Gender Advisor

Job Purpose and Organizational Context

The UN Development Assistance Framework 2018-2021 mainstreams human rights, gender equality and women’s empowerment in its five focus areas, and thus presents new possibilities for the UN Country Team (UNCT) to achieve concrete results through its development programming in the advancement of women’s rights in Sudan. The Multi-Year Humanitarian Strategy 2017-2019, on the other hand, which is aligned at the outcome level to the UNDAF, recognizes the specific needs of women in conflict as well as the structural and policy-related issues preventing gender equality and women’s empowerment. It thus provides a unique opportunity for humanitarian and development partners to deliver a more appropriate response to both emergency and protracted needs across Sudan and facilitates better gender programming and mainstreaming. As the UN in Sudan moves forward on the implementation of the New Way of Working, it must consider that gender cross-cuts the humanitarian-development-peace nexus and must be mainstreamed throughout its response to achieve sustainable results.

In this context, a Gender Adviser is sought to help address gender equality and women’s empowerment across UN agencies, funds and programmes, in both humanitarian assistance and development cooperation and take the lead to mainstream gender within both. Under the direct supervision of the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator (RC/HC), and in close consultation with the UN Women Country Representative, the Gender Adviser to the RC/HC will be responsible for providing strategic advice to the RC/HC, the UNCT and the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) to strengthen the work of UN agencies, funds and programmes in Sudan on gender equality and women’s empowerment across priority sectors. The Adviser will also provide technical support on mainstreaming a gender approach into the UNCT's and HCT’s planning and programming, and support partnership building and resource mobilization

Key Functions:

1. Strategic advice to the RC/HC, UNCT and HCT, and advocacy
2. Coordination, programme and technical support
3. Representation, partnership building and resource mobilization

1. Strategic advice to the RC/HC, UNCT and HCT, and advocacy:

• Identify and advise on entry points for new initiatives for the UNCT and HCT to strengthen national and local capacities for gender equality and to support the advancement of women’s empowerment and gender equality in the country;
• Advise the UNCT and HCT on key accountability tools and processes (e.g. Gender Scorecard, Gender Marker) to help ensure that the UN in Sudan tracks and is accountable for gender equality and women’s empowerment;
• Develop indicators and guidelines for the Gender Score-card
• Advise and provide technical guidance to  the UNCT and HCT in forging strategic partnerships at the national and local level to promote gender equality, women’s advancement and women’s representation;
• Lead and participate in policy dialogues around gender equality and the empowerment of women.

2. Coordination, programme and technical support:

• Provide analysis and expert advice to the RC/HC, the UNCT and the HCT on the gender dynamics and opportunities to support inclusive engagement of women in the development and humanitarian assistance provided by the UNCT and HCT, including through preparation of regular analytical briefs;
• Lead preparation of comprehensive analysis of gender and women’s issues to inform prioritisation of interventions including identifying opportunities for joint programming;
• Provide technical guidance and support to UN inter-agency planning and programming processes, ensuring that gender concerns are clearly identified and reflected throughout the programme cycle and and inform tailored programmes;
• Technically support the engagement of the UNCT with UNAMID in planning and programming on gender;
• Provide technical support to the UNCT for the design and delivery of specific programmes and activities targeted at building national capacities for the promotion of gender equality and women’s rights;
• Support UN system-wide inter-agency coordination on gender (Gender Working Group) to contribute to strategic and policy discussion on gender equality and women’s empowerment issues.
• Develop methodologies and guidelines for promoting effective gender mainstreaming; track and monitor progress on gender dynamics

3. Representation, partnership building and resource mobilization:

• Identify opportunities for strategic partnerships and maintain active relationships/partnerships with key stakeholders from the UN system, Government, civil society, academia, private sector and the international community to enhance collaboration, resource mobilization and share and influence the agenda and priority setting on women’s rights and gender equality initiatives;
• Provide advice and technical support for the coordination of the Development Partners Group on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment;
• At the request of the RC/HC, represent the UN system on gender equality and women’s empowerment issues at conferences and meetings to present the UN system’s efforts for the advancement of women in Sudan;
• Coordinate and provide technical inputs to partnership and resource mobilization strategies

Core

Innovation:

Exercises stakeholder-centered design approaches for office / programme / division

Leadership:

Ensures teams are resourced for success  and empowered to deliver

People Management:

Guides substantive specialists / teams and expands credibility and innovation capacity

Communication:

Creates confidence among stakeholders by delivering authoritative positions, compelling analysis, and contextual acumen

Delivery:

Accepts accountability for the outcomes of programme delivery and facilitates improvement and innovation in the delivery of products and services

Technical/Functional

Integrate & Empower: Leads integral work of teams utilizing expertise, vision, problem-solving capability, and collaborative energy in professional area of expertise

Gender issues and analysis:

Knowledge of gender issues and the ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations, including analysis of projects from a gender perspective

Gender and Institutional Development:

Knowledge of systems for gender mainstreaming and capacity development and interagency collaboration and ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations

Partnerships:

Ability to engage with other agencies, donors, and other development stakeholders and forge productive working relationships

Strategic thinking/visioning:

Ability to analyse the organization’s value proposition and shape visionary/long term plans.  Use insight to identify target audiences and partners and to inform communication objectives, messages and solutions.

Coordination provider-recipient:

 Ability to manage complex relationships through pathways of knowledge exchange, capacity development, funding relationships and strategic engagement

Education:

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree) in the social sciences (i.e. sociology, demography, psychology, political science or economics), public policy or international development. A concentration in gender is a strong asset.

Experience:

• At least ten years of progressively responsible relevant work experience and demonstrated track record that combines intellectual, strategic and managerial leadership in development programmes, the majority of which should include having undertaken and led substantive programming research on gender and development in key issue areas;
• Experience working in humanitarian and development contexts;
• Experience in coordination and advocacy;
• Experience in building and maintaining relationships with government institutions and other partners;
• Strong public speaking skills and representational experience;
• Experience at the international level, preferably in developing countries within the UN system an asset;
• Experience in the region is also an asset.

Language Requirements:

• Excellent written and oral English is required;
• Knowledge of Arabic is an asset.

Important applicant information

All posts in the GS categories are subject to local recruitment.

Applicant information about UNDP rosters

Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

Workforce diversity

UNDP is committed to achieving diversity within its workforce, and encourages all qualified applicants, irrespective of gender, nationality, disabilities, sexual orientation, culture, religious and ethnic backgrounds to apply. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.

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