Programme Specialist, Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment (GEWE) P4 - Port Sudan, Sudan

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 Sudan’s 2026–2028 Strategic Note (SN) aims to ensure that women and girls experience greater peace, safety, and prosperity through targeted humanitarian response, meaningful participation in peace and security, inclusive economic growth and strengthened protection. Guided by four integrated Gender Equality Accelerators: Ending Violence Against Women and Girls; strengthening women’s leadership, access, and protection in humanitarian settings; advancing the Women, Peace and Security agenda; and promoting women’s economic empowerment within informal-sector value chains, the Country Office will deliver flexible, conflict-sensitive, and evidence-based programming adapted to Sudan’s volatile context. Implementation will be supported by strengthened coordination, inclusive targeting of young women and women with disabilities, and investments in institutional capacity, partnerships, risk management, staff well-being, and robust systems to ensure effective, agile, and high-quality delivery of results.

UN Women Sudan will strengthen partnerships at multiple levels including collaboration with the Ministry of Social Development, the Ministry of Justice, and transitional authorities to support the institutionalization of gender-sensitive protection and peace frameworks. Locally, partnerships with women-led organizations (WLOs) will scale up community-based initiatives such as Women’s Situation Rooms and Women’s Peace Committees, while providing safe spaces, psychosocial support, and legal assistance in high-risk regions like Darfur, Kordofan, and Blue Nile. The Country Office will also engage the private sector and microfinance institutions to create economic opportunities and expand financial access for displaced and rural women. Funding diversification will be pursued through participatory engagement with donors, government actors, WLOs, and civil society, while strengthening communications and coordination. 

Reporting to the Country Representative, the Programme Management Specialist oversee and coordinate the management and implementation of all programmes, more specifically, the Programme Management Specialist exercises overall responsibility for planning, implementing, and managing the UN Women Sudan programme portfolio.  She/he works in close collaboration with the programme and operations teams, the UNCT’s UNSDCF Priority Pillars Working Groups, the East and South Africa (ESA) Regional Office, UN Women HQ, Government officials, multi and bi-lateral donors and civil society ensuring successful programme implementation.

Key Functions and Accountabilities:

Lead design and development of programmes on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment (GEWE):

• Lead context and need assessments to inform gender-responsive programme design, exercising professional judgment in methodology selection and analytical interpretation;
• Design and develop programme frameworks and strategies aligned with UN Women priorities and donor requirements, establishing guidelines that shape the Country Office's GEWE approach;
• Develop authoritative inputs to country strategy documents, briefs, policy dialogue and other documents related to GEWE, providing technical advisory services that influence organizational positioning.

Lead the implementation and management of the Country Office Programme:

• Direct the planning, coordination, and execution of all CO programmes to ensure alignment with strategic objectives and Gender Equality Accelerators, exercising significant independent judgment on programme priorities and resource allocation;
• Manage and monitor programme progress, budgets, and risks, ensuring timely delivery of results and compliance with UN Women standards, consults with the Country Representative on high-risk or politically sensitive matters;
• Provide strategic guidance and technical advisory services to project teams to optimize operational efficiency and impact;
• Lead coordination with government, UN partners, donors, and civil society to ensure programme coherence and integration across the humanitarian, development, and peace nexus;
• Champion adaptive management by integrating lessons learned and monitoring data into ongoing programme adjustments.

Lead technical assistance and capacity development of project/programme partners:

• Build and manage strategic partnerships with national partners to support implementation and expansion GEWE initiatives across Sudan;
• Assess and analyze partner capacity needs and design targeted technical assistance, training, and mentorship programmes;
• Advise partners on gender-responsive programming, compliance, and best practices to enhance effectiveness;
•  Design and facilitate knowledge sharing and peer learning mechanisms to strengthen local ownership and sustainable programme outcomes.

Direct the monitoring and reporting of programmes/projects:

• Lead and direct data collection, validation and analysis system for evidence-based decision-making;
• Ensure reporting aligns with UN Women standards, Strategic Note objectives, and donor requirements, establishing quality control mechanisms;
• Direct the timely development of progress reports, dashboards, and briefs for internal management, donors, and coordination bodies;
• Analyze andintegrate lessons learned from monitoring and evaluation to inform programme adjustments and improve effectiveness.

Lead the CO Programme personnel and Programme financial resources: 

• Lead the process of recruiting, onboarding, and retaining qualified programme staff, ensuring diversity and inclusion;
• Establish and define roles, responsibilities, and performance expectations for all programme personnel;
• Conduct regular performance appraisals and provide coaching, mentoring, and feedback;
• Foster effective communication, collaboration, and knowledge sharing among programme teams;
• Ensure compliance with UN Women policies on ethics, conduct, and zero tolerance for harassment;
• Desing, develop and manage programme budgets, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities;
• Direct financial monitoring of expenditure, track financial performance, and ensure compliance with UN Women financial policies;
• Authorize and control resource allocation across projects to maximize value-for-money, within established delegations of authority;
• Lead donor reporting and financial audits, ensuring timely and accurate submissions;
• Analyze funding gaps and develop strategies to support resource mobilization efforts to sustain programme delivery;
• Design and implement internal controls and risk management procedures to safeguard financial resources.

Build strategic partnerships and lead the development of resource mobilization strategies:

• Cultivate and strengthen strategic relationships with government agencies, civil society, women-led organizations (WLOs), and UN agencies to align funding priorities and programmatic goals;
• Lead participatory engagement with stakeholders to ensure co-creation of initiatives and alignment with national and local priorities;
• Strategically leverage partnerships to expand access to innovative funding mechanisms and pooled resources across the humanitarian, development, and peace (HDP) nexus;
• Lead internal efforts to prepare compelling funding proposals, concept notes, and donor reporting frameworks;
• Design and implement strategies to promote visibility of UN Women’s work through communications, advocacy, and multi-stakeholder engagement to strengthen donor confidence and long-term support.

Lead inter-agency coordination on GEWE to achieve coherence and alignment of UN Women programmes with other partners in the country:

• Serve as the authoritative focal point for integrating UN Women’s triple mandate: humanitarian, development, and peace into inter-agency processes, ensuring that gender equality and women’s empowerment (GEWE) considerations are mainstreamed across all thematic areas;
• Provide strategic and authoritative technical advice and support to the Representative on inter-agency coordination, representing UN Women in relevant meetings, events, and working groups advance UN Women’s priorities in humanitarian response, recovery, governance, and peacebuilding initiatives;
• Lead engagement with other UN agencies, government ministries, donors, and civil society partners to harmonize and align capacity development programmes, policy interventions, and service delivery, ensuring complementarity and reducing duplication;
• Champion and facilitate information sharing, joint planning, and evidence-based decision-making to enhance coherence of GEWE approaches across sectors such as protection, livelihoods, leadership and governance, Women, Peace and Security, and ending violence against women and girls;
• Advocate for and strategically promote partnerships and collaborations that leverage UN Women’s comparative advantage in advancing transformative gender outcomes across the Sudanese humanitarian, development, and peace nexus.

Lead advocacy, knowledge building and communication efforts:

• Design, develop, and authorize background documents, briefs and presentations related to the GEWE;
• Represent UN Women in meetings and policy dialogues on issues related to GEWE, speaking authoritatively on behalf of UN Women;
• Design, develop and implement advocacy strategies to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment;
• Champion knowledge sharing and dissemination of lessons learned to inform policy and programming;
• Lead communication activities and multi-stakeholder engagement to raise visibility and influence decision-making.

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 directly supervises the Portfolio Programme Managers, and the PMSU Specialist while indirectly providing oversight to all Programme and PMSU staff and short-term/part-time affiliate personnel. With minimal supervision, the incumbent exercises significant independent judgment on programme management decisions, consulting the Country Representative on strategic, politically sensitive, or high-risk matters.

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 Values and Competencies Framework: 

Functional Competencies:

• Demonstrates integrity and fairness by modelling the UN’s values and ethical standards, shows commitment to UN Women’s mission, vision, values and strategic goals of UN Women’s and displays cultural, gender, religion, race, and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Ability to build and lead strategic partnerships with government institutions, donors, civil society partners and other UN agencies. Has proven expertise in resource mobilization and strong negotiation skills;
• Excellent personal and professional communication and presentation abilities;
• Ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor the progress of the projects and activities within the area of responsibility and achieve planned results;
• Strong teamwork spirit and interpersonal skills demonstrated by the ability to gain the assistance and cooperation of others in a team endeavor; ability to build trust through operating with transparency and creating an open, positive and enabling environment; ability to work in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity;
• Sound judgment and decision-making skills, with the ability to make effective timely decisions;
• Result-based programme development and management;
• Ability to work under minimal supervision and be proactive and initiative;
• Has the ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor the progress of the projects and activities within the area of responsibility and achieve planned results;
• Sound judgment and decision-making skills, with the ability to make effective timely decisions, exercising significant independent judgment; 
• Ability to with minimal supervision, demonstrating initiative and providing strategic direction;
• Demonstrated ability to lead effectively, providing mentoring, coaching, and conflict resolution skills;
• Ability to develop innovative approaches and generate new ideas and approaches for communication and visibility of UN Women.

Recruitment Qualifications

Education:

• 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 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 7 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 GEWE is required;
• Experience coordinating and liaising with government agencies and/or donors is desirable;
• Experience working in the UN System is desirable;
• Experience in leading/managing a team is desirable.

Language Requirements:

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

Statements:

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.)

Note: Applicants must ensure that all sections of the application form, including the sections on education and employment history, are completed. If all sections are not completed the application may be disqualified from the recruitment and selection process.