Diversity and Inclusion Specialist (Gender)

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.

Under the direct supervision of the Head of Programme, the Diversity and Inclusion Specialist supports AFCO’s projects and programmes, by developing, reviewing, managing and coordinating the overall implementation and monitoring of the gender mainstreaming framework and corresponding action plans while simultaneously providing capacity building support to staff, partners and contractors, as required.

Summary of Key Functions  

1. Integrate social and gender aspects in projects and programmes

2. Stakeholder engagement and communication

3. Monitoring and evaluation

4. Knowledge sharing and knowledge building

5. Team management

1. Integrate social and gender aspects in projects and programmes

• Lead the development, review and implementation of AFCO's gender policy and strategy to facilitate the implementation of transformative Gender Action Plans in projects and programmes.

• Lead the design and implementation of Gender Transformative Approaches within AFCO. 

• Conduct gender analysis across AFCO, particularly for project and programme areas. Include the collection of data in target communities, analyze challenges and opportunities for women’s economic activities in projects and programmes, and analyze existing women’s collective actions.

• Provide direct and routine support and advice to AFCO’s Project Development Unit (PDU), ensuring gender is an integral component of all engagement development processes and, in particular, project plans and documents.

• Ensure gender, poverty and social development issues are incorporated and implemented in all project and programme components.

• Prepare Project Gender Action Plans (GAP) where required.

• Provide project-specific support to existing projects and programmes in relation to the prevention and addressing of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) and Sexual Harassment (SH) as per UNOPS policies and donor policies.

• Advice and support implementation of gender equality measures and gender transformative actions in specific projects and programmes, as per project design.

2. Stakeholder engagement and communication

• Represent UNOPS AFCO in all gender, diversity and inclusion related coordination for a in Afghanistan.

• In conjunction with the AFCO Partnerships Specialist, develop effective mechanisms to ensure participation of, and regular consultation with relevant stakeholders in the implementation of gender activities.

• Maintain regular communication on gender issues and related tasks with provincial coordinators, community development officers at the province and district levels, and make regular visits to target provinces, districts and villages in consultation with community mobilizers.

• Provide support and guidance on the development of communication products related to women empowerment and gender inclusion aspects for projects and programmes.

3. Monitoring and evaluation

• Ensure implementation and monitoring of the UNOPS gender, diversity and social inclusion action plan.

• Ensure gender specific data are regularly collected and analyzed. 

• Conduct, evaluate and report on social and/or gender audits.

• Contribute to the identification and capturing of best practices and lessons learnt on social and gender equality.

4. Knowledge sharing and knowledge building

• Act as AFCO’s Senior Gender Focal Point and mentor and capacity build all AFCO Gender Focal Points, with structured development plan.

• Support the development and delivery of workshops on gender-related concepts, policies or sectoral issues to develop knowledge and ownership on gender issues.

• Conduct and assist community mobilizers to plan and design training and orientation on gender and social analysis and support incorporating gender aspects in participatory governance/management, leadership development and other gender/social development related training for staff, partners and communities, as appropriate.

• Collect good practices and lessons learnt and share them regularly with AFCO management and staff, as well as other UNOPS country offices for greater knowledge sharing on gender issues within the organization.

5. Team management

• Facilitate the engagement and provision of high quality results and services of the team supervised through effective recruitment, work planning, performance management, coaching, and promotion of learning and development.

• Provide oversight, ensuring compliance by team members with existing policies and best practices.

 Impact of Results

The effective and successful achievement of results by the Diversity and Inclusion Specialist directly impacts on the positive impact of UNOPS projects and programmes on the lives of girls, boys, women and men in Afghanistan. It confirms and raises the profile of UNOPS’ commitment to gender, diversity and inclusion, including gender parity within the organization and gender mainstreaming in all UNOPS areas of work.

Monitoring and progress controls will be in accordance with work plans that the Supervisor and incumbent will prepare at the beginning of the assignment.   

a. Education

• An advanced university degree (e.g. Masters) in gender and diversity studies, sociology,  or other related fields is required. A first-level university degree (e.g. Bachelor) in combination with 2 additional years of progressively relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.

b. Work experience 

• A minimum of 5 years working on gender mainstreaming, gender equality programmes and/or community development is required.

• Experience in FIDIC contracts management is highly valued.

• Experience in capacity building and training related to community development projects is desirable. 

• Previous work experience in a similar position within the UN common system,NGOs or development organizations is preferred. 

• Demonstrated experience working with and championing Gender Transformative Approaches is required.

• Experience working in developing countries or a post-conflict context is an advantage.

• Knowledge and understanding of the gender and diversity context of Afghanistan is required.

c. Languages

• Proficiency in English is required.

• 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
• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few Mandatory Courses (around 4 hours) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS.
• 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.