Job Overview
Community Programme Specialist (Remote – USA)
Are you a compassionate and experienced Community Programme Specialist with a passion for sustainable development and food systems? The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) seeks a dedicated professional for its Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) Nature Hub. This home-based, remote position offers a unique opportunity, including for those based in the USA, to lead global knowledge management and community building for improved food systems. Ultimately, you will contribute directly to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) from your home-base.
About UNDP and the Role’s Impact
UNDP actively drives sustainable development within the UN system, indeed integrating collective action for the SDGs. Our policy work combines deep local knowledge with cutting-edge global perspectives. Consequently, we invest in our Global Policy Network (GPN), a vast network of technical expertise. This Community Programme Specialist role anchors within the BPPS Nature Hub’s Food Systems team. This team strategically enhances the economic, social, and environmental performance of food systems, aiming to improve livelihoods and protect valuable ecosystems.
Since 2014, the Food Systems Knowledge Solutions team (Pillar C) has provided pivotal learning, knowledge management, and connectivity functions. In fact, it serves over 750 individual practitioners and multiple large multi-country programs. These notably include the FOLUR Impact Programme, SLPI, Green Commodities Programme III, BGI-IP, and FS-IP. Therefore, our Community Programme Specialist will play an integral role in these initiatives.
The Food Systems Knowledge Solutions team delivers services virtually and in-person via a dedicated Digital Collaborative Knowledge Platform. Here, practitioners from international organizations, government, business, and civil society actively test, shape, share, and learn good practices and solutions to transform food systems globally.
Remote USA Community Programme Specialist
Key Responsibilities of the Community Programme Specialist
As the Community Programme Specialist, you will centralize the Food Systems Community and its Knowledge Management Services. Your main responsibilities include:
- Leading and Overseeing Community Operations: You will directly oversee the community’s operations, its team, and all main deliverables. This includes ensuring quality and actively monitoring virtual learning events. Furthermore, you will ensure the Digital Collaborative Knowledge Platform functions smoothly, continuously improving user experience. Moreover, you will develop comprehensive dissemination and promotion strategies.
- Establishing Food Systems Knowledge Management Services: You will establish and consistently improve knowledge management, coordination, integration, and monitoring mechanisms for seamless collaboration across multi-country programs. Importantly, you will support technical experts with knowledge management activities. You will also ensure contractual deliverables are meticulously planned, delivered, documented, tracked, and reported for donors.
- Leading and Coordinating Capacity Development: This involves organizing and coordinating capacity development and learning events. You will also ensure you capture and disseminate lessons learned stemming from these deliverables through relevant program communities.
- Other Duties: You will perform additional duties within your functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
Qualifications for a Community Programme Specialist
Candidates require an advanced university degree (master’s or equivalent) in Economics, Science, Humanities, Arts, Social or Political Sciences, Administration, Information and Communications Technology, Agriculture, Environment, or related fields. Alternatively, a first-level university degree (Bachelor’s) in these areas, plus two additional years of qualifying experience, qualifies you.
You should bring at least five (5) years (with a master’s degree) or seven (7) years (with a bachelor’s degree) of professional experience working on food and agricultural commodities. Professional experience leading a knowledge management function is essential. Similarly, professional experience organizing virtual and face-to-face capacity development and learning events is a core requirement. Desired qualifications include professional experience curating content and facilitating knowledge exchanges on online platforms. Experience at the UNDP or working with various stakeholders (UN agencies, NGOs, bilateral donors) is also highly desirable. Furthermore, experience in monitoring and evaluation of communities of practice, plus working with multi-country projects or initiatives, offers an advantage.
Fluency in oral and written English is required for this Community Programme Specialist role. Fluency in oral and written French or Spanish is also a mandatory requirement. Conversely, knowledge of additional UN languages provides an advantage.
Institutional Arrangement and Work Environment
As a Community Programme Specialist in this remote position, you will work from your home-base under the direct supervision of the Senior Advisor Learning & Impact. You will receive access to all relevant information necessary for your tasks. Given the global nature of consultations, you must expect reasonable flexibility with your availability to accommodate different time zones. Furthermore, you will provide your own workstation (e.g., laptop, internet, phone, scanner/printer) and must have access to a reliable internet connection. Ultimately, you will engage regularly with your supervisor via email, Teams, and Zoom on a weekly and/or daily basis as needed.
Core and Cross-Functional Competencies
Core Competencies include: Achieving Results, Thinking Innovatively, Learning Continuously, Acting with Determination, Engaging and Partnering, and Enabling Diversity and Inclusion.
Cross-functional & Technical Competencies include: Project Management (your ability to plan, organize, prioritize, and control resources), Relationship Management (your ability to engage with diverse partners), Communication (your ability to communicate clearly, concisely, and unambiguously, tailoring messages to audience), Risk Management (your ability to identify and mitigate risks), Monitoring & Evaluation (your ability to systematically monitor results, provide feedback, and make independent judgments), Digital: Systems Thinking & Transformation (your ability for holistic problem-solving, understanding complex dynamics), and Business Direction and Strategy: Systems Thinking (your ability for objective problem analysis within overall processes). Consequently, these competencies prove crucial for a Community Programme Specialist at UNDP.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: Is this a fully remote position? A1: Yes, this Community Programme Specialist role is home-based and fully remote. Therefore, you can work from any location globally, including the USA.
Q2: What is the primary focus of this role? A2: The role primarily focuses on leading knowledge management and community operations for UNDP’s Food Systems team. Ultimately, you will support global sustainable development goals.
Q3: Is experience with the UNDP required? A3: While experience at the UNDP is desired, it is not strictly required. Experience with other UN agencies or diverse stakeholders also holds significant value.
Q4: What language skills are essential? A4: You must demonstrate fluency in both oral and written English. Additionally, fluency in either French or Spanish (oral and written) is also a core requirement.