.
• Experience coordinating multi-partner initiatives with diverse stakeholders.
• Experience working with UNDP and/or other UN organizations.
• Working knowledge of another UN language such as Spanish or French is desirable

Responsibilities

• Conduct in-depth background research and analysis to support the FPI and CoFSA programmes, including staying up to date on emerging research on the topics of power asymmetries/political economy/inner change for food systems transformation.
• Develop high-quality case studies, reports, and blogs that document developments and key lessons learned, to support the implementation of workstreams and contribute to thought leadership in the field.
• Moderate the FPI Community of Practice, including maintaining resource library, admitting new members, and related tasks.
• Support the design and facilitation of learning events, such as workshops and knowledge-sharing sessions, to enhance organisational learning and collaboration.
• Implement learning, monitoring, and evaluation processes, to assess the impact of the programmes, including local actions and partner initiatives.
• Act as a bridge between the two initiatives, ensuring integration where relevant and supporting knowledge sharing.
• Coordinate the thematic Working Groups and Advisory Committee for FPI, and in particular supporting the sharing of learning between country level and global level activities.
• Carry out outreach for new FPI members, mediate the admission process for new members, and act as the focal point for FPI Members.
• Participate in Working Groups of relevant networks, including the One Planet Network, UN-Nutrition and other relevant groups and processes
• Identify, synthesize and document best practices and lessons learned that are generated from the project and implementing partners.

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Entry Level
• Number of Employees: 501-1,000 employees