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Global Policy Specialist (Open to all applicants)
Better Than Cash
Metropolitan City of Rome, Italy · Rome, Italy · Remote
Posted on Apr 28, 2026
Background
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP: we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.
Office/Unit/Project Description
UNDP is the UN's global development organization, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help build nations that can withstand crisis, and drive and sustain the kind of growth that improves the quality of life for everyone. UNDP works in nearly 170 countries and territories, helping to achieve the eradication of poverty, and the reduction of inequalities and exclusion. We help countries to develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities, institutional capabilities and build resilience in order to sustain development results.
Agenda 2030 remains at the centre of the UNs engagement, including in LDCs, crisis and fragile settings. Underpinning the agenda is the commitment to “Leave No One Behind”, with many of the most marginalized living in protracted crisis settings. As the lead UN development agency working on the sustainable development agenda, UNDP is central in supporting the UN development system, engaging at the global policy level and through its programmatic interventions.
The G7 and G20 have emerged as critical forums influencing global economic governance, multilateral cooperation, and international development policies. UNDP engages with these platforms to support the design and implementation of global policy commitments and development initiatives.
Beyond the G7/G20, UNDP is also an active participant in broader global affairs processes, including engagement with the United Nations system, International Financial Institutions (IFIs), regional organizations, and high-level intergovernmental dialogues.
In the framework of the France G7 Presidency 2026 to strengthen UNDP’s strategic engagement with these processes UNDP seeks to recruit a Global Policy Specialist to provide high-level guidance, policy advice, coordination support and managing partnerships.
UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s policy work carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels, forms a contiguous spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP invests in the Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in the Strategic Plan.
The UNDP Rome Centre for Climate Action and Energy Transition (UNDP Rome Centre) serves as a key global platform fostering strategic collaboration between Italy—and UNDP. Its mission focuses on advancing critical areas such as climate finance and sustainable development. In this capacity, the UNDP Rome Centre has been instrumental in supporting Italy’s G7 Presidency 2024 by addressing climate, energy, and environmental challenges. This includes aligning efforts with initiatives like the Mattei Plan, the EU Global Gateway, and the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investments.
Through active dialogue with G7, and G20 partners, the Centre has reinforced synergies between UNDP’s sustainable development priorities—particularly in Africa— and G7/G20 strategic objectives. These efforts encompass sectors such as digital infrastructure and artificial intelligence to drive sustainable development outcomes.
3. Scope of Work
Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of Head of Strategy and Partnerships of the UNDP Rome Centre or his/her/them designated mandated representative(s), the Global Policy Specialist will contribute substantially to UNDP’s institutional visibility and policy credibility — especially in the context of the 2026 French G7 Presidency — through direct external engagement and public discourse also involving Italy and the European Commission.
1) Lead UNDP Engagement with the French G7 Presidency (2026)
- Serve as the focal point for UNDP’s strategic and operational engagement with the French G7 Presidency, ensuring alignment with France’s priorities and UNDP’s policy objectives.
- Build and maintain strong working relationships with key French institutions, including the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Economy and Finance, AFD (French Development Agency), and other relevant governmental and institutional partners.
- Coordinate UNDP’s contributions to the G7 development working group and other G7 tracks led by France, providing substantive input and policy recommendations on issues such as development finance, climate action, digital transformation, gender equality, governance, and fragility.
- Provide timely briefings, analysis, and talking points to UNDP senior leadership for high-level engagements with French G7 stakeholders.
2) Strategic Policy Analysis and Advisory Support
- Conduct technical and political analysis of G7 and G20 policy discussions, with a focus on the French G7 Presidency agenda, and assess the relevance and implications for UNDP’s global and regional priorities.
- Map key thematic priorities of the French G7 agenda and align them with UNDP’s programmatic strengths (e.g., climate resilience, SDG financing, digital public infrastructure, peacebuilding).
- Develop strategic policy papers, briefing notes, and talking points to guide UNDP’s positioning in the French-led G7 context and in broader G7/G20 processes.
3) Support Engagement with Italy and the European Commission
- Provide support to the UNDP Rome Centre in maintaining strategic partnerships with the Italian government, including relevant ministries and development agencies, building on Italy’s past G7/G20 leadership roles.
- Support engagement with the European Commission and EU institutions, ensuring coherence and complementarity between France’s G7 Presidency, EU development policies, and UNDP strategic priorities.
- Identify entry points to leverage European financing, policy frameworks, and multilateral partnerships for UNDP programming.
4) Institutional Coordination and Implementation
- Coordinate internal UNDP efforts across global policy centres, regional bureaux, and thematic teams to ensure a cohesive institutional engagement with the French G7 Presidency and other G7/G20 platforms.
- Support the implementation of G7/G20 initiatives where UNDP acts as a partner or technical lead, ensuring alignment with UNDP’s Strategic Plan and programmatic capabilities.
- Facilitate knowledge exchange across UNDP teams to strengthen organizational readiness and responsiveness to G7/G20 outcomes.
5) Knowledge Management and Policy Monitoring
- Track and report on G7/G20 development commitments—especially those led or influenced by France—and assess their relevance and integration into UNDP’s global policy frameworks.
- Develop internal knowledge products (e.g., policy trackers, engagement toolkits, reporting dashboards) to strengthen institutional understanding and inform strategic planning.
- Monitor global policy trends and shifts in development cooperation emerging from G7/G20 processes, producing scenario-based analysis and foresight briefs.
6) Stakeholder and Partnership Management
- Foster and manage partnerships with French-based think tanks, academic institutions (e.g., Sciences Po, IFRI, IDDRI), civil society organizations, and private sector actors to enhance evidence-based and inclusive engagement with the French G7 Presidency.
- Engage with key international partners involved in G7/G20 processes, including other UN agencies, multilateral development banks, and donor governments.
- Support the planning of joint events, roundtables, and dialogues hosted in coordination with the French G7 Presidency or other key actors, amplifying UNDP’s visibility and thought leadership.
The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
Expected Demonstration of Competencies
Core Competencies
Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact
Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems
Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences
Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands
Act with Determination: LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results
Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration
Enable Diversity and Inclusion LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity
Cross-Functional & Technical competencies
| Thematic Area | Name | Definition |
| 2030 Agenda: Planet | Climate | Climate Strategies and Policy: Financing Strategies, Plans and Investment Frameworks. |
| Partnership management | Multi-stakeholder engagement and funding | Knowledge and ability to forge multi-stakeholder partnerships, and remove any obstacles to resource mobilization and multi-stakeholder funding platforms- |
| Finance | Commercial understanding within the public sector | Understands the role, importance and accounting practices for commercial activities. Understands income generation options and related risk and reward. Understands the importance of commercial suppliers to the public sector and evaluating their financial resilience. Is adept with private sector accounts and their use within commercial offshoots and subsidiaries. Possesses influence and negotiation skills and can facilitate and engage with ‘productive competitive dialogue’. Understands the procurement cycle and the scope and features of good contract management. |
| Partnership management | Relationship management | Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding |
| 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 |
| Business Direction and Strategy | System Thinking | Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system |
Required Education, Experience, Skills and Competencies
Minimum Education requirements
Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Law, Political Science, Public Policy, Management, Human Development or related fields is required.
Or
A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s degree) in the above mentioned areas in combination with additional 2 years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of a Master´s degree.
Minimum years of relevant work experience
Minimum 5 years (with Master’s degree) or 7 years (with Bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience in high-level policy advisory, policy support, policy development or project management, with a proven track record of leadership in economic, climate and digital policy reforms.
Required skills
- Working experience in high-level policy support and advisory roles within national, European and international insitutions, with strong focus on political affairs, economic governance, trade, climate and digital transitions.
- Demonstrable experience and leadership in strategic policy development and interinstitutional negotiations within international contexts.
- Proven ability to engage with national governments, EU institutions, international donors and key private stakeholders; maintained privileged access to strategic networks including the EU, French and Italian authorities.
- Working experience in the context of Development Cooperation and multilateral frameworks, including Africa-focused strategic priorities.
Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section
- Prior engagement with development issues in Africa and the Middle East, including cooperation with EU and national actors.
- Deep familiarity with Italian, French and European institutions at both political and administrative level; extensive experience in managing institutional relations, notably within the Italian and French Governments, and the institutions of the European Union.
- Experience in coordinating the design and implementation of policy tools, negotiation materials, and high-level reporting for decision-makers at European and international level.
- Working experience in project management, policy support and policy development in the contexts of G7/G20 multilateral fora.
- Experience in suportinghigh-level political and technical negotiations, including in politically sensitive and high-stakes EU and international files.
- Proven track record of previous experience in supporting high level technical negotiations.
Required Language (s):
- Fluency in English and French is required.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Scam alert
- UNDP does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process. For further information, please see www.undp.org/scam-alert.
Please note the appropriate Tier indicated in the vacancy title and ensure that you are holding the applicable contract as defined below: • Tier 1: UNDP/ UNCDF/ UNV staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed term (FTA) appointments (defined as “internal” candidates) • Tier 2: UNDP/ UNCDF/ UNV staff holding temporary appointments (TA) and personnel on regular PSA contracts • Tier 3: All other contract types from UNDP/UNCDF/UNV and other agencies, and other external candidates