Area Based Coordinator Officer

Consultant Programme & Policy

Overview

Deliver effective area-based coordination and programming in South Sudan.

You have:

• Advanced university degree (master’s or higher) in development studies, international relations, public administration, or related field.
• Minimum of 10 years of relevant experience in humanitarian, development, or peacebuilding sectors is required.
• Proven experience in coordination, planning, and implementation in fragile or conflict-affected settings is required.
• Experience with HDP Nexus and area-based approaches is required.
• Familiarity, experience and knowledge of South Sudan is an asset.
• Strong analytical, facilitation, and communication skills, and the ability to work independently and manage complex tasks is an advantage.
• Fluency in both written and oral English. Other languages will be considered as an asset.

Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy contracts.

Result of Service

Expected Outcomes Monthly ABC results report tracking progress against agreed-upon indicators. (e.g., food production, access to services, resilience metrics, early warning and emergency preparedness and response). Annual synthesis of ABC contributions to collective outcomes. Implementation of community-based, bottom-up approaches to priority-setting and programming. Strengthened coordination and increased impact across HDP actors. Development of operational priorities and roadmaps to address common challenges Demonstrated improvements in accountability to affected populations.

Work Location

Juba, South Sudan

Expected duration

3 Months (renewable based on performance and funding)

Duties and Responsibilities

South Sudan is experiencing a period of significant risk and opportunity, marked by escalating humanitarian needs, economic challenges, and political and security uncertainty, compounded by shrinking financial resources and the spillover from the crisis in Sudan. Amidst this complexity, the UN Country Team (UNCT) and Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) convened a Joint Retreat in June 2025 to make strategic decisions on where, how, and with whom to work to deliver more coherent and impactful results. The retreat underscored the need for a paradigm shift in leadership behavior, joint delivery models, accountability, and operational prioritization to drive coherent action across the peace, development, and humanitarian pillars in support of agreed priorities. This call for change comes at a time when the global UN system is under increasing pressure to rethink how it leads, operates, and delivers—amid shrinking resources, the IASC ‘reset’, and preparations for UN80. The development and humanitarian community, including the UN, is seeking renewal and relevance by becoming more effective and responsive to complex and rapidly evolving contexts. In South Sudan, this shift entails breaking down institutional silos in favor of bold, context-driven leadership, shared responsibility, and decisive, collective action. The ABC Officer will provide targeted support to the Resident Coordinator (RC) to facilitate the implementation of the UNCT and HCT joint retreat, with a specific focus on supporting Area-Based Coordination (ABC). The ABC Officer will work under the direct supervision of the Head of Integrated Office and in close collaboration with the RCO and relevant UN agencies, NGOs, government counterparts (including state-level authorities), and community representatives in the ABC areas. He will be responsible for facilitating ABC deliverables and assisting the RCO in providing technical support as follows: Lead the coordination, implementation, and support to the ABC at the subnational level, ensuring delivery against time-bound commitments, geographic and sectoral priorities, and agency-specific responsibilities. Facilitate area-based integration across UN agencies, NGOs, UNMISS, IFIs, civil society, and the private sector to ensure that the four outputs of the joint plan are delivered in a context-driven, inclusive, and synergistic manner. Support the operationalization and refinement of the Area-Based Coordination (ABC) model, promoting collaboration with subnational governance structures and improving linkages between humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding efforts. Coordinate structured engagement with local and national authorities, enhancing joint planning, mutual accountability, and alignment with government-led processes at the subnational level. Strengthen collective programming by promoting coherence and complementarities across humanitarian, development, and peace actors, including outreach to non-traditional donors and partners operating at local and regional levels. Advise and support the RC/HC and UNCT/HCT leadership in strategic engagements, including with donors, government counterparts, IFIs, and key private sector actors, to advance area-specific priorities and overcome systemic challenges. Serve as an adviser to the RC/HC on subnational coordination, integrated planning, and effective execution of retreat outcomes within the area-based model. Facilitate coordination with International Financial Institutions (e.g., World Bank, IMF, AfDB) to align technical and financial support with area-based priorities and joint planning frameworks. Develop and lead a localized communications strategy, ensuring clear, consistent, and context-sensitive messaging on collective results and progress, both internally within the UN system and externally to stakeholders. Prepare and contribute to donor briefings, partner updates, mission documents, and situational reports, highlighting area-specific progress, challenges, and needs. Key Responsibilities of the Area-Based Coordinator Officer: Lead the coordination, implementation, and support to the ABC at the subnational level, ensuring delivery against time-bound commitments, geographic and sectoral priorities, and agency-specific responsibilities. Facilitate area-based integration across UN agencies, NGOs, UNMISS, IFIs, civil society, and the private sector to ensure that the four outputs of the joint plan are delivered in a context-driven, inclusive, and synergistic manner. Support the operationalization and refinement of the Area-Based Coordination (ABC) model, promoting collaboration with subnational governance structures and improving linkages between humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding efforts. Coordinate structured engagement with local and national authorities, enhancing joint planning, mutual accountability, and alignment with government-led processes at the subnational level. Strengthen collective programming by promoting coherence and complementarities across humanitarian, development, and peace actors, including outreach to non-traditional donors and partners operating at local and regional levels. Advise and support the RC/HC and UNCT/HCT leadership in strategic engagements, including with donors, government counterparts, IFIs, and key private sector actors, to advance area-specific priorities and overcome systemic challenges. Serve as an adviser to the RC/HC on subnational coordination, integrated planning, and effective execution of retreat outcomes within the area-based model. Facilitate coordination with International Financial Institutions (e.g., World Bank, IMF, AfDB) to align technical and financial support with area-based priorities and joint planning frameworks. Develop and lead a localized communications strategy, ensuring clear, consistent, and context-sensitive messaging on collective results and progress, both internally within the UN system and externally to stakeholders. Prepare and contribute to donor briefings, partner updates, mission documents, and situational reports, highlighting area-specific progress, challenges, and needs.

Qualifications/special skills

Advanced university degree (master’s or higher) in development studies, international relations, public administration, or related field. Minimum of 10 years of relevant experience in humanitarian, development, or peacebuilding sectors is required. Proven experience in coordination, planning, and implementation in fragile or conflict-affected settings is required. Experience with HDP Nexus and area-based approaches is required Familiarity, Experience and knowledge of South Sudan is an asset. Strong analytical, facilitation, and communication skills, and the ability to work independently and manage complex tasks is an advantage.

Languages

Fluency in both written and oral English. Other languages will be considered as an asset.

Additional Information

Not available.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.

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Added 10 months ago - Updated 10 months ago - Source: careers.un.org