Technical Analyst on Sustainable Commodity Policy [Open to internal and external 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 Forest Agriculture and Sustainable Trade (FAST) Project: The project aims to strengthen sustainable agricultural commodity governance, with a particular focus on palm oil and cocoa, by supporting policy and regulatory improvements, institutional capacity development, sustainability standards and certification systems, and market and trade-related cooperation. Key interventions include strengthening the implementation of Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO), supporting the National Action Plan for Sustainable Palm Oil (NAP-SPO), advancing sustainable cocoa policy frameworks, and facilitating policy dialogue and collaboration among government, industry and other stakeholders.
• The Food Systems, Land Use and Restoration (FOLUR) Impact Program: The project promotes sustainable commodity production, responsible land use, landscape restoration and biodiversity conservation through an integrated landscape approach. Focusing on key commodities, including palm oil, cocoa, coffee and rice, the project aims to strengthen sustainable value chains, reduce deforestation, enhance multi-stakeholder collaboration and improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers and local communities. Policy support under FOLUR focuses on strengthening enabling conditions, institutional coordination and policy coherence for sustainable food systems and landscape management.
• The Sustainable Landscape Programme Indonesia (SLPI): The project aims to advance sustainable landscape management, responsible commodity production, forest conservation and inclusive rural development by strengthening landscape governance, promoting sustainable land-use practices and fostering collaboration among government institutions, private sector actors and local communities. Its policy-related interventions support the alignment of national and subnational policies, institutional frameworks and development planning processes to advance sustainable landscape and commodity governance.

The three projects share complementary objectives in strengthening sustainable commodity governance, improving policy and regulatory frameworks, enhancing institutional coordination and promoting sustainable and inclusive agricultural value chains. Their combined interventions provide opportunities to improve policy coherence, facilitate knowledge exchange and strengthen linkages between national policy development and implementation at subnational and landscape levels.

To support these complementary initiatives, and the overall strategic priority of UNDP on nature-based development, UNDP seeks to recruit a Sustainable Commodity Policy Analyst (Sustainable Commodity Policy), NPSA-9, who will provide substantive technical leadership and analytical support across FOLUR, SLPI Phase II and FAST, and be a thematic resource for the Country Office as a whole. The Sustainable Commodity Policy Analyst will contribute to policy analysis and formulation, review regulatory and institutional frameworks, preparation of evidence-based policy recommendations, facilitation of policy dialogue, and coordination with relevant government institutions and stakeholders. Working closely with the respective UNDP teams, government counterparts, the Sustainable Commodity Policy Analyst will support the alignment of sustainable commodity policies and their implementation across national and subnational levels, while contributing to knowledge sharing, capacity development and the achievement of project-specific results.

The Sustainable Commodity Policy Technical Analyst will deliver high-quality technical advisory, strengthen government partnerships, and drive policy coherence across UNDP's sustainable commodities portfolio. The scope of work covers the following key functional areas:

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the overall guidance and supervision of the Head of the Nature and Low Carbon Development (NLCD) Unit / Program Manager, the Technical Analyst on Sustainable Commodity Policy will operate on a day-to-day basis in close coordination with the National Project Managers and Project Management Units (PMUs) of the FAST, FOLUR, and SLPI projects.

In executing these functions, the incumbent will maintain continuous technical liaison and build robust strategic partnerships with key government counterparts—including the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, Coordinating Ministry of Food, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Environment and Forestry, and relevant subnational authorities—while engaging closely with smallholder networks, private sector coalitions and international donors.

Sustainable Commodity Policy Analysis and Advisory

• Provide high-level policy analysis, technical advisory, and strategic recommendations to strengthen national sustainable commodity governance, certification schemes (e.g., I SPO, RSPO, cocoa standards), and land-use regulatory frameworks;
• Lead the drafting of policy briefs, diagnostic reports, and technical guidance to align agricultural policies with national commitments (e.g., RAN-KSB 2025–2029, Green Growth priorities);
• Analyze emerging global and regional commodity trade requirements and supply chain regulations, advising UNDP and partners on strategic responses.

Government Engagement and Policy Interface

• Act as a key technical liaison and build robust relationships with primary government counterparts, including the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, the Coordinating Ministry of Food, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, and relevant sub-national authorities;
• Participate in high-level policy dialogues, technical working groups, public-private partnerships, and multi-stakeholder forums (e.g., FoKSBI , Cocoa Sustainability Partnership);
• Facilitate consensus-building among diverse stakeholders, including ministries, private sector leaders, CSOs, and smallholder cooperatives—to advance regulatory and institutional reforms.

Policy Coherence Across the Sustainable Commodities Portfolio

• Proactively identify synergies, eliminate overlaps, and align policy-related activities across FAST, FOLUR, and SLPI, ensuring a unified approach to sustainable commodity value chains to strengthen UNDP Indonesia’s position on the issue;
• Ensure that subnational interventions (such as jurisdictional land-use plans under SLPI) are structured to support and feed back into national policy targets (such as FAST's output 1 deliverables);
• Collaborate on inter-agency regulatory efforts, data interoperability, and digital information systems (e.g., SIPERIBUN integration to secure unified progress on commodity traceability.

Technical Quality Assurance and Knowledge Integration

• Provide robust technical quality assurance for policy studies, supply-chain research, digital development initiatives, and landscape-level interventions commissioned across the portfolio;
• Synthesize complex project datasets, evaluation findings, and landscape realities into high-quality, publishable knowledge products, technical briefs, and lessons-learned summaries;
• Deliver capacity-building support and technical guidance to project management units (PMUs), subnational implementation partners, and government staff on sustainable policy instruments.

Translate Project and Landscape Evidence into Policy and Institutional Results

• Develop and operationalize a systematic mechanism to capture field-level evidence (e.g., smallholder performance, certification hurdles, jurisdictional successes) and translate it into formal regulatory inputs;
• Formulate actionable roadmaps and institutionalization strategies to turn project successes into permanent, government-led administrative structures, funding streams, or legal frameworks;
• Monitor, trace, and evaluate how project deliverables influence policy enactment, assessing progress, risks, and institutional bottlenecks to recommend corrective strategic paths.

Avoid any kind of discriminatory behaviour including gender discrimination and ensure that:

• Human rights and gender equality are prioritized as an ethical principle within all actions;
• Activities are designed and implemented in accordance with “Social and Environmental Standards of UNDP”;
• Any kind of diversity based on ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, disability, religion, class, gender are respected within all implementations including data production;
• Differentiated needs of women and men are considered;
• Inclusive approach is reflected within all actions and implementations, in that sense an enabling and accessible setup in various senses such as disability gender language barrier is created;
• Necessary arrangements to provide gender parity within all committees, meetings, trainings etc. introduced.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Competencies

Core Competencies

• Achieve Results: Level 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline

• Think Innovatively: Level 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements

• Learn Continuously: Level 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback

• Adapt with Agility: Level 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible

• Act with Determination: Level 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident

• Engage and Partner: Level 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships

• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: Level 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination

Cross-functional and technical competencies

Business Direction & Strategy

• Strategic Thinking : Develop effective strategies and prioritized plans in line with UNDP’s mission and objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, opportunities and potential risks; link the general vision to reality on the ground to create tangible targeted solutions; learn from a variety of sources to anticipate and effectively respond to both current and future trends; demonstrate foresight.

Business Management

• Partnerships Management: Build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies.
• Result Based Management: Ability to manage the implementation of strategies, programmes, and projects with a focus at improved performance and demonstrable results. Knowledge and understanding of relevant theories, concepts,
  methodologies, instruments, and tools.

2030 Agenda: Planet

• Nature: Ecosystems and Biodiversity: Green Commodities

2030 Agenda: People

• Gender: Gender and Environment
  

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in Public Policy, Environmental Management, Sustainable Agriculture, Forestry, Economics, International Relations, or related Social Sciences is required, OR:

• A first level university degree (Bachelor’s) in the above fields in combination with two (2) additional years of qualifying work experience will be given due consideration in lieu of advanced university degree.

Experience:

• Minimum 2 years (with master’s Degree) or 4 years (with bachelor´s degree) of progressive relevant professional experience in sustainable agriculture policy, commodity supply chain governance, or natural resource policy analysis;
• Demonstrated experience in organizing, facilitating, and leading multi-stakeholder consultations or high-level public-private dialogues;
• Proven track record of experience working on sustainable commodities at the national or international level, either with public or private sector entities;
• Demonstrated experience in utilizing artificial intelligence technologies and collaborative database platforms to facilitate team coordination or data management;
• Proven experience in programme/ project implementation.

Desirable skills:

• Prior experience working within a UN agency, international development organization, or major conservation NGO;
• Demonstrated experience acting as a technical liaison with key national ministries (e.g., Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Environment and Forestry) and subnational authorities;
• Proven track record of experience leading consensus-building and dialogues across public, private (e.g., FoKSBI, Cocoa Sustainability Partnership), and civil society sectors;
• Experience coordinating policy alignments across multiple interconnected projects or portfolios;
• Experience in subnational/landscape-level activities feed back into national-level policy targets (such as bridging FAST, FOLUR, and SLPI mandate;
• Track record of experience developing systematic frameworks or mechanisms to capture field evidence (such as smallholder constraints or certification gaps) and successfully codifying them into formal laws, decrees, or administrative roadmaps;
• Experience conducting rigorous technical reviews of scientific/policy studies and digital databases (e.g., plantation monitoring systems like SIPERIBUN).

Required Languages:

• Fluency in English and Indonesian is required.

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 description, experience and educational requirements.

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