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.

The Strategy, Planning, Results, and Effectiveness Division (SPRED), under the direct supervision of the Assistant Secretary General (ASG) / Deputy Executive Director Resource Management, Sustainability and Partnerships, leads the integrated management of UN Women’s corporate strategy, including strategic planning, project and programme management and implementation support, results and performance management, and internal governance. Together, these functions strengthen UN Women’s second line of defense, enabling coherence, efficiency, transparency and accountability across the organization’s triple mandate, and supporting the delivery of gender equality, the empowerment of women and girls, and the realization of their rights in line with the UN Women Strategic Plan and the 2030 Agenda.

Within SPRED, the Corporate Performance and Accountability Unit (CPAU) brings together key second‑line functions—risk management, internal audit follow‑up, internal policy management, organizational performance, and business transformation—into one integrated team. Its purpose is to strengthen accountability, promote coherent oversight, and ensure that risk‑informed decision‑making is embedded across UN Women. The unit supports SPRED in driving transparent, efficient and consistent delivery of corporate performance objectives, aligning organizational performance monitoring with strategic planning processes. Through this, CPAU enhances the Entity’s ability to safeguard fiduciary integrity, maintain robust assurance mechanisms, and strengthen UN Women’s overall culture of accountability and results.

Under the supervision of the Enterprise Risk Manager, the Management Specialist – Internal Policy Management (IPM) contributes to the management, oversight and implementation of the Policies, Procedures and Guidance (PPG) Framework and the maintenance of UN Women’s repository for PPGs, the PPG Portal, which includes the organization and coordination of the Internal Policy Management (IPM) portfolio. The Management Specialist (IPM) provides advice for PPG needs analysis and development and coordinates with Content Owners to ensure PPGs are accurate, up-to-date, and fully responsive to UN Women’s operating context.

The Management Specialist works in close collaboration with other SPRED and CPAU functions, as well as HQ Divisions and Sections, Content Owners, and the Legal Office.

Key Functions and Accountabilities:

Lead internal policy governance & coordination

• Oversee end-to-end internal policy cycle processes to ensure compliance with the PPG governance framework, including quality assurance, consultations, approvals, promulgation, and timely review.
• Provide actionable guidance to content and business process owners to strengthen policy design, risk integration, and links to ERP-enabled business processes.
• Issue recommendations to Divisional Heads when quality standards are not met and facilitate corrective action.
• Maintain oversight of key PPG governance workflows, including exceptions and review-date extensions.
• Track and report on compliance with internal policy development timelines, escalating risks and bottlenecks to senior management as required.

Coordinate cross-functional engagement & impact analysis

• Coordinate with HQ divisions and Regional and Country Offices to ensure policy revisions reflect operational realities and specialized expertise.
• Conduct impact analysis to identify interdependencies between key PPGs and ensure changes to one area trigger timely review of related instruments.
• Contribute to organization-wide business process mapping to address gaps, duplication, and opportunities for integration.

Manage PPG Portal maintenance and governance

• Support enhancements to the PPG Portal to improve usability, metadata accuracy, and overall governance of official content.
• Upload new and revised PPG documents, remove obsolete materials, and ensure portal accessibility and functionality, in collaboration with the Information and Systems and Telecommunications (IST) team.
• Respond to queries from end users and support continuous improvement based on user feedback and system analytics.

Strengthen change management, knowledge & capacity development

• Develop guidance, tools, and training materials to strengthen awareness of internal policy governance processes, standards, and roles across the organization.
• Provide guidance to Content Owners, as needed, on the development of internal capacity-building and change management initiatives accompanying the introduction of new or revised PPGs.
• Capture lessons learned and good practices and incorporate them into continuous improvement of policy governance and risk management processes.
• Maintain the PPG intranet and knowledge resources to promote information sharing and improved stakeholder engagement and ensure broad ownership of PPGs.

Support fraud risk management 

• Provide technical guidance on the implementation of the Anti-Fraud Policy and internal controls for fraud prevention, detection, and response.
• Support the planning, facilitation, and quality assurance of Fraud Risk Assessments, focusing on high-risk Country Offices, projects, and business processes.
• Review and consolidate fraud risk registers and advise on mitigating actions to support consistent and effective fraud risk governance.
• Monitor organizational fraud risk trends and contribute to corporate reporting, including inputs to the annual fraud risk management plan reporting to the Risk Management Committee.
• Support fraud risk awareness, including coordination with designated Fraud Champions and collaboration with oversight and assurance functions to align approaches across the second and third lines of defense.

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: Not applicable. 

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:

• Demonstrated experience in internal policy cycle management, including drafting, updating, implementing, and monitoring policies, procedures, and SOPs within complex organizations.
• Strong ability to assess complex issues, identify risks and interdependencies across business processes, and propose practical, risk-informed solutions.
• Proven capability to produce clear, concise, and user-focused internal governance documents (e.g., policies, SOPs, guidance notes).
• Ability to support rollout of new or revised organizational policies, including stakeholder engagement, training, and behavior change across different business units.
• Ability to foster cross-functional cooperation and consult effectively with internal stakeholders across HQ, Regions, and Country Offices to achieve shared outcomes.
• Strong organizational and planning skills, with the ability to manage multiple internal  policy initiatives, maintain compliance standards, and ensure attention to detail.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment and respond with agility to evolving operational contexts where standard procedures may not yet exist.
• Ability to support the implementation of Fraud Risk Assessments, review and analyze fraud risk data, and contribute to improvements in fraud prevention and control frameworks. 
• Commitment to supporting business users and enabling policy adoption through accessible tools, guidance, and responsive communication.
• Ability to operate effectively in a multicultural environment and with a strong understanding of (or ability to quickly acquire) UN Women’s mandate and internal governance structures

Recruitment Qualifications:

Education and Certification:

• Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in one or more of the following discipline: law, economics, finance, social sciences, business or public administration/ management, or other field related to international development.
• A first-level university degree in combination with three additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• A minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible professional experience in internal policy governance, regulatory or compliance frameworks, and/or organizational change management within complex institutions.
• Demonstrated experience in designing, reviewing, and implementing organizational policies, procedures, and SOPs, including needs analysis and alignment with business processes.
• Experience supporting cross-functional coordination and policy consultation processes across multiple organizational levels (such as HQ, regional and/or field offices).
• Practical experience in policy-related capacity-building, such as delivering training, facilitating workshops, or developing user guidance materials for diverse audiences.
• Experience utilizing digital tools and content management systems for governance document administration (e.g., SharePoint, intranet portals), as well as proficiency in MS Office applications.
• Experience supporting fraud risk management activities (i.e., Fraud Risk Assessments, review of risk registers, internal control enhancements) is desirable. 
• Experience working in international or multi-stakeholder environments, preferably within the UN system or other public sector / non-profit organizations, is desirable.

Languages:

• Fluency in English is required.
• Knowledge of another official UN language is desirable (French, Arabic, Chinese, Russian or Spanish).

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.