Chief, Population and Development Branch, Programme Division (PD), Nairobi, Kenya, D-1

The Position

Reporting to the Director of the Programme Division, the Chief of the Population and Development Branch (PDB) serves as UNFPA’s global lead on population dynamics, demographic change, and population–development policy.

The Branch is responsible for advancing UNFPA’s mandate on rights-based population policies and programmes, and for positioning demographic change as a central driver of sustainable development, economic transformation, and societal resilience.

The Chief provides strategic vision, intellectual leadership, and managerial oversight for the Branch, ensuring delivery of the fourth outcome on ‘adapting to demographic change while upholding individual rights and choices’ in UNFPA’s new Strategic Plan for 2026-2029. This includes operationalizing UNFPA’s programme offer across the full policy cycle—evidence, policy influencing, programme implementation, communications, and capacity strengthening.

How you can make a difference

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 organization’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, and partnership-building and resource mobilization 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.

Job Purpose

The Chief is responsible for shaping and driving UNFPA’s global population and development agenda, ensuring that rights-based demographic change is effectively integrated into strategies, policies, programmes and investments at global, regional, and country levels. This includes: 

Providing authoritative leadership on demographic change and megatrends
Translating population dynamics into policy, planning and programmatic action
Leading evidence generation and thought leadership on population and development
Positioning UNFPA as a trusted global voice on demographic change and rights-based population policies
Mobilizing strategic partnerships and financial resources to scale impact

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic Direction and Technical Leadership

• Provide overall vision, strategic direction, and leadership for UNFPA’s population and development agenda.Serve as the principal adviser to senior management on demographic change, population policies, and population and development linkages.
• Lead the development and implementation of global strategies, frameworks, and policy guidance aligned with Outcome 4 of the Strategic Plan 2026-2029 and the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD).
• Position UNFPA as a global thought leader on demographic change, including fertility, population ageing, harnessing the demographic dividend, planning for demographic resilience, migration, urbanization, and the interaction with megatrends such as climate change and technology.
• Oversee the development and application of Demographic Dividend Analysis, Demographic Resilience Reviews, demographic foresigh, and population strategies, ensuring their integration into national and UN development frameworks.
• Ensure the systematic integration of demographic analysis into development planning, fiscal policy, and sectoral strategies.

2. Evidence Generation, Knowledge, and Foresight

• Lead UNFPA’s global evidence and analytical agenda on population and development, ensuring policy relevance and scientific rigor.
• Oversee the production of flagship analytical outputs, reports, policy briefs, and technical guidance on demographic change and its implications.
• Advance UNFPA’s leadership in demographic foresight and scenario analysis, linking demographic trends with social, economic and environmental outcomes.
• Promote the integration of population data, economic analysis (e.g., national transfer accounts), and geospatial insights into policy-relevant knowledge products.
• Ensure that evidence informs global advocacy, policy dialogue, and programme design at all levels.

3. Programme Integration and Linkages

• Provide strategic leadership to ensure integration of population dynamics into UNFPA’s programmatic areas, including sexual and reproductive health and rights, gender equality, youth, and humanitarian action.
• Promote life-course and human capital approaches to adapting to demographic change, linking population dynamics to health, education, labour markets, and social protection systems.
• Support the development of policy and programmatic responses that enable countries to harness demographic opportunities while safeguarding individual rights and choices.
• Ensure coherence between population policies and sectoral interventions, particularly in high-fertility, transitioning, and low-fertility and ageing contexts.

4. Narrative Shift, Policy Influence, and Advocacy

• Lead UNFPA’s efforts to shape a balanced, evidence-based global narrative on demographic change, countering polarized or alarmist discourse.
• Position UNFPA as a credible and authoritative voice on rights-based population policies and demographic resilience.
• Oversee and guide global advocacy, policy dialogues, and high-level convenings, including engagement with the Commission on Population and Development (CPD).
• Ensure that UNFPA’s messaging effectively communicates the opportunities and challenges of demographic change for sustainable development.
• Provide strategic inputs for high-level engagements, including speeches, briefing notes, and global positioning.

5. Capacity Strengthening and Institutional Development

• Lead UNFPA’s efforts to strengthen national capacities in demographic analysis, population policy, and development planning.
• Promote the development of next-generation expertise in demography and population sciences, including through partnerships with academic institutions.
• Foster south–south and triangular cooperation, enabling exchange of experience across countries at different stages of demographic transition.
• Strengthen internal UNFPA capacity in population and development programming and policy advisory services.
• Guide knowledge management, communities of practice, and institutional learning on population and development.

6. Strategic Partnerships and Coordination

• Lead strategic engagement with UN agencies, international financial institutions, academia, private sector, and civil society to advance UNFPA’s population and development agenda.
• Strengthen collaboration with development planning, economic, and research communities to integrate demographic analysis into macroeconomic and sectoral decision-making.
• Represent UNFPA at high-level global and intergovernmental fora, positioning the organization as a leader on demographic change.
• Drive coordination across the UN system, including through inter-agency mechanisms on demographic change and megatrends.

7. Resource Mobilization and Strategic Financing

• Lead resource mobilization for UNFPA’s population and development agenda, including demographic dividend and demographic resilience initiatives.
• Develop and implement funding strategies and investment cases aligned with the fourth outcome of the Strategic Plan (2026-2029).
• Engage bilateral donors, development banks, foundations, the private sector and partners to mobilize resources for analytical work, and rights-based policy support and programmatic interventions.
• Position population dynamics as a critical entry point for development financing and investment.
  Strengthen alignment between technical work, advocacy, and financing opportunities.

8. Leadership and Management

• Lead and manage the Population and Development Branch, providing strategic direction, oversight of human and financial resources, and performance management.
• Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, accountability, and excellence.
• Ensure effective coordination across Programme Division, HQ units, regional offices, and country offices.
• Oversee planning, monitoring, and reporting for the Branch, ensuring delivery of results aligned with the Strategic Plan 2026-2029. .

9. Other Duties

Perform additional tasks as required by the Division Director or Senior Management. 

Qualifications and Experience

Education

Advanced university degree in demography, population studies, economics, public health, sociology, international development, or related field. PhD is an advantage.

Professional Experience

• Minimum 15 years of progressively responsible experience in public administration and international development, including at least 8 years at the international level.
• Recognized technical authority and thought leader in population and development, with deep expertise in demographic analysis and policy.
• Proven experience in population policies, demographic transition, and development planning.
• Strong understanding of global megatrends (e.g., climate change, urbanization, migration, technological change) and their implications for population dynamics.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and manage high-level expert teams and deliver strategic results.
• Extensive networks within academic, research, and development communities.
• Strong track record in policy influence, partnerships, and resource mobilization.
• Excellent communication skills in English (oral and written).
• Strong commitment to UN values, ICPD Programme of Action, and rights-based approaches.
• Experience in working in low and middle income countries is highly desirable.

Languages

Fluency in English is required. Working knowledge of another official UN language is desirable. 

Required Competencies

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; 
• Communicating for impact.

Managerial Competencies

• 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

Functional Competencies

• Conceptual innovation in the provision of technical expertise; 
• Leveraging the resources of national governments and partners/building strategic alliances and partnerships; 
• Job knowledge/technical expertise.

Compensation and Benefits

This position offers an attractive remuneration package including a competitive net salary, health insurance and other benefits as applicable.

UNFPA Work Environment

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 in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA's workforce - click here to learn more: https://www.unfpa.org/diversity-equity-inclusion

Disclaimer

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.