Director of Quality and Impact Hub

Job Description

Tiered Approach

In line with the commitment to safeguard capacity and support personnel already in the Organization, a majority of UNDP UNCDF/UNV vacancies are advertised using a tiered application process whereby:

• Tier 0: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV IP staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments, whose posts will be abolished, or contracts will be terminated or not renewed during 2026.
• Tier 1: Other UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments
• Tier 2: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding temporary appointments (TA), personnel on regular PSA contracts, and Expert and Specialist UN Volunteers
• Tier 3 or no tier indicated: All other contract types from UNDP/UNCDF/UNV and other agencies, and other external candidates

Please make note of the Tier(s) indicated in the vacancy title, if any, and ensure that you satisfy the eligibility to apply.

Background

For six decades, UNDP has shaped the progress of human development, working with its partners to lift millions from poverty and increase opportunities for all. Empowered by Member States with a mandate to work across the spectrum of human development, UNDP provides integrated support at scale to improve people’s lives worldwide. UNDP’s Strategic Plan 2026-2029 is grounded in the determination of UNDP to eradicate poverty, the greatest global challenge, indispensable to the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. Through the Strategic Plan, UNDP will continue to support countries’ progress towards high human development, while protecting the planet. Four strategic objectives – prosperity for all, effective governance, crisis resilience, and healthy planet – define its strategic direction, powered by three accelerators: digital and artificial intelligence (AI) transformation; gender equality; and sustainable finance. All are underpinned by a commitment to human rights and to leaving no one behind, and rest on the recognition of UNDP as a trusted and transparent development partner.

Within UNDP, the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) unites world-class policy expertise, flagship global programmes, and collaborative innovation and learning networks so UNDP is not only ready for the future— but helps build it with governments and partners. BPPS is where policy meets practice - for impact. From development to crisis contexts, BPPS helps countries navigate complexity, scale what works, and advance a more just, resilient, and sustainable future. The position of Director, Quality and Impact Hub is a member of the BPPS senior leadership team.

The Quality and Impact Hub aim to expand UNDP’s value position as an accountable, transparent and therefore trusted and neutral development partner. The Impact Hub serves as the corporate custodian and strategist driving continual improvement of UNDP’s institutional architecture that guides UNDP programming. The Impact Hub leads changes in UNDP policy instruments and quality assurance approaches to enable UNDP programming - spanning all funding sources, including core, non-core, and Vertical Funds (VFs) - that is risk-informed, agile, results focused and integrates social and environmental risks and opportunities. The Impact Hub brings together two existing units in BPPS: the Vertical Fund Hub (VF Hub), and the Quality Programming Team (QPT - including the Social and Environmental Team (SES) Team) to be the central pillar of trust and transparency in UNDP.

By consolidating policy custodianship, quality assurance, risk management, and results oversight, the Impact Hub will be better able to support UNDP in achieving higher accountability, fostering greater trust with partners, reduce fiduciary risks, be more adaptable, and achieve greater developmental quality and impact. A renewed focus on fit-for-purpose and relevant policies will enable and steer UNDP into new partnerships with the private sector, with IFIs, and with the VFs. The Impact Hub will also institutionalize quality assurance and oversight into UNDP, where risk management, results assurance, and policy coherence operate seamlessly through digital systems, enabling evidence-based decision-making and learning across all UNDP programming. The Impact Hub will drive continuous improvement internally while learning from external engagements with the UNDP Executive Board and Boards of the Vertical Funds amongst others to ensure UNDP remains fit-for purpose, dynamic, agile and relevant in an ever-changing international development landscape. The Quality and Impact Hub will continue to lead UNDP’s accountability and engagement with the VFs and ensure UNDP VF programming complies with VF policies and requirements, as well as continue to provide financial oversight of VF programming to ensure VF funds are used for their intended purpose as required by the VFs and VF fiduciary management, reporting and auditing as mandated by the VFs.

Position Purpose

The Director of the Quality and Impact Hub guides and informs areas within the Hub, drawing on their deep technical expertise, political acumen, and demonstrated leadership and managerial capacities. The Director leads cross-cutting efforts in UNDP programming policy reform, and accountability, thereby contributing to UNDP’s reputation as a trusted and transparent. The Director also provides advice and technical expertise for high level decision makers seeking UNDP’s support. Further, the position engages across multilateral processes and partners to position UNDP as a partner of choice in support of developing countries. The role also interfaces with the broader BPPS (other Hubs, Teams) UNDP’s other Bureaus and Offices, and with UN system and related offices, entities, agencies/programmes/funds. The Director is responsible for creating a culture and enabling systems and processes that motivate, engage, and build a coherent team across multiple geographies. The Director will be supported by a Deputy Director.

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Lead UNDPs engagement with the Vertical Funds including Policy alignment, Project Oversight and Compliance and Financial Oversight

• Develop political, technical, operational and financial strategy for UNDP’s engagement with the Environmental Vertical Funds (Global Environment Facility, Green Climate Fund and Adaptation Fund) and provide the substantive technical and managerial leadership required to implement it;
• Ensure effective collaboration and relationship management with the Secretariats of the Environment Funds.
• Represent UNDP in the Vertical fund partnerships engaging with the Governing Bodies of each Fund; the technical and advisory bodies of each Fund, and the Accredited Entities under each Fund;
• Prepare, implement, and monitor annual VF Fee budgeting and planning in close collaboration with the Director of the Planet Hub and technical teams, as well as Regional Team Leads to ensure organizational alignment;
• Develop and continuously enhance the internal UNDP VF oversight and compliance procedures to ensure VF policies are met in UNDP VF programming;
• Deliver on project and portfolio level VF monitoring, reporting and evaluation requirements;
• Provide dedicated financial oversight for each VF project, including nationally implement projects and specific global projects, as well as annual portfolio level Fund specific audits, as required by VF policy and procedures;
• Regularly engage with other UNDP Bureaus to ensure consistent application of oversight and compliance procedures across VF programming, and on policy, legal, risk and other strategic VF issues;
• Proactively moni