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 Regional Program for Africa contributes to the UNDP Strategic Plan through three outcome areas:

• African Union institutions and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) deliver on their mandates, particularly on cross-cutting issues related to resilience building, contributing to Strategic Plan Outcome 1;
• Regional growth is inclusive, transformational and sustainable, with reduced economic inequalities and strengthened structural transformation, contributing to Strategic Plan Outcome 2; and
• Regional institutions sustain peace and strengthen resilience to crises and shocks, contributing to Strategic Plan Outcome 3.

In 2021, UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Africa (RBA) commenced the development of a new initiative, Timbuktoo, aimed at galvanizing African youth as entrepreneurs, innovators and problem-solvers. Timbuktoo’s ambition is to mobilize US$1 billion, comprising US$350 million in catalytic capital and more than US$650 million in commercial capital, to transform over 100 million livelihoods and create 10 million dignified jobs.

In January 2024, UNDP formally launched the Timbuktoo initiative, including a Catalytic Pan-African Innovation Fund designed to support African startups. Announced at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the Fund received an initial commitment of US$3 million from the Government of Rwanda. The initiative aims to mobilize and invest US$1 billion to foster the growth and development of entrepreneurial ventures across the African continent. Its blended-capital model combines catalytic and commercial financing to reduce the risks associated with private investment and strengthen Africa’s startup ecosystem. The execution phase focuses on establishing the institutional arrangements for the Fund, mobilizing additional catalytic and commercial investment, and operationalizing the broader initiative.

The timbuktoo initiative is establishing 11 thematic vertical hubs across the continent to serve as critical intervention nodes offering comprehensive innovation ecosystem support. Each hub is sector-specific and engages startups from across Africa, rather than limiting support to enterprises based in the host country. Through this pan-African approach, the hubs seek to catalyze innovation for sustainable development and advance regional economic integration, including through the African Continental Free Trade Area. The initiative also includes University Innovation Pods (UniPods) established within public universities across the continent. The UniPods bridge academic research and entrepreneurial application and provide a pipeline of technology and technology-enabled ventures that can access ecosystem support and early-stage risk capital through the thematic hubs.

The Timbuktoo MineTech Hub, based in Lusaka, Zambia, is the initiative’s pan-African thematic hub for mining technology and innovation. The Hub supports startups and innovators developing technology-based solutions for challenges across the mining value chain, including mineral exploration, artisanal and small-scale mining, mine safety, automation, environmental sustainability, critical-mineral development, artificial intelligence, data analytics and value addition. It brings together governments, mining companies, research institutions, universities, investors and innovation ecosystem actors to accelerate the development, piloting, commercialization and regional scaling of African mining technologies. Through its incubation and acceleration program, ecosystem partnerships, policy engagement and access to catalytic financing, the Hub seeks to strengthen the competitiveness, inclusiveness and sustainability of Africa’s mining sector while creating opportunities for young people, women and technology entrepreneurs.

UNDP Zambia is seeking a highly qualified individual to serve as the Community and Ecosystem Engagement Analyst for the Timbuktoo MineTech Hub in Lusaka, Zambia. Under the general supervision of the Hub Manager, and with functional guidance from the Timbuktoo Coordinator and the Timbuktoo Tech Hubs Section, the incumbent will drive the design, coordination and implementation of the Hub’s community engagement, ecosystem development and programmatic activities.

Scope of Work

The Ecosystem Analyst ensures that the hub is recognized as a vibrant and inclusive platform for collaboration, learning and innovation, bridging the hub and its ecosystem — startups, partners and the broader public — through outreach, community activities and strategic communication.

The Ecosystem Analyst acts as the focal point between the hub and Timbuktoo's central communications team, ensuring that local activities and achievements are consistently reflected in the initiative's continental visibility and storytelling.

The Ecosystem Analyst will perform the tasks and activities as follows:

Ecosystem mapping and engagement

• Map and continuously update key ecosystem actors (incubators, investors, universities, corporates, government agencies, development partners) and maintain a live stakeholder contact database; execute ecosystem engagement strategies aligned with Timbuktoo's continental vision and national priorities.

Community engagement and events

• Deploy the hub's annual events agenda — community and sectoral meetups, experts' roundtables, capacity-building workshops, alumni gatherings, sectoral summits, ecosystem events, innovation challenges, hackathons with UniPods, policy labs, impact / IMM labs and investor meetups;
• Support the Program Analyst in delivering bootcamps, pipeline events and UniPod-linked community hacks. In synergy with the Hub Manager, Program Analyst and AI Lab Analyst;
• Consolidate the agenda and the events they require — including the ecosystem co-creation and validation events for the strategic roadmap and the expert input and validation workshops for the core curriculum, and the AI Lab activities and AI residencies (sectoral AI masterclasses, residencies, challenges and hackathons) — alongside the standard community, ecosystem and visibility events, so as to optimize the use and allocation of resources, and take responsibility for their coordination and logistical delivery;
• For the AI Lab activities and AI residencies, the Ecosystem Manager works in close collaboration with the AI Lab Manager;
• At network level, the Ecosystem Analyst coordinates with the Timbuktoo Event & Communication Coordinator to ensure coherence and consistency of events and communications across the hub network;
• Ensure inclusion and representation of women, youth and underrepresented groups; manage event logistics, outreach, registration, documentation and post-event follow-up; gather feedback and performance data.

Communication, visibility and social media

• Create and publish engaging content about hub activities, startup milestones, and ecosystem events on a regular basis;
• Coordinate with the central communications and digital platform teams to ensure that hub activities are reflected on the official Timbuktoo website and platforms;
• Support the preparation of media materials such as press releases, infographics, and impact highlights.

Partnership coordination and support

• Support (without owning) the Hub Manager and Program Analyst in maintaining relationships with partner incubators, universities, corporates and investors;
• Track partnership deliverables, update partner directories and coordinate partner events, dialogues and roadshows; prepare partnership briefs and concept notes;
• Support the visibility, logistics and documentation of AI Lab activations (masterclasses, hackathons, sectoral events) without handling their technical content.

Data, reporting and knowledge sharing

• Collect and organize data on community participation, ecosystem engagement and communication activities (stakeholder database, event participation, communications metrics, stories);
• Keep the Timbuktoo digital platform updated; support quarterly and annual hub reporting and document best practices;
• Ensure that local communications content (social media posts, visuals, event updates) is systematically shared with the central communications team for inclusion in regional and global outputs;
• Contribute to building a culture of knowledge sharing by documenting best practices and lessons learned.

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

Institutional Arrangements

The MineTech Community and Ecosystem Engagement Analyst reports to the MineTech Hub Manager and works in close collaboration with the Timbuktoo Coordinator and the Timbuktoo Tech Hubs Section Lead (RBA). The Analyst coordinates closely with the MineTech Program Analyst and MineTech AI Analyst and supports the implementation of the Hub’s community engagement, ecosystem development, outreach, visibility and events agenda within the frameworks established at hub level.

The Community and Ecosystem Engagement Analyst leads the coordination and operational delivery of the Hub’s consolidated annual events and engagement agenda, including stakeholder outreach, participant mobilization, logistics, documentation, communications, visibility and post-event follow-up. The Analyst supports ecosystem and partnership engagement but does not hold substantive ownership of strategic or technical partnerships. Hub strategy, strategic partnerships and Development Services Agreements remain with the Timbuktoo coordinator and Hub Manager; program and cohort-related partnerships remain with the Program Analyst; and AI, technology and technical partnerships remain with the AI Analyst.

Strategic roadmap co-creation and validation activities led by the Timbuktoo coordinator, curriculum and cohort-related activities led by the Program Analyst, and AI Lab activations, technical events and AI residencies led by the AI Analyst are integrated into the Hub’s annual events agenda and delivered in close collaboration with the Community and Ecosystem Engagement Analyst. This ensures that activities are planned in synergy, resources are optimally allocated and the Hub maintains a coherent and coordinated engagement calendar.

Technical and substantive responsibility for each activity remains with the relevant lead, while the Community and Ecosystem Engagement Analyst is responsible for its effective coordination and delivery. All external communications and public visibility activities are undertaken in accordance with UNDP and Timbuktoo global communications guidelines and are subject to the relevant clearance processes.

Competencies

Cross-Functional/Technical competencies

Business Direction and Strategy

• System Thinking
  • Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement 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.

Business Development

• Knowledge Facilitation

  • Ability to animate individuals and communities of contributors to participate and share, particularly externally.

Business Management

• Project Management
  • Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals.
• Partnerships Management
  • Ability to 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.
• Communication
  • Ability to 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;
  • Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels.

Communication

• Social Media Management

  • Ability to represent and promote the UNDP brand in virtual communities and networks.

Required Skills and Experience

Education

• Advanced university degree (Master´s degree or equivalent) in Communications, Marketing, Business, Social Sciences, International Development or a related field, or;
• A first-level university degree (Bachelor´s Degree) in the areas stated above in combination with additional 2 years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience

• Applicants with Master’s degree (or equivalent) in a relevant field of study are not required to have professional work experience;
• Applicants with a Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) are required to have a minimum of two (2) years of relevant professional experience at the national or international level in communications, community engagement, events or ecosystem/partnership coordination, preferably in innovation, entrepreneurship or development settings.

Desired skills

• Demonstrated experience organizing events and managing social-media/communication channels, ideally for an innovation hub, incubator or similar platform, and engaging diverse stakeholders with attention to the inclusion of women and youth is desired;
• Strong writing, content-creation and social-media skills; proficiency with office software, design / communication tools and web-based platforms is desired;
• Familiarity with African innovation ecosystems is an asset;
• Familiarity with the Mining Technology is desirable.

Languages

• Proficiency in English 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.

Use of AI by candidates

Applicants are invited to read UNDP’s guidance for candidates on using AI responsibly in UNDP recruitment and selection

Scam alert

UNDP does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process. For further information, please see www.undp.org/scam-alert.

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