Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located in the United Nations Office to the African Union (UNOAU). The Gender Officer reports to the Gender Advisor. The incumbent will also assist the Office of the Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan (OSESSS) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, as described below. The Gender Officer will work closely with the Department of Political Affairs (DPA), the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) and the Department of Field Support (DFS) to advance gender-responsive implementation of the UNOAU and OSESSS mandates.
The United Nations Office to the African Union (UNOAU) was established in 2010 by General Assembly Resolution 64/288 to enhance the partnership between the United Nations (UN) and the African Union (AU) in the area of peace and security, provide coordinated and consistent advice to the AU on both long-term capacity-building and short-term operational support, and streamline the UN presence in Addis Ababa to be more cost-effective and efficient in delivering assistance to the AU. Cooperation between the two organizations has significantly intensified following the signing of the Joint UN-AU Framework for Enhanced Partnership in Peace and Security on 19 April 2017, resulting in more strategic and forward-looking collaborative efforts in conflict prevention, mediation, peacekeeping and peacebuilding. 
The Office of the Special Envoy for the Sudan and South Sudan was established in 2011 following the independence of South Sudan, to support the establishment and maintenance of good and peaceful neighborly relations between Sudan and South Sudan. The Special Envoy works closely together with and in support of the efforts by the AU High-Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) in assisting the two countries to implement provisions under the Comprehensive Peace Agreement that remain outstanding. The Special Envoy also supports the region in seeking political solutions to the ongoing internal conflicts in the two countries. Since the outbreak of violence in South Sudan in December 2013, the Special Envoy has also supported efforts by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to resolve the crisis in South Sudan, and in support of AUHIP, the Special Envoy engages Sudanese stakeholders in search of a more inclusive political process and has supported talks on a cessation of hostilities in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile States. 

UNOAU and OSESSS place an emphasis on advancing the women, peace and security agenda to create premises for more effective and inclusive peace processes. The Gender Officer will support the work of the Gender Advisor in integrating gender in all areas of his/her work within UNOAU and OSESSS.

This position is available for 364 days.

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the incumbent will perform the following tasks pertaining to three distinct, but interconnected portfolios. Time spent on each area is indicative:
1.Within UNOAU (50%)
•Contribute to the provision of advisory support to the AU, particularly in terms of best practices and lessons learned from the implementation of UN Security Council Resolutions on Women, Peace and Security, the DPKO/DFS Policy on Gender in Peacekeeping Operations and DPA Gender/Women, Peace and Security Strategy (2016-2020); 
•Facilitate technical assistance to the AU on strategies for gender mainstreaming;
•Contribute to joint UN-AU efforts to advance women’s rights and enhance the role and participation of women in conflict prevention as well as post-conflict reconstruction and development; 
•Support gender-related knowledge management and data collection within the AU and facilitate the exchange of information on gender policy between the UN and the AU.
2.Within OSESS (30%)
•Facilitate operational support on gender and women, peace and security issues to the OSESSS team; and coordinate the provision of substantive and technical support on the women, peace and security related aspects of mediation processes supported by OSESSS. 
•Collaborate with local and international CSOs and NGOs working on women, peace and security agenda in Sudan and South Sudan.
•Maintain collaborative relations with the AU and IGAD.
3.Cross-cutting aspects (20%)
•Provide support to the UNOAU/OSESSS Gender Adviser in her/his advice to senior UNOAU and OSESSS leadership on strategies to ensure effective implementation of existing mandates and policies for the promotion of gender equality, women’s rights and prevention of sexual violence in all mandated tasks;
•Contribute to the design and the implementation of action plans that translate existing mandates and policies on the promotion of gender equality in all activities of UNOAU and OSESSS;
•Support UNOAU/OSESSS Gender Advisor in building and maintaining partnerships with other UN entities that have complementary mandates on gender and women, peace and security related issues, and participate in established inter-agency coordination mechanisms;
•Contribute to the implementation of reporting obligations, documentation and good practices;
•Facilitate the delivery of gender training to UNOAU and OSESSS personnel; 
•Contribute to regular liaison, consultation and substantive reporting to the DPA Gender, Peace and Security Unit and the DPKO Gender Advisor at UN headquarters;
•Perform other duties as required.

Competencies

Professionalism: Has knowledge in the field of gender affairs/women’s rights; excellent knowledge of institutional mandates, policies and guidelines related to women, peace and security resolutions; ability to advise senior officials; ability to evaluate critical matters pertaining to a broad spectrum of gender-related issues; commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of conflict and peace; experience in planning and capacity development.

Communication: Excellent communication skills; strong interpersonal skills; ability to conduct discussions in a productive manner with officials, civil society groups and subject-matter experts; ability to prepare reports. 

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.

Education

University degree in Gender, Political or Social Sciences, Human Rights Law, International Law, Development Studies, or a relevant discipline. A significant qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of a university degree.

Work Experience

A minimum of five years of progressively responsible policy advice and programme management experience related to promotion of gender equality in various settings is required. Expertise in successfully integrating gender perspectives into mainstream policies or programmes is necessary. Prior working experience in peacekeeping, political missions or peacebuilding set ups is desirable.

Languages

Fluency in spoken and written English is required for this position. Knowledge of another UN official language is an advantage.

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.

Special Notice

• This position is temporarily available 364 days. The selection will be administered as a temporary appointment.

• While this temporary appointment may provide the successful applicant with an opportunity to gain UN experience, the selection for this position is for a limited period and has no bearing on the future incumbency of the post.

• The eligibility for this temporary job opening is limited to candidates based at the duty station preferably Ethiopian Nationals.

United Nations Considerations

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. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation or sexual abuse, or crimes other than minor traffic offences, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions.

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 Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage.

The 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 according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. 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 reference checks to verify the information provided in the application.

Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee

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.