Portfolio Specialist Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding Job UNDP

Position Overview

UNDP Kenya seeks a highly qualified Portfolio Specialist- Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding and P/CVE to lead UNDP work in this thematic area by ensuring a coherent approach, synergies across all projects in this thematic area including, but not limited to the Peace Building Fund supported project as well as the Refuge project to avoid duplication and demonstrated value for money as well as contribution to broader results in this thematic area. The incumbent will serve as UNDP specialist and focal point with the Government, DP, UN and others and provide strategic advisory support and conflict prevention analysis to the TL and senior management as well as lead the development of new programs in this thematic area. S/he will coordinate all work in the thematic area in UNDP Kenya Country Office as well as serve as the Project Manager for the KOICA-funded “Peacebuilding and Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE) in East Africa” project. The Portfolio Specialist will be based in Nairobi and will work under the overall guidance of the UNDP Deputy Resident Representative – Programme. The position will report directly to the Team Leader, Democratic Governance Unit, and manage/supervise other focal points of peacebuilding-related projects in the Country Office.

The Portfolio Specialist will lead the portfolio team in the areas of strategic and annual planning, project implementation, capacity building, and monitoring and reporting for results. S/He will be responsible for ensuring that portfolio objectives are met in line with the UNDP’s governance frameworks and the Government of Kenya’s development priorities.

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Responsibilities

The Portfolio Specialist – Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding and P/CVE will provide overall strategic leadership for UNDP Kenya’s peacebuilding and conflict prevention portfolio. The incumbent will ensure the successful implementation of the Kenya component of the Regional Peacebuilding and PVE Project while integrating peacebuilding strategies at the national and regional levels.

Strategic Direction and Leadership:

• Lead and manage the peacebuilding and conflict prevention thematic portfolio by setting strategic priorities, ensuring alignment with national and regional frameworks, and ensuring that all activities integrate gender, youth and human rights approaches.
• Lead the design of adapted and context-driven programmatic interventions that enable the delivery of UNDP’s programmatic offer, while ensuring cross-sectoral cross-portfolio fertilization.

Partnerships building and Resource Mobilization:

• Cultivate and manage strategic partnerships with government bodies, civil society organizations (CSOs), regional organizations, and international partners to promote collaboration and resource mobilization for long-term peacebuilding outcomes.

Portfolio Management and Coordination:

• Ensure the effective management and implementation of all projects under this portfolio including the Regional Peacebuilding and PVE Project, including overseeing work plans, budgets, monitoring outputs, and ensuring gender-sensitive programming across the portfolio.
• Management and mentoring of portfolio team to ensure timely and quality delivery of portfolio results. Timely results reporting.

Knowledge Management and Visibility:

• Lead the creation and dissemination of high-quality knowledge products, policy analysis briefs/recommendations, and communication materials in collaboration with the CO and Regional team and key partners, ensuring the visibility and impact of UNDP’s work in this thematic area. Represent the CO at high-level and technical engagements/dialogues with donors, gov and other partners as requested.
• Participate in inter-agency meetings to better harmonize and inform the development and monitoring of joint initiatives and programmes in this area and contribute views and ideas and assess trends and development needs as per evaluation of the country’s overall programmatic performance and external trends.

Financial and Operational Oversight:

• Ensure financial integrity and compliance with UNDP rules and donor-specific regulations, overseeing portfolio’s procurement, administrative processes, and ensuring results are achieved by performance standards. Risks and compliance management including audits.

Cross-Functional & Technical Competencies

Business Direction and Strategy

Strategic Thinking

• Ability to develop effective strategies and prioritized plans in line with UNDP’s objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, potential risks and opportunities; linking the vision to reality on the ground, and creating tangible solutions;
• Ability to leverage learning from a variety of sources to anticipate and respond to future trends; to demonstrate foresight in order to model what future developments and possible ways forward look like for UNDP.

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

Knowledge Facilitation

• Ability to animate individuals and communities of contributors to participate and share, particularly externally.

Business Management

Project Management

• Ability to plan, organize, prioritize, and control resources, procedures, and protocols to achieve specific goals.

Communication

• Ability to communicate in a clear, concise, and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience;
• Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media, and other appropriate channels.

Partnership Management

Relationship Management

• Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding.

Qualifications

Education

Required Skills and Experience

• Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Project Management, Public Policy, Law, Political Science, Business Administration, Public Administration, or related field is required, or;
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in a relevant field in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

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 in Peace and Conflict, Public Policy, Law, Political Science, Business Administration, Public Administration or related field is required.

Required Skills

• Advanced computer skills and knowledge of office software packages essential, experience handling web-based management systems;
• Sound knowledge and experience working with project teams and in all aspects of project cycle management.

Desired additional skills in addition to the competencies covered in the competencies section:

• Experience in conflict prevention, peacebuilding, and PVE, with a strong background in democratic governance preferred;
• Sound knowledge of project management, organizational management, asset management, information and communication technology, administration, financial and human resources management, preferably with an international development setting;
• Excellent analytical, communication, writing and presentation skills;
• Willingness to work extensive hours and under pressure.

Required Languages(s)

• Fluency in English and Kiswahili at working level.

Professional Certificates

• Advanced computer skills;
• Office software packages;
• web-based management systems;
• Mediation, peace and community development.

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How to Apply

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