Back Chief, Talent Acquisition and Management Section

Org. Setting and ReportingIn its Resolution A/RES/72/279, the United Nations General Assembly endorsed the transformation of the Development Operations Coordination Office (DCO) as a stand-alone coordination office within the United Nations Secretariat. DCO exercises managerial and oversight functions of the resident coordinator system under the collective ownership of the members of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group (UNSDG). In 2026, DCO undertook a comprehensive organizational recalibration to ensure the RCS remains optimally configured to support the acceleration of the 2030 Agenda in its final years, and fully embodies the UN 2.0 shift—anchored in data, digital, innovation, behavioral science, strategic foresight, and a mission driven organizational culture. The position is located in the RC System Leadership Branch in the United Nations Development Coordination Office (UNDCO) in New York and reports to the Chief, RC System Leadership Branch. ResponsibilitiesWithin delegated authority, the Chief, Talent Acquisition and Management Section, will be responsible for the following duties: 1. Talent outreach, sourcing and inter-agency engagement:

• Develop, update and implement a sourcing and outreach strategy to attract diverse, highly qualified candidates for the RC track, including targeted approaches to strengthen gender balance and geographical diversity.
• Build and sustain inter-agency engagement with HR and leadership development counterparts across the UN system to secure buy-in, promote the RC career track, and facilitate identification and grooming of high-potential candidates.
• Engage with external stakeholder communities, as appropriate, to broaden feeder pools and increase awareness of the RC track, while ensuring alignment with UN values and due diligence requirements.
• Lead the design of processes to identify, cultivate, and maintain diverse pipelines of internal and external candidates, including a targeted strategy for outreach to non-UN candidates, for leadership roles in RCOs and DCO, leveraging digital platforms and data analytics and predictive modelling, contract lifecycle management, recruitment optimization and vacancy prioritization, talent reassignment and internal mobility protocol as well as partnerships with partner talent pipeline initiatives for strategic placement and sourcing of talent to identify and attract diverse, high-potential candidates.

• Lead the design and implementation of an HR talent management strategy, including structured leadership assessment and succession planning, integrated work force analytics, for RCO and DCO leadership roles, aligned with UN 2.

0, organizational needs and workforce planning frameworks. 2.

RC/HC Talent Pipeline management:

• Lead the design, governance and day-to-day management of the RC/HC Talent Pipeline jointly with OCHA and in collaboration with UNSDG partners, and propose continuous improvements to ensure the programme identifies and prepares the most suitable talents for the RC track.
• Plan and manage the end-to-end annual pipeline selection cycle (e.g., call for expressions of interest, eligibility screening, assessment, entity endorsement processes, review boards/panels, and communications with candidates and entities), ensuring transparency, equity, confidentiality and adherence to established procedures.
• Provide career counselling and advisory support to pipeline members and other prospective candidates, in close coordination with their parent entities, to inform leadership development pathways towards the RC track.

3.

Assessment design and RCAC management:

• Lead the design, update and quality assurance of the RC/HC Talent Pipeline entrance assessment, incorporating lessons learned and ensuring assessment tools reliably capture leadership potential and the specific requirements of the RC/HC context.
• Coordinate the RCAC cycle in liaison with contracted vendor(s) and relevant governance bodies, including review and refinement of tools, operational planning, candidate management, RCAC review boards, and results communications.
• Ensure effective management of vendor deliverables, timelines and quality standards; draft/clear technical requirements and monitor performance in accordance with UN procurement and contract management practices. 4. Strategic planning, analytics and stakeholder reporting:
• Contribute to RC system workforce planning and forecasting by analysing pipeline and RC Pool data, identifying profile gaps and diversity trends, and translating findings into actionable talent management recommendations.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date records in relevant corporate systems (e.g., Salesforce) and ensure data integrity, reporting quality and appropriate access controls for sensitive information.
• Prepare high-quality briefings, dashboards, presentations and decision memos for senior leadership and governance bodies, as required.
• Promote knowledge management and clear, accessible communications on the RC/HC Talent Pipeline and RCAC for internal and inter-agency audiences.

5.

Team and programme coordination:

• Plan and oversee the management of activities undertaken by the Talent Management Team; ensure that work programmes and deliverables are executed in a timely manner and aligned with branch priorities.
• Coordinate with other UNDCO teams and relevant UN entities on interconnected policy and operational issues related to RC leadership, performance management, mobility and deployment readiness.
• Provide policy guidance to the Chief of the RC System Leadership Branch on conceptual strategy development and management of the implementation of overall strategies and its relationship with existing policies and procedures.
• Champion a culture of agility, collaboration, innovation, and digital transformation within the RC System.
• Employ artificial intelligence and other digital tools to develop and maintain a pool of candidates for different contextual settings (in line with differentiated contextual needs of RCOs (HICs, MICs, LICs and/or LLDCs and SIDS), multi-country offices, and RCOs in complex settings).
• Support and monitor initiatives that enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion across RC System Leadership talent management processes,
• Develop processes to check and align the RC pool with UN 2.0 capabilities
• Perform other related duties as required.

Competencies

PROFESSIONALISM

Knowledge of human resources policies, practices and procedures and ability to apply them in an organizational setting. In-depth knowledge of strategic human resources management, and in particular of talent management and career development. Ability to identify issues, analyze and formulate opinions, make conclusions and recommendations on complex human resources policy and development issues. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.

TEAMWORK

Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others' ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.

CLIENT ORIENTATION

Considers all those to whom services are provided to be "clients" and seeks to see things from clients' point of view; establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; identifies clients' needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients' environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.

BUILDING TRUST

Provides an environment in which others can talk and act without fear of repercussion; manages in a deliberate and predictable way; operates with transparency; has no hidden agenda; places confidence in colleagues, staff members and clients; gives proper credit to others; follows through on agreed upon actions; treats sensitive or confidential information appropriately.

JUDGMENT/DECISION-MAKING

Identifies key issues in complex situations, and comes to the heart of the problem quickly; gathers relevant information before making a decision; considers positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them; takes decisions with an eye to the impact on others and on the Organization; proposes a course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information; checks assumptions against facts; determines actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision; makes tough decisions when necessary. EducationAdvanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in human resources management, business or public administration, social sciences, education or a related area. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Job - Specific QualificationNot available. Work ExperienceA minimum of ten years of progressively responsible experience in strategic human resources management, including talent management and career development is required. Experience in building senior leadership pipelines is desirable. Experience working with senior UN leaders, or comparable, is desirable. Experience in the United Nations system or a comparable international organization is desirable. Experience in facilitating inter-agency or multi-stakeholder collaboration is desirable. LanguagesEnglish and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this job opening, English is required. The table below shows the minimum required level for each skill in these languages, according to the UN Language Framework (please consult https://languages.un.org for details). 📚 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗮 𝗝𝗼𝗯 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗡 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯! 🌍🤝 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗡 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗨𝗡𝗛𝗖𝗥, 𝗪𝗙𝗣, 𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗖𝗘𝗙, 𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗦𝗦, 𝗨𝗡𝗙𝗣𝗔, 𝗜𝗢𝗠 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀! 🌐 ⚠️ 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐰: 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐚 𝐣𝐨𝐛 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐍𝐎𝐖!