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 Spotlight Initiative is a global, multi-year partnership between the United Nations (UN) and the European Union (EU), focusing on eliminating all forms of violence against women and girls (VAWG). The initiative places SDG 5 at the center of efforts (as well as SDG 16) with the aim to provide an enabling environment for the implementation of all goals. Spotlight provides a model for partnership with donors, civil society, and all UN partners, to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a comprehensive manner leveraging comparative expertise.

The Spotlight initiative in the Pacific is implemented through five Recipient UN Organisations (RUNOs -- UN Women,

UNFPA, UNDP, UNICEF, and IOM) with a focus on Intimate partner (physical, sexual, and emotional) violence (IPV). UN Women provides technical leadership and coherence to this initiative.

The position supports two programmes – Pacific regional and Vanuatu country level programmes. The Regional Initiative builds on existing Pacific Islands Forum commitments as well as country specific commitments in Fiji, Republic of Marshal Islands and Solomon Islands. In Vanuatu it contributes to implementation of Vanuatu’s National Gender Equality Policy, with attention to holistic prevention and responses to violence against women and girls.

This position will have a dual reporting function with direct reporting to the UN Women EVAWG Technical Specialist and matrix reporting to the Resident Coordinator.  The EVAWG Programme Coordinator reports directly to UN Women on all technical and programmatic EVAWG work and reports to the UN RC on the Spotlight Initiative on matters related to governance and coordination .

The EVAWG Programme Coordinator will hold overall responsibility for operational coordination and technical guidance of the Regional Pacific Spotlight Initiative, and operational coordination responsibility for Vanuatu programme. S/he will provide strategic engagement with the Regional Inter-governmental and national Government counterparts, high-level oversight and monitoring, and quality assurance of both programmes’ components, in coordination with the Regional Pacific and Vanuatu Civil Society Reference Groups and the Pacific and Vanuatu Steering Committees. S/he supervises the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Communications Specialist and Finance Officer based in the Resident Coordinator’s Office to provide reporting and monitoring as well as appropriate sharing of lessons learned and communication.

Reporting directly to the UN Women EVAWG Technical Advisor and coordinating closely with the UN Women Fiji MCO EVAWG team and Operations team, the Programme Coordinator is responsible for the technical and operational implementation of UN Women’s Pacific Regional, Multi-Country Spotlight programming, through the provision of technical oversight and coherence through planning, implementing, coordinating, budget management and reporting on UN Women’s Spotlight programmes actions.  S/he manages UN Women’s Programme Officer and two Programme Associates implementing UN Women’s Regional Spotlight Initiative activities.

The Programme Coordinator requires experience and in-depth understanding of gender equality and women’s empowerment, and expertise in developing capacities with Government and civil society institutions, to translate gender equality priorities, specifically on EVAWG, into effective development results.

On behalf of the Resident Coordinator, ensure effective strategic coordination of the Pacific Regional and Vanuatu Country Spotlight Initiatives (75%):

• Provide advice to the Resident Coordinator and UN Women on the implementation of two initiatives ensuring regular communication and sharing of information to both
• Ensure consistency between programme activities, the Spotlight Initiative Country Programme Documents and decisions by the Steering Committees
• Coordinate the tracking of funds approved by the Pacific and Vanuatu Steering Committees and their proper administration
• Coordinate the preparation of consolidated analytical results-based progress reports based on submissions from RUNOs within the timetable specified in the contract between the UN and EU
• Supervise the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer to prepare strategic materials, briefs and/or position papers on emerging results and outcomes for the Steering Committees
• Support RUNOs to negotiate agreements and work plans with regional, national authorities in accordance with the objectives of the Spotlight Initiative
• Mobilize and interact with the RCO, RUNOs, associated UN agencies, the EU locally and other relevant entities to appropriately respond to any needs occurring within the Initiative
• Serve as the main contact for internal communications and reporting on the Spotlight Initiative with internal and external partners in close coordination with RUNOs
• Supervise Communications Officer responsible for appropriate communication on the Spotlight Initiative at meetings with other UN bodies, donors, Inter-governmental institutions and Government, and promote building broader support for the Initiative
• Use networks to promote the Spotlight Initiative with partner organizations, as well as other Spotlight countries in the region
• Monitor identified programme risks and provide support and guidance to mitigate and address them in a timely manner
• Forward the closure / transition of the Spotlight Initiative Pacific Regional programme

On behalf of UN Women, support technical oversight, assistance and capacity building to the Spotlight Initiative, and be responsible for technical coherence of the Pacific Regional Spotlight Initiative (25%):

• Report to the Resident Coordinator and UN Women EVAWG Technical Advisor on programme performance and results of the Spotlight Initiative.
• Ensure overall technical coherence of Programme across pillars, in line with the Programme Document
• Provide strategic thinking, technical advice and innovative approaches to facilitating programme interventions.
• Guide the process of delivery of technical assistance and engagement with partners, as per the planned activities within the Regional Programme
• Supervise the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer to support the elaboration of narrative reports for final clearance by the Resident Coordinator and UN Women
• Promote regional exchanges of lessons learned and experiences on ending violence against women and girls and harmful practices within Pacific region and with Spotlight Initiative Coordinators across the world
• Support the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer to prepare analytical reviews and systematically capture lessons learnt from the programme implementation
• Support all agencies and Resident Coordinator in the development of a joint resource mobilization and sustainability strategy for the Initiative
• Identify capacity building needs and support partners through technical assistance, mentoring, training, cross-partner learning, and capacity development initiatives.
• Advocate and facilitate knowledge building and management and communication through supervision of the Communications Officer and Monitoring and Evaluation Officer
• Encourage innovative methodologies by the RUNOs and support sharing of good practices across the Programme
• Lead the formulation of guidelines and procedures that would further improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the Spotlight Initiative implementation
• Ensure documentation of the programme implementation process and products produced are in accordance with UN Women guidelines
• Represent RCO and UN Women in meetings and policy dialogues on issues related to the Spotlight Initiative as necessary

Key Performance Indicators:

• Timely and quality programme strategies and contributions
• Timely and quality of programme delivery in line with budget, workplans and the Programme Document
• Performance of team
• Partners and other stakeholders, including government and civil society, provide positive feedback on technical services
• Quality reports and timely submission
• Quality of advocacy, communication and knowledge management initiatives
• Strong relationships with donors, partners and other stakeholders

Core Values:

• Respect for Diversity
• Integrity
• Professionalism

Core Competencies:

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues
• Accountability
• Creative Problem Solving
• Effective Communication
• Inclusive Collaboration
• Stakeholder Engagements
• Leading by Example

Functional Competencies

• Strong knowledge in thematic area of Ending Violence Against women and Girls
• Strong programme formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation skills
• Ability to develop detailed operational plans, budgets, and deliver on them
• Strong knowledge of Results Based Management
• Ability to synthesize program performance data and produce analytical reports to inform management and strategic decision-making
• 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

Education and certification:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in 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 (2) 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 7 years of progressively responsible professional experience in design, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of complex gender development projects.
• Minimum 7 years of technical experience in working on violence against women and girls in Pacific is an asset.
• Minimum 7 years of experience coordinating and liaising with government agencies and/or donors is an asset.
• Experience working in the UN System is an asset.
• Experience managing an EU-funded projects is an asset;

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English is required
• Knowledge of Pacific languages 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.)