UNIDO Country Representative, Iran

Requisition ID: 7775
Grade: NOD
Country: Iran, Islamic Republic of
Duty Station: Tehran
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: 62,701 USD
Application deadline: 06-Aug-2026, 11:59 PM (Vienna, Austria time)

Vacancy Announcement
Only nationals of the country of the duty station are eligible to apply.
Female candidates are particularly encouraged to apply.

UNIDO welcomes applications from qualified persons with disabilities. Reasonable accommodation will be provided to applicants and employees with disabilities to support full participation in the recruitment process and in the performance of their duties.

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 of Global Partnerships and External Relations (GLO) is responsible for UNIDO's relations with Member States and all external partners, including through the policymaking organs. It plays a central role for interaction and collaboration with traditional and non-traditional donors; oversees the regional bureaus as well as the network of field offices, Liaison Offices and Investment and Technology Promotion 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.

Under the supervision of the Managing Director of the Directorate of Global Partnerships and External Relations (GLO), the Division of Regional Bureaus and Field Coordination (GLO/RFO) coordinates the field representation and interventions of UNIDO in Member States and regions. The Division is responsible for determining programmatic priorities for UNIDO's services and ensuring that UNIDO responds to the specific needs and requirements of Member States and development partners at the country and regional levels. It facilitates the development of regional strategies, country programmes, including Programmes for Country Partnership - PCPs, and monitors their implementation. The Division encompasses all the UNIDO field offices and the five Regional Bureaus: Africa (GLO/RFO/AFR), also hosting the IDDA Secretariat; the Arab Region (GLO/RFO/ARB); Asia and the Pacific (GLO/RFO/ASP); Europe and Central Asia (GLO/RFO/EUR); and Latin American and the Caribbean (GLO/RFO/LAC).

The Field Offices are responsible for representing UNIDO in their host country and countries of coverage, as applicable; and for maintaining close relations with all relevant stakeholders. They are responsible for contributing to the delivery of the development goals of the host country and countries of coverage and identifying the donors’ technical and funding priorities, and for contributing to and/or leading technical cooperation projects and programmes as well as country programming documents including resource mobilization activities. The Field Offices are also responsible for coordinating and reporting on UNIDO’s activities in their host country and countries of coverage, as applicable and for contributing to regional and sub-regional strategies and policies to ensure the strategic and programmatic consistency of UNIDO’s work, including its cooperation with and contributions to the local United Nations System.

The UCR works under the overall guidance of the Director of the Division of Regional Bureaus and Field Coordination (GLO/RFO) and the Chief of the Regional Bureau for the Asia and the Pacific (GLO/RFO/ASP) as well as the direct supervision of UNIDO Representative in China (GLO/RFO/FLD/ASP/CPR).

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 team and colleagues, in the country as well as in the region and in headquarters.

The UCR is locally recruited and is subject to the authority of the Director General and if required, may be expected to serve in any assignment and duty station as determined by the needs of the Organization.

FUNCTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Specific roles and responsibilities of the UNIDO Country Representative (UCR) are to lead the UNIDO Country Office in line with the terms of reference for UNIDO Field Offices. Key aspects of the UCR’s responsibilities include:

• Represent UNIDO in the host country to promote the Organization as an effective partner for development, and to maintain close contacts with local stakeholders at the country level, including government institutions, stakeholders, development partners, donors and international entities including United Nations entities.
• Lead the activities of the CO and contribute to the delivery of national development goals, as well as identify donors’ technical and funding priorities in the host country.
• Contribute to and/or lead the identification, development, implementation, resource mobilization, as well as monitoring and evaluation of integrated technical cooperation projects and programmes at national level, including the Programmes for Country Partnership (PCPs), and related activities in close collaboration with relevant technical divisions and other organizational units.
• Lead/coordinate and report on UNIDO’s activities in the host country, contribute to the development of regional strategies and policies to ensure strategic and programmatic coherence, and support UNIDO’s engagement with United Nations Resident Coordinator Offices (UNRCs), United Nations Country Teams (UNCTs), Common Country Assessments (CCAs) and United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Frameworks (UNSDCFs).
• Strengthen dialogue and partnerships with government counterparts, the private sector, other UN organizations, and bilateral and multilateral partners, including Development Finance Institutions.
• Advocate and highlight the relevance and work of the Organization and ensure the dissemination of UNIDO communication and media content to governments and stakeholders.
• Manage the Country Office’s financial and human resources in coordination with relevant divisions while ensuing compliance with applicable requirements related to staff security and safety, safeguarding of UNIDO assets, property and information, including through appropriate contingency planning in line with UNDSS guidance.
• Apply Results-Based Management (RBM) in work planning, implementation, and reporting.
• Carry out other tasks and perform other functions as assigned by the supervisory structure.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS AND DESIRABLE CRITERIA

Education:

A first-level university degree (bachelor’s or equivalent) in economics, business administration, international relations, public administration, or other relevant field with specialization in development economics, is required. An advanced university degree (master’s or equivalent) or Doctorate in the same fields are accepted with a reduced requirement for years of professional experience.

Experience:

A minimum of professional experience aligned with the educational level is required, as follows:

• First-level university degree (Bachelor’s): at least 10 years of relevant professional experience
• Advanced university degree (master’s or equivalent): at least 7 years of relevant professional experience
• Doctorate: at least 5 years of relevant professional experience.

• Progressively responsible professional experience, at national level in the field of economic development, involving technical cooperation at senior level, is required.
• Experience in evaluating the needs, conditions and problems of the country is required.
• Demonstrated experience in supervising/managing both technical and non-technical teams in aspects of the project cycle (project formulation, design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation) is required.
• Experience in representational functions and experience in the UN system are required.
• Demonstrated experience in working with intergovernmental bodies, leading with results on strategic partnerships, and resource mobilization is desirable.
• Demonstrated experience in collecting, analyzing, and using performance and results data to support evidence-based decision-making and adaptive management is required.

Functional Competence:

• Continuously develop and maintain expertise
• Stay informed of industry trends and best practices
• Apply knowledge to improve results and decision-making
• Adopt new tools and technologies
• Take ownership of professional development
• Lead by example in technical expertise and professionalism
• Support team capability development
• Apply strategic judgment and business acumen
• Drive innovation and continuous improvement
• Encourage adoption of new skills and technologies

Language Skills:

Fluency in written and spoken English and Persian is required. Knowledge of other official languages of the United Nations is desirable.

REQUIRED VALUES AND COMPETENCIES

Core Values

• Excellence – Deliver high-quality results; continuously improve performance
• Integrity – Uphold ethical standards; act transparently and responsibly
• Inclusion – Promote respect, diversity, and fairness
• Humility – Show self-awareness; value others’ contributions
• Humanity – Act with compassion; align work with sustainable development
• Model values consistently in decision-making and behaviour
• Promote a culture of accountability, fairness, and ethical conduct
• Create an inclusive, supportive, and transparent working environment

Core Behaviours

• Connect & Collaborate - Build trust through communication and teamwork; Share knowledge and embrace diversity
• Analyse & Plan - Use data and evidence for decision-making; Plan proactively and prioritize effectively
• Deliver Results with Positive Impact - Take ownership and deliver quality outputs; Align work with UNIDO mission and objectives
• Learn and Develop - Continuously develop skills; Seek feedback and share knowledge
• Adapt and Innovate - Respond flexibly to change; Embrace innovation and new approaches
• Connect & Collaborate (Leadership Role) - Engage stakeholders constructively; Promote inclusive participation
• Build partnerships and networks
• Analyse & Plan (Strategic Leadership) - Identify strategic issues and risks; Set priorities, allocate resources, guide the team
• Deliver Results (Performance Management) - Translate strategy into clear team deliverables; Define roles and expectations; Monitor performance and ensure accountability
• Learn and Develop (People Management) - Coach and mentor staff; Foster psychological safety and continuous learning; Recognize and develop talent
• Adapt and Innovate (Change Leadership) - Promote innovation culture; Encourage experimentation and learning; Lead change and support teams through transformation

For further information on salaries, refer to the International Civil Service Commission website: https://icsc.un.org/
Employees of UNIDO are expected at all times to uphold the highest standards of integrity, professionalism and respect for diversity, both at work and outside. Only persons who fully and unconditionally commit to these values should consider applying for jobs at UNIDO.
All applications must be submitted online through the Online Recruitment System Correspondence will be undertaken only with candidates who are being considered at an advanced phase of the selection process. Selected candidate(s) may be required to disclose to the Director General the nature and scope of financial and other personal interests and assets in respect of themselves, their spouses and dependents, under the procedures established by the Director General.

Visit the UNIDO careers site for details on how to apply: https://careers.unido.org/
NOTE: The Director General retains the discretion to make an appointment to this post at a lower level.
Notice to applicants:
UNIDO does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. If you have received a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Vacant positions within UNIDO are advertised on the official UNIDO website. Should you have any questions concerning persons or companies claiming to be recruiting on behalf of UNIDO and requesting payment of a fee, please contact: recruitment@unido.org