UN Women, dedicated to the vision of equality enshrined in the United Nations Charter, focuses on eliminating discrimination against women, empowering women, and fostering equality between women and men globally. With women's rights at its core, UN Women leads and coordinates efforts across the United Nations System, ensuring that commitments to gender equality translate into impactful actions. The Strategic Partnerships Division (SPD) enhances UN Women's role as a key partner for gender equality and women's empowerment. By strategically positioning gender equality in international forums and engaging with governments, SPD aims to strengthen partnerships, advocate for policy integration, and mobilize resources holistically.
The Office of the Director provides strategic leadership and oversight for the Division, ensuring effective planning, operational management, coordination and implementation of divisional priorities. The Office also supports executive decision-making, corporate planning processes, and coordination across Headquarters, Regional and Country Offices.
To ensure continuity during maternity leave, SPD seeks an experienced consultant to provide executive coordination, operational management and strategic planning support to the Office of the Director. The consultant will help ensure the efficient functioning of the Director's Office, coordinate divisional priorities, facilitate cross-divisional collaboration, and support timely implementation of corporate and operational priorities.
The consultant will report directly to the Director a.i., Strategic Partnerships Division, and will work closely with the SPD Business Center, section chiefs and colleagues across Headquarters, Regional and Country Offices.
Description of Responsibilities /Scope of Work
1. Executive Office Coordination
- Support the Director in the strategic coordination and day-to-day management of the Office, ensuring the timely flow of information, correspondence, clearance requests and decision items.
- Serve as the primary coordination focal point between the Strategic Partnerships Division, the Executive Office, Deputy Executive Director Offices and other Headquarters units, ensuring timely coordination of requests, information flows and follow-up actions.
- Provide guidance to Division colleagues on Office of the Director processes, priorities and clearance requirements, and facilitate communication of the Director's decisions, feedback and strategic direction across the Division.
- Coordinate and monitor priority actions, management decisions and corporate requests, maintaining tracking mechanisms and following up with responsible teams to ensure timely implementation.
- Coordinate and implement special projects led by the Office of the Director, working across the Division and with other organizational units as required.
- Schedule and coordinate agendas, documentation and follow-up for key divisional management meetings and other strategic engagements.
- Draft routine correspondence and maintain records, trackers and information management systems supporting the Office of the Director.
2. Strategic Planning and Executive Support
- Coordinate divisional inputs for corporate planning, management requests, reporting exercises and executive engagements.
- Coordinate the preparation of briefing packages, presentations and background materials for the Director by consolidating inputs from teams across the Division.
- Review submissions for completeness, consistency, quality and adherence to requested formats, liaising with teams to obtain additional information where required.
- Conduct background research and compile information to support executive meetings and strategic engagements.
- Coordinate divisional contributions to annual reporting exercises and other corporate reporting requirements
3. Operations, Budget and Human Resources Coordination
- Coordinate operational, budgetary and workforce planning activities in collaboration with the SPD Business Center.
- Coordinate recruitment and onboarding processes for consultants and personnel, including preparation of Terms of Reference, desk reviews, interview coordination and administrative follow-up.
- Liaise with the SPD Business Center, Human Resources, Procurement, Finance and other corporate service providers to facilitate timely implementation of operational and administrative processes.
- Monitor the status of recruitment, personnel actions, contracts and other operational matters requiring coordination across multiple stakeholders.
4. Executive Engagements, High-Level Events and Special Initiatives
- Coordinate the logistical and operational preparations for senior management meetings, strategic events and other high-level engagements.
- Support the planning and implementation of divisional retreats, leadership meetings and special initiatives led by the Office of the Director.
- Serve as the Division's focal point for coordination of UN Women high-level conferences and corporate events, including the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) and the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), coordinating with the Executive Office, Deputy Executive Director Offices and teams across the Division to monitor deliverables, timelines and preparations.
- Coordinate across substantive teams, the SPD Business Center, Communications and other Headquarters units to facilitate the successful delivery of executive engagements and divisional priorities.
- Monitor implementation of agreed follow-up actions and ensure timely completion of commitments arising from executive meetings and strategic engagements.
5. The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel
This is an office-based consultancy that requires full-time presence at UN Women premises.
No official travel is expected as part of this consultancy.
Competencies
Core Values:
- Respect for Diversity
- Integrity
- Professionalism
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 Core Values and Competencies: https://www.unwomen.org/en/about-us/employment/application-process#_Values FUNCTIONAL COMPETENCIES:
- Ability to organize and complete multiple tasks by establishing priorities;
- Ability to establish, build and sustain effective relationships with clients, demonstrating understanding of client’s perspective; anticipate client needs and address them promptly;
- Ability to provide advice and support.
- Ability to perform work of confidential nature;
- Ability to create, edit and present information in clear format, using appropriate IT functionality;
Required Qualifications
Education and Certification:
- Master's degree (or equivalent) in international development, public administration, public policy, or other relevant social science 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.
Experience:
- At least 2 years of progressively responsible experience in programme coordination, executive support, or supporting complex multi-component processes.
- Experience supporting senior management and coordinating across multiple stakeholders in a fast-paced environment.
- Experience coordinating high-level meetings, events or executive engagements.
- Experience coordinating operational, administrative and/or human resources processes.
- Experience working at UN Women or in the United Nations system is an asset.
Languages:
- Fluency in English
- Knowledge of any other UN official is an asset.