UN Women: Research and Data Specialist (Data and Statistics), Nairobi, Kenya, P-4

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 Policy, Programme and Intergovernmental Division (PPID) provides global support to UN Women offices at Headquarters and in all field locations to deliver results in support of UN Women’s Strategic Plan 2022-2025 and internationally agreed goals on gender equality and women’s empowerment, including the Beijing Platform for Action and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Division provides intellectual and strategic leadership on normative support and the delivery of integrated policy and program advice, including through research, gender data production and dissemination, policy analysis and gender mainstreaming. The Division leverages innovation, knowledge management and cutting-edge technical expertise to support UN Women programmes and to build the capacity of partners to deliver results on gender equality and women’s empowerment.

The Research and Data (R&D) Section in PPID is responsible for leading UN Women’s research and data agenda and for positioning UN Women as a global knowledge broker on gender equality and women’s empowerment. It produces knowledge products including UN Women flagship publications such as Progress of the world’s women, the Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals: The gender snapshot annual series, World survey on the role of women in development and other mandated reports such as Beijing Reviews. The section also leads the implementation of UN Women’s Women Count flagship programme on gender statistics.

The Research and Data Specialist (Data and statistics) reports to the Chief of R&D and is responsible for implementing key elements of UN Women’s Research and Data strategy, in particular by leading the monitoring SDGs monitoring, overseeing the statistical work for and contributing substantively to the preparation of UN Women’s flagship reports, contributing to the enhancement of UN Women’s data science and foresight capacity and contributing to the implementation of UN Women’s broader research and data agenda.

Under the guidance and direct supervision of Chief of R&D, the Research and Data Specialist (Data and Statistics) is responsible for implementing key elements of UN Women’s Research and Data strategy, in particular by leading the monitoring SDGs monitoring, overseeing the statistical work for and contributing substantively to the preparation of UN Women’s flagship reports, contributing to the enhancement of UN Women’s data science and foresight capacity and contributing to the implementation of UN Women’s broader research and data agenda.

The Research and Data Specialist (Data and Statistics) supervises and leads the Data team of the Research and Data section.

Key Functions and Accountabilities:

1.   Lead the monitoring of gender-related SDGs indicators, including through regular data compilation and methodological work:

• Plan, produce, disseminate, and successfully launch the annual SDG Gender Snapshot and related materials with UN Statistics Division and custodian agencies.
• Coordinate SDG5 custodian agencies’ contributions for the annual Secretary-General’s SDGs Report.
• Represent UN Women in the Inter-Agency Expert Group-SDGs, regularly contributing to the work of the group and ensuring that UN Women colleagues responsible for specific SDGs indicators are regularly informed about its work and decisions.
• Establish robust partnerships with data-producing UN agencies to enhance the production and dissemination of sex-disaggregated data and gender statistics.
• Collaborate with PPID sections to build a robust evidence base, especially related to SDGs, including providing assuring the quality of UN Women’s SDG data collection and reporting.

2.   Oversee the statistical work for UN Women’s flagship reports and related research products:

• Lead the statistical work for UN Women's reports, including Progress of the World's Women and the World Survey on the Role of Women in Development. Prepare chapters on statistics and oversee the production of statistical annexes.
• Provide technical input for concept development and refinement; perform background research and literature reviews; assist in commissioning background studies; and review and comment on commissioned research for reports.
• Oversee data presentation, visualization, and communication strategy for flagship reports.
• Supervise the work of junior statisticians, including consultants and interns, by providing them with clear objectives and goals, direction and guidance to enable them to perform their duties responsibly, effectively and efficiently; Plan and ensure timely performance management.

3.   Contribute to the enhancement of UN Women’s data science and foresight capacity, aligned with the organization’s priorities: 

• Build research and collaborative networks aimed at enhancing UN Women’s capacity in new and emerging areas.
• Maintain knowledge of technologies, trends, developments and approaches applied in data science and foresight.
• Identify, analyze, and interpret trends or patterns, using basic machine learning techniques and statistical methods to identify relevant features and variables in structured and unstructured sources of information and data.
• Contribute to capacity-building efforts by organizing training sessions and workshops on data analysis and visualization, coordinating with different functional teams to develop processes and tools to monitor and analyze model performance and data accuracy.

4.    Contribute to the implementation of UN Women’s broader research and data agenda:

• Manage the development and implementation of databases, data collection systems, data analytics and other strategies that optimize statistical efficiency and quality.
• Manage the development and dissemination of outreach and communications materials to enhance visibility and foster collaboration. 
• Stay informed about current and emerging trends and developments in quantitative research, data analytics best practices, technologies and tools to determine areas of improvement in the organization and enhance UN Women’s analytical capacity to respond effectively.
• Collaborate with UN System, civil society, and academia to find synergies and connections for research and data.
• Contribute to annual reporting and write briefing notes as requested.
• Represent UN Women in inter-agency working groups and fora on research and data, as necessary. 
• Perform any other duties as assigned by the supervisor.

5.   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 3, which includes 1 direct report (P3), as well as 2 affiliate personnel (2 consultants).

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:

• Expert knowledge of gender statistics, including current policies and practices in the area of gender statistics
• Advanced knowledge of qualitative and quantitative research methods, particularly in relation to gender equality
• Strong capacity in statistical analysis, econometric techniques with a particular focus on gender equality
• Working knowledge and familiarity with data science and foresight techniques
• Strong leadership skills and ability to contribute to, manage and motivate a diverse team, including consultants, to achieve results in a timely manner
• Excellent strategic planning, goal setting and prioritization skills
• Ability to develop and maintain partnerships with government counterparts, UN agencies, donors, and NGO partners
• Proven excellent written and oral communication skills
• Proven analytical and problem-solving skills
• Strong, proven commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Recruitment Qualifications:

Education and Certification:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in a relevant social science discipline, with a substantial quantitative component 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.
• PhD is an asset.

Experience:

• At least 7 years of progressively responsible work experience in carrying out research and statistical analysis in a development policy and/or research context  is required.
• Experience in data analysis, research and writing, including on gender equality and women’s rights; is required.
• Experience in SDGs monitoring, ideally from a gender equality perspective is required.
• Experience in statistical analysis, econometrics and/or data science is required.
•  Experience leading and managing personnel 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 in the use of a modern web-based ERP System, preferably Oracle Cloud, is desirable.
• Experience in working on institutional/flagship reports  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.