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:
Please make note of the Tier(s) indicated in the vacancy title, if any, and ensure that you satisfy the eligibility to apply.
Timor-Leste, a young democracy emerging from decades of conflict, faces significant development challenges, considering also its nature of small island developing state and its category of least developed countries. Past political instability has affected the continuity of public policy, long-term planning, and the consolidation of institutional capacities. Legal system reform remains a national priority, as does addressing inequalities between women and men. The country is actively pursuing decentralization to enhance local governance. Continued efforts are needed, however, to improve public service delivery, particularly in rural areas
Timor-Leste Country Programme Document (CPD) 2026-2030 - closely aligned with the national development frameworks – defines as a key sector of work the governance pillar to contribute to the country’s long-term vision. Through a suite of flagship initiatives, the Country Office has been providing technical advice and supporting implementation to national authorities to strengthen institutions, promote inclusive participation, and modernize public service delivery. The Country Office support the UNCT and partners to achieve higher development results in governance and peace building and works closely with UNDP’s Crisis Response Unit to support emergency and crisis response. The Country Office has developed a portfolio approach in the governance sector.
Cognizant of the evolving landscape of international development cooperation, including the shift in traditional ODA and the reduction of donors in Timor Leste, the Country Office is seeking to enlarge its traditional stakeholders and donors. Currently under several governance initiatives UNDP is creating Platforms for Dialogue and Cooperation and is encouraging multi-stakeholder involvement, that represents a unique opportunity to leverage UNDP’s value proposition and to outreach stakeholders/partners.
One of these initiatives is the Dalan Digital – A New Path for Digital Citizenship project, launched in partnership with the European Union. It aims to drive digital transformation of public services, expand digital infrastructure, promote interoperability, and foster digital inclusion across the country. The project is also linked to the Decentralization Project, that aims to assist the Government to establish a network of one-stop-shops in all Municipalities and to create a Center for Administrative Modernization in Dili to fastrack public service delivery all over the country
Another key project is the Pro PALOP-TL SAI project (supported by the EU), which promotes democratic governance, oversight, and accountability in Portuguese-speaking African countries and Timor-Leste. The project strengthens the capacities of oversight institutions (such as parliaments, audit courts, and anti-corruption bodies) and advances gender-responsive budgeting, civic engagement, and regional knowledge exchange.
The other important initiative is the Justice Sector Reform, developed in response to a direct request from the Prime Minister’s Office. With a Roadmap and detailed analytical reports such as “Towards a Better Justice” and “Securing Land Rights”, UNDP has been leading efforts to improve the justice system’s accessibility, efficiency, and public trust. The reform encompasses legislative modernization, court infrastructure, land administration, legal aid, and institutional capacity-building.
The governance programme relies on coordinated efforts and strategic partnerships with key stakeholders including: the Government for policy leadership and implementation; the civil society to mobilize communities and advocate for vulnerable groups; the academia to inform evidence-based policy; the youth participation to strength democracy and international development partners for financial support and technical expertise.
UNDP governance projects call for more inclusive partnerships, where all actors can contribute meaningfully. They also support trust building among international stakeholders. Trust leads to greater willingness to invest, share resources and collaboration, and encourages responsible participation, helping sustain development results over time.
The Chief Technical Advisor will work under the direct supervision of the Resident Representative of the UNDP Timor-Leste Country Office. The Chief Technical Advisor is responsible for setting up his/her own meetings and activities as necessary and will report on the progress, results achieved, and challenges on a regular basis.
Under the guidance of the Resident Representative, the Chief Technical Advisor for Governance, Partnerships and Digital Transformation, based in Dili is responsible for providing strategic advice, technical guidance, and high-level coordination for UNDP’s governance portfolio in Timor-Leste, which includes justice sector reform, decentralization, parliamentary support, youth engagement, digital transformation, and transparency in public accounts.
- The Chief Technical Advisor for Governance, Partnerships and Digital Transformation will also ensure high-quality implementation, foster synergy across thematic areas, provide assistance to the governance teams, and management support to ensure the smooth and effective implementation of the governance portfolio while achieving the objectives set out in the Governance Portfolio Strategy.
- The Chief Technical Advisor for Governance, Partnerships and Digital Transformation is also responsible for conducting research and political analysis, support policy dialogue, and building meaningful relationships with government institutions, development partners, and civil society, ensuring that UNDP’s governance portfolio remains responsive to national priorities and emerging political contexts.
UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.
- The Chief Technical Advisor for Governance, Partnerships and Digital Transformation will lead the establishment and overall management of the following projects: Dalan Digital, A New Path for Digital Citizenship; Pro PALOP-TL SAI; the Justice Reform; and the futures Electoral Support and Youth participation.
- Ensures the achievement of outputs and project results for Pillar 4 of the CPD 2026-2030 in line with the approved work plan through the day-to-day planning, management coordination and implementation of activities;
- Manages the human and financial resources to achieve quality results as outlined in the project document, on time and on budget;
- Analyses and monitors progress and advises on timely corrective actions for proper delivery;
- Leads the preparation and implementation of annual work plans;
- Coordinates project activities with related and parallel activities both within UNDP and with UN agencies;
- Develops, oversees and maintains the monitoring, evaluation and communication frameworks;
- Ensures timely preparation of quarterly and annual reports for UNDP, and donor progress and impact reports as required;
- Ensures identification of risks and timely updating of risk logs in Quantum;
- Ensures project quality assurance activities and undertaken in a timely manner;
- Oversee the implementation of the national digital transformation strategy, including the development of interoperability frameworks, digital platforms for public service delivery, and digital inclusion initiatives;
- Coordinate the design and rollout of municipal and digital one-stop shops (Balkaun Uniku), digital literacy campaigns, and the national digital maturity assessment;
- Engage with the Government, and other relevant institutions to ensure alignment with national digital governance frameworks and smooth implementation;
- Lead strategic implementation of the Roadmap Towards a Better Justice and follow-up actions from reports including “Towards a Better Justice” and “Securing Land Rights”;
- Support legislative reforms, judicial modernization, and institutional strengthening of justice sector institutions, including the Court of Appeal and Ministry of Justice;
- Coordinate technical assistance and policy dialogue on access to justice, legal empowerment, land administration, and human rights;
- Provide technical oversight of Pro PALOP activities related to the strengthening of democratic governance, oversight institutions, gender-sensitive budgeting, and inclusive participation;
- Liaise with the regional coordination mechanism and counterparts across Lusophone countries to promote South-South collaboration, knowledge exchange, and joint capacity development.
- The Chief Technical Advisor for Governance, Partnerships and Digital Transformation will ensure strategic, operational, and technical coherence across the governance portfolio related activities, acting as a central point of contact for governance matters, and facilitating effective coordination with internal and external stakeholders.
- Provide technical review and quality assurance of deliverables across all the governance portfolio, especially to Dalan Digital, Pro PALOP-TL, and Justice;
- Facilitate smooth onboarding and support to consultants, including introductions to relevant stakeholders and alignment of their work with project objectives;
- Guide and mentor projects staff, ensuring alignment with corporate policies, UNDP values, and national legislation;
- Align governance activities across projects to ensure internal synergies and communication among key governance stakeholders;
- Organize regular coordination meetings, joint planning sessions, and cross-team communications to ensure coherence;
- Identify risks, challenges, and opportunities, and propose corrective actions to ensure successful implementation;
- Monitor implementation progress, KPIs, and risk mitigation strategies across the governance program;
- Prioritize the support of the implementation of governance structural reforms.
- The Chief Technical Advisor for Governance, Partnerships and Digital Transformation will provide partners specific intelligence and undertake analyses to develop engagement strategies and guide resource mobilization efforts.
- Ensure strategic coordination and open communication with the Presidency, Prime Minister Office, Government authorities (including key line Ministries), and the National Parliament;
- Maintains continuous dialogue with the government and other key partners to provide knowledge-based advisory services and to ensure proper integration and co-ordination of other related development efforts;
- Advocates and promotes awareness, clarity and understanding of issues and responses related to the role UNDP plays in strengthening access to justice, rule of law, and democratic institutions in Timor Leste;
- Participate in coordination platforms and donor meetings, positioning UNDP as a trusted partner of choice on governance-related issues;
- Identify synergies with other partners and projects to maximize impact and results in the framework of the governance sector;
- Engage with political actors, parliamentarians, and government stakeholders to build consensus and strengthen national ownership of reform initiatives;
- Develop and maintain partnerships with development partners, UN agencies, international organizations, academia, and civil society;
- Lead and coordinate high dialogue level platforms in the framework of the projects financed by the European Union and other donors: the Dalan Digital Project, Pro PALOP-TL and the Justice Reform;
- Proactively lead efforts to understand the governance sector's motivations, interests, and needs for partnering with UNDP and develop tailored offers to strengthen partnership and resource mobilization opportunities for UNDP;
- Present and support the promotion of UNDP’s signature initiatives and products to maximize resource mobilization opportunities among key stakeholders, networks and forums;
- Identify and recommend strategic opportunities for UNDP’s engagement and participation in governance initiatives in close consultation with senior management;
- Contributes to the overall resource mobilization efforts of the governance portfolio and Country Office by identifying opportunities to secure additional cost-sharing resources from the government, donors and regional partners.
- The Chief Technical Advisor for Governance, Partnerships and Digital Transformation will advise the senior management and program teams on political dynamics, governance trends, and emerging risk to support adaptive, context-sensitive governance programming.
- Track national and regional political trends, elections, policies, and legislation relevant to the UNDP’s mission;
- Analyze the political context surrounding a decision or policy proposal to anticipate challenges or opportunities for the governance portfolio;
- Monitor and assess potential political risks or disruptions and develop strategic mitigation responses/strategies for sensitive governance interventions;
- Provide strategic analysis and political briefings to the UNDP Resident Representative and senior management;
- Advise the UNDP Resident Representative and senior management, on how political dynamics might affect organizational goals or public perception;
- Develop a rapid response in terms of analysis and advice during political or technical crises;
- Ensuring governance and digital programs are aligned with the political and development context, contributing to peace, stability, and inclusive development;
- Provide integrated advice by connecting technical data with political realities to provide holistic guidance.
- The Chief Technical Advisor for Governance, Partnerships and Digital Transformation will develop strategies to retain critical knowledge during projects implementation and will encourage the practical use of corporate stored knowledge in decision-making and project execution;
- Leads in the creation and dissemination of knowledge products related to national and international know-how in the governance sector;
- Works with partners and practitioners within UNDP’s global networks, practice and sub-practice teams in the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, the Crisis Bureau, and the Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific;
- Ensures the substantive quality of all knowledge products, reports and services, in the governance area;
- Contributes to the production of strategic papers, think pieces, reports and publications, and serves as a peer reviewer;
- Raises visibility of UNDP’s governance sector through knowledge sharing and well-developed communication materials;
- Selects and brings lessons learnt to help achieve the outputs of the programme and facilitating the use of global knowledge networks in the field;
- Shares programme results, success stories, and innovative solutions through publications, seminars, and participation in regional/global networks;
- Promote South-South learning and knowledge exchange, especially under the Pro PALOP-TL Project and digital transformation workstream;
- Facilitate uptake of global best practices specially in digital governance, inclusive justice, and democratic governance.
The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
- Achieve Results: LEVEL 4: Prioritize team workflow, mobilize resources, drive scalable results/strategic impact
- Think Innovatively: LEVEL 4: Easily navigate complexity, encourage/enable radical innovation, has foresight
- Learn Continuously: LEVEL 4: Create systems and processes that enable learning and development for all
- Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 4: Proactively initiate/lead organizational change, champion new systems/processes
- Act with Determination: LEVEL 4: Able to make difficult decisions in challenging situations, inspire confidence
- Engage and Partner: LEVEL 4: Construct strategic multi-partner alliances in high stake situations, foster co-creation
- Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 4: Create ethical culture, identify/address barriers to inclusion
Business Direction & 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.
Business Development
- Knowledge Facilitation: Ability to animate individuals and groups, internally, and externally, and to design and facilitate activities, to share and exchange knowledge, information and ideas. Knowledge of tools and approaches to stimulate active participation, contribution, and exchange.
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
- Portfolio Management: Ability to select, priorities and control the organization's programmes and projects in line with its strategic objectives and capacity Ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives with regular activities for optimal return on investment. Knowledge and understanding of key principles of project, programme, and portfolio 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
- Resource Mobilization: Ability to identify funding sources, match funding needs (programmes/projects/initiatives) with funding opportunities, and establish a plan to meet funding requirements
2030 Agenda: Peace
- Governance: Public Sector Strengthening and Innovation
- Advanced university degree (master´s degree or equivalent) in Law, Political Science, International Studies, Development Studies, Political Administration or any other related field is required. Or
- A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas mentioned above in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.
- Minimum of 10 years (with master’s degree) or 12 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant professional experience in international development or in a well-established and well-functioning organization, at least 5 of which in development programming focused on governance, accountability, digital transformation, capacity development, gender equality and peacebuilding.
- Excellent analytical and writing skills/experience, as demonstrated by previous research/analytical reports/policy notes on relevant topics, are required;
- Proven track record of excellent coordination, negotiating and communication skills are required;
- Experience in designing and implementing partnerships and outreach/engagement strategies and initiatives with government and donors is required.
- Experience in writing proposals and funding offers for stakeholders/donors/government is desired;
- Proven track record of sound knowledge of Timor-Leste´s governance systems and decentralization process are desired;
- Proven experience with project management and resource mobilization is desirable;
- Proven track record of sound knowledge of UNDP procedures and mandate is an advantage;
- Experience and strong knowledge of trends, priorities and emerging actors within the region of South Asia Pacific is desired;
- Demonstrated ability to anticipate partnership needs, proactively identify opportunities, and initiate or recommend relevant engagement strategies is desired.
- Fluency in English and Portuguese is required;
- Working knowledge of Tetum languages is desirable.
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.
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.
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.
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