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. 

West and Central Africa is a region particularly vulnerable to climate change. Women and girls are particularly affected by the effects of climate change in the region, and they also play a critical role in development and implementation of climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies. At the same time, the transition to the green economy will create opportunities in the form of green jobs in new sectors. Renewable energy, sustainable construction and infrastructure, and the circular economy will generate millions of new jobs in the coming years, including in Sub-Saharan Africa. Whether women access those opportunities or whether they are left out of the benefits associated with the green transition in West and Central will depend on the policies implemented by governments in the short term. 

In response to this, since 2022, the Regional Office for West and Central Africa has implemented the regional programme on Gender and Green Transition in West and Central Africa. The RO is seeking to recruit a gender and green economy specialist to manage and implement its regional work programme in this area, and advise countries in the region on strategies to support gender responsive climate action and women’s participation in the green transition. Reporting to Regional Policy Advisor for Women’s Economic Empowerment, the Specialist exercises overall responsibility for planning, implementing, and managing UN Women interventions under their portfolio.  The Programme Specialist works in close collaboration with the programme and operations team, UN Women HQ staff, Government officials, multi and bi-lateral donors and civil society ensuring successful UN Women programme implementation under portfolio. 

 Functions:

Forumalte programme and strategies in the area of Gender and Green Economy 

• Design and formulate strategies and programmes to support gender responsive climate action and women’s participation in the green economy in WCA 
• Review and contribute to country strategy documents, briefs, policy dialogue and other documents related to gender and green economy.

Manage gender and green economy initiatives

• Manage the technical implementation of programme/projects to advance gender responsive climate action and the green economy, including: 
• Formulate workplans and budget and manage their implementation;
• Manage internal and external reporting on gender and climate action/green transition initiatives;
• Provide guidance to personnel and partners on Results Based Management tools and performance indicators;
• Organize Project Steering Committee, project review and/or evaluation meetings, as needed.
• Manage the monitoring of programme
• Participate and oversee field missions;
• Supervise Programme Analysts and Technical Specialists; 
• Mentor and coach personnel and conduct performance assessments;
• Oversee recruitment processes, as necessary.

Technical assistance, capacity development, and knowledge management  

• Design and deliver capacity building strategies to strengthen capacity of national and regional stakeholders (internal and external to UN Women) in the area of gender and green transition;
• Provide advice and technical assistance in the area of gender and green economy to governments, regional institutions, CSOs, and other stakeholders.
• Lead the production and dissemination of knowledge products in the areas of gender and climate action/green economy/green finance to support advocacy, policy dialogue, capacity building, visibility and resource mobilization

Partnerships and resource mobilization 

• Lead the development and implementation of strategies and activities to mobilize resources to support work on gender and climate action/green transition.
• Lead the establishment of partnerships to advance gender responsive climate action in WCA.

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

Key Performance Indicators:

• Timely and quality programme design and inputs to Strategic Note
• Timely and quality of programme delivery in line with budget and workplans, and in line with all UN Women operational rules and regulations, including security
• Timely and quality monitoring and evaluation of programmes 
• Relations with partners and stakeholders
• Quality reports and timely submission
• Regular communication with other agencies and partners
• Quality of advocacy and communication initiatives

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 gender and economic policy 
• Strong analytical skills
• Ability to identify and analyze trends, opportunities and threats to fundraising and develop strategies

Required Qalifications

Education and certification:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in economics, climate change, environmental sciences, or development/public policy 
• A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• At least 7 years of progressively responsible work experience at the national or international level in design, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development projects;
• At least 4 years of experience formulating and implementing projects, programmes and policies in the area of gender and climate change, gender and green transition, and climate finance.
• Proven experience leading dialogue, coordinating and liaising with government agencies and/or donors;
• Experience in strategic planning and policy advice;
• Experience working on gender and climate change in West and Central Africa 
• Experience working in the UN System is an asset;

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English and French 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.