OPT Program Coordinator

The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women is in need for the following vacancy:
 

Post Title: OPT Program Coordinator
Closing date: 9 December 2011

JOB DESCRIPTION:

II-Organizational Context
Grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, UN Women will work for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security. Placing women’s rights at the centre of all its efforts, UN Women will lead and coordinate United Nations System efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world. It will provide strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States’ priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.
OPT is a post conflict country with the current annual programme portfolio for both non-core and core resources being close to USD4 million. The Situation of women in OPT demands greater support in the country and there is a noted high level of donor presence and interest.
Under the overall supervision of the Chief of Arab States section, the Country Programme Coordinator will undertake the following functions:

1-Technical leadership and coordination and country level
2-Strategic Policy Coordination, partnership and representation
3-Advocacy, Donor relations and Resource Mobilization
4-Programme Management , Communication and Knowledge Management
5-Financial and Human Resources Management

III-Functions / Key Results Expected
-Sets strategic direction of UN WOMEN programme in OPT and provides technical and policy advisory services
-Advocates and promotes gender issues
-Effectively manages UN WOMEN OPT programme operation
-Builds strategic partnerships for resource mobilization
-Promotes knowledge sharing and learning culture
-Enhances UN WOMEN Role within the UNCT in OPT

1-Setting strategic direction of UN WOMEN programme in OPT and provision of policy advisory services, focusing on achievement of the following results:
-Leading research and analyses for the identification of strategic areas of cooperation in OPT
-Formulation of the UN WOMEN Country Strategy in line with the country’s needs and priorities and UN WOMEN’s regional and corporate strategies.
-Identification of appropriate entry points and opportunities for collaboration and joint programming with other UN agencies and development partners.
-Provision, as needed, of substantive advice and guidance to national and international partners on key policy matters that affect the formulation of policies and legislation pertaining to women’s empowerment and gender equality.
-Design of suitable approaches to ensure national capacity building is at the core of UN WOMEN’s interventions in OPT.
-Provision of catalytic support to the UN team to ensure gender is given due consideration in UN frameworks plans.
-Implementation of the country strategy ensuring achievement of results.
-Provide effective support and backstopping for, and timely feedback and reporting on implementation of programmes in support of the gender architecture;
-Maintain constant liaison and dialogue with the ASRO on emerging strategic issues that may affect UN WOMEN’s work in OPT

2-Effective advocacy and promotion of gender-related issues, and capacity building, focusing on achievement of the following results:
-Development of advocacy materials and overseeing their dissemination for maximum impact.
-Advocates for UN WOMEN OPT with government counterparts, donor community, international financial institutions and the UN.
-Support of joint UN advocacy on gender-related issues such as gender equality, economic empowerment of women, Gender-Responsive Budgeting, CEDAW, violence against women.
-Design of appropriate training and capacity building programme activities and provision of technical support.
-Networking with national authorities, development partners, regional organizations, INGOs and CSOs to leverage necessary support for women’s groups through capacity development and advocacy support.
-Engage national and regional partners based in OPT in gender policy and programme responses
-Establishment of advocacy networks at national level and linked to regional/international networks.
-Implementation with key partners of relevant, high-impact advocacy campaigns.
-Leadership in the effective management of the day-to-day operation of UN WOMEN OPT programme, focusing on achievement of the following results:
-Under the delegation of authority from the UN WOMEN Regional Programme Director, the country programme coordinator will have overall responsibility for contractual and legal obligations of UN WOMEN in OPT, and for the overall procurement and contracting of services and goods
-Leadership in design and formulation of OPT projects and programmes and translating UN WOMEN priorities into local interventions aimed at achieving gender mainstreaming into critical areas of concern.
-Designing appropriate systems for the effective planning, implementation and monitoring of progress
-Development of annual workplans and realistic targets and ensuring their periodic review
-Coordination, management and oversight of programme implementation to ensure synergy and results.
-Development of concept notes for new programme initiatives that are gender-responsive and based on a rights-based approach.
-Development of appropriate programme and project monitoring tools, and ensuring their effective application.
-Leadership in the effective management of the OPT teams, and promotion of organizational excellence through effective management of OPT human resources, performance and career
management.
-Performing Level 2 Manager rights in Atlas and ensuring financial integrity and consistent application or rules, policies and due processes..
-Effective management of programme and administrative resources to ensure efficiency and accountability in line with the Internal Controls Framework.
-Participation as a member of Senior Management Team of the UN WOMEN Arab States Regional Office.

3-Building strategic partnership and resource mobilization, focusing on the following expected results:
-Design and implementation of a UN WOMEN OPT’s resource mobilization strategy to achieve its immediate and long-term programme results.
-Set up annual resource mobilization targets and report on their achievement
-Establish and coordination of partnerships with the UN Agencies, IFI’s, government institutions, bi-lateral and multi-lateral donors, private sector, civil society etc.
-Determination of programmatic areas of cooperation, based on strategic goals, needs and donors’ priorities, and successful mobilization of co-financing for strategic programmes.
-Successful partnerships with stakeholders, including NGOs, CBOs, development partners, CSOs and private sector.
-Ensuring timely preparation and submission of quality progress/annual reports to donors.

4-Promotion of a knowledge building and learning culture in OPT , focusing on achievement of the following results:
-Identification and synthesis of best practices and lessons learned (directly linked to programme and policy goals) into knowledge products and ensuring their wide dissemination
-Active support to capacity-building of national counterparts.
-Ensuring access to best available national and regional expertise.
-Seek collaboration, exchanges and sharing of knowledge/best practices with other ASRO offices
-Identification of sources of information related to policy-driven issues.
-Establishment of learning plan for office and organizing/conducting training activities for programme/ projects staff on UN WOMEN’s standard programming and operations procedures.
-Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.

6-Enhancing UN WOMEN Role within the United Nations Country Team in OPT
-Work in close collaboration with the UN Gender Theme Group and Gender Focal points of other agencies towards the development of capacity within the UN;
-Participate in the UN Country Team (UNCT) meetings and processes such as CCA/UNDAF/MDGs;
-Work closely with the RC system and other agencies in identifying possible joint initiatives and programmes in support of women and girls in OPT;

IV-Impact of Results
The key results impact the standing and reputation of UN WOMEN OPT as well as on the overall success of the UN WOMEN programme in both oPt and in the region to promote gender equity and gender mainstreaming.

V-Competencies

Corporate Competencies:
-Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards
-Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UN WOMEN OPT
-Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability
-Treats all people fairly without favoritism

Functional Competencies:
Knowledge Management and Learning
-Promotes knowledge management in UN WOMEN OPT and a learning environment in the office through leadership and personal example
-In-depth practical knowledge of inter-disciplinary development issues
-Actively works towards continuing personal learning and development in one or more Practice Areas, acts on learning plan and applies newly acquired skills
-Seeks and applies knowledge, information, and best practices from within and outside of UN WOMEN OPT

Development and Operational Effectiveness
-Ability to lead strategic planning, change processes, results-based management and reporting
-Ability to lead formulation, oversight of implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development projects
-Ability to apply development theory to the specific country context to identify creative, practical approaches to overcome challenging situations

Management and Leadership
-Builds strong relationships with clients, focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback
-Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude
-Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities
-Ability to lead effectively, mentoring as well as conflict resolution skills
-Demonstrates strong oral and written communication skills
-Remains calm, in control and good humored even under pressure
-Proven networking, team-building, organizational and communication skills

VI-Recruitment Qualifications

Education:
Master’s degree in international development, Economics, Political Sciences, Social Sciences, Public or Business Administration, or other development-related fields.

Experience:
10 years of relevant experience in development in a governmental, multilateral or civil society organization in a multi-cultural setting, with 3 or more years of senior-level management responsibilities of similar complexity. UN experience desirable.
Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc) and advance knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages, experience in handling of web-based management systems.

Language Requirements:
Strong written and spoken English and Arabic language skills required.

Submission of application: Interested candidates must submit application, including complete and up to date P11 and CV, as per deadline indicated to [email protected]
 

and NOT later than the 9th of December 2011).

UN Women will only be able to respond to those applications in which there is further interest.