Programme Specialist, Youth

The Programme Specialist, Youth Development position is a senior-level role located in the UNFPA Juba Main Office in South Sudan, reporting directly to the Deputy Representative.

This strategic position is responsible for providing technical leadership and management to UNFPA’s comprehensive youth programme. The Specialist will drive policy advocacy and programming to advance youth development, focusing on the pillars of Youth, Peace, and Security (YPS), maximizing the potential of the demographic dividend through strategic investment in young people, and fostering youth leadership and participation.

A core responsibility includes promoting holistic youth empowerment, particularly through economic empowerment initiatives, and strengthening the integration and synergy of the youth programme with colleagues working on ASRHR, HIV, and innovation. The Specialist also plays a critical role in resource mobilization efforts and establishing and maintaining collaborative, multi-sectoral partnerships.

Crucially, the position involves actively contributing to joint programmes and engaging in inter-agency coordination mechanisms across the UN System to ensure a cohesive and high-impact approach, demonstrating leadership in Delivering as One (DaO) to support the national development agenda.

The UNFPA Strategic Plan 2026–2029 serves as the organization’s final push to achieve the 2030 Agenda, centering its mission on four primary outcomes. It continues to prioritize the "three transformative results"—ending the unmet need for family planning, eliminating preventable maternal deaths, and stopping gender-based violence and harmful practices. A pivotal addition to this cycle is a fourth outcome focused on demographic resilience, which seeks to help nations navigate complex population shifts, such as aging and urbanization, while ensuring that individual rights and reproductive choices remain at the heart of national policies.

To accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the plan shifts toward a more integrated approach that bridges humanitarian, development, and peace efforts. By leveraging advanced data analytics and artificial intelligence, UNFPA aims to pinpoint and support those "furthest behind," directly contributing to SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG 5 (Gender Equality). This strategic framework emphasizes sustainable financing and localized agility, ensuring that even in climate-vulnerable or conflict-affected regions, the global community remains on track to fulfill the promise of the 2030 goals.

Working under the overall guidance and direct supervision of the Deputy Representative, the Programme Specialist, Youth Development is the lead technical authority for UNFPA South Sudan in advancing the national youth agenda and harnessing the Demographic Dividend (DD). Following the endorsement of the National Youth Development Policy (NYDP) 2025, the Specialist provides strategic leadership to the Government at national and state levels to translate policy into transformative action.

The role drives a holistic "Triple Nexus" approach—integrating Youth, Peace, and Security (YPS), Youth Economic Empowerment, and Leadership with Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (ASRH). A primary catalyst for change in this role is the promotion of Innovative Programming and Youth-Led Innovations, moving beyond traditional models to leverage technology and social entrepreneurship in collaboration with the ITC and innovation analyst. The Specialist is responsible for the Resource Mobilization lifecycle related to youth development in collaboration with the Communications and Resource Mobilization Specialist and the management of Implementing Partners (IPs), ensuring all initiatives achieve full compliance with UNFPA corporate systems (Quantum), internal Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and accountability frameworks.

The Specialist will be responsible for: 

Advanced (Masters) Degree in development studies, youth development, political sciences, social policy, public health, social mobilization, business administration, international relations or other related fields required.

Fluency in English is required. A working knowledge of Arabic will be an asset.

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 [link removed] to learn more.

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.