Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers In accordance with established rules and procedures.
Staff members of the United Nations Secretariat must fulfill the lateral move requirements to be eligible to apply for this vacancy. Staff members are requested to indicate all qualifying lateral moves in their Personal History Profile (PHP) and cover note.
This post is located within the ESCWA Centre for Women (ECW) of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia. The Chief of Section, Gender Affairs reports directly to the Director of ECW
The Chief of Section, Gender Affairs will be responsible for carrying out the following:
1-Provides policy guidance to the Director of the Division, on conceptual strategy development and recent development in the region related to women and gender issues;
2-Plans and oversees the human and financial management of activities undertaken by the Section; ensures that substantive work programmes and programmed activities of the Section are carried out in a timely fashion, coordinating diverse projects in the Section, and, in liaison with other organizations of the United Nations System, donors and agencies as appropriate;
3-Manages, supervises and carries out the work programme of the Section under his/her responsibility. Co-ordinates the work carried out by the Section; provides programmatic and substantive reviews of drafts prepared by others;
4-Provides substantive input in the preparation of ESCWA and the Centre’s publications, position papers and reports for presentation to intergovernmental bodies such as the Commission on the Status of Women, the biennial sessions of the Commission and its subsidiary committee on women, regional and national expert group meetings and seminars, as appropriate;
5-Conduct research on women, and gender issues, gender mainstreaming and gender analysis in political, legal, economic, social and cultural development as outlined in the ESCWA strategic framework.
6-Contributes to the provision of substantive services to member states through conducting research or missions as requested by the Director and in coordination with the Regional Advisor;
7- Contributes to the reporting to intergovernmental bodies on programme performance or on programmatic/ substantive issues, as appropriate, particularly those related to gender issues in the Arab region;
8- Ensures that the outputs produced by the Section maintain high-quality standards; that reports are clear, objective and based on comprehensive data. Ensures that all outputs produced by the Section under his/her supervision meet required standards before completion to ensure they comply with the relevant mandates;
9- Prepares inputs for the work programme of the Division, determining priorities, and allocating resources for the completion of outputs and their timely delivery;
10-Carries out programmatic/administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of the Section, including preparation of budgets, assigning and monitoring of performance parameters and critical indicators, reporting on budget/programme performance, preparation of inputs for results-based budgeting, evaluation of staff performance (PAS), interviews of candidates for job openings and evaluation of candidates;
11-Recruits staff for Section taking due account geographical and gender balance and other institutional values;
12-Manages, guides, develops and trains staff under his/her supervision;
13-Fosters teamwork and communication among staff in the Unit/Section and across organizational boundaries;
14-Represents ESCWA at inter-agency meetings, seminars, etc. on substantive-related issues;
15-Participates in international, regional or national meetings and provides programmatic/substantive expertise on women and gender related issues, or hold programmatic/substantive and organizational discussions with representatives of other institutions.
• PROFESSIONALISM: Ability to advise senior management and other senior officials of approaches and techniques to address highly complex/sensitive issues. Recognized expert in the field with demonstrated capacity for intellectual leadership. Ability to conduct complex sociological research projects and development of alternative social models. Ability to undertake conceptual and strategic analyse. Ability to thoroughly analyze and evaluate critical matters pertaining to a broad spectrum of socio-economic issues. Ability to demonstrate original and creative thinking. Ability to use independent judgment and discretion in advising on and handling major policy, project and other issues/problems. Strong negotiating skills and ability to influence others to reach agreement on difficult issues. Ability to works under extreme pressure. Excellent knowledge of relevant institutional mandates, policies and guidelines. Seasoned knowledge of the institutions of the UN system. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.
• COMMUNICATION: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.
• PLANNING & ORGANIZING: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently.
• LEADERSHIP: Serves as a role model that other people want to follow: empowers others to translate vision into results; is proactive in developing strategies to accomplish objectives; establishes and maintains relationships with a broad range of people to understand needs and gain support; anticipates and resolves conflicts by pursuing mutually agreeable solutions; drives for change and improvements; does not accept the status quo; shows the courage to take unpopular stands. Provides leadership and takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work; demonstrates knowledge of strategies and commitment to the goal of gender balance in staffing.
• MANAGING PERFORMANCE: Delegates the appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision-making authority; makes sure that roles, responsibilities and reporting lines are clear to each staff member; accurately judges the amount of time and resources needed to accomplish a task and matches task to skills; monitors progress against milestones and deadlines; regularly discusses performance and provides feedback and coaching to staff; encourages risk-taking and supports creativity and initiative; actively supports the development and career aspirations of staff; appraises performance fairly.
Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in sociology, anthropology, public policy, law or related area. PhD is highly desirable. A first-level university degree in combination with two years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
A minimum of ten years of progressively responsible experience in women-specific and gender issues and their relevance to development at the national and regional level, as well as experience in programme and project planning, analysis and management. Experience the Arab region is also required. Published research in Arabic or English is desirable.
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations. Arabic is also a working language of ESCWA. For this post, fluency in written and oral English is required and knowledge of Arabic is desirable
The shortlisted candidates will undergo a substantive assessment related to the functions of the post in addition to a competency-based interview. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity, including but not limited to, respect for international human rights and humanitarian law. Candidates may be subject to screening against these standards, including but not limited to, whether they have committed or are alleged to have committed criminal offences or violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law.
Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.
Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the At-a-Glance on "The Application Process" and the Instructional Manual for the Applicants, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage.
The screening and evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications, including but not limited to, their education, work experience, and language skills, according to the instructions provided on inspira. Applicants will be disqualified from consideration if they do not demonstrate in their application that they meet the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations. Applicants are solely responsible for providing complete and accurate information at the time of application: no amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to a reference-checking process to verify the information provided in the application.
Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at midnight (New York time) on the deadline date.
THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.