Director, Division for Sustainable Development Goals, D2

Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located in the Division for Sustainable Development Goals (DSDG) in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA). Under the overall guidance of the Under-Secretary-General (USG) for Economic and Social Affairs, and in cooperation with the Assistant Secretary-General (ASG) for Economic Development, and within delegated authorities, the Director for Sustainable Development Goals is responsible for directing and managing the programme supporting UN processes related to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Technology Facilitation Mechanism, the Water Action Agenda and the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS). For more information, please visit our website at https://sdgs.un.org/

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the Director of DSDG is responsible for the following: • Directs and manages the Division for Sustainable Development Goals, with a focus on providing substantive support, integrated policy analysis, building multi-stakeholder partnerships, facilitating synergies and capacity development in thematic areas of sustainable development, such as natural resources, water, energy, climate, ocean, transport, science and technology. • Contributes to the formulation of the Department’s overall strategies and policies by participating in various committees, preparing documents on policy issues, and acting, as required, in an advisory capacity to the Under-Secretary-General/Assistant Secretary-General; contributes to the overall management of the Department’s activities and operations. • Provides leadership to the development of innovative and/or change management programmes. • Formulates and implements the substantive and capacity development work programme of the Division under his/her supervision, determining priorities, and allocating resources for the completion of outputs and their timely delivery. • Oversees the management of activities undertaken by the Division, ensuring that programmed activities are carried out in a timely fashion and co-ordinates work in the different areas both within the Division and the Department, and with other organizations of the United Nations system, donors and agencies, as appropriate. • Supports the Under-Secretary-General/Assistant Secretary-General in implementing mandates and initiatives that enhance internal coordination and the effective, efficient, and accountable delivery of the Department’s work. • Coordinates and oversees the preparation of publications, including the Global Sustainable Development Report and parliamentary reports for presentation to intergovernmental and expert bodies such as the Economic and Social Council, the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, the Multi-Stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the SDGs, the General Assembly and other policy-making organs, as appropriate. • Reports to intergovernmental bodies on budget/programme performance or on programmatic/substantive issues, as appropriate. • Ensures that the outputs produced by the Division maintain high-quality standards; that reports are clear, objective and based on comprehensive data. Ensures that all outputs produced by the Division under his/her supervision meet required standards before completion to ensure they comply with the relevant mandates. Promotes deployment of latest tools and technologies to deliver high quality results. • Undertakes or oversees the programmatic/administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of the Division, including preparation of budgets, assigning and monitoring of performance parameters and critical indicators, reporting on budget/programme performance, preparation of inputs for results-based budgeting, evaluation of staff performance (ePAS), interviews of candidates for job openings and evaluation of candidates. • Oversees the recruitment of staff for the Division, taking due account of geographical and gender balance and other institutional values. • Manages, guides, develops and trains staff under his/her supervision, fosters teamwork and communication among staff in the Division and across organizational boundaries. • Chairs meetings, seminars, etc., on substantive issues; represents the Organization and/or the Department at international, regional, inter-agency meetings, seminars and conferences; provides programmatic/substantive expertise on an issue or holds programmatic/substantive and organizational discussions with representatives of other institutions. • Performs other related duties as requested by the senior management of the Department.

Competencies

• Professionalism: Demonstrated competence in the field of sustainable development in the broad context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; proven analytical and research competence. Shows ability to produce reports and papers on technical issues and to review and edit the work of others. Shows ability to apply UN rules, regulations, policies and guidelines in work situations. 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. • Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed. • Accountability: Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honours commitments; delivers outputs for which one has responsibility within prescribed time, costs and quality standards; operates in compliance with organizational regulations and rules; support subordinates, provides oversight and takes responsibility for delegated assignments; takes personal responsibility for his/her own shortcomings and those of the work unit, where applicable. • Leadership: Serves as a role model that other people want to follow: empowers others to translate vision into results; is proactive in developing strategies to accomplish objectives; establishes and maintains relationships with a broad range of people to understand needs and gain support; anticipates and resolves conflicts by pursuing mutually agreeable solutions; drives for change and improvements; does not accept the status quo; shows the courage to take unpopular stands. Provides leadership and takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work; demonstrates knowledge of strategies and commitments to the goal of gender balance in staffing. • Judgement/Decision-making: Identifies the key issue in a complex situation, 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 the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision; makes tough decisions when necessary.

Education

Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in sustainable development, economics, public policy, public administration, finance, natural resources management, engineering, environment, social sciences or related area is required. 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 Qualification

Not available.

Work Experience

Over fifteen years of progressively responsible experience in sustainable development, in which at least five years at the senior leadership level in international organizations and/or government is required. Experience in research and analysis, policy formulation, application of sustainable development principles in development programmes or related fields is required. Experience in managing complex programmes of work and large diverse teams is required. Experience in leading or coordinating analytical publications in the area of sustainable development is desirable. Experience in providing substantive support to intergovernmental processes and meetings in development-related areas is desirable. Experience in leading or coordinating technical assistance support on sustainable development to developing countries, especially to least developed, landlocked developing and small island developing states, is desirable Experience in a senior management role in the United Nations is desirable.

Languages

English 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).

Required Languages LanguageReadingWritingListeningSpeakingEnglishUN Level IIIUN Level IIIUN Level IIIUN Level III Assessment Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview. Special Notice The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance and geographical diversity in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position. For this position, applicants from the following Member States, which are unrepresented or under-represented in the UN Secretariat as of 28 February 2026, are strongly encouraged to apply: Afghanistan, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Brunei Darussalam, China (People's Republic of), Cuba, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Grenada, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Kiribati, Kuwait, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Federated States of), Monaco, Nauru, Oman, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Qatar, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Saint Lucia, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Vanuatu. Staff members appointed to the current position are required to submit a financial disclosure statement upon assignment or appointment and annually thereafter. Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures. External candidates selected for this position will be subject to an initial probationary period of one year under a fixed-term appointment in accordance with sections 2.2(a) and 2.4 of administrative instruction ST/AI/2025/3 on the administration of appointments United Nations Secretariat staff members who meet the definition of "internal candidate" in staff rule 4.10 who are selected for this position will be reassigned or transferred to the position, without a lien to their parent position. United Nations Considerations According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. By accepting a letter of appointment, staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). Further, staff members in the Professional and higher category up to and including the D-2 level and the Field Service category are normally required to move periodically to discharge functions in different duty stations under conditions established in ST/AI/2023/3 on Mobility, as may be amended or revised. This condition of service applies to all position specific job openings and does not apply to temporary positions. Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira, and to refer to the Applicant Guide by clicking on “Manuals” in the “Help” tile of the inspira account-holder homepage. The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application. All external candidates recruited in accordance with section 2.2 (a) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment without limitation and all external candidates recruited in accordance with section 2.2. (c) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment limited to the entity are subject to an initial probationary period of one year under a fixed-term appointment. Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date. No Fee THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.