Deputy Executive Director; Programme

Deputy Executive Director (Programme)

Join to apply for the Deputy Executive Director (Programme) role at United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

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  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.

The Deputy Executive Director (Programme), along with the Deputy Executive Director (Management), is one of the two most senior members of the UNFPA leadership team working under the leadership of and in close collaboration with the Executive Director. In support of UNFPA’s mandate and programmes, the DED (Programme) is responsible for technical and strategic leadership, management and communication of the UNFPA programme and humanitarian response.

The position also has responsibilities for building and maintaining partnerships with the UN and bilateral agencies and other partners on specific programme themes. The DED (Programme) holds the rank of United Nations Assistant Secretary‑General (ASG) and leads a senior management team of eight Directors at the D‑2 level. The DED (Programme) proactively engages in UNFPA’s strategic direction to help implement the 2030 Agenda and the achievement of all 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

• Normative leadership:
  Uphold UNFPA’s normative role and mandate on sexual and reproductive health and rights and role as custodian of the International Conference on Population and Development.
• Strategic direction of the programme and humanitarian portfolio:
  Provide strategic direction and leadership across all of UNFPA’s programmatic functions, including humanitarian response. Supervise a senior leadership team of Directors (currently, the Director of the Programme Division, the Humanitarian Response Division, and six Regional Directors).
• Strategic Plan and Vision:
  Lead the organization’s programmatic contributions and oversee implementation overall of the new UNFPA Strategic Plan, , driving its vision for resilience and renewal.
• Investment and Financing:
  Champion and lead the strategic shift from traditional funding models to funding and leveraging sustainable financing and investment.
• Demographic Foresight and Normative Leadership:
  Lead the organization’s agenda on demographic change, ensuring that demographic intelligence and foresight inform rights‑based policies and national development strategies. Uphold UNFPA’s normative role in advancing the ICPD Programme of Action.

• Programme Quality and Impact:
  Direct UNFPA's work to achieve enhanced impact in programming at both country and regional levels. Improve the quality and control of country programmes by robustly strengthening systems, processes, and oversight structures to build resilience in a polycrisis world.
• Programme and Humanitarian Coherence and Direction:
  Ensure that all relevant organizational units provide cutting‑edge, integrated technical and policy guidance across the organization, in both development and humanitarian settings. Guide Regional Directors' visions to ensure effective oversight and quality assurance of programming, clarifying and strengthening accountabilities between regional, headquarters, and country levels.
• Risk Management:
  
  Oversee programmatic performance and lead the development of related risk mitigation strategies. Support country teams as needed, and through regional offices, with strategic decision‑making and programme alignment with the organization’s core mission.
• Hu…