Population and Data Specialist

UNFPA Population and Data Specialist – Nigeria

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is the leading UN organization in Reproductive Health and Population and Development.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Population and Data Specialist

Job ID: 37335

Location: Abuja

The Position

• The Programme Management Specialist, Population and Data leads the Policy, Population and Data Unit of the Country Office in coordination with all programmatic thematic units and staff to advance UNFPA’s upstream work on demographic change, population dynamics, sustainable financing, and evidence-based development planning. S/he reports to the UNFPA Deputy Representative and acts on her/his behalf in her/his absence.
• S/he contributes directly to the operationalization of the UNFPA Strategic Plan 2026–2029, particularly Outcome 4: adaptation to demographic change through evidence-based and rights based policies.
• S/he establishes and maintains collaborative relationships with counterparts in government, parliamentarians, multilateral and bilateral donor agencies, UN agencies, civil society, local authorities, academia and the private sector to ensure that population dynamics inform national development planning, demographic intelligence guides policy development and implementation, and sustainable financing supports population and SRHR investments.

How You Can Make a Difference

• 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 2026-2029 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 Data (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.
• In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.
• UNFPA is seeking candidates who transform, inspire, and deliver high-impact and sustained results and ensure effective external relations, communications, and partnership-building and resource mobilization in a rapidly changing development and funding landscape. We need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them, and who commit to delivering excellence in programme results.
• In partnership with the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning (FMBEP), UNFPA provides technical support to build stakeholders’ capacity to increase the use of data in decision-making at national and subnational levels, promoting incorporation of key sustainable development issues linked to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights (SRHR), population change and a life-cycle, gender transformative, rights-based approach in short-, medium- and long-term planning, financing and monitoring instruments, and data-backed and evidence-based policy advice for accelerating achievement of the ICPD Programme of Action and Agenda 2030.
• With a demographic context characterized by very slow fertility decrease, high maternal mortality, high unmet need for family planning, and a youthful and rapidly growing population, it is paramount for the demographic dividend agenda to be clearly and effectively integrated in the National Development Plan (2021-2025), as well as other medium-term Government planning instruments and sectoral strategies.

Job Purpose

• UNFPA Nigeria Country Office (CO) requires the services of a Programme Management Specialist in Population and Data based in Abuja, Nigeria.
• Under the guidance of the Representative and direct supervision of the Deputy Representative, the Programme Management Specialist, Population and Data will support the UNFPA Representative in overall accountability for the management and work in Population and Data within the Country Office.
• She/he will provide strategic support in achieving the Population and Data-related outputs of the Country Programme and provide technical expertise/guidance, quality assurance, policy application.
• More specifically she/he will advise the Deputy Representative on the national development policies in the relevant sector and ensure UNFPA’s priorities are well taken care of during sector policy discussions with the Government and the development partners. The incumbent ensures strategic advocacy and policy advice at the highest levels for the assigned areas.
• She/he will facilitate UNFPA’s interactions with the Government at all levels and support the management of all implementing partners. She/he will act as an analyst/advisor, proactively providing the Deputy Representative and the Representative with information on achievement of results in the implementation of the UNFPA programme.

You Would Be Responsible For

Strategic policy leadership:

• Lead UNFPA engagement to integrate population dynamics into national development planning.
• Lead high level policy dialogue with Government counterparts, UN and other development partners to facilitate the incorporation of UNFPA’s programme priorities and ICPD agenda into national policies, strategies and plans, UN systems initiatives and development and humanitarian frameworks (CCA, UNSDCF, HNA, HRP).
• Participate in formulation, implementation, and review of the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) and contribute to the UN system wide policy coherence through participation in policy dialogues, thematic groups, and joint programmes.
• Leads the translation of global and regional frameworks and strategies using population data, trends and demographic intelligence to inform country specific strategies, creates and delivers effective evidence-based advocacy messages to promote UNFPA’s programme goals taking into account political and social sensitivities.
• Provides support to programme teams in tracking Nigeria’s commitments to global, regional and national frameworks related to UNFPA’s agenda.
• Utilizes population data, demographic trends and demographic intelligence to inform policy dialogue, strategic planning and evidence-based advocacy on population dynamics and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), and strengthens accountability mechanisms to track national commitments and progress toward the ICPD Programme of Action and UNFPA Strategic Plan outcomes.
• Utilises population data, demographic trends and demographic intelligence to advocate for evidence informed policies and strategies engaging government ministries, parliamentarians, multilateral and bilateral donor agencies, UN agencies, civil society, religious leaders, local authorities, the private sector and media to advocate for the advancement of universal access to comprehensive SRHR, GBV prevention and response, and population dynamics.
• Utilises population data, demographic trends and demographic intelligence to inform the development of white papers, briefing notes, policy briefs and infographics and other products, by considering the targeted audience.
• Utilises population data, demographic trends and demographic intelligence to provide innovative technical knowledge and deliver substantive technical advice on current and emerging approaches in population change and data and policies to CO, government, intergovernmental bodies, and the UN.
• Develop and implement a political engagement strategy and broker policy and political engagements with key stakeholders including the Ministries of Finance, the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Youth Development, the Ministry of Women Affairs, International Finance Institutions, academic & research institutions, development partners, key civil society actors, religious and cultural leaders on the four transformative results of UNFPA.
• Strengthen media and stakeholder engagement by cultivating relationships with local and regional media outlets, journalists, and communication networks to raise awareness and generate public interest in UNFPA’s mandate and key thematic areas, including SRHR, GBV, and youth empowerment. Support organization of media briefings, visibility events, and field visits for partners and donors.
• Represents UNFPA in strategic forums, coordination mechanisms, policy dialogues, and advocacy platforms to position the ICPD agenda and th