Programme Specialist, Making Migration Safe

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 Global Compact for Migration is human rights -based and gender- responsive.

Since 2019, UN Women has been implementing the Germany-funded Making Migration Safe for Women programme in Niger and at the global level with the goal of ensuring that the development and implementation of national migration policies and laws in Niger 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 2023, UN Women will start the implementation of the second phase of the ‘Making Migration Safe for Women’ programme, at the global level and in Ethiopia.

Under the overall supervision of the Deputy Country Representative in Ethiopia and reporting to the Global Programme Coordinator of the Making Migration Safe Programme, the Programme Specialist exercises overall responsibility for planning, implementing, and managing UN Women interventions under their portfolio.

The Programme Specialist works in close collaboration with the programme and operations team in Ethiopia, UN Women HQ staff, Government officials, multi and bi-lateral donors and civil society ensuring successful UN Women programme implementation under portfolio. 

Duties and Responsibilities

Design and develop programme strategies in the area of migration

• Design and formulate programme/ project proposals and initiatives;
• Draft inputs to country strategy documents, briefs, policy dialogue and other documents related to migration.

Manage the implementation and management of the Making Migration Safe programme in Ethiopia

• Develop and finalize the annual workplan and budget and manage their implementation;
• Manage the technical implementation of the programme/project; ensure synergies with global and country teams;
• Manage the submission of implementing partner financial and narrative reports for Ethiopia;
• Provide guidance to personnel and partners on Results Based Management tools and performance indicators;
• Organize Project Steering Committee, project review and/or evaluation meetings, as needed.

Manage technical assistance and capacity development to project/programme partners

• Manage the implementation of technical advice and guidance in Ethiopia. Develop and implement technical tools, and initiatives
• Build and manage relationships with national partners to support implementation and expansion of the Making Migration Safe programme; 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 Making Migration Safe programme

• Manage the monitoring of programme implementation and finances in Ethiopia using results based management tools;
• Oversee and carry out field missions and review reports on monitoring missions;
• Write quarterly reports and donor reports, focusing on results, output and outcomes;
• Contribute to office donor and UN Women reports in Ethiopia.

Manage the people and financial resources of the Making Migration Safe programme in Ethiopia

• Manage the programme budget and draft financial reports for Ethiopia;
• Supervise any personnel hired as part of the Making Migration Safe programme in Ethiopia; Mentor and coach personnel and conduct performance assessments;
• Support the Global Coordinator in recruitment processes for the Making Migration Safe programme, as necessary.

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 the country

• Provide technical support to the Country Representative on inter-agency coordination related activities 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 projects’ 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;
• Represent UN Women in meetings and policy dialogues on issues related to migration as necessary;
• Develop advocacy strategies and oversee their implementation;
• 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 Policy Specialist on gender and migration at HQ.

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

Functional Competencies

• Strong programme formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation skills

• Strong knowledge of Results Based Management
• Ability to synthesize program performance data and produce analytical reports to inform management and strategic decision-making
• Strong knowledge of gender and migration
• Strong analytical skills
• Ability to identify and analyze trends, opportunities and threats to fundraising and develop strategies
• Ability to develop detailed operational plans, budgets, and deliver on them
• Ability to lead formulation of strategies and their implementation
• Strong networking skills and ability to lead and coach staff in international settings.

Required Skills and Experience

Education 

• Master’s degree or equivalent in social sciences, human rights, gender/women’s studies, international development, migration 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 project/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 development projects is required.
• Technical experience in migration, gender and women’s empowerment is required.
• Experience working in Ethiopia on migration is desirable
• Experience coordinating and liaising with government agencies and/or donors is desirable.
• Experience working in the UN System is desirable.
• Experience in the use of a modern web-based ERP System, preferably Oracle Cloud, is desirable.

Language 

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

Application:

• All applications must include (as an attachment) a completed UN Women Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded from .

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.)