Background:

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and; 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. 

Spotlight Initiative was launched in 2017 as a global joint initiative between the United Nations and the European Union in 2017. Recognized as a high-impact initiative to end violence against women and girls, it represents an unprecedented global commitment to addressing one of the most pervasive human rights violations. By investing in gender equality and women’s empowerment, the initiative positions these as both preconditions and drivers for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In 2025, the Liberia Spotlight Initiative 2.0 (LSI 2.0) will begin implementation as a multi-year program to eliminate violence against women and girls. As a continuation of the first phase, Spotlight Initiative 1.0, this program is funded by the European Union and will be jointly implemented by UN Women, UNDP, and UNFPA. LSI 2.0 aims to address gender-based violence in Liberia by strengthening policies, shifting social norms, improving services for survivors, and enhancing civil society engagement. Building on lessons from the first phase, this initiative reinforces Liberia’s commitment to a future free from gender-based violence and discrimination. The Spotlight Initiative aligns to UN Women’s Ending Violence against Women (EVAW) programme in Liberia and complements its other thematic programmes focused on Women’s Economic Empowerment, mainstreaming gender in planning and budgeting in support of national and international gender equality commitments. 

Reporting to Country Representative, and coordinating closely with the UN Resident Coordinator, the Programme Specialist exercises overall responsibility for planning, implementing, and managing UN Women interventions under their portfolio related to Ending Violence Against Women including Spotlight 2.0 “Reducing Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) to Achieve Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment” programme.  The Programme Specialist works in close collaboration with the programme and operations team, UN Women HQ staff, Government officials, multi and bi-lateral donors, the UN Regional Coordination Office and UN Agencies – especially UNDP and UNFPA and civil society ensuring successful UN Women programme implementation under portfolio. 

Key Functions and Accountabilities:

Design and develop programme strategies in the area of Ending Violence against Women

• Design and formulate programme/ project proposals and initiatives; 
• Draft inputs to country strategy documents, briefs, policy dialogue and other documents related to Ending Violence against Women

Manage the implementation and management of the Engling Violence Against Women programme encompassing LSI 2.0 “Reducing Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) to Achieve Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment” programme 

• Finalize the annual workplan and budget and manage their implementation;
• Manage the technical implementation of the programme/project; ensure synergies with other teams;
• Manage the submission of implementing partner financial and narrative reports;
• Provide guidance to personnel and partners on Results Based Management tools and performance indicators;
• Organize and participate Project Steering Committee, project review and/or evaluation meetings, as needed.

Manage technical assistance and capacity development to project/programme partners

• Manage the implementation of technical advice and guidance. 
• Develop and implement technical tools, and initiatives
• Build and manage relationships with national partners to support implementation and expansion of Ending Violence against Women programme; respond to any potential problems;
• Identify capacity building needs of partners and lead the coordination of technical assistance, mentoring, training and capacity development initiatives to partners. 

Manage the monitoring and reporting of the programme/ project 

• Manage the monitoring of programme/ project implementation and finances using results based management tools;
• Oversee field missions and review reports on monitoring missions;
• Write quarterly reports and donor reports, focusing on results, output and outcomes;
• Contribute to office donor and UN Women reports. 

Manage the people and financial resources of the Programme/ project 

• Manage the programme budget and draft financial reports;
• Supervise Programme Analysts and Technical Specialists; Mentor and coach personnel and conduct performance assessments;
• Oversee recruitment processes, as necessary.

Build partnerships and support in developing resource mobilization strategies

• Develop and implement partnerships and resource mobilization strategies;
• Finalize relevant documentation on donors and potential opportunities for resource mobilization;
• Analyze and research information on donors, prepare substantive briefs on possible areas of cooperation, identification of opportunities for cost sharing.

Contribute to inter-agency coordination on Engling Violence Against Women to achieve coherence and alignment of UN Women programmes with other partners in the country 

• Provide technical support to the Representative and Deputy Representative on inter-agency coordination, including LSI 2.0, related activities by attending meetings, events, and participating in groups and committees as needed;
• Coordinate with other UN agencies, government departments, donors and NGOs to ensure the projects’ capacity development programme is harmonized and aligned with other in-country efforts.

Manage advocacy, knowledge building and communication efforts

• Develop and review background documents, briefs and presentations related to the Engling Violence Against  Women; 
• Represent UN Women in meetings and policy dialogues on issues related to Ending Violence against Women as necessary;
• Develop advocacy strategies and oversee their implementation;
• Identify best practices and lessons learned to guide programme improvement and strategy planning;
• Develop knowledge management strategies, products and methodologies on Ending Violence against Women

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

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities:  The incumbent leads a team of 2, which includes one Programme Analyst and Programme associate. The incumbent may also supervise consulates and interns. 

Competencies :

Core Values:

• Integrity;
• Professionalism;
• Respect for Diversity.

Core Competencies:

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues;
• Accountability;
• Creative Problem Solving;
• Effective Communication;
• Inclusive Collaboration;
• Stakeholder Engagement;
• Leading by Example.

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Values and Competencies Framework: 

Functional Competencies:

• Strong programme formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation skills
• Strong knowledge of Results Based Management
• Ability to synthesize program performance data and produce analytical reports to inform management and strategic decision-making
• Strong knowledge of Engling Violence Against Women  
• Strong analytical skills
• Ability to identify and analyze trends, opportunities and threats to fundraising and develop strategies.

Education and certification:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in social sciences, human rights, gender/women's studies, international development, or a related field is required
• A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• A project/programme management certification would be an added advantage

Experience:

• At least 5 years of progressively responsible work experience at the national or international level in design, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development projects is required. 
• Technical experience in Engling Violence Against Women  is required.
• Experience working on multi-stakeholder initiatives, such as the Spotlight Initiative or similar large-scale programs focused on eliminating violence against women and girls, is highly desirable
• Experience leading and coaching staff in international settings is required.
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and spreadsheet and database packages, experience in handling of web-based management systems is required.
• Experience coordinating and liaising with government agencies and/or donors is an desirable.
• Experience working in the UN System is desirable.
• Experience in the use of a modern web-based ERP System, preferably Oracle Cloud, is desirable.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in English is required.

Statements :

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment.

Diversity and inclusion:

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.)

Note: Applicants must ensure that all sections of the application form, including the sections on education and employment history, are completed. If all sections are not completed the application may be disqualified from the recruitment and selection process.