Title: Regional Programme Manager

​Requisition ID: 6263
Grade: L4
Country: Zambia
Duty Station: Lusaka
Category: Project-funded Professional and higher
Type of Job Posting: Internal and External
Employment Type: Staff-Full-time
Appointment Type: Fixed Term - 200 series
Indicative Minimum Net Annual Salary: 118,456 USD
Application Deadline: 18-Sep-2025, 11:59 PM (Vienna, Austria time)

Vacancy Announcement
THE APPOINTMENT IS LIMITED TO THE SPECIFIED PROJECT(S) ONLY AND DOES NOT CARRY ANY EXPECTATION OF RENEWAL.
Female candidates are particularly encouraged to apply.
Detailed information on the project can be found at UNIDO’s Open Data Platform: https://open.unido.org/

I. Organizational Context

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is the specialized agency of the United Nations that promotes industrial development for poverty reduction, inclusive globalization and environmental sustainability. The mission of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), as described in the Lima Declaration adopted at the fifteenth session of the UNIDO General Conference in 2013 as well as the Abu Dhabi Declaration adopted at the eighteenth session of UNIDO General Conference in 2018, is to promote and accelerate inclusive and sustainable industrial development (ISID) in Member States. The relevance of ISID as an integrated approach to all three pillars of sustainable development is recognized by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which will frame United Nations and country efforts towards sustainable development. UNIDO’s mandate is fully recognized in SDG-9, which calls to “Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation”. The relevance of ISID, however, applies in greater or lesser extent to all SDGs. Accordingly, the Organization’s programmatic focus is structured in four strategic priorities: Creating shared prosperity; Advancing economic competitiveness; Safeguarding the environment; and Strengthening knowledge and institutions.

Each of these programmatic fields of activity contains a number of individual programmes, which are implemented in a holistic manner to achieve effective outcomes and impacts through UNIDO’s four enabling functions: (i) technical cooperation; (ii) analytical and research functions and policy advisory services; (iii) normative functions and standards and quality-related activities; and (iv) convening and partnerships for knowledge transfer, networking and industrial cooperation. Such core functions are carried out in Departments/Offices in its Headquarters, Regional Offices and Hubs and Country Offices.

Under the overall direction of the Director General, and in close collaboration with all relevant organizational entities within UNIDO, the Directorate of Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Industrial Development (TCS), headed by a Managing Director, ensures the Organization's application of strategies and interventions for sustainable industrial development related to environment, energy, Micro, Small and Medium-Enterprises (MSMEs), and digitalization. The Directorate also oversees the Organization's normative contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals through industrial policy advice and capacity development. Through coordination in-house and with Member States and industry stakeholders, it ensures that the services provided in these areas contribute to effective and appropriate technical, business and policy solutions and are focused on results, scaling up and positioning UNIDO as a leading platform for industrial development in developing countries and global fora.

The Directorate is responsible for the Division of Industrial Policy Advice and Capacity Development (TCS/IPC), and technical Divisions of Circular Economy and Green Industry (TCS/CEG), Energy and Climate Action (TCS/ECA), Climate Innovation and Montreal Protocol (TCS/CMP); MSME Competitiveness, Quality and Job Creation (TCS/SME); and Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence (TCS/DAI). Leveraging the diverse skill sets of UNIDO personnel and the services provided by the two TC directorates, TCS collaborates closely with IET to develop and implement programmes and projects, aiming at enhancing synergy and complementarity and maximizing UNIDO corporate performance and impacts on the ground. The Directorate also ensures close coordination and collaboration among the Divisions as well as with relevant entities in all Directorates across the Organization.

The Division of MSME Competitiveness, Quality and Job Creation (TCS/SME) works towards increasing the competitiveness of industries in developing countries and countries in transition, especially emphasizing business development of MSMEs engaged in manufacturing and creating jobs therein. It aims at increasing competitiveness among MSMEs in two interconnected ways: first, by modernizing businesses through the transfer of advanced technologies adapted to local conditions, product innovation, productivity improvement and upgrading, developing market and value chain readiness as well as improved access to finance; and second, by improving the quality of MSME manufactured products and their compliance with market requirements through capacity building for the development of industrial production and trade-related quality infrastructure including for standardization, metrology, accreditation and of conformity assessment service institutions (testing, certification, inspection and calibration) and the strengthening of their capacities.

At the L4 level, the incumbent is expected to deliver (a) work that is innovative and original; (b) in creating an enabling environment which expands across functions and sectors; and (c) in achieving results within Programme teams. The measure of success is systemic and catalytic delivery of results.

The UNIDO Staff Performance Management System reinforces the collaboration within formal units as well as among cross-functional teams. In this context, the incumbent collaborates with his/her supervisor and colleagues, within as well as outside the unit. Within the formal teams, the incumbent may be expected to backstop other team members as required.

II. Project/Programme Context

ID 240108 - Africa Trade Competitiveness and Market Access (ATCMA) Programme – COMESA

The EU-funded Africa Trade Competitiveness and Market Access (ATCMA) Programme, a Sub-Saharan African initiative aims at sustainably increasing intra-African and EU-Africa trade. In addition to a continental component, the programme comprises five regional components in the ECOWAS, COMESA, SADC, ECCAS and EAC regions, building on existing or previous regional programmes (WACOMP in West Africa, MARKUP in East Africa, PIQAC in Central Africa, RECAMP and SIPS in Southern Africa).

The programme is implemented jointly by UNIDO and the International Trade Centre (ITC).

ITC is the joint technical cooperation agency of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization (WTO) in charge of the sustainable promotion of trade and exports from developing countries and economies in transition. The ITC aims to make micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in developing countries more competitive in global markets, accelerate economic development and contribute to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Thus, the organization contributes to creating jobs along product value chains and promising services sectors, especially for young people and women.

The overall focus of this four-year ATCMA COMESA Programme is to address market access challenges faced by selected value chains in the easter and southern African region, through two pillars:

The programme is thematically structured into five components leading to 5 outputs as follows:

In relation to Specific Objective 1:

Output 1.1: Market access barriers identified and reduced

Output 1.2: Strengthened quality compliance and standards

Output 1.3: Value-chain revision mechanism facilitated

In relation to Specific Objective 2:

Output 2.1: Enhanced value addition and diversification

Output 2.2: Enhanced SME capacities and opportunities for business and export

While UNIDO is in charge of implementing output 1.2 and 2.1., ITC is responsible for the implementation of output 1.1, 1.3 and 2.2.

To ensure an overall coherent umbrella ATCMA framework, coordination and complementarity between the Continental component and sub-regional components will be ensured throughout the overall programme implementation.

III. Functional Responsibilities

The Regional Programme Manager works under the overall guidance of the Chief, Division of MSME Competitiveness, Quality and Job Creation, the direct supervision of the UNIDO Industrial Development Officer responsible for the project (Lead Programme Manager), and in close collaboration with the UNIDO output managers, UNIDO Industrial Development Expert and ITC Programme Coordinator of the ATCMA COMESA Programme. She/he is responsible for providing managerial and technical support to the smooth and timely execution of programme and be accountable for the achievement of programme results as/if assigned. Specific responsibilities include but are not limited to:

PROJECT MANAGEMENT and IMPLEMENTATION