Editorial and Coordination Specialist, Executive Board Branch (EBB), Office of the Executive Director (OED), New York, P-3

The Editorial and Coordination Specialist position is located in the Executive Board Branch (EBB) in the Office of the Executive Director. EBB coordinates UNFPA’s relationship with its governing body—the UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board—and manages engagement with Board members and observers to position UNFPA and promote the ICPD agenda. The incumbent plays a strategic role in ensuring UNFPA documentation and engagement with the Executive Board are effective, efficient, responsive to Member State expectations, and aligned with UNFPA’s mandate and strategic priorities.

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 provides a roadmap for accelerating the implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, focusing on ending unmet need for family planning, preventable maternal deaths, gender-based violence, and adapting to demographic change through evidence and rights-based policies.

About the role

This role ensures all official documentation and engagements for the Executive Board are high quality, editorially compliant with UN standards, cleared by Senior Management, and submitted on time. Acting as an operational bridge between UNFPA business units and Member States, the Specialist leads the coordination of formal Board sessions, informal consultations, decision negotiations, Country Programme Documents (CPDs), and high-visibility events such as the Salas Lecture to position UNFPA's strategic priorities effectively.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and edit Executive Board documentation:
  • Prepare plans for the development and submission of Executive Board documentation, ensuring deadlines are met while maintaining high quality and securing senior management clearances.
  • Coordinate with UNFPA business units to develop and submit official documentation according to the plan.
  • Conduct substantive and quality reviews of all documentation in collaboration with the Executive Board Specialist.
  • Ensure timely clearances by UNFPA Senior Management for all Executive Board documentation.
  • Coordinate the development of Country Programme Documents (CPDs) with the Programme Review Committee Secretariat, Regional Offices, and Country Offices, and compile Member States’ comments for publication on the UNFPA website.
  • Edit documentation to comply with United Nations editorial policy, terminology, style, rules, and directives.
  • Maintain a roster of external editor consultants to manage workload peaks and coordinate with them to ensure quality and timely submissions.
  • Provide support during Executive Board sessions, working with Member States and the Executive Board Secretariat to capture and edit agreed-upon language according to editorial requirements.
• Coordinate briefings, consultations, and other engagements with Member States:
  • Collaborate with the UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board Secretariat to organize formal Executive Board sessions.
  • Coordinate the organization of informal briefings and consultations, liaising with UNFPA units and Member States as needed.
  • Ensure substantive and quality review of documentation for informal briefings and consultations, securing timely clearances from Senior Management.
  • Coordinate the timely submission of documentation and statements for informal briefings and consultations.
  • Support Executive Board sessions to ensure smooth engagement between Member States and senior management.
  • Participate in the organization of Executive Board field visits as applicable.
• Manage Member State relations:
  • Liaise with Member States to ensure successful outcomes of formal and informal Board sessions.
• Coordinate the organization of the Salas Lecture:
  • Oversee event organization, ensuring Member State and guest participation and high visibility.
• Provide overall support to the Executive Board Branch, including any other tasks requested by the Chief of EBB.

Requirements

• Advanced university degree (minimum Master’s degree or equivalent) in social sciences, law, humanities, international relations, political science, or related disciplines.
• At least 5 years of progressively responsible experience in an international organization.
• Experience working in the intergovernmental space, with knowledge of intergovernmental processes, external relations, governance, or strategic planning.
• Solid understanding of UNFPA’s substantive areas of work.
• Political acumen and judgment.
• Experience with UN editorial policy, terminology, style, rules, and directives is a strong asset.
• Excellent report drafting and speech writing skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.

Skills

• Values: Exemplifying integrity, demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system, embracing cultural diversity, embracing change.
• Core Competencies: Achieving results, being accountable, developing and applying professional expertise/business acumen, thinking analytically and strategically, working in teams/managing ourselves and our relationships.
• Functional Competencies: Creating visibility for UNFPA/supporting advocacy, global leadership and advocacy for ICPD goals, organizational awareness, job knowledge/technical expertise.

Qualifications

• Fluency in English is required; French is strongly preferred.
• Working knowledge of another official UN language is an asset.

Benefits

• Competitive net salary plus health insurance and other applicable benefits.

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity, and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity and encourage women, individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups to apply. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request.