About this role

Tiered Approach

In line with the commitment to safeguard capacity and support personnel already in the Organization, a majority of UNDP UNCDF/UNV vacancies are advertised using a tiered application process whereby:

- Tier 0 : UNDP/UNCDF/UNV IP staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments, whose posts will be abolished, or contracts will be terminated or not renewed during 2026.

- Tier 1 : Other UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments

- Tier 2 : UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding temporary appointments (TA), personnel on regular PSA contracts, and Expert and Specialist UN Volunteers

- Tier 3 or no tier indicated : All other contract types from UNDP/UNCDF/UNV and other agencies, and other external candidates

Please make note of the Tier(s) indicated in the vacancy title, if any, and ensure that you satisfy the eligibility to apply.

Background

Violent conflict has surged in recent years. In 2025, 65 state-based conflicts were recorded across 35 countries, the highest number in nearly 80 years. While the complex relationship between conflict, security and development is increasingly understood, international assistance and investment in conflict prevention have remained relatively low. At the same time, approaches to preventing conflict have been refined considerably, as policy and practice on peacebuilding have evolved – and the UN, its Member States and other partners are increasingly looking to prevention as a critical strategy for sustaining peace and nurturing development. Conflict prevention is increasingly recognized as a rational and cost-effective strategy for countries at risk of violence and for the international community.

The Joint UNDP-DPPA Programme on Building National Capacities for Conflict Prevention has made a ground-breaking contribution in bridging the gap between political engagement and development assistance in pursuit of preventing conflict and sustaining peace. In its new phase (2024-2028), the Joint UNDP-DPPA Programme will further strengthen the analytical capacities of national stakeholders and the UN system in support of Member States’ efforts to advance policy and programmatic coherence on conflict prevention and support strategies for sustaining peace. Central to this effort, the deployment of Peace and Development Advisors (PDAs) has been the Joint Programme’s primary instrument for providing UN Resident Coordinators, UNDP Resident Representatives and UN Country Teams (UNCT) with capacity to support national partners in dialogue and national or local mediation processes, in the establishment and operationalization of national infrastructures and mechanisms for peace, and in other initiatives aimed at sustaining peace. The current cadre includes 63 PDAs deployed globally, including 25 national positions.

To ensure that PDAs are better equipped and empowered to deliver on their mandates, the Joint Programme has established ‘Peace, Development and Peacebuilding Fund teams’ in a number of contexts, where a national Peace and Development Officer provides reinforced capacity to the PDA’s engagement in support of the RCO (Resident Coordinator’s Office) and UNCT in the area of conflict prevention and sustaining peace. In Somalia, the Joint Programme and the Secretary-General’s Peacebuilding and Peace Support Office (PBPSO) deploy the Peace and Development and Peacebuilding Fund Advisor (PD/PBFA), to whom the Peace and Development Officer (PDO) will report.

Operationally, the PDO supports the PD/PBFA in enhancing coherence across UN entities, government counterparts, civil society, and development partners to deliver unified results. To support robust governance, the PDO assists the Advisor in servicing local mechanisms such as the PBF Joint Steering Committee, helping to ensure that all PBF allocations are catalytic, conflict-sensitive, gender-responsive, and grounded in regular political economy and conflict analysis. The PDO further contributes to the Advisor’s efforts to build strategic partnerships with donors, International Financial Institutions (IFIs), and alternative financing mechanisms to scale up successful initiatives, in close collaboration with the Somalia Joint Fund Secretariat.

Country’s context

Somalia has made notable progress in state-building and reform momentum over the past decade, including the milestone achievement of the Completion Point under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative in December 2023, and the launching of a new National Transformation Plan (NTP) in early 2025, which sets out the authorities’ medium-term reform priorities, including enhancing governance, economic diversification, human capital development, and environmental resilience.

But Somalia continues to face multi-faceted challenges, including contestation around electoral and constitutional processes; challenged relations between Federal and some State governments; the presence of non-state armed actors; and cyclical climate shocks exacerbated by insecurity that cause recurrent humanitarian crises. The political Mission UNTMIS (previously UNSOM), present in the country since 2013, is in the process of drawing down, with a planned exit by 31 October 2026, and transition of responsibilities to the Federal Government of Somalia, UN Country Team (UNCT), and other partners.

The new UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework, launched in June 2026, is aligned with the NTP priorities, as well as with the UNTMIS transition roadmaps. Following the mission’s departure, the UNCT must ensure that peacebuilding and conflict sensitivity are infused across its programming in the new Cooperation Framework. In 2026, Somalia applied for renewed eligibility for the Peace Building Fund (PBF), based on a strong history of prior engagement. The Government counterpart to the PBF is the Federal Ministry of Interior, Federalism and Reconciliation (MoIFAR), which launched a National Reconciliation Framework for Conflict Resolution and Prevention in 2023.

The Peace and Development Officer works u nder the direct supervision of the PD/PBFA, to provide substantive support in three main areas of activity, including:

- Assist with research, information-gathering, and analysis with specific focus on supporting and promoting peacebuilding and conflict prevention.

- Identify programming entry-points and support inclusive and conflict-sensitive approaches in efforts to build national capacities for conflict prevention, particularly with regard to civil society, including women’s and youth networks.

- Provide technical support for coordination, partnerships, and monitoring and evaluation.

Duties and Responsibilities

- Assisting with research, information-gathering, and support analysis with a specific focus on supporting and promoting peacebuilding and conflict prevention.

Gather and process data and information relevant to the UN’s role and activities in Somalia as relevant, with a specific focus on supporting and promoting conflict transformation, peacebuilding, social cohesion, conflict prevention, and sustainable development.

- Support the PD/PBFA in undertaking political, political economy, and/or conflict analysis, monitoring the situation in the country, and reporting on issues related to peace and security, including through analysis of local sources.

- Carry out and coordinate research on particular issues and thematic areas, in particular local-level conflict analysis.

Assist the PD/PBFA in identifying areas of programmatic engagement with national stakeholders related to social cohesion, dialogue, conflict prevention, and consensus-building; and contribute to the development of conflict-sensitive approaches.

- Under the guidance of the PD/PBFA, support the exploration of entry points with key national counterparts, including the Federal Government of Somalia and Federal Member States and civil society.

- Advise on mainstreaming conflict-sensitive approaches, including the provision of training to UNCT staff and key national partners on conflict analysis, conflict prevention, and/or conflict-sensitive development.

- Undertake mapping and analysis of civil society actors, including youth, women, and marginalized groups, and their capacities for conflict prevention/ peacebuilding at the local and national level. This analysis will inform and provide support to the PDA and UNCT throughout the duration of the assignment.

- Support the PD/PBFA in their engagement with national and local stakeholders, focusing particularly on engaging with civil society actors at the local level and academia, to help link local initiatives to national-level institutions, structures, and processes. As well as reinforcing dialogue between government and civil society and/or people-to-people dialogues.

- Provide technical support for coordination, partnerships, and monitoring and evaluation.

Support the external coordination of existing partnerships between stakeholders (government, civil society, private sector, and the international community, including the UN system).

- In close collaboration with the PD/PBFA and the Joint Programme Secretariat, support the monitoring and evaluation function, including collecting, processing, and analyzing data in the framework of peace and development teamwork workplan.

- Support knowledge management and sharing of good practices on conflict prevention and peacebuilding; ensure that stories and lessons learned are shared with the Joint Programme Secretariat, and respond to specific requests for information; and

- Perform a range of duties supporting UN coordination and effective implementation of the Peace, Development and Peacebuilding Fund Team programme, including assisting in organization of meetings and consultations and facilitating consultation processes with national and international partners.

- Ensure knowledge management, capacity development, and advocacy on conflict prevention and peacebuilding

Support quality assure strategic reporting, results communications, and knowledge management products, including contributions to the RC’s annual strategic report and Country Results Reports, to demonstrate the portfolio’s added value, the catalytic use of PBF resources, and its contribution to national peacebuilding priorities, ensuring that evidence, risks and lessons learned inform portfolio adaptation and broader peacebuilding learning.

- Proactively identify and pursue opportunities for the documentation and communication of best practices, results, and lessons learned from the peace and development portfolio, including PBF-funded initiatives, ensuring these systematically inform UN planning and programming at the country level.

- Support the establishment of knowledge platforms and innovative mechanisms for capturing and disseminating peacebuilding knowledge and ensure the development of knowledge products to share with partners and to strengthen the UN system's engagement in this area.

- Ensure that evidence, lessons learned, case studies and good practices from PBF-funded initiatives are systematically captured and shared through relevant PBPSO/PBF knowledge platforms, including the PBF Impact Hub, and used to inform portfolio reviews, JSC discussions, adaptive management and future PBF programming.

- The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Competencies

Core competencies

- Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by the deadline

- Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem-solver, makes improvements

- Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open-minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback

- Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible

- Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident

- Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships

- Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, be aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

Business Direction and Strategy

- Strategic Thinking

Develop effective strategies and prioritised plans in line with UNDP’s mission and objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, opportunities and potential risks; link the general vision to reality on the ground to create tangible targeted solutions; learn from a variety of sources to anticipate and effectively respond to both current and future trends; demonstrate foresight.

Business Management

- Partnership Management

Build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies.

Business Management

- Communication

Communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience.

- Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels.

2030 Agenda: People

- Gender

Women, Peace, and Security

2030 Agenda: Peace

- Conflict Prevention, Peacebuilding and Responsive Institutions

Conflict Analysis

- Peacebuilding and Conflict Transformation

- Social Cohesion

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

- An Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Conflict Resolution, Peace Studies, Political Science, Sociology, Human Rights, International Relations, Economics, Law, Public Administration, or other related social sciences is required. Or

- A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas mentioned above, in combination with an additional two (2) years of qualifying experience, will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

- Minimum of two (2) years (with master’s degree) or four (4) years (with bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible experience in conflict analysis, strategy development, development and/or conflict prevention in a governmental, multilateral, or civil society organization is required.

- Extensive experience in analysis, research and sound drafting skills is an asset.

- Minimum of one (1) year of experience in project/programme development, management is highly desirable.

- Experience in national and community-level conflict prevention and peacebuilding initiatives and programming is desirable.

- In-depth knowledge of and extensive experience in Somalia, including in dialogue and conflict prevention initiatives. Awareness and familiarity with key actors and stakeholders across the political, economic, and development spheres, alongside knowledge of government, civil society, and other non-state actors, is desirable.

Language requirements (Required / Desired)

- Fluency in written and spoken Somali and English is required.

- Knowledge of another UN language is an asset.

Other

- Qualified female candidates are especially encouraged to apply

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination.

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles.

Probation

For all new UNDP fixed term appointments (FTA), including for staff members being transferred or seconded to UNDP under the Inter-Organization Agreement concerning Transfer, Secondment or Loan of Staff, on an appointment of more than one year, continuation of the appointment beyond the initial 12 months is contingent upon the successful completion of a probationary period.

Right to select multiple candidates

UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

Use of AI by candidates

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