NATIONAL POST: Assistant Representative, UNFPA Ha Noi - Viet Nam Country Office, NOD

The Assistant Representative, in Coordination with the Representative, designs, develops, and manages an innovative and responsive country programme. You will lead the programme team, inspiring it to translate the regional and country goals into tangible solutions and results. 

UNFPA is the lead United Nations agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is intended, every childbirth is safe, and every young person's potential is fulfilled. The UNFPA Strategic Plan for 2026-2029 articulates the organisation’s response to a complex global environment, providing a roadmap for resilience and renewal. It is designed to accelerate the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. This mandate is pursued through a focus on four interconnected outcomes: ending the unmet need for family planning; ending preventable maternal deaths; ending gender-based violence and harmful practices; and adapting to demographic change through evidence and rights-based policies.

In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

UNFPA is seeking candidates who transform, inspire and deliver high-impact and sustained results and ensure effective external relations, communications, partnership-building and resource mobilisation in a rapidly changing development and funding landscape. We need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them, and who commit to delivering excellence in programme results.

You will contribute to the management of UNFPA programme activities in the areas of population and development, reproductive health, youth empowerment and gender equality. Working to advance the ICPD policy agenda in a politically sensitive environment, you will respond to changing priorities of governments. Promoting partnership and strategic alliances with counterparts in government, multi-lateral and bilateral agencies and civil society will be key to your role. You will coordinate technical advisers and contribute to UN systems coordination through participation in policy dialogue and provision of inputs into joint common system initiatives.

Reporting to the UNFPA Representative, you will act on their behalf as required. 

• Conducting policy dialogue with Government, UN and other development partners to incorporate UNFPA’s priorities and agenda into national plans and strategies, and UN systems, initiatives and development frameworks.
• Translating global strategies into country-specific advocacy strategies. This includes creating and delivering evidence-based advocacy messages to promote UNFPA’s programme goals, taking into account political and social sensitivities.
• Promoting a results-based approach, integrating innovative policies and strategies into the design and formulation of country programmes, sub-programmes and projects. You will ensure programmes are responsive to the country’s needs in areas of UNFPA’s strategic priorities.
• Facilitating the achievement of programme results by identifying, providing and coordinating inputs into programme development and implementation, ensuring programme monitoring and oversight, and coordinating and evaluating the inputs of consultants and technical experts.
• Promoting knowledge sharing and continuous learning including testing, evaluating and documenting innovative strategies and best practices internal and external to UNFPA, and integrating these as appropriate.
• Contribute to resource mobilisation by identifying potential donors, preparing proposals including outlining co-financing resources for support to the country programme, and supporting the government and other agencies in coordinating assistance for programmes.

Advanced University degree in Public Health, Medicine, Sociology, Demography, Gender, International Relations, International Development, Economics, Public Administration, Management or other related disciplines.

• Seven (7) years of progressively responsible professional experience in the field of development and population activities, including programme designing, appraisal and management.
• Demonstrated ability to refine programme design to ensure alignment of organisational programme objectives to national priorities/capacities.
• Proven ability to lead and manage teams to achieve demonstrable results.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills to foster engaged partnerships at a high level of representation and to maintain political partnerships. 
• Basic AI literacy, including the ability to effectively use AI tools, is highly desirable. 
• Strong critical thinking skills to review, validate, fact-check, and refine AI-generated content to ensure accuracy, consistency, and alignment with organizational standards and brand voice are also highly desirable. 

• Fluency in English and Vietnamese are required; knowledge of other official UN languages is desirable.

• Exemplifying integrity, 
• Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system, 
• Embracing cultural diversity, 
• Embracing change

• Achieving results,
• Being accountable,
• Developing and applying professional expertise/business acumen, 
• Thinking analytically and strategically,
• Working in teams/managing ourselves and our relationships,
• Communicating for impact.

• Advocacy / Advancing a policy-orientated agenda
• Leveraging the resources of national governments and partners / building strategic alliances and partnerships
• Delivering results based programmes
• Internal and external communication and advocacy for results mobilisation.

• Providing strategic focus,
• Engaging in internal/external partners and stakeholders,
• Leading, developing and empowering people, creating a culture of performance
• Making decisions and exercising judgment.

Selection and appointment may be subject to background and reference checks, medical clearance, visa issuance and other administrative requirements. 

UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process and does not concern itself with information on applicants' bank accounts. 

Applicants for positions in the international Professional and higher categories, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.