Gender Programme Specialist, P-3, Pacific Multi-Country Office, Suva, Fiji, #134376 (Temporary [...]

UNICEF; Delhi; Hybrid; INR 12,00,000 - 16,00,000; Full time

Job summary

An international organization focused on children's rights seeks a Gender Programme Specialist to coordinate the implementation of gender strategies and provide technical support to ensure gender equality across programs. The ideal candidate will have strong expertise in gender programming and at least five years of experience. This role involves significant collaboration with various stakeholders and aims to empower adolescent girls in the Pacific region.

Benefits

Attractive compensation package

Professional development opportunities

Qualifications

• Minimum five years of experience in gender and development programming.
• Experience in emergency preparedness and response.
• Fluency in English is required.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate the implementation of the Pacific Gender and ADAP Strategy.
• Lead the integration of gender priorities across UNICEF’s programmes.
• Provide technical guidance on gender outcomes and assessments.

Skills

Technical expertise in gender programming

Program management

Advocacy and partnership building

Data analysis and reporting

Education

Advanced university degree in social sciences

Job description

Overview

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence. At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling. UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF. For every child, the right to an Opportunity. In the Pacific we work in Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu: These 14 Pacific island countries are home to 2.3 million people, including 1.2 million children and youth, living on more than 660 islands and atolls stretching across 17.2 million square kilometers of the Pacific Ocean. All 14 Pacific Island countries and territories have ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

How can you make a difference? Under the supervision of the Deputy Representative – Programme, the Gender Programme Specialist will coordinate the implementation of the Pacific Gender and ADAP Strategy and provide technical support to programme teams on key gender priorities. This role is critical to ensure that gender equality is systematically mainstreamed across UNICEF’s work in the Pacific. The successful candidate will lead the integration of gender priorities across one or more of UNICEF’s five programme outcome areas, ensuring strong alignment with the Gender Action Plan (GAP). They will support cross-sectoral collaboration to promote coherence, synergy, and efficient use of resources in delivering gender results. The role involves providing technical guidance to ensure that gender outcomes are clearly defined, effectively measured, and accurately reported, while also supporting high-quality assessments, research, and evaluations that inform programming. The Specialist will contribute to emergency preparedness and response by identifying and addressing gender-specific needs and will work closely with ADAP focal points to operationalize the Gender and ADAP Strategy, with a particular focus on empowering adolescent girls and promoting their meaningful participation in the Pacific.

Key functions/accountabilities:

• Technical and/or advisory support to Deputy Representative, Senior Gender Programme Specialist, or Representative
  • Actively participate in or support Country Management Team (CMT); Programme Coordination Team and other key country-specific leadership teams to ensure strategic inclusion of gender in all country-specific programming.
  • Coordinate with the Regional Gender Advisors and the Headquarters Gender Section to plan, utilize, monitor and report on the Gender Thematic Fund, or other programmatic funds with large gender components that are allocated to the country-specific interventions for the Country Programme, under the Country Office senior management.
  • In collaboration with sectoral colleagues and under the guidance of Deputy Representative, participate in the planning and monitoring of the utilization of the budget allocated to sectoral and cross-sectoral gender interventions with sectoral colleagues.
  • Lead the gender component of the reporting of the routine country-level programme expenditures, including the annual reporting and the RAM.
  • Provide technical input and review on the gender components in key funding proposal appeals and submissions and in the design of funded projects/programs so that gender technical components are clearly defined and technical capacities are included.
• Support to programme/project development and planning (including emergency contexts)
  • Participate and support in evidence-based programme/project planning on gender, incorporating robust measurement and evaluation of results - especially in the event of the Country Programme development and Mid-Term Review.
  • Provide technical leadership on integration of gender into country programming phases, including strategic planning, SitAns, strategic moments of reflection, CPDs, CPMPs, mid-term reviews, extended annual reviews, programme component strategy notes and in the programmatic assessment and institutional strengthening components of gender reviews.
  • In collaboration with sectoral colleagues and senior management, identify the areas of focus for gender programming/projects with the greatest potential for impact and scale, in alignment with the GAP and the country/regional priorities.
  • Work with sectoral counterparts and senior management to incorporate sound gender indicators and measures in programme/project and policy initiatives, proposals, and advocacy efforts and assist in developing gender-sensitive theories of change models for sector and cross-sectoral programming (in particular with reference to the ADAP priorities which are aligned with the office’s focus on climate, girls’ empowerment and skill building).
• Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results (including emergency contexts)
  • Support indicator identification, measurement and performance tracking as it relates to gender mainstreaming and the Targeted Gender Priorities, in collaboration with Planning, M&E and planning section and sectoral teams.
  • Participate in cross-sectoral collaboration and coordination on key programmatic results on gender and adolescents’ participation (specifically focusing on UNICEF’s Programme Strategy on Adolescent Girls), ensuring coherence, maximization of synergies and efficiency in utilization of resources and delivery of results
  • Support the strengthening of data systems and collection, as well as accountability mechanisms to monitor and evaluate progress on gender results.
  • Support high quality reporting on gender results, and a biannual performance review of GAP specified results.
  • Work closely with evaluation colleagues to effectively integrate data collection, tracking, analysis and reporting on the indicators for the GAP into programme results and gender performance benchmarks into M&E systems.
  • Participate in the strengthening of the quality of research and evidence building on gender related programming, by supporting the bringing in of the latest learning and insights from the field of gender and development, and supporting the input of a coherent, well-prioritized research agenda in alignment with the GAP.
  • Support the planning and implementation of the gender reviews and make sure that the recommendations that come out of the gender review are integrated into the Country Programme strategy and action plans and humanitarian strategies and action plans in emergency contexts.
  • Participate and/or actively represent UNICEF in relevant coordination bodies at the inter-agency level (gender theme group or other networks, GBV cluster if relevant), participate as a member of the ADAP Task Force, and provide close oversight of inter-agency joint programmes such as the UN IAWG on Youth.
• Advisory services and technical support
  • Provide technical support and guidance to national government, NGOs, UN Agencies and other country-level and local-level partners on aspects of gender programming and to ensure incorporation of gender indicators and measures in programmes/projects, policy initiatives, proposals, and M&E systems.
  • Provide technical support and advocacy to reporting and follow-up on international and regional gender equality commitments made by the countries
  • Support the development of adequate emergency preparedness measures, updating of contingency plans and establishment of early warning mechanisms that reflect gender needs.
  • Support the development and deployment of emergency training that incorporates gender issues and relevant strategies.
  • Participate in needs assessment missions on gender, and in the event of an emergency, be deployed as a member of the Emergency Response Team.
  • Support implementing/operational partners and implementing arrangements in order to ensure an effective, gender-inclusive emergency response.
• Advocacy, networking and partnership building
  • Liaise and consult with sections, government and other external partners (civil society, NGOs, private sector) to support convergence, and develop and reinforce partnerships in gender programming.
  • Support building and maintenance of internal and external partnerships and networks in the development of harmonized, gender-transformative programme interventions.
  • Support building and maintenance of strategic alliances for gender equality with various partners, including institutional links with UN agencies and other relevant entities.
  • Collaborate with other UN agencies and partners to enhance robust gender results in sectoral programmes at the country level. If necessary, represent UNICEF in external meetings on gender integration into sectoral and cross-sectoral results.
  • Support mapping of potential new partnerships and leverage existing partnerships to accelerate GAP implementation at the country level in determined priority areas.

  Minimum requirements

  Education:

  • Advanced university degree (Masters or higher) in the social sciences with clear evidence of gender programme expertise, or in an area relevant to UNICEF’s sectoral work.
  • Some formal academic credentials in gender programming is required.

  Work Experience:

  • Minimum five years of progressively responsible professional experience and demonstrated track record of having undertaken and led substantive programming and research on gender and development in key issue areas that are the focus of UNICEF’s Gender Action Plan. Of this, at least 2-3 years should include international work experience.
  • Experience in designing, implementing, managing, and delivering results-based programmes/projects on gender and development and/or other cross-cutting programmes, such as those related to climate action, ECD, parenting programmes and mental health, especially at country/field level is required.
  • Experience in emergency preparedness and response is required.
  • Prior experience in managing partnership and advocacy portfolios in relation to promoting gender equality, girls’ empowerment and adolescents’ participation across different country contexts is highly desirable.
  • Prior experience of working with regional inter-governmental bodies, regional political institutions, and UN agencies is strongly desirable.
  • Previous work experience in the Pacific region is an asset.

  Language Requirements:

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

  For every Child, you demonstrate...

  UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

  The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

  (1) Builds and maintains partnerships

  (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

  (3) Drive to achieve results for impact

  (4) Innovates and embraces change

  (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity

  (6) Thinks and acts strategically

  (7) Works collaboratively with others

  (8)Nurtures, leads and manages people

  Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

  UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does. UNICEF is committed to inclusive recruitment and a diverse workforce.

  Remarks: UNICEF is committed to staying and delivering in humanitarian contexts. All staff may be deployed to support humanitarian response. All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.