Working in the UN Resident Coordinator system

The Resident Coordinator system connects the work of UN organisations at country level. It includes Resident Coordinators, their country or multi-country offices, and the Development Coordination Office, which provides management and oversight support from New York and regional teams.

These are not UNDP jobs by default. Since the development system reform that took effect in 2019, Resident Coordinator Offices form part of a Secretariat system supported by DCO. Vacancies listed under “Resident Coordinator System” on UN Careers use the United Nations Secretariat framework.

Jobs in a Resident Coordinator Office

Most Resident Coordinator Offices are small. They need people who can coordinate across organisations without taking over the mandates of UNICEF, WHO, UNDP or other members of the UN country team.

Development Coordination Officers may work on strategic planning, economics, partnerships, data and results, communications, peace and development, or office management. Other roles include economists, data and reporting officers, partnerships specialists, communications staff, executive assistants, administrative assistants and drivers. DCO headquarters and regional teams also recruit for policy, crisis support, finance, human resources and system-wide analysis.

A role’s department field is important. Someone can sit in the same UN compound as an RCO while holding a contract with another agency. If the official vacancy names UNICEF or UNDP as the employer, that organisation’s rules apply. If it names the Resident Coordinator System or DCO on UN Careers, it is a Secretariat vacancy.

Categories and appointment types

Internationally recruited Professional and Director posts use P and D grades. National Professional Officer roles use NO grades and require nationality of the country of service. General Service posts are locally recruited and include administrative and operational work.

An RCO vacancy lists its level separately from its appointment. The Secretariat appointment rules allow a fixed-term offer for a specified period, normally one to five years, or a temporary appointment for a need ordinarily lasting under a year. Neither form gives an applicant a promise of renewal, extension or conversion.

Consultants and individual contractors are non-staff personnel. Interns and UN Volunteers also retain their own status. A communications consultant supporting an RCO is not a P-level staff member unless the notice expressly offers a graded staff appointment.

Resident Coordinator selection is different

The Resident Coordinator is the Secretary-General’s designated representative for development operations in the country and leads the UN country team. RC posts are senior positions, commonly at D-1 or D-2, but they are not open to every applicant who meets the education and experience requirements.

The official RC selection process says that only members of the Resident Coordinator pool may apply for RC and RC/HC job openings. Pool admission follows its own assessment process. RC vacancies are normally advertised in rounds through the UN Careers portal, while combined or mission-linked leadership roles can follow additional procedures.

This pool requirement applies to the RC post itself, not to every job in an RCO. An external candidate can apply directly to an advertised Development Coordination Officer, assistant or other RCO role if they meet its conditions.

Resident Coordinator/Humanitarian Coordinator and Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General/RC/HC positions combine responsibilities from more than one pillar of UN work. Their selection arrangements and experience requirements should be read from the specific leadership notice.

What recruiters look for

Coordination work rewards broad institutional understanding, but vague claims about being a “connector” are not enough. Applicants should show experience convening organisations, supporting government-led planning, using evidence, resolving competing priorities and producing common results frameworks.

Economist roles may require economic transformation, financing or policy analysis. Partnerships posts can involve development finance and private-sector engagement. Data roles work with the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework and country-level results. Communications staff need to represent the collective UN country team rather than promote a single agency.

Country knowledge and local languages can be decisive in nationally recruited roles. Professional posts may also require experience outside the applicant’s home country.

Applying correctly

RCS and DCO vacancies are published through UN Careers and submitted in Inspira. Search “Resident Coordinator System” in the department or office field. Confirm whether the post is in a country office, a multi-country office, a regional DCO team or headquarters.

Before applying, check the category, grade, appointment type, local eligibility conditions and reporting line. If the title is Resident Coordinator, confirm pool eligibility first. No legitimate UN recruitment process charges a fee.

An RCO staff member can coordinate colleagues from several agencies while remaining a Secretariat employee. The appointment letter comes from the Secretariat; UNICEF, WHO or another participating agency continues to employ its own personnel under that agency’s rules.