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.

Established by UN Women with the support of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family (MOGEF) of the Republic of Korea in 2021, the UN Women Centre of Excellence for Gender Equality is dedicated to supporting traditional and non-traditional stakeholders in realizing commitments to gender equality, women’s empowerment, and the rights of women and girls through (i) gender capacity-building training programmes, (ii) research and support for production and use of gender data, and (iii) network building, partnership cultivation and advocacy as a leading gender training and knowledge hub in Asia and beyond. The UN Women Centre of Excellence for Gender Equality embraces innovation, including as it relates to new technologies and partnerships, to increase the breadth and depth of its work, aligning with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its transformative promise to leave no one behind.

Under the supervision of the Director and the technical guidance from the Head of External Relations unit at UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific and in close coordination with the Strategic Partnerships Division (e.g. Public Partnerships Section, Multi-stakeholder Partnership and Advisory Services, and Communication and Advocacy teams) at HQ, the External Relations Specialist will provide technical support to the development and management of UN Women’s strategic partnerships, resource mobilization, advocacy and communication strategy in the UN Women Centre of Excellence for Gender Equality. The External Relations Specialist will also collaborate closely with the Headquarters, Regional, Multi-Country Office and Country Offices’ (RO/MCO/CO) colleagues to ensure communications strategies, media relations and organizational outreach efforts are aligned with corporate communications policies and initiatives. The External Relations Specialist also collaborates with HQ/RO/MCO and CO colleagues to support outreach campaigns, resource mobilization and donor relations initiatives. The External Relations Specialist mobilizes support in conjunction with intergovernmental processes and support the activities and special events organized for UN Women. External Relations Specialist is expected to manage relevant personnel and vendors, as necessary.

1. Develop and manage Centre of Excellence’s partnerships with stakeholders in the Republic of Korea

• Manage and coordinate relationships with key bilateral partners
• Provide technical inputs to the Office Management’s efforts at the country level to develop new and innovative partnerships
• Set and monitor annual priorities, goals and key performance indicators (KPIs) for national and regional partnerships

2. In close coordination with the Strategic Partnerships Division (SPD) at HQ, lead and facilitate the implementation of national resource mobilization strategies and initiatives

• Develop and maintain partnerships with potential donors in the Republic of Korea including the private sector (e.g. corporations, foundations, and international financial institutions)
• Manage the development and implementation of private sector fundraising strategies aligned and coordinated with other programmes and UN Women corporate strategies in close collaboration with the RO and HQ SPD Multi-stakeholder Partnerships and Advisory Services (MPAS).
• Develop targeted products and initiatives to mobilize programmatic resources and attract additional donors’ funding
• Coordinate project proposals in line with the UN Women’s strategy and the interest of private sector partners

3. Build trust and maintain effective relationships with donors

• Gather information on project/programmes pipelines and corresponding resource needs through close collaboration with country-based counterparts
• Provide technical support to the Office Management and other senior managers in the preparation of missions, meetings and other consultations with donors, including the preparation of notes, briefs and other materials
• Support Public Partnerships Lead in high-level visits and annual consultations led by the Executive Leadership Team at HQ and the RO management
• Act as a direct entry point for country-based donors, and support the Director at the Centre as well as the RO and HQ (i.e. Public Partnerships Lead) building institutional relationships with the Government of the Republic of Korea.
• Provide regular updates on donor profiles, databases (e.g. contacts management) and donor intelligence on relevant Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platforms
• Undertake ad-hoc donor studies, research, and other activities to identify funding opportunities; update the resources mobilization strategy as needs emerge
• Provide technical support to HQ/RO and the Director at the Centre for the drafting and review of partner-specific Framework Arrangements and Cost Sharing Agreements; and the preparation of brief funding proposals and concept notes, where appropriate

4. Manage the development and implementation of communication and outreach/advocacy strategies and plans

• Design, develop, and implement communication and outreach/advocacy strategies, including media strategies with a gender perspective
• Integrate communication, advocacy and outreach strategies into proposals for project/programmes and other initiatives
• Monitor and analyze print and social media and prepare reports
• Launch in-country UN Women/UN system corporate and local campaigns and special events
• Manage engagement with advocacy partners (e.g. Korean celebrities, media companies, and digital influencers)Support HQ Public Partnerships Section and RO in developing assets and wide dissemination during the ‘Partner Recognition Week’ campaign for the Government of the Republic of Korea as a donor

5. Oversee the development and dissemination of advocacy materials in the country

• Develop and produce communication and advocacy instruments and materials, including briefing materials, press releases, and articles and coordinate its dissemination through effective channels
• Identify and launch information opportunities, activities, approaches and platforms and partners
• Provide advice on advocacy materials and coordinate launching flagship initiatives and publications
• Lead the engagement and supervision of video producers and other communication personnel to produce audio/ visual material on UN Women’s work
• Develop brochures, factsheets, stories from the field to inform media and general public at the national level
• Translate between English and Korean as needed
• Follow guidelines from and report to the RO and HQ SPD Communications and Advocacy

6. Participate in knowledge building and sharing of external relations’ efforts

• Contribute to the development of knowledge products and mechanisms to effectively position UN Women in the region wherever possible
• Share knowledge and enhance organizational learning among UN Women regional and field offices through the development and use of on-line tools, templates, tips, mechanisms and guidelines
• Monitor emerging issues that could affect partnerships and resource contributions at the national levels (risk management) and coordinate with RO and HQ for a corporate approach and executive decisions.
• Provide training and workshops on external relations as appropriate

7. Coordinate the submission of high quality and timely reports to Donors

• Maintain systems to promote compliance with the terms of grants and agreements, across the region
• Coordinate with the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific for the collection of information and preparation of results-based reports for external constituencies

8. Manage the implementation and management of the external relations programme

• Finalize the annual workplan and budget and manage their implementation
• Provide programme advisory support to the Office Management within partnerships, resource mobilization, advocacy and communications
• Manage the technical implementation of the programme, provide technical advice and ensure synergies with other teams
• Review the submission of implementing partner financial and narrative reports as required
• Provide guidance to personnel and partners on Results Based Management tools and performance indicators
• Contribute to Steering Committee, project review and evaluation meeting
• Oversee vendor selection process and relationships

9. Manage the people and financial resources of the external relations programme

• Manage the programme budget and finalize financial reports
• Manage, mentor and coach personnel and conduct performance assessment where relevant
• Oversee recruitment processes as necessary

Key Performance Indicators

• Timely attention and response to UN Women’s partners and donors
• Quality inputs to resource mobilization strategy
• Timely targeting of funding opportunities and timely tracking of donor intelligence
• Quality communication and advocacy products which result in increased resources and a strong investment case for UN Women
• Quality monitoring and reporting mechanism to ensure quality of data and limit redundancy in efforts
• Quality communications strategy and timely implementation which leads to greater exposure and understanding of UN Women’s work
• Quality and relevant advocacy materials and content or the website and social media channels
• Regular interactions with mass media, as shown by coverage
• Regular interactions with donors, as shown in increased funds
• Regular exchange of information between MCO/ COs in region as shown in coherent and relevant regional public presence

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 knowledge of gender equality and women's rights issues
• Demonstrated ability to interact effectively with government representatives of Member States (donor and programme)
• Proven networking skills, and ability to mobilize support on behalf of UN Women
• Strong negotiating skills
• Knowledge and understanding of UN system and familiarity with inter-governmental processes
• Strong IT skills, including databases, CRM and office software packages
• Strong oral and written communication and editing skills
• Strong communication, networking and advocacy skills
• Strong analytical and interpersonal skills
• Ability to communicate sensitively, effectively and creatively across different constituencies
• Good knowledge of managing web-based knowledge management systems
• Good understanding of production, graphic design and photography standards
• Good knowledge of social media platforms and experience in social media outreach
• Good knowledge of local country media landscape

Education and certification:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in economics, business management, social sciences, public administration, international relations, communications, gender/women's studies, 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

Experience:

• At least 5 years of progressively responsible experience in partnership building, resource mobilization, communications/advocacy, and/or business development
• Experience in gender equality and women's empowerment
• Experience working with civil society organizations, international institutions, private sector and donors
• Experience working in the UN system is an asset
• Experience in media relations is an asset
• Experience working in Asia and the Pacific region is an asset

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English is required
• Knowledge of the local language (Korean) is a strong asset
• Knowledge of the other UN official working language is an asset

Application:

All applications must include (as an attachment) the completed UN Women Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded from https://www.unwomen.org/en/about-us/employment/application-process Kindly note that the system will only allow one attachment. Applications without the completed UN Women P-11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment.  Only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

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.)