Project Management Specialist (Local post for Residents of the Republic of Moldova)

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.

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 work of UN Women in Moldova is guided by its , aligned with the , , National Programs and Strategies and aims to contribute to the gender-responsive implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Strategic Note focuses on four main areas: 1) Ending Violence against Women; 2) Women’s Leadership and Governance; 3) Women’s Economic Empowerment and 4) Humanitarian and Peace development nexus and UN Coordination on Gender Equality.          

Republic of Moldova has made considerable progress in closing the gender equality gap due to increased level of representation of women in Parliament and district/local councils. Despite this progress, women in Moldova continue to face significant gender inequalities, particularly in labor force participation, in decision-making processes, and in access to economic opportunities. Unpaid care work remains undervalued and invisible, infused with patriarchal gender norms that view it as a woman’s duty.  The gender pay gap persists, with women underrepresented in high-paying sectors and facing barriers to entrepreneurship. Additionally, childcare services are underdeveloped, limiting women’s ability to participate in the labor market.

All these play as a barrier to women to access decent work, for self-affirmation, welfare and fundamental rights. To address these issues, Moldova has enacted laws and policies promoting gender equality and women economic empowerment, including programs to eliminate violence against women, advance women’s participation in public life, support women entrepreneurship and access to labor market, as well as expand childcare services.

Moving forward, it is imperative to undertake concerted efforts to confront the multifaceted challenges Moldova is facing.  These efforts must encompass bolstering economic resilience, advancing gender equality in leadership peacebuilding and social cohesion, and enriching childcare services. Collaboration among governmental institutions, UN entities, civil society organizations, academia and the private sector will be indispensable in realizing sustainable development and fostering inclusive growth throughout Moldova on both banks of Nistru river.

Through the Enhance Peace and Prosperity through Women s Leadership and Inclusion (Women for Peace & Prosperity) project, financed by Swiss Agency for Cooperation and Development (SDC), UN Women  will provide support to women in Moldova to benefit from increased social and economic opportunities and participation in decision-making processes. Actions will address the engagement of women in governance processes and meaningfully participation in sustained peace building and social cohesion in Moldova.   The project focus the key challenges facing women in the labor market, including access to childcare services, the gender pay gap, and gender stereotypes. It builds on past successes in promoting women’s leadership, economic resilience, and entrepreneurship, particularly in response to crises such as the conflict in Ukraine.

Overall, the project’s interventions are aligned with global and national development frameworks, including the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, and support the implementation of national and sectorial programs, as well Moldova’s path towards European Union accession. The project will leverage partnerships with national and local institutions, employers, and civil society to promote gender-responsive policies and initiatives, entrepreneurship development, and improved childcare services.

Under the supervision of the  Deputy Country Representative, the Project Management Specialist is responsible for managing the development, implementation, monitoring and reporting of project for the CO, including providing technical support to the implementation of the Country Office programme, managing the monitoring and reporting for the Country Office, overseeing and guiding people and budget management for the project team, building partnerships and providing support in developing resource mobilization strategies, and managing knowledge building efforts.

Duties and Responsibilities

Manage the programmatic development for the Country Office, based on the Strategic Note

• Provide overall programme advisory support to the Office Management;
• Guide the development of the CO programme, and provide technical support to the design and formulation of project initiatives;
• Review and provide feedback to project strategies and documents, workplans, case studies and related knowledge products and publications, as needed;
• Provide technical advice on the development of systems, processes and mechanisms to support programme planning, implementation, monitoring and progress reporting;
• Review and evaluate proposals and oversee the preparation of donor proposals and reports;
• Draft policy documents, briefs and other strategic papers/ materials for the use in the development and presentation of policy and programmatic positions.

Provide technical support to the implementation of the Country Office programme

• Review project annual work plans to assure compliance with UN Women programme goals and results-based indicators;
• Analyze and ensure alignment of project budgets with logical framework matrices and work plans;
• Draft reports on activities, outputs and outcomes; and compile information in preparations of country office donor and UN Women reports;
• Analyze and ensure alignment of project budgets with logical framework matrices and work plans;
• Manage project quality control and identification of potential challenges;
• Align project activities with operations team in close liaison with Operations Managers;
• Build and manage relationships with national partners, as necessary.

Manage the monitoring and reporting for the Country Office Recommend and establish project monitoring standards, criteria, and other indicators for measuring and assessing progress/results;

• Manage the monitoring of mutually agreed results frameworks and performance indicators;
• Coordinate the process of gathering information and preparing progress reports on project implementation; prepare technical reports;
• Prepare project team for audits and monitor implementation of audit recommendations;
• Provide training on results-based management to office staff, as necessary.

Oversee and guide people and budget management for the project team

• Lead a team, perform staff performance reviews, ensure capacity development of staff members by suggesting development opportunities;
• Monitor and analyze financial situation on the portfolios and project to ensure adherence to delivery rates and utilization of resources to meet agreed upon targets and results;
• Ensure effective information flow, communication and coordination across the office, between programmes, projects and operations, and with other UN Women offices and units.

Build partnerships and provide support in developing resource mobilization strategies

• Develop and implement partnerships and resource mobilization strategies;
• Analyze and research information on donors, finalize substantive briefs on possible areas of cooperation, identification of opportunities for resource mobilization and cost sharing;
• Determine programmatic areas of cooperation, based on strategic goals of UN Women, country needs and donors’ priorities and develop the relevant partnerships.

Manage knowledge building efforts

• Manage the process of identifying and synthesizing of best practices and lessons learned that are directly linked to the implementation of the project and contribute to their global dissemination.

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 leads a team of 6, which includes 6 direct reports three (NOA) FTA-L staff, as well as 3 affiliate personnel (SC and consultants).

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: 

Functional Competencies

• Strong programme formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation skills
• Ability to develop detailed operational plans, budgets, and deliver on them
• Ability to synthesize program performance data and produce analytical reports to inform management and strategic decision-making
• Strong analytical skills
• Strong knowledge of Results Based Management
• Good knowledge of UN programme management systems

Required Skills and Experience

Education and certification:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in Social Sciences, Political Science, Development, Public Administration, Gender 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 (such as PMP®, PRINCE2®, or MSP®) would be an added advantage.

Experience:

• At least 5 years of progressively responsible experience in programme management, including programme design, programme coordination, monitoring and evaluation, donor reporting and capacity building is required.
• Experience in setting priorities, budgets, work plans, participating in programme development and programme writing is required.
• Experience in working in a gender related area is an advantage.
• Experience within UN or other international organizations and knowledge about the UN systems would be an advantage.
• Experience in leading teams effectively is an advantage.

Language Requirements:

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

APPLICATION PROCESS AND SUBMISSION PACKAGE 

Interested candidates are invited to submit applications with the following documents. 

• Motivation letter;
• Duly filled UN Women Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded from:  . Applications without the completed UN Women P-11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment. Kindly note that the system will only allow one attachment.

Only short-listed applicants will be contacted. 

Note:

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.