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 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.

UN Women’s Regional Office for the Arab States (ROAS) has recently adopted its new Strategic Note (2026-29). Our vision is to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls and the full enjoyment of their human rights in the Arab States, propelling economic prosperity and sustainable development for all. Our goal is to accelerate achievements for the region's largest possible numbers of women and girls, including the most vulnerable, in the next 4 years. To accomplish this, we work with our partners and offices across 17 countries in the region to implement targeted programmes that support women’s economic empowerment, women’s leadership and participation, women, peace and security, and humanitarian issues, as well as ending violence against women.

The regional strategic planning unit works to provide strategic guidance and technical support to the RO and Country Offices (COs) to ensure high-quality strategic planning and programme documents at regional and country levels, ensuring the alignment with UN Women Strategic Plan and the corporate standard on Results Based Management (RBM). They lead the preparation of the Strategic Note and work plan of the RO in close collaboration with RO colleagues and COs in the respective region. 
The UN Women Regional Office Programme Support and Management Unit (PSMU) is established to provide advisory services and direct support for project and programme development and implementation across the region. PSMU guides the region in following best practices to ensure that all projects and programmes maintain a level of standardization, planning, share knowledge, and work collectively towards UN Women' s strategic goals.

In the Arab States, UN Women has been working to End Violence Against Women (EVAW) leading and supporting the rollout of several programmes on ending violence against women in the region. Under the new strategic plan, the focus is on domestic violence and violence in the public space in line with UN Women’s triple mandate at the normative, Coordination and operational levels to ensure women and girls in the region live a life free from violence. As a regional office, ROAS ensures projects and programmes in the region are implemented in line with corporate requirements.

Reporting to the Regional Strategic Planning Specialist, with dotted reporting lines with the PSMU and the EVAW Specialists, the Programme Associate works with and provides support to the members of the Strategic Planning, Monitoring, Reporting and Partnerships (50%), PSMU (25%) and EVAW (25%) teams in the development and implementation of effective programmes consistent with UN Women rules and regulations. The Programme Associate contributes to research, financial management, and programme implementation including providing necessary operational, administrative and programmatic support. The Programme Associate works in close collaboration with the operations, programme and projects’ staff in the RO and UN Women HQs as required for resolving complex finance-related issues and exchange of information.

Scope of Work

Provide advanced administrative, logistical and coordination support to the formulation and management of programmes:

• Provide advanced administrative support and inputs in the preparation of programme work plans, budgets, and proposals on programme implementation arrangements;
• Provide technical guidance to the country offices and executing agencies on routine delivery and reporting of programme supported activities and finances; 
• Provide logistical and coordination support in the development of the upcoming Strategic Note (SN) by developing a comprehensive matrix with the programming priorities of the Arab States Region, including the consolidation of a comprehensive retro-analysis document to inform the SN;
• Provide logistical and coordination support in the development of the upcoming Strategic Note (SN) by developing a comprehensive matrix with programming priorities for the Arab States Region including the consolidation of retro-analysis documents. Provide coordination support to the Regional Project Appraisal Committee (RPAC) Secretariat on the review of submissions;
• Provide coordination support to the annual management review as well as the collection of information for the audit of programmes/ projects and support implementation of audit recommendations;   
• Provide research and administrative support to the synthesis of lessons learnt and best practices related to Strategic planning, PSMU and EVAW Identify sources, and gather and compile data and information for documents, guidelines, power point presentations, briefing notes, speeches and position papers.

Provide advanced administrative support to the financial management of the Programme Units detailed above:

• Create projects in Quantum system, prepare budget revisions, revise project awards and status; and determine unutilized funds and the operational and financial close of a project; 
• Support in the financial monitoring and analysis of the regional implementation of none core funds;
•  Monitor budget preparation and the finances of programmes/projects; prepare periodic reports; finalize FACE forms; 
• Review financial reports; prepare non-PO vouchers for development projects; 
• Maintain internal expenditures control system; post transactions in Quantum system; 
• Create requisitions in Quantum system for development projects; register good receipts in Quantum system; 
• Prepare and follow up of cost-recovery bills in Quantum system;
•  Oversee all logistical, administrative and financial arrangements for organization for meetings, workshops, events, and missions; 
• Oversee travel arrangements for the Programme Team, including travel requisitions and claims;  
• Prepare public information materials and briefing packets; 
• Prepare and assemble briefing materials and prepare power-point and other presentations; contribute inputs to the materials.

Provide administrative support to Resource Mobilization and Partnerships strengthening:

• Prepare cost-sharing and other agreements; follow up on contributions within RO resource mobilization efforts; 
• Organize, compile and process information from donors, Regional Office, and programme team, as inputs to various databases and documents;
• Provide support in the consolidation of regional data on funding and resource mobilization including donor intelligence.

Facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing:

• Support synthesis of lessons learnt, and best practices related to programme management and finance; 
• Coordinate the organization of training for the office staff and partners on programme and operations related issues.  

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

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 knowledge of programme management;    
• Ability to create, edit, synthesize and present information in clear and presentable formats;  
• Ability to administer and execute administrative processes and transactions;  
• Ability to provide input to business process re-engineering, elaboration and implementation of new data management systems;  
• Ability to manage data, documents, correspondence and reports information and workflow; 
• Excellent financial and budgeting skills;
• Excellent IT skills.

Minimum Qualifications

Education and Certification:

• Completion of secondary education is required;
• Bachelor’s degree in Business or Public Administration is an asset.

Experience:

• At least 7 years of progressively responsible experience in administration or programme management/support is required; 
• Experience in working in a computer environment using multiple office software packages is required; 
• Experience in supporting a team is required; 
• Experience in the use of a modern web-based ERP System, preferably Oracle Cloud, is desirable;
• Experience working at the UN is desirable.

Languages:

• Fluency in English and Arabic 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.