Gender Specialist (Internal Candidates only)

Myanmar is one of UNOPS’ leading offices in Asia, acting as fund manager for three of the largest development programmes in the country, namely the Access to Health Fund, the Livelihood and Food Security Fund (LIFT) and the Joint Peace Fund (JPF). In addition, UNOPS is Principal Recipient for the Global Fund in Myanmar and for the Global Fund’s regional artemisinin-resistance initiative targeting drug resistant malaria in the greater Mekong sub-region. UNOPS provides procurement, infrastructure and project management services to a wide range of organizations in the country, including the Government of Myanmar, international development partners, other UN agencies, NGOs and INGOs. UNOPS plays a critical role in ensuring that the quality of services provided to its partners meets stringent requirements of speed, efficiency and cost effectiveness.

UNOPS is Fund Manager for the Livelihoods and Food Security Fund (LIFT), a multi-donor fund established in 2009 to address food insecurity and income poverty in Myanmar. LIFT’s designated outcomes are improvements in income, resilience, nutrition, and pro-poor policy developments. So far, LIFT has reached more than 7.2 million people, or roughly 20 per cent of Myanmar’s population; and is active in almost half the country’s townships. For more details visit www.lift-fund.org (http://www.liftfund.org/).  LIFT is currently refreshing its strategy to guide the next five years programming from 2019.

The Gender Officer will work under the overall oversight of the LIFT Fund Director. Under the direct supervision of the LIFT Senior Programme Officer,the Gender Officer will work across the various programmes in the LIFT Programme Department to achieve LIFT strategic objectives. The Officer’s roles and responsibilities will include the following:

Technical Support to LIFT FMO

• Provide technical expertise and lead the development of LIFT Gender Strategy, guidance materials and LIFT Gender Action Plan (GAP) and ensure that they are in line with UNOPS Gender Strategies, UN Gender Guidelines and national frameworks where they exist
• Guide LIFT FMO in the implementation of the Gender Strategy and Gender Action Plan and keep abreast of new developments that influence the LIFT gender work
• In collaboration with LIFT social cohesion partners define a strategy to integrate women in social cohesion work and how women will play a stronger role in inter-communal harmony in conflict affected areas
• Lead the gender relevant monitoring efforts of implementing partners (IPs) and LIFT Fund Management Office (FMO) and keep track of the progress of GAP implementation
• Assess and analyze the opportunities, gaps and barriers to implement the LIFT Gender Strategy and mainstream gender responsiveness into the programme and projects funded by the Fund
• Document lessons and experiences and suggest changes to the LIFT Gender Strategy if relevant
• Provide comprehensive technical backstopping for the Gender Focal Points (GFPs) within the FMO
• Provide and maintain documentation of structures (tools and processes) that are in place within the LIFT programme framework (e.g. how gender is addressed in calls for proposals, application appraisals, monitoring and evaluations and reporting)
• Organize and conduct gender capacity building activities for both GFPs and other FMO staff
• Conduct gender reviews of selected proposals including work plans and budgets submitted by applicants and provide gender related guidance ensuring that proposals are in compliance with the Fund’s gender strategy and priorities
• Support to respective programme officers in their routine project monitoring ensuring project results and impact support gender responsiveness and gender targets are achieved
• Provide technical guidance on gender to the M&E unit to mainstream gender in the studies and researches counducted by LIFT and where needed, to support gender data analsysis for publications
• Manage and facilitate gender analyses and gender studies for LIFT programme as needed
• Collaborate with the policy work of LIFT to ensure that gender considerations are actively taken into account in policy advocacy and dialogues
• Prepare gender related briefing materials as required for training, missions and/or discussions on gender activities and status
• Undertake needs and resources assessments and recommend additional action that may be necessary to ensure the effectiveness of the Fund and contribute to the growing knowledge base about gender, livelihoods and food security in Myanmar
• Draft terms of reference for gender related contracted services on behalf of the Fund

Technical Support to LIFT Implementing Partners

• Organize and facilitate gender training, workshops and COPs to build technical capacity and to encourage cross-learning among LIFT IPs
• Provide technical inputs for gender mainstreaming across the projects and advise for necessary adjustments to reflect the emerging and chaning circumstances
• Provide -inputs and advice for gender analyses and gender responsive project designs for projects as deemed necessary
• Facilitate and support knowledge management and exchange of best practices among the IPs and relevant stakeholders to strengthen the understanding and practices of gender mainstreaming

Coordination, Reporting and Knowledge Management

• Serve as the gender focal point for LIFT and represent LIFT at UNOPS gender network, inter-agency gender working groups and other relevant technical meetings
• Manage and keep track of the progress of LIFT Gender Action Plan and coordinate with respective programme officers and thematic area leads for the implementation of GAP
• Interact with colleagues and partners to exchange information on operational activity, seek cooperation and resolve routine operational issues
• With support from M&E unit, analyze gender data and prepare semi-annual and annual reports for LIFT and to contribute for UNOPS Myanmar’s gender report
• Contribute to LIFT knowledge management and communication work by contributing to monthly, semi-annual and annual reports to the Fund Board to identify the successes, failures and lessons on gender mainstreaming into LIFT’s programmes and projects.   
• Maintain detailed knowledge of relevant issues in the livelihoods and food security sectors, in particular gender and promote information sharing among stakeholders
• Support in engaging inter-agency and national initiatives related to gender mainstreaming
• Perform other duties as requested by the supervisor

Education

• Master degree in gender, development, sociology, or other related social science subject is required. Additional two years of relevant experience with a Bachelor’s Degree is considered as equivalent.

Experience

• A minimum five years of relevant experience working on gender within international development organizations is required.
• Experience in gender related programme development and implementation, monitoring and evaluation of livelihoods and food security, social inclusion and/or gender projects in Myanmar is required.
• Demonstrated analytical and research skills, including qualitative methods through published research is desirable (such as academic articles and/or published NGO reports).
• Experience in LIFT’s key focus areas of: nutrition, decent work and labor mobility, agriculture, markets and food systems, and financial inclusion is an asset.
• Demonstrated operational field experience in the Delta area, Rakhine, Chin, Kachin, Kayin and Dry Zone of Myanmar is desirable.
• Previous successful involvement with, and good knowledge of, government, Donor agencies, UN system, NGOs and civil society would be a major asset.
• Excellent communication and report writing skill in English is required. Computer literacy in Microsoft packages (MS Word, MS Excel, MS Access) is required, along with the ability to use software tools to present data clearly and concisely.

Language Requirements

• Fluency in both written and spoken Myanmar and English languages is required.

Contract type:  Local Individual Contractor Agreement  Contract level:  LICA 10
Contract duration: Ongoing ICA – ‘Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance.’
THIS IS A LOCAL POSITION. ONLY MYANMAR NATIONALS ARE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY. ALL OTHER APPLICANTS WILL BE REJECTED.

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.
• Work life harmonization - UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options. This policy applies to UNOPS personnel on all contract types
• UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.
• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.  

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns. Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

UNOPS is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve sustainable development.

UNOPS areas of expertise cover infrastructure, procurement, project management, financial management and human resources.

Working with us

UNOPS offers short- and long-term work opportunities in diverse and challenging environments across the globe. We are looking for creative, results-focused professionals with skills in a range of disciplines.

Diversity

With over 4,000 UNOPS personnel and approximately 7,000 personnel recruited on behalf of UNOPS partners spread across 80 countries, our workforce represents a wide range of nationalities and cultures. We promote a balanced, diverse workforce — a strength that helps us better understand and address our partners’ needs, and continually strive to improve our gender balance through initiatives and policies that encourage recruitment of qualified female candidates.

Work life harmonization

UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands.