Gender Specialist

Job Description

Background

UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s policy work carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels, forms a contiguous spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP invests in the Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in the Strategic Plan.

Position Purpose

The Gender Specialist, under the direct supervision of the Gender Equality Team Leader (Addis), will work in close collaboration with specialists from Country Offices, the Regional Hub and HQ (BPPS, CB and RBA) to reduce gender inequalities in the region, in line with the new Gender Equality Strategy 2022-2025. The incumbent will be responsible for supporting policy development; programme integration and coordination; partnerships and resource mobilization; and knowledge management, learning and innovation.

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

Duties and Responsibilities

Policy Development:

• Provide advice and technical support for the development of the Regional Gender Equality Strategy 2022-2025 and/or Action Plan and the updating/alignment of COs strategies to the new global and regional frameworks.
• Provide quality assurance to ensure corporate alignment to global gender equality policies, including system-wide frameworks and corporate accountability and reporting mechanisms (GSIC, IWP, ROAR).
• Provide advice and technical support for policy dialogues and to help the Regional Hub and Country Offices to place gender equality at the core of political, economic, and environmental policy dialogues and decisions, including in fragile and crisis settings.
• Provide advice and technical support for the design of global and regional policy initiatives to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment, ensuring perspectives from the different country contexts are represented.
• Identify and support opportunities for cross-regional collaboration, including through the design and resource mobilization for new initiatives/proposals.

Programme Integration and Coordination:

• Provide substantive technical support to ensure the integration of gender equality within each thematic portfolio of the RBA regional hub including the RBA regional programme, and other regional flagship initiatives such as regional reports and/or events.
• Provide substantive technical support for RBA Country Offices to strengthen their programmatic (CCA, UNSDCF, CPD, PRODOC and funding proposals), human, and financial architecture for gender equality, including virtual and in-person support (e.g., technical support missions).
• Contribute to the implementation of corporate standards and flagship programmes such as the Gender Equality Seal, and comprehensive portfolio reviews.
• Contribute to strengthening the capacity of the Regional Hub for the development and update of a regional gender analysis to identify opportunities and anticipate future challenges, including data and analysis on socio-economic structures that generate gender inequalities in the region, and other dimensions such a backlash against women’s rights, and potential allies to counter them.
• Provide advice and technical support to monitor the Regional Hub’s and Country Office’s financial investments - using the gender marker- and to follow up of the corporate targets, promoting accuracy of the tracker and increase of resource allocations for GEWE, especially in crisis contexts.
• Support the development of a network of gender experts, especially feminist economists and experts on gender and nature, climate, and energy, to provide additional on-call support to CO and regional teams.

Partnerships and Resource Mobilization:

• Provide substantive advice and support to strengthen strategic partnerships with UN entities (particularly UN Women but also other specialized UN organizations with complementary skills and capacity), to improve interagency coordination and maximize impact on gender equality and women’s empowerment.
• Provide substantive advice and support to strengthen strategic partnerships with governments, civil society (particularly women’s organizations) and businesses, among other key actors, to address gender inequalities in the region.
• Collaborate with the Gender Equality Team Leader in the pursuit of new partnerships to bring innovation, change and influence social norms, behaviors, and power relations, including with partners such as faith-based organizations or networks of young innovators, etc.
• Provide advice and technical support resource for mobilization efforts, to strengthen UNDP’s regional and country office portfolios and results in gender equality, including identifying funding opportunities, supporting the preparation of funding proposals, donor briefings, etc.
• Provide advice and technical support to implement RBA Regional Gender Equality Strategy/Action Plan, including allocation of internal resources and external resource mobilization.

Knowledge Management, Learning and Innovation:

• Engage and proactively participate in the RBA regional network or Gender Community of Practice composed by gender specialists and colleagues leading and implementing GEWE portfolios in country offices; support the identification of priorities and needs, the coordination of periodic meetings and the co-creation and sense of ownership across the network.
• Provide substantive advice and technical support to the development and implementation of a capacity development/ learning plan on gender equality for regional and Country Office levels, including ensuring regional participation in global/regional learning initiatives such as learning labs and/or mentorship programmes.
• Collaborate with Country Offices and Innovation Labs across the region to foster innovation to advance gender equality in UNDP programming.
• Facilitate RBA knowledge management for gender equality aligned to the new global Knowledge Management Strategy and Framework for Action (e.g., CoPs, Knowledge Platforms, high-quality Knowledge Products, evidence-based good practices, among others), including by providing technical guidance and quality assurance to content development.

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities:

The Gender Specialist will support the Gender Equality Team Leader, in the coordination and management of the regional gender team. The Gender Specialist will:

• Support the formulation and follow-up of the Team’s Annual Work Plan.
• Provide effective support to the overall day to day management of the Regional Hub’s gender equality portfolio, including ensuring timely implementation, monitoring and evaluation (e.g., identifying adequate service providers, coordinate mid-term and terminal evaluations, support corporate, etc.), according to UNDP corporate standards and policies.
• Collaborate with the establishment and maintenance of an inclusive, diverse, and harmonious working environment, including by supporting the implementation of corporate policies (e.g., gender parity and zero tolerance regarding sexual harassment and sexual exploitation and abuse), and promoting communication and coordination among staff.

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

Required Skills and Experience
Education:

• Advanced university degree (master’s or equivalent) in Gender Studies or related fields is required. Or
• A first-level university degree in the above-mentioned fields for study with two additional years of relevant experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• Minimum of seven (7) years (with master’s degree) or nine (9) years (with bachelor’s degree) of professional experience in providing advice and programme support in the field of gender equality and women’s empowerment (public or private sector or international organizations) is required.
• At least five (5) years of experience in the Africa region (global, regional, or national levels) is required.
• Proven experience in gender analysis and mainstreaming in the thematic areas of governance, women, peace and security and gender-based violence is highly desirable.
• Proven experience in project management and resource mobilization is highly desirable.
• Proven experience in learning and knowledge management is an asset.
• Excellent communication and writing skills, with public-speaking experience and publications as an asset.
• Experience in the use of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) is required and advanced knowledge of web-based management systems such as ERP is desirable.

Language:

• Fluency in English and French is required.
• Working knowledge of another language spoken in the region is desired

Please note that continuance of appointment beyond the initial 12 months is contingent upon the successful completion of a probationary period.


APPLICATION DEADLINE: 07/22/2024, 11:59 AM

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