Electoral Specialist - African Union (Open to Tier 1 & 2 applicants)

Tiered Approach

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:

• Tier 0: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV IP staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments, whose posts will be abolished, or contracts will be terminated or not renewed during 2026.

• Tier 1: Other UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments

• Tier 2: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding temporary appointments (TA), personnel on regular PSA contracts, and Expert and Specialist UN Volunteers

• Tier 3 or no tier indicated: All other contract types from UNDP/UNCDF/UNV and other agencies, and other external candidates

Please make note of the Tier(s) indicated in the vacancy title, if any, and ensure that you satisfy the eligibility to apply.

Background

The African Union Commission (AUC) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Regional Service Centre for Africa have over the years engaged in collaborative initiatives aimed at promoting democratic governance, peace, and security on the continent of Africa based on shared values and principles enshrined in the Sustainable Development Goals and Africa Agenda 2063. One of the areas in which AUC and UNDP have engaged in successful partnerships is through electoral support to the Member States. One of those initiatives was through the inception phase of the Africa Elections Fund (AEF) in 2023, which was supported by the German Federal Foreign Office (GFFO). The AEF is an innovative instrument to support inclusive and peaceful electoral processes in Africa through complementary continental and national level interventions in a bid to strengthen democratic institutions and processes on the continent. Following a successful inception phase, UNDP, through the support of the GFFO, in moving towards the implementation of a fully-fledged Fund from 2026 to 2029. The AEF offers an opportunity for AUC and UNDP to enhance synergies, together with Regional Economic Communities networks of Election Management Bodies to enhance innovative national capacities in the Member States to promote democratic governance, inculcating norms and values of democratic elections. The Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS) of the AUC has the overall mandate of supporting elections in Member States based on various norms, including the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance. In this regard, UNDP, through the AEF, seeks to deploy an Electoral Specialist to be embedded within the Democracy and Elections Unit, Directorate of Governance and Conflict Prevention of the Department of PAPS, to scale up efforts of the Department in responding to the electoral capacity needs of the Member States.

Scope of Work

The Electoral Specialist, embedded in the Democracy and Elections Unit (DEU), Directorate of Governance and Conflict Prevention, Department of PAPS, will perform the following duties and responsibilities:

1. Program Development & Implementation

• Support the Democracy and Elections Unit (DEU) in conceptualizing and implementing electoral assistance and related programs in response to requests from Member States;

• Participate in AU electoral needs assessment missions to identify electoral assistance opportunities;

• Develop innovative programmatic responses to address electoral assistance needs, specifically focusing on implementing recommendations from AU Election Observation Missions (AUEOMs);

• Provide capacity building to electoral stakeholders as required.

2. Promote the advancement and dissemination of knowledge

• Support in conducting research and analysis on topical election issues of interest to the AU;

• Assist in the production of annual election reports and other ad-hoc reporting requirements as they arise;

• Support continental and regional peer-learning initiatives in election management, such as the AU annual forum of EMBs.

3. Stakeholder Engagement & Inclusion

• Build and maintain robust relationships with Electoral Management Bodies (EMBs), civil society organizations, and other continental electoral stakeholders;

• Proactively integrate gender equality, youth participation, people with disabilities, and other marginalized groups into African electoral processes.

4. Strategic Partnerships

• Identify and explore opportunities for collaborative electoral assistance initiatives between the AUC and UNDP with a view to strengthening synergies;

• Serve as the formal UNDP liaison to the Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security (DPAPS) regarding the implementation of the African Elections Fund.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary in the execution of the AU mandate on electoral support to the Member States.

Institutional Arrangement

The Electoral Specialist will report directly to the Principal Democracy and Elections Officer within the Department of PAPS of the AUC with matrix reporting lines to UNDP Regional Electoral Advisor for Africa.

Competencies

Core Competencies

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact;

• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems;

• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences;

• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands;

• Act with Determination: LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results;

• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration;

• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity.

Cross-Functional/Technical competencies

2030 Agenda: Peace

• Governance

• Electoral Cycle support:

• Inclusive political processes

Business Development

• Knowledge Generation

• Ability to research information and to turn it into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need.

• 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.

• Partnership Management

• Build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders.

• 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.

Business Direction & Strategy

• System Thinking

• Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgment 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

Required Skills and Experience

Minimum Education Requirements

• Advanced university degree (master's degree or equivalent) in Political Science, International Relations, Public Policy and Administration, Law or relevant social science field is required, or;

• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the above fields in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Minimum years of relevant work experience

• Minimum of 5 years (with master’s degree) or 7 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience at the national or international level in elections and democratic governance is required.

Required Skills

• Experience in supporting democracy and electoral processes in developing countries, especially in Africa;

• Proven policy advocacy, advisory and capacity building experience in the area of elections with track record of engagement with AU, UN, Regional Economic Communities, and national electoral stakeholders;

• Experience in research and report writing;

• Experience in innovation, communication, research, resource mobilization, partnership building, and networking.

Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the competencies section

• Knowledge in AU normative frameworks and instruments would be an asset;

• Experience in organizing electoral stakeholders' peer-learning meetings;

• Experience working with the AU/UN on elections would be a major asset.

Required Language(s)

• Strong English and French skills are required;

• Other AU languages are an added advantage.

Equal opportunity

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.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

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.

Right to select multiple candidates

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 descriptions, experience, and educational requirements.

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