Planning and Coordination Specialist

Grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, UN Women will work 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. Placing women’s rights at the centre of all its efforts, UN Women is leading and coordinating United Nations system efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world. It provides strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States’ priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.

UN Women’s vision is a world in which societies are free of gender-based discrimination, where women and men have equal opportunities, where women and girls are empowered to lead the change that they want to see, and where women’s rights are upheld in all efforts to further development, human rights, peace and security.

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 UN System Coordination Division (UNSCD), leads and supports UN Women’s Coordination Mandate across the UN system, including UN Women internal coordination, to ensure that gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls are central to the UN’s policies, programs, and results.

Its role amplifies impact and increases efficiency by positioning gender equality as a catalyst for sustainable development, peace, humanitarian action and human rights, following the principles of non-discrimination and intersectionality and helping to translate global commitments into action across UN entities and at country level.

Through this role, the Division supports country and regional offices, UNCTs, and UN agencies in aligning their efforts with gender equality and women’s empowerment priorities, by providing standards, technical guidance, capacity-development, tools and data, promoting accountability and convening multistakeholder partnerships that bring together governments, civil society, the private sector, and the UN system to co-create solutions and drive collective action.

Under the direct supervision of the Director a.i., the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:
1. Strategic Planning and Corporate Coordination Support
• Provide substantive support to the development, consolidation, and monitoring of the United Nations System Coordination Division (UNSCD ) annual and biannual workplans, results frameworks, and strategic planning documents;
• Contribute analytical inputs to strategic notes, concept notes, background papers, and internal briefs prepared for the Deputy Director and UNSCD senior management;
• Support the integration of gender equality and women’s empowerment priorities into United Nations (UN) system-wide planning instruments, corporate strategies, and inter-agency frameworks;
• Monitor progress against agreed deliverables and timelines, flagging risks, gaps, and emerging issues, and supporting follow-up actions as required.
2. Inter-Agency and UN System Coordination
• Support UNSCD’s engagement with UN system coordination mechanisms, including the compilation, analysis, and maintenance of up-to-date information on inter-agency processes, technical bodies, and coordination platforms;
• Provide substantive and organizational support to accountability processes, reporting, and related capacity-building activities across the UN system;
• Provide technical support to the Secretariat of the Gender Equality Acceleration Plan (GEAP);
• Assist in preparing briefing materials, talking points, and background documentation for inter-agency meetings, consultations, and global policy processes (e.g., Commission on the Status of Women (CSW)-related coordination, UN system dialogues);
• Support follow-up and documentation of inter-agency meetings, including summaries, action points, and tracking of commitments.
3. Coordination, Partnerships and Stakeholder Engagement
• Support UNSCD’s coordination with internal UN Women divisions, regional offices, and other UN entities to ensure coherence and alignment around UNSCD priorities and deliverables;
• Contribute to the preparation of analytical notes and background materials to support UNSCD engagement with Member States, civil society, academia, and other strategic partners;
• Assist in organizing coordination meetings, consultations, and briefings, including agenda preparation, logistical coordination, and documentation of outcomes.
4. Knowledge Management, Learning and Innovation
• Contribute to the identification, documentation, and dissemination of good practices, lessons learned, and institutional knowledge related to UN system coordination and gender equality;
• Support the development of knowledge products, briefs, and internal learning materials, including synthesis of complex information for diverse audiences;
• Assist in the design and delivery of learning and capacity-building initiatives (e.g., webinars, guidance notes, presentations) for UN Women and UN system colleagues;
• Support innovative approaches to knowledge sharing, including digital tools and collaborative platforms, as relevant.
5. Cross-Cutting Support and UN Volunteer (UNV ) Contributions
• Perform other duties as required to support the effective functioning of UNSCD and the delivery of its coordination, planning, and partnership mandates;
• Promote the values and principles of UN Volunteerism through engagement in UNV activities, knowledge sharing, and collaboration with colleagues and partners;
• Contribute to reflection, documentation, and reporting on volunteerism, learning, and professional development during the assignment.
Furthermore, UN Volunteers are required to:
• Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and actively participate in UNV activities (for instance, in events that mark International Volunteer Day);
• Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country;
• Reflect on the type and quality of voluntary action they are undertaking, including participation in ongoing reflection activities;
• Contribute articles and write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications, websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.;
• Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly arrived UN Volunteers;
• Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.
Results/Expected Outputs
• Timely and high-quality analytical inputs to UNSCD planning, coordination, and reporting processes;
• Effective support to inter-agency coordination meetings and accountability-related deliverables;
• Well-structured briefing notes, background papers, and internal documentation for senior leadership;
• Strengthened knowledge management and learning products supporting UNSCD mandates;
• Demonstrated integration of gender equality, inclusion, and accountability across all assigned tasks;
• The development of capacity through coaching, mentoring, and formal on-the-job training when working with (including supervising) national staff or (non-) governmental counterparts, including Implementing Partners (IPs);
• Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspectives are systematically applied, integrated, and documented in all activities throughout the assignment;
• A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for peace and development during the assignment, such as reporting on the number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in, and capacities developed.