Population Data Analytics Analyst

UNFPA is the United Nations agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. UNFPA works to improve lives in 23 countries in East and Southern Africa. We work with governments and through partnerships with other United Nations agencies, civil society, regional economic communities, and the private sector to ensure that no one is left behind. Our Regional Office in Johannesburg, South Africa provides strategic support and technical expertise to colleagues in our 23 Country Offices and our partners who work on the ground to improve people’s lives. We provide policy advice, training, and support. We focus on impacting the lives of women and young people by empowering them and also seek to ensure that they enjoy universal access to reproductive health and realize their reproductive rights – including in humanitarian crises. We place gender equality and human rights at the heart of this. This United Nations Volunteer (UNV) assignment is part of UNFPA ESARO’s programming initiative to capture and bring visibility to UNFPA’s work in the region through quality graphic design, which will be used in social media, short publications and other communication products, including digital media platforms. The UNV will assist the organization in capturing its project activities across the region, including countries.

The Population Data Analytics Analyst post is located in the UNFPA East and Southern Africa Regional Office, based in Johannesburg, South Africa, and reports directly to the Technical Adviser, Population Data Policy based in the Evidence, Knowledge and Innovation Unit. S/He/ will be part of an inter-disciplinary team with a focus on strengthening evidence generation and utilization undertaken by the Regional office in support of the 23 countries and accelerating exchange and learning across other UNFPA regions. S/He/ will support the production of data on demographic change, sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), gender social norms, measure the impact of interventions, and strengthen humanitarian data. The candidate should be familiar with a variety of common health and population data sources, including household surveys such as the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) and Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS), registry data and population censuses, and be capable of producing up-to-date estimates of demographic trends and projections.

Specific tasks:
• Work with the Evidence Knowledge and Innovation unit to facilitate drafting and generation of sound knowledge products and evidence-based briefing papers from across all units in the regional office to highlight strategic regional level and country specific issues relevant for the ICPD Agenda;
• Supports the maintenance of accessible database(s) of best/good practices, lessons learned, researches/studies, to mention a few; and ensure linkages to relevant UN-wide knowledge management hubs and platforms at regional and global level;
• Be part of a team to manage the in-depth analysis and research findings, and exchange of good practices in order to build knowledge related to UNFPA strategic plan and regional programme and thematic areas including integrated sexual and reproductive health, adolescent and youth development, gender and GBV and population dynamics in support of sustainable and inclusive development;
• Support and assist the assigned Country Offices to identify opportunities or lessons learnt/best practices in countries;
• Support the analysis/drafting of research and evidence about current and emerging population and development trends, including SRHR and gender issues;
• Drafts materials for publication and dissemination through internal and external South-South and Triangular Cooperation such as new knowledge, best practices and practical lessons learnt;
• Drafts documentation (collection, review and analysis) of good/best practices and lessons learned in accordance with UNFPA guidelines to demonstrate impact towards achieving the transformative results and fostering learning to guide realigning of interventions, scale up innovation and programme implementation.

Results/expected outputs:

• Strengthen the population change and data output area undertaken by the ESA regional office in support of the 23 countries in the region and accelerating exchange and learning across other UNFPA regions;
• Support the production of data on population dynamics as well as on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), measure the impact of interventions, and strengthen humanitarian data interventions.


• Achieving results; Accountability; Developing and applying professional expertise/ business acumen; Analytical and Strategic thinking; Team Player; Communicating for impact.

Managerial Competencies:
• Providing strategic focus; Engaging internal/ external partners and stakeholders; Leading, developing and empowering people/ creating a culture of performance; Making decisions and exercising judgment.

Functional Skill Set:
• Advocacy/ Advancing a policy-oriented agenda; Leveraging the resources of national governments and partners/ building strategic alliances and partnerships; Delivering results-based programme; Internal and external communication and advocacy for results mobilization.


research and data analysis of population and development issues and development relevant to sexual and reproductive health, gender and population and development;
• 5-15 years of professional experience in any of the above will be regarded as an added advantage;
• An expert in population and development and particularly in research on complex population relationships and data;
• Experience in data collection, analysis, visualization, dissemination, database management and research within an academic or development institution;
• Strong knowledge of statistical methodologies, including strong competencies in the use of statistical packages such as R, STATA or SPSS;
• Mastery of methods and techniques for data quality assessment, processing and analysis using a variety of health and population sources (DHS, MICS and population census);
• Ability to provide advice and guidance on the analysis, interpretation and application of data from project information;
• Experience with achieving demonstrable results in the majority of the following areas: innovative use of technology for development, mobile based data collection, training and capacity building and human centered design experience;
• Experience in conducting research and generating evidence products, Results-Based Programme Development and Management to improve programme efficiency;
• Experience in programme and/or technical assistance with the UN System and other international development organizations will be desirable;
• Ability to explain complex ideas and findings in a way that can be easily understood and to work creatively within a budget and use innovation to find ways of more effectively managing resources;
• Excellent oral and written skills, drafting, formulation and reporting skills;
• Accuracy and professionalism in document production and editing;
• Excellent interpersonal skills, culturally and socially sensitive;
• Ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a range of partners, including grassroots community members, religious and youth organizations, and authorities at different levels;
• Familiarity with tools and approaches of communications for development;
• Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision;
• Ability to work with tight deadlines.

The duty station is Johannesburg, South Africa. The Republic of South Africa is a large country of nine provinces with different climates, races, languages, creeds, cultures, religions and human activity. The landscape is also diverse, with mountains, plains, farmlands, bushveld scrub and arid deserts, each of the many different parts supporting its own distinctive plant and animal life. The country’s multi-cultural and multi-lingual society fuses to make this “Rainbow Nation” a rich and rewarding experience for you as a United Nations official and as a visitor. Pretoria is the duty station for most UN staff. Pretoria, also called Tshwane, is the administrative capital of South Africa. The country has good infrastructure although the Security Risk Management (SRM) level for South Africa is Medium.


UN Volunteers is entitled to the below benefits:
• A Monthly Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA): $2328.7 per month;
• A once off entry lumpsum of $4000 at the start of the assignment;
• Medical insurance; Life cover, and annual leave;
• Access to all learning platforms;
• A once off exit lumpsum of $225 for each month served at the end of the assignment.