ECONOMIST

### Org. Setting and Reporting The UN Secretary-General launched on 1 January 2019 a bold and new global reform which repositioned the UN Development System to deliver more effectively and efficiently with the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. As part of this reform, UN Resident Coordinator Offices (UN RCO), under the leadership of an empowered and independent UN Resident Coordinator - the highest-ranking official of the UN Development System and Representative of the UN Secretary-General at country level - support countries in the achievement of their development priorities and the attainment of the SDG's. In its Resolution A/RES/72/279, the United Nations General Assembly endorsed the transformation of the Development Operations Coordination Office (DCO) as a stand-alone coordination office within the United Nations Secretariat. DCO exercises managerial and oversight functions of the resident coordinator system under the oversight of the Chair of United Nations Sustainable Development Group (UNSDG). In 2026, DCO undertook a recalibration to ensure the RC system remains optimally configured to support the acceleration of the 2030 Agenda and embodies the UN 2.0 shift- anchored in data, digital, innovation, behavioral science, strategic foresight, and a mission driven organizational culture. The Economist maintains a matrixed functional relationship with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Policy and Financing Section of the SDG Coordination, Policy and Programme Division, and collaborates closely with the Regional Policy Analyst to ensure coherence and alignment of SDG policy, financing, and sustainable development support in line with RC system policy corporate priorities. The Economist supports the Resident Coordinator and UN Country Team in advancing implementation of the Cooperation Framework, aligned with the 2030 Agenda, the country’s EU accession priorities and the national development priorities. The position is located in the United Nations Resident Coordination Office (RCO) in Belgrade, Serbia under the direct supervision of the Head of the Resident Coordinator Office. ### Responsibilities Within delegated authority, the incumbent will be responsible for the following duties: Summary of Functions 1. Provides substantive support for evidence-based analysis of progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including through economic and policy analysis, strategic foresight and horizon scanning to support strategic decision-making by the Resident Coordinator (RC) and United Nations Country Team (UNCT), particularly on SDG acceleration, EU accession reforms, economic transformation (including green and just transition, digital transformation and the future of work) and development finance, investments and SDG financing. 2. Supports the RC and UNCT in policy engagement and in developing and strengthening partnerships with the UN system, national counterparts, including government, International Financial Institutions (IFIs), development partners, the private sector and other relevant stakeholders to advance SDG acceleration, sustainable economic transformation and SDG financing. 3. Provides substantive economic analysis and support to integrated UN country-level analysis, planning and programming processes, including the Common Country Analysis (CCA), United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF), roadmaps, UN joint programmes, annual reports and other relevant processes, to promote SDG acceleration, advance sustainable economic transformation and strengthen approaches to development finance, investments and SDG financing. 4. Contributes to knowledge generation, management and learning on SDG acceleration, economic transformation and SDG financing, supporting a shared understanding within the UNCT of sustainable development trends, challenges, opportunities and emerging policy issues in the country. Description of Functions: 1. PROVIDES SUBSTANTIVE ECONOMIC, FINANCIAL AND SDGs ANALYSIS AND SUPPORTS EVIDENCE-BASED ADVICE ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION AND SUSTAINABLE INVESTMENTS AND SDG FINANCING. • Conduct economic, fiscal, financial, social and sustainable development analyses, including emerging trends and good practices related to economic transformation, green and just transition, digital transformation, the future of work, investments and SDG financing to support the Resident Coordinator (RC) and United Nations Country Team (UNCT) in identifying challenges, risks, opportunities and policy options for accelerating progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), supporting implementation of the Cooperation Framework and informing strategic decision-making, with due consideration to gender equality and leave no one behind principles. • Support implementation and localization of global/corporate guidelines, tools and other materials related to economic transformation and SDG financing, including methodologies and tools related to integrated SDG analysis, strategic foresight, scenario analysis, horizon scanning, data-driven decision-making, digital transformation and innovation in close collaboration with the Regional Office and the SDG Coordination, Policy and Programme Division. • Provides substantive inputs to analysis and briefing materials on economic transformation and SDG financing, including integrated SDG analysis, strategic foresight, data-driven decision-making, digital transformation and innovation. • Supports the identification and analysis of entry points for integrated UN policy support related to socio economic transformation, EU accession-related economic reforms, including opportunities to promote more inclusive, productive, resilient and sustainable economic development. • Collects, analyzes and interprets economic and development data relevant to UN country-level operations, identifies trends and gaps and proposes follow-up actions to strengthen evidence-based programming and decision-making. • Prepares substantive inputs to policy papers, analytical notes, briefing materials, reports and other knowledge products on economic transformation, macroeconomic trends and SDG financing, including as relevant to the national reform agenda and the country’s EU accession process. • Monitors national, regional and global economic developments and analyzes their potential implications for sustainable development and achievement of the SDGs at the country level. • Conducts analysis on the role of the private sector in sustainable economic transformation and SDG financing and identifies potential opportunities for partnerships, innovation and blended financing approaches. • Researches and analyzes emerging and innovative approaches to SDG financing, including financing gap assessments and investment diagnostics, as well as initiatives developed by the United Nations, International Financial Institutions and other development partners. • Prepares inputs for briefing notes, talking points and background materials for the RC and UNCT on economic transformation, macroeconomic developments and SDG financing. • Supports UNCT initiatives related to SDG financing, sustainable investments and innovative financing, including Integrated National Financing Frameworks (INFFs) and follow-up to Sevilla Commitments, public finance and financing strategies, and opportunities to leverage blended finance, private sector financing, impact investment and other innovative financing instruments to accelerate implementation of the Cooperation Framework and the 2030 Agenda, as relevant to the country context. • Provides economic analysis and substantive inputs to humanitarian-development-peace nexus approaches, as relevant to the country context. 2. SUPPORTS PARTNERSHIPS AND ENGAGEMENT WITH NATIONAL COUNTERPARTS AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS ON ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION AND SDG FINANCING. • Supports the RC and UNCT's policy engagement and partnerships