Senior Private Sector Advisor - IPSA 11 - 60% of engagement

Contract

This is a IPSA-11 contract. This kind of contract is known as International Personnel Services Agreement. It is normally internationally recruited only. It usually requires 7 years of experience, depending on education. More about IPSA-11 contracts.

Background

Instructions to Applicants: Click on the "Apply now" button. Input your information in the appropriate Sections: personal information, language proficiency, education, resume and motivation. Upon completion of the first page, please hit "submit application" tab at the end of the page. Please ensure that CV or P11 and the Cover letter are combined in one file.

The following documents shall be required from the applicants:

Personal CV or P11, indicating all past positions held and their main underlying functions, their durations (month/year), the qualifications, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate, and at least three (3) the most recent professional references of previous supervisors. References may also include peers.

A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page) indicating why the candidate considers him-/herself to be suitable for the position.

Managers may ask (ad hoc) for any other materials relevant to pre-assessing the relevance of their experience, such as reports, presentations, publications, campaigns or other materials.

Organizational Context

Food and Agricultural Commodity Systems (FACS)are fundamental to sustainable development in all of the 170 countries UNDP supports. In 2020, UNDP for the first time consolidated its support and vision on food & agricultural commodity systems into one innovative strategy. With a current portfolio of FACS-related projects representing over USD 1.2 billion in grants, UNDP works on FACS in more than 100 countries and more than 400 landscapes. UNDP´s vision for FACS is, through multi-stakeholder collaboration, to transform food and commodity systems into resilient, equitable, inclusive, environmentally, socially and economically sustainable systems.

The FACS practice was launched in June 2020 to help UNDP, through the leadership of the Nature, Climate and Energy team, take an integrated approach to tackling FACS issues. The FACS practice operates a small global team and is designed to work in an agile manner to harness networks, experience, and innovation both within and outside UNDP. The practice draws on the thematic expertise of the climate, forests, biodiversity, local/indigenous communities, water, chemicals, energy, inclusive growth, private sector, health, gender and governance teams. It operates the UNDP-internal FACS network, supports the implementation of the FACS strategy in the 5 regions, and is in charge of a portfolio of projects focusing on food and commodity systems transformation.

UNDP´s Green Commodities Programme (GCP) is one of UNDP´s global programmes in support of implementing UNDP´s FACS strategy and represents the core of UNDPs´ FACS team currently. GCP’s global targets, objectives and delivery strategies are based on inclusive and sustainable growth and development – combining governments and markets in agriculture through public private partnerships and democratic dialogue processes. GCP’s focus on strengthening the livelihoods of smallholder producers within commodity supply chains and reducing environmental footprints, particularly deforestation, through public private partnerships can be key for UNDP’s ambitions to reduce poverty, reduce deforestation and engage the private sector in SDGs.

The Senior Private Advisor will become part of the global FACS practice and will co- lead the delivery of FACS/GCP’s Private Sector Engagement Strategy and updates of the Strategy. The Private Sector work focuses on two main pillars: i) build capacity of UNDP national offices, teams and partners to develop their private sector engagement strategies and engage more effectively with companies, and ii) to develop and manage private sector partnerships including industry networks at a global level, in order to strengthen sustainable commodity production and in particular reduce deforestation and poverty from commodity supply chains in countries of operation.

Institutional arrangement

• The Advisorwill work from his/her home;
• The advisor will form part of the global FACS practice and report to the Head, Food and Agricultural Commodity Systems Global Practice and the GCP Private Sector Lead.
• The Advisor will be given access to relevant information necessary for the execution of the tasks under this assignment;

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of work

The scope of work will be varied based on the strategy, business development and new programming, including one or various of the below tasks:

• Work closely with UNDP GCP and FACS country and project teams to understand their needs related to engaging with Private Sector to service, innovate and mentor projects to ensure effective private sector engagement across the portfolio.
• Manage and further develop existing relationships with global companies, based on the Strategy, to deliver on priority initiatives and to develop new global, regional and national initiatives.
• Meaningfully contribute to continual improvement of advise on private sector engagement across GCP and to strengthening and updating GCPs private sector strategy.
• Develop new initiatives and global corporate partnerships to strengthen FACS/GCP impact.
• Build and maintain partnerships with global private sector coalitions such as WBCSD, CGF, WCF, RSPO etc.
• Assist in engaging the private sector in UNDP FACS/GCP country projects and commodity platforms.
• Participate in major global events relevant to GCP’s and FACS private sector and wider work to promote the work, including speaking on panels and organizing side events.
• Act as focal point and key private sector advisor for UNDP initiatives focusing on deforestation free commodities such as the Good Growth Partnership and NYDF.
• Develop and manage processes for maintaining on-going global level monitoring and oversight of private sector engagement activities in GCP and FACS projects.
• Work with Communications team to prepare tools including concept notes, presentations, reports required to support collaboration with Private Sector partners.
• Provide guidance to consultants appointed by GCP and FACS to deliver additional private sector engagement activities at the country level.
• Prepare project proposals in collaboration with strategic company partners for resource mobilization.

Competencies

Minimum Qualifications of the Successful IPSA

Required Skills

• Experience working with companies on deforestation free commodity supply chains or initiatives.
• Experience working with national private sector companies, supporting them to understand and develop sustainable sourcing policies and strategies.
• Experience Initiating and inspiring partnerships with the private sector.
• Experience developing and managing processes for maintaining on-going global level monitoring and oversight of private sector engagement activities in projects or programs.

Desired additional skills and

• Experience preparing project proposals with a private sector engagement focus.
• Experience developing communication materials aimed at a private sector audience (ability to present information in a way that will resonate and appeal to this specific audience).
• Working experience in an international organization is an advantage, as is knowledge of UNDP policies, procedures and practices.
• Ability to work effectively and collaboratively across different geographies and cultures, and being able to translate experience and skills into a range of contexts.

Required Language(s) (at working level)

• Excellent command of written and spoken English is required.
• Other languages, eg Bahasa, Portuguese, Spanish, or French are an advantage

Professional Certificates

• N/A

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

Thematic Area

Name

Definition

Business Management

Partnerships Management

• Ability to build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies

Business Management

Resource Management

• Ability to allocate and use resources in a strategic or tactical way in line with principles of accountability and integrity

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

Business Management

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

Private sector resource mobilization

• Ability to identify, develop and manage partnerships that leverage private sector technical expertise and resources.

Partnership management

Private sector engagement

• Ability to identify, conduct outreach, and manage relationships with the private sector

Required Skills and Experience

Minimum Qualifications of the Successful IPSA

Min. Academic Education

• Master´s Degree in environment, agriculture, international development, management, business, social sciences, or other closely related field.

Min. years of relevant Work experience

• Minimum of 7 years of experience working in or with private sector related to sustainable sourcing, focusing on agricultural commodity and food supply chains such as cocoa, coffee, palm, cattle.