External Relations Officer

Requisition ID: 8244
Grade: P4
Country: Austria
Duty Station: Vienna
Category: Professional and Higher
Type of Job Posting: Internal and External
Employment Type: Staff-Full-time
Appointment Type: Fixed Term - 100 series
Indicative Minimum Net Annual Salary: 127,406 USD
Application Deadline: 15-Nov-2026, 11:59 PM (Vienna, Austria time)

Vacancy Announcement

UNIDO is fully committed to achieving and maintaining workforce gender parity and to fostering an open, accessible, inclusive and respectful workplace that values diversity, equal opportunity and a healthy work-life balance. UNIDO, therefore, welcomes and encourages applications from qualified candidates of underrepresented genders, candidates from less-represented regions or nationalities, and candidates with disabilities, for whom reasonable accommodation will be provided in accordance with applicable policies.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is the specialized agency of the United Nations that promotes industrial development for poverty and hunger reduction, inclusive and fair globalization and environmental sustainability. The mission UNIDO, as described in the Lima Declaration adopted at the fifteenth session of the UNIDO General Conference in 2013, the Abu Dhabi Declaration adopted at the eighteenth session of UNIDO General Conference in 2019 as well as the Riyadh Declaration adopted at the twenty-first session of UNIDO General Conference in 2025, is to promote and accelerate inclusive and sustainable industrial development in Member States. The relevance of this mission as an integrated approach to all three pillars of sustainable development is recognized by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which will frame United Nations and country efforts towards sustainable development. UNIDO’s mandate is fully recognized in SDG-9, which calls to “Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation”. The relevance of inclusive and sustainable industrial development, however, applies to all SDGs.

The medium-term programme framework (MTPF) 2026 - 2029 is UNIDO’s core strategic document and it is in line with UNIDO’s Vision 2050. It sets a renewed vision to support Member States and shape their industries for development. The priorities include fair and sustainable global and regional supply chains, ending hunger through innovation and local value addition, renewable and clean energy, sustainable energy access and climate action. Cross-cutting priorities focus on industrial and economic policy advice, skills development, fostering digitalization and artificial intelligence, gender equality and the empowerment of women, supporting youth, promoting cleaner production and circular economy, and leveraging private sector investment and development finance.

Each of these programmatic fields of activity contains a number of individual programmes, which are implemented in a holistic manner to achieve effective outcomes and impacts through UNIDO’s four enabling functions: (i) technical cooperation; (ii) analytical and research functions and policy advisory services; (iii) normative functions and standards-related activities; and (iv) convening and fostering partnerships for knowledge and technology transfer, investment mobilization, networking and industrial cooperation. Such core functions are carried out in Divisions/Offices in its Headquarters, Sub-regional Offices and Country Offices.

The Directorate is responsible for the Liaison Offices in Brussels (GLO/BRO), Geneva (GLO/GVO) and New York (GLO/NYO) as well as following Divisions: Policymaking Organs (GLO/PMO), Funding Partner Relations (GLO/FPR), Investment and Technology Promotion Offices and Institutional Partnerships (GLO/ITP), and Regional Bureaus and Field Coordination (GLO/RFO). The Directorate also ensures close coordination and collaboration among the Divisions as well as with organizational entities in all Directorates across the Organization.

The position is located under the Division of Funding Partner Relations (GLO/FPR). The division establishes and maintains strategic and policy-level relations with funding partners. In this capacity, the Division also supports UNIDO's mobilization of voluntary contributions for technical cooperation activities through effective portfolio-level integrated programming and coordination with funding partners. Furthermore, the Division coordinates institutional assessments of UNIDO's fiduciary functions in close cooperation with SPP/SSC as well as project and programme-specific verifications in cooperation with COR/FIN and other organizational entities.

The External Relations Officer works under the overall supervision of the Chief of the Division; and in close collaboration with the colleagues to support the mandate of the Division.

At the P4 level, the incumbent is expected to deliver (a) work that is innovative and original; (b) in creating an enabling environment which expands across functions and sectors; (c) in building partnerships which result in advocating and championing UNIDO’s programmes and (d) in achieving results within Programme teams. The measure of success is systemic and catalytic delivery of results.

The UNIDO Staff Performance Management System reinforces the collaboration within formal units as well as among cross-functional teams. In this context, the incumbent collaborates with his/her supervisor and colleagues, within as well as outside the unit. Within the formal teams, the incumbent may be expected to backstop other team members as required.

Staff -members are subject to the authority of the Director General and in this context all staff are expected to serve in any assignment and duty station as determined by the needs of the Organization.

Main Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the Division Chief of GLO/FPR and working in close coordination with relevant services in UNIDO, the incumbent will perform the following main duties:

Strategic engagement with funding partners

• Act as focal point concerning aspects of voluntary contributions for technical cooperation activities for selected funding partners, such as European Union institutions, International Financial Institutions (IFIs), the private sector, and foundations.
• Coordinate programming and consultative processes with funding partners in close cooperation with relevant organizational entities, providing guidance to such units to enable timely and accurate submissions to funding partners.
• Contribute to the Organization’s regular reporting mechanisms, including to its policymaking organs and relevant subsidiary bodies.
• Lead the coordination of selected institutional assessments undertaken by funding partners and contribute to their follow-up.

Management of contractual and administrative aspects of UNIDO’s relation with funding partners

• Draft and negotiate, in close cooperation with relevant UNIDO services, including the Office of Legal Affairs and the Division of Financial Resource Management, funding agreements regarding voluntary contributions for technical cooperation activities of UNIDO.
• Contribute to quality assurance procedures in the formulation and approval process of projects and programmes and related reporting requirements and advise relevant services on compliance requirements of specific funding partners.
• Actively contribute to the design and the continuous innovation of procedures and information management instruments, notably through the application of artificial intelligence, when indicated, required for the discharge of GLO/FPR’s functions and contribute to the further development of policies and procedures under the purview of the Division.
• Manage donor reporting-related tasks under the purview of GLO/FPR in close cooperation with the Division of Strategic Programming, Results Monitoring and Quality Assurance (SPP/SPM), the Division of Financial Resource Management (COR/FIN), and UNIDO’s technical cooperation functions.

Funding intelligence and strategic positioning

• Monitor and analyze evolving financing and donor trends and emerging funding instruments.
• Translate funding partner priorities and trends into strategic guidance for UNIDO’s technical cooperation directorates and field network, identifying where funding opportunities are emerging and how UNIDO may position its technical offer.
• Advise senior management on opportunities, risks and strategic shifts required to diversify and strengthen UNIDO’s funding base.
• Develop and maintain funding intelligence to support strategic resource mobilization and organizational decision-making.
• Support the assessment coordination of UNIDO’s technical cooperation pipeline and its strategic positioning vis-à-vis available funding opportunities, as applicable.

Non-traditional funding and diversification of funding partners