Principal Coordination Officer ( Managing Coordinator)

Organizational Context

This position is within the Office of the Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in Geneva. The role reports to the Deputy Secretary-General and is funded by extra-budgetary resources for one year. It plays a key part in managing and coordinating UNCTAD's projects.

Job Purpose

The Principal Coordination Officer/Managing Coordinator is responsible for overseeing the implementation and management of UNCTAD projects, particularly those under the Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China. This involves coordinating technical cooperation activities across various divisions and collaborating with the Steering Committee to ensure efficient and effective project execution. The role supports strategic alignment to enhance responsiveness to least developed and vulnerable countries, ensuring high-quality outputs and timely delivery of results. The incumbent also manages programmatic and administrative tasks, including budget preparation, performance reporting, and staff performance evaluation, contributing significantly to the operational effectiveness of the office.

Responsibilities

The role involves leading, supervising, and monitoring project implementation, coordinating work products from different units and UN agencies, and conducting substantive reviews of drafts. It ensures strategic alignment across divisions to support least developed and vulnerable countries and maintains high-quality standards for all outputs, ensuring compliance with mandates. The position assists in proposal review, priority setting, and resource allocation. It also oversees programmatic and administrative tasks, including budget preparation, performance reporting, staff evaluations, and candidate assessments. Furthermore, the role leads the organization of substantive meetings and seminars and represents UNCTAD in international forums, providing expertise and engaging in discussions.

Work Experience

A minimum of fifteen years of progressively responsible experience in program coordination and development initiatives at national and international levels is required. Experience in intergovernmental forums related to trade and development is also necessary. Experience in negotiations with Member States and the private sector is desirable.

Skills

Professionalism, Planning & Organizing, Accountability, Leadership, Judgement/Decision-making, Project Coordination, Program Management, Intergovernmental Affairs, Negotiation, Communication, Stakeholder Management, Budgeting, Performance Evaluation.

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