Background

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.

The Policy, Programme and Intergovernmental Division develops and implements the UN Women program of work on normative, analysis, research, operational and knowledge management that supports the advice and guidance UN Women provides to the intergovernmental process, the UN system, and to UN Women country and regional offices. The Division is organized in thematic sections, which undertake policy research; analyze data on country, regional or global trends; and propose evidence-based options for global policy, norms and standards and for UN Women global programme strategies, policy advocacy, and flagship programmes. In support of UN Women’s normative and coordination mandates, the Division also undertakes substantive preparations for the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) and drafts reports on behalf of the Secretary-General on multiple topics. With the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, UN Women is supporting the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) towards achieving gender equality and women’s economic empowerment by 2030 to benefit all women in the world, leaving no woman behind. UN Women works in partnership with governments, multilateral organizations, the UN System, civil society organizations and the private sector.

Economic empowerment is one of the priority areas of UN Women. UN Women works with governments and partners to promote women’s economic empowerment and increase their access to economic opportunities and outcomes, especially for those who are most excluded, including women migrant workers. In 2018, the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration was adopted by UN Member States. And as the blueprint for the governance and coordination of international migration, it is critical that gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls are central in its implementation. UN Women works to help ensure that migrant women’s human and labour rights are effectively promoted and protected at all stages of migration, and that the implementation of the Global Compact for Migration is human rights -based and gender- responsive.

Since 2023, UN Women has been implementing the second phase of the Germany-funded Making Migration Safe for Women programme in Ethiopia and at the global level with the goal of ensuring that the development and implementation of national migration policies and laws in Ethiopia are gender-responsive, and that international norms and standards for protecting and promoting migrant women’s rights are strengthened. The programme has also aimed to improve the use and collection of sex- disaggregated data and provide robust evidence and research on migrant women to inform national policy making. In January 2025, UN Women will expand implementation of the Making Migration Safe for Women programme in South Africa.

Under the overall supervision of the Deputy Country Representative in South Africa and reporting to the Global Coordinator of the Making Migration Safe programme, the National Programme Specialist will be responsible for planning, implementing, and managing the Making Migration Safe programme in South Africa. The National Programme Specialist works in close collaboration with the UN Women Regional Office and HQ staff, Government officials, multi and bi-lateral donors and civil society organizations ensuring successful UN Women programme implementation.

Duties and Responsibilities

Manage the implementation of the Making Migration Safe for Women (MMSfW) programme in South Africa:

• Develop and finalize the annual workplan and budget for the MMSfW programme in South Africa;
• Undertake the technical implementation of the programme; ensure synergies with the global and country teams;
• Manage the selection of implementing partners;
• Manage the submission of implementing partner financial and narrative reports for South Africa;
• Provide guidance to staff and partners on Results Based Management tools and performance indicators;
• Establish and organize the Programme Steering Committee, programme review and/or evaluation meetings, as needed.

Manage technical assistance and capacity development to programme partners:

• Provide technical advice and guidance to programme partners in South Africa;
• Under the guidance of the Global Coordinator, build and manage relationships with national partners to support implementation and expansion of the MMSfW programme in South Africa and respond to any potential problems;
• Identify capacity building needs of partners and lead the coordination of technical assistance, mentoring, training and capacity development initiatives to partners.

Manage the monitoring and reporting of the MMSfW programme:

• Manage the monitoring of programme implementation and finances in South Africa using results-based management tools;
• Oversee and carry out programme visits and review reports on monitoring trips;
• Write quarterly reports and donor reports, focusing on results, output and outcomes;
• Contribute to donor and UN Women reports in South Africa.

Manage the people and financial resources of the MMSfW programme in South Africa:

1. Manage the programme budget and draft financial reports for South Africa;
2. Supervise any personnel hired as part of the MMSfW programme in South Africa, and mentor and coach any staff and conduct performance assessments, as required;
3. Support the Global Coordinator in recruitment processes for the MMSfW programme, as required.

Build partnerships and support in developing resource mobilization strategies:

• Develop and implement partnerships and resource mobilization strategies;
• Design and develop project strategies in the area of gender and migration;
• Finalize relevant documentation on donors and potential opportunities for resource mobilization;
• Analyze and research information on donors, prepare substantive briefs on possible areas of cooperation, identification of opportunities for cost sharing.

Contribute to inter-agency coordination on migration to achieve coherence and alignment of UN Women programmes with other partners in South Africa and the region:

• Provide technical support to the Country Representative on inter-agency coordination related activities on migration by attending meetings, events, and participating in groups and committees as needed;
• Coordinate with other UN agencies, government departments, donors and NGOs to ensure the Making Migration Safe capacity development programme is harmonized and aligned with other in-country efforts.

Manage advocacy, knowledge building and communication efforts:

• Develop and review background documents, briefs and presentations related to gender and migration;
• Draft contributions to country strategy documents, briefs, policy dialogue and other documents related to gender and migration;
• Represent UN Women in national and regional meetings and policy dialogues on issues related to migration, as required;
• Develop advocacy strategies and oversee their implementation in South Africa;
• Identify best practices and lessons learned to guide programme improvement and strategy planning;
• Develop knowledge management strategies, products and methodologies on migration, in coordination with the Making Migration Safe Programme and Knowledge Management Specialist and the Policy Specialist on Gender and Migration at HQ.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities:

The incumbent will lead 1 staff who will be direct report (1GS6 staff) under the portfolio.

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/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/About%20Us/Employment/UN-Women-values-and-competencies-framework-en.pdf

Functional Competencies:

• Excellent programme formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation skills;
• Ability to develop detailed operational plans, budgets, and deliver on them;
• Excellent knowledge of Results Based Management;
• Ability to synthesize program performance data and produce analytical reports to inform management and strategic decision-making;
• Excellent knowledge in gender and migration;
• Ability to lead formulation of strategies and their implementation;
• Strong networking skills;
• Ability to negotiate and interact with donors, identify and analyze trends, opportunities and threats to fundraising.

Required Skills and Experience

Education and Certification:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in migration, social sciences, human rights, gender/women’s studies, international development, or a related 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;
• A programme/programme management certification would be an added advantage.

Experience:

• At least 5 years of progressively responsible work experience at the national or international level in design, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of programmes on gender and migration;
• Technical experience in the field of migration, gender equality and women’s empowerment is required;
• Experience working in South Africa on migration is required;
• Experience coordinating and liaising with government agencies and/or donors is required;
• Experience working in the UN System is desirable;
• Experience in leading/managing a team is desirable.

Languages:

• Fluency in English is required;
• Knowledge of the other UN official working language is desirable (French, Arabic, Chinese, Russian or Spanish).

All applications must include (as an attachment) a completed UN Women Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded from https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/2022-07/UN-Women-P11-Personal-History-Form-en.doc

Please note that the system will only allow one attachment and candidates are required to include in the P-11 form. Applications without the completed and signed UN Women P-11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment.

Notes:

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Diversity and inclusion:

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.