Head, Policy Development, Partnerships and Government Relations; P5

Position: Head, Policy Development, Partnerships and Government Relations (P5)
About UN University (UNU)
The United Nations University (UNU) is a global think tank and postgraduate teaching organization within the United Nations System. UNU engages in policy-relevant research, capacity development, and knowledge dissemination in furtherance of the purposes and principles of the United Nations. The work of UNU contributes to solving pressing global problems that are the concern of the United Nations and its Member States.

For the past five decades, UNU has been a source of impartial research on sustainability, human security, and economic development. With hundreds of researchers working at institutes in 12 countries, UNU's expertise spans the full breadth of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, generating policy-relevant knowledge to effect positive global change. UNU collaborates closely with other UN entities and leading research institutions across the globe.

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About United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH)
UNU-INWEH is one of 13 research and training institutions that comprise the think tanks in the UNU system. UNU-INWEH’s vision is a world free of water, environmental and health problems where sustainable development, environmental health, and human security are assured for all. Its mission is to help resolve pressing water, environmental, and health challenges that are of concern to the United Nations, its Member States, and their people.

UNU-INWEH pursues its mission through critical analysis and synthesis of existing bodies of scientific discovery; targeted research that identifies emerging policy issues; application of on-the-ground scalable science-based solutions to grand water, environmental and health challenges; and global outreach.

Responsibilities
Under the overall supervision of the Director, the Head, Policy Development, Partnerships and Government Relations, as a member of a senior leadership team of the institute, contributes to shaping the Institute’s strategic direction, strengthening its policy impact, expanding its network of partners, and improve its strategic engagements with the UN agencies and Member States, particularly in the Global South. This position is established in response to the growing demand for UNU-INWEH’s policy-relevant research and capacity development, multi-stakeholder partnerships, and country-level engagement, particularly in Asia-Pacific, Africa, the Middle East, South and Central Asia, where the Institute’s portfolio has expanded significantly.

The incumbent leads and coordinates a geographically dispersed team of policy and partnership experts, ensuring coherence, strategic alignment, and effective delivery across regional initiatives, while scaling the Institute’s policy influence and operational footprint. The role builds on UNU-INWEH’s expanding geographic engagement, including transboundary water governance and diplomacy, glacier preservation, disaster risk reduction, and sand and dust storms, as well as flagship initiatives such as the Global Media Academy, the UN Water Conference Academic Hub, and contributions to the Water Action Decade and its follow-up processes.

The position also responds to the need for strengthened engagement in emerging priority areas, including the growing capacity building initiatives in Africa, environmental governance in Central Asia, support to Tajikistan in the context of the Water Action Decade, women’s empowerment initiatives in South and Central Asia, and the development of strategic country-level partnerships. In addition, the Head, Policy Development, Partnerships and Government Relations plays a central role in supporting the Office of the Director by advancing advocacy, strengthening…