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.  

Afghanistan is one of the world’s most complex emergencies, and the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. Afghan people are grappling with the impact of conflict, poverty, economic decline, and natural disasters. In this context, Afghan women and girls face unique vulnerabilities and require urgent support as gender inequality is interwoven with conflict dynamics and humanitarian needs. It is essential that Afghan women and girls can continue to shape the development of their country, and that their gains are protected. UN Women remains fully committed to supporting Afghan women and girls and to putting them at the center of the global response to the crisis in Afghanistan.  

UN Women has been in Afghanistan for two decades. UN Women’s programming approach is informed by analysis of the political, economic and humanitarian situation, risks to and capacities of partner organizations, and needs of Afghan women and girls. UN Women Afghanistan currently has four key programme priorities: (1) Gender in Humanitarian Action, (2) Ending Violence Against Women, (3) Women’s Economic Empowerment, and (4) Women, Peace and Security. UN Women Afghanistan operates through its main office in Kabul and five sub-offices located in the provinces Balkh, Bamyan, Herat, Kandahar and Nangarhar. 

Following the Taliban takeover in August 2021, ACO has reconfigured its WEE programming to adapt the volatile operational environment and identified entry points to promote engagement of Afghan women across a range of economic activities ranging from cash for work, livelihood security and supporting women to own and better manage small and medium and enterprises.

Under the overall guidance of the Special Representative and directly reporting to the Deputy Country Representative (Programmes), the WEE Programme Manager exercises overall responsibility planning, implementing, and managing UN Women interventions under his/her portfolio.  She/he works in close collaboration with the programme and operations team, UN Women Regional Office, HQ staff, with multi and bi-lateral donors and civil society organizations and strategic partnerships including with UN and private sector, ensuring successful UN Women programme implementation under the WEE portfolio.   

Duties and Responsibilities

Provide leadership on programme development in the area of Women’s Economic Empowerment

• Oversee and manage the design and formulation of programme proposals and initiatives; Identify programmatic areas for support and interventions within the areas of Women’s Economic Empowerment;
• Contribute to country strategy documents and joint planning frameworks;, draft policy briefs, analytical papers and other strategic, technical and policy influencing documents related to increasing women access to economic opportunities;
• Organize periodic consultations with key stakeholders, women leaders, women entrepreneurs, women business associations, private sector, human rights experts, UN partners and other relevant actors to gather inputs on programme design, as necessary.

• Lead the design and formulation of programme/ project proposals and initiatives.

Manage the implementation and management of Women’s Economic Empowerment programme

• Finalize the annual workplan and budget and manage their implementation;
• Provide strategic advise  to the Senior Management on the Women’s Economic Empowerment portfolio;
• Manage the technical implementation and oversight of the programme/ project; provide technical advice; ensure synergies with other teams;

• Lead the coordination of the call/ request for proposals, including the organization of Project Steering Committee, project review and/or evaluation meetings on WEE and capacity assessment of partners;
• Review the submission of implementing partner financial and narrative reports as required;
• Provide guidance to staff and partners on Results Based Management tools and performance indicators;

Oversee technical assistance and capacity development to project/programme partners

• Provide technical advice to partners; oversee the provision of technical guidance by the team
• Build, manage, and expand relationships with national partners to support implementation and expansion of the Women’s Economic Empowerment programme; ensure flexibility and adaptability of programming in a timely and principled manner in response to potential challenges ;
• Lead and regularly update risk mitigation measures informed by operational context to enable safe and secure operational environment for implementation of WEE programmes and ensure safety of partners and recipients of the programmes
• Serve as an expert resource to partners on programmes/initiatives, knowledge management and advocacy opportunities related to women’s economic empowerment;
• Implement and oversee capacity building opportunities and initiatives;
• Provide partners with advanced technical assistance, training and capacity development initiatives.

Manage the monitoring and reporting of the programme/ project

• Manage the process of monitoring the programme/ project implementation of activities and finances using results-based management tools;
• Finalize quarterly reports and donor reports, focusing on results, output and outcomes;
• Write internal and external progress reports.

Manage the people and financial resources of Economic Empowerment Programme area

• Manage the programme budget and finalize financial reports;
• Manage the Programme Associates and Technical Specialists on Women’s Economic Empowerment programme; mentor and coach staff and conduct performance assessments;
• Oversee and participate in recruitment processes, as necessary.

Build partnerships and support in developing resource mobilization strategies

• Develop and implement partnerships and resource mobilization strategies related to WEE;
• Finalize relevant documentation on donors and develop potential opportunities for resource mobilization;
• Analyze and research information on donors, finalize substantive briefs on possible areas of cooperation, identification of opportunities for cost sharing.

Manage inter-agency coordination to achieve a coherent and aligned presence in the area of Women’s Economic Empowerment in Afghanistan

• Provide substantive technical support to the Representative and Deputy Representative on inter-agency coordination related activities by attending meetings, events, and participating in thematic working groups, task team and committees;
• Coordinate with other UN agencies, donors and NGOs to ensure the WEE priorities is harmonized and aligned with other in-country efforts across the humanitarian-development nexus;
• Take part in UN system wide planning and implementing frameworks including the the UN Transitional Engagement Framework, Humanitarian response Plans (HRP) processes and similar exercises related to the RC/HC system;
• Prepare substantive inputs to UNTEF, HRP and other documents, as necessary.

Lead advocacy, knowledge building and communication efforts

• Represent UN Women in meetings and policy dialogues on issues related to women economic contributions and programmes  
• Manage advocacy strategies and their implementation;
• Identify best practices and lessons learned to guide programme improvement and strategy planning;
• Lead the development of knowledge management strategies and methodologies and products on Women Economic Empowerment

Key Performance Indicators

• Timely and quality programme strategies and contributions to Strategic Note
• Timely and quality of programme delivery in line with budget, workplans and the Strategic Note
• Strong and clear leadership/ supervision of team
• Partners and other stakeholder provide positive feedback on advisory and technical services
• Quality reports and timely submission
• Quality of advocacy, communication and knowledge management initiatives
• Resources mobilized
• Strong relationships with donors, partners and other stakeholders

Competencies

Core Values:

• Integrity;
• Professionalism;
• Respect for Diversity.

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 and technical expertise in various economic models related to women’s empowerment
• 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:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in economics, business administration, social sciences, human rights, gender/women's studies, international development, or other relevant 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:

• Minimum 7 years of progressively responsible experience at the national or international level in design, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development projects;
• Technical expertise and previous work experience in applying economic empowerment principles, piloting or applying of innovative approaches to income generation for women,  and economic empowerment of women in complex humanitarian environment
• Experience of working with multi-cultural teams is required;
• Experience coordinating and liaising with partners/ stakeholders and/or donors is an asset;
• Experience working in post-conflict or conflict environment is an asset;
• Experience working in the UN System is an asset;
• Experience in leading/managing a team is required.

Languages:

• Fluency in English is required
• Knowledge of the other UN official working language is an asset;
• Knowledge of local 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/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/About%20Us/Employment/UN-Women-P11-Personal-History-Form.doc. 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.)