The position is located in the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL). The Senior Gender Advisor serves as the principal adviser on gender issues to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG), and maintains a day-to-day reporting line to the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General (D/SRSG). He/She oversees efforts to integrate a gender perspective in all work components of the
peacekeeping mission.
– Advises the SRSG and senior mission leadership on strategies for ensuring effective implementation of existing mandates and policies on women peace and security, which foster the promotion of gender equality and women’s rights in all aspects of the transitional agenda in UNMIL.
– Provides ongoing technical advice to various mission components to guide implementation mandated tasks.
– Oversees the implementation of a mission-wide gender audit to consolidate gains and elaborate strategic interventions to inform operational priorities during the transitional and draw-down phase of the mission, and ensures the delivery of appropriate training for all levels of personnel as required.
– Consolidates support to the Ministry of Gender and Development in a number of key areas, including: strengthening decentralized mechanisms to guide gender mainstreaming at county levels, and enhancing the Ministry’s capacity to monitor integration of a gender perspective in the work of security sector institutions.
– Ensures that UNMIL’s interventions to enhance security to refugee communities in the border regions effectively address protection and security priorities of women and men.
– Facilitates the involvement of women’s organizations in all aspects of the transitional agenda, ensuring that all information and outreach activities of the mission target and involve both women and men.
– Provides joint-leadership to steer the work of the UN Inter-Agency Gender Thematic Group (GTG), and guides effective transitioning to the UN Country Team of gender aspects of UNMIL’s work priorities, including those related to support for security sector, legal and judicial and political and governance reform processes.
– Establishes strategic cooperation and partnerships with donor agencies, inter-governmental and regional organisations as well as national civil society organisations to facilitate transitioning and sustainability of UNMIL support.
– Provides substantive contributions to inform UN-System support to the Government of Liberia aimed at advancing the agenda for national reconciliation.
– Oversees the implementation of reporting obligations and good practices documentation.
– Establishes feedback mechanisms with national partners to capture lessons learned and to evaluate the mission’s progress and successes in advancing gender equality throughout the transitional process.
– Supervises the work of personnel in the Gender Unit of the mission and provides substantive guidance and direction to the work of gender focal points in other mission components.
– Consults and ensures regular liaison and substantive reporting to the DPKO Gender Advisor at UN Headquarters.
– Undertakes other duties as required.
Competencies
PROFESSIONALISM:
• Recognized expert in the field of gender affairs; ability to advise senior management and other senior officials;
• conceptual and strategic ability to analyze and 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 peace operations.
• Excellent communication skills;
• strong interpersonal skills;
• ability to conduct high-level discussions and negotiations in a productive manner with senior government officials, representatives of international organizations, civil society groups and experts in related fields, ability to prepare succinct, analytical reports.
• Ability to work under extreme pressure, on occasion in a highly stressful environment.
• Knowledge of institutional mandates, policies and guidelines related to gender affairs and 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.
– TEAMWORK:
• Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals;
• solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise;
• is willing to learn from others;
• places team agenda before personal agenda;
• supports and acts in accordance with final group decision;
• shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts responsibility for team shortcomings.
– PLANNING AND 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.
– ACCOUNTABILITY:
• Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honours commitments;
• delivers outputs for which one has responsibility within prescribed time, cost and quality standards;
• operates in compliance with organizational regulations and rules;
• supports subordinates, provides oversight and takes responsibility for delegated assignments;
• takes personal responsibility for his/her own shortcomings and those of the work unit, where applicable.
– CREATIVITY:
• Actively seeks to improve programmes or services;
• offers new and different options to solve problems or meet client needs;
• promotes and persuades others to consider new ideas;
• takes calculated risks on new and unusual ideas;
• thinks “outside the box”; takes an interest in new ideas and new ways of doing things;
• is not bound by current thinking or traditional approaches.
– CLIENT ORIENTATION:
• Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view;
• establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect;
• identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions;
• monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems;
• keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects;
• meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.
– COMMITMENT TO CONTINUOUS LEARNING:
• Keeps abreast of new developments in own occupation/profession;
• actively seeks to develop oneself professionally and personally;
• contributes to the learning of colleagues and subordinates;
• shows willingness to learn from others;
• seeks feedback to learn and improve.
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.
– VISION:
• Identifies strategic issues, opportunities and risks;
• clearly communicates links between the Organization’s strategy and the work unit’s goals;
• generates and communicates broad and compelling organizational direction, inspiring others to pursue that same direction;
• conveys enthusiasm about future possibilities.
– EMPOWERING OTHERS:
• Delegates responsibility, clarifies expectations, and gives staff autonomy in important areas of their work;
• encourages others to set challenging goals;
• holds others accountable for achieving results related to their area of responsibility;
• genuinely values all staff members’ input and expertise;
• shows appreciation and rewards achievement and effort;
• involves others when making decisions that affect them.
– BUILDING TRUST:
• Provides an environment in which others can talk and act without fear of repercussion;
• manages in a deliberate and predictable way;
• operates with transparency;
• has no hidden agenda;
• places confidences in colleagues, staff members and clients;
• gives proper credit to theirs;
• follows through on agreed upon actions;
• treats sensitive or confidential information appropriately.
– 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.
– JUDGEMENT/DECISION-MAKING:
• Identifies the key issues in a complex situation, and comes to the heart of the problem quickly;
• gathers relevant information before making a decision;
• considers positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them;
• takes decisions with an eye to the impact on others and on the Organization;
• proposes a course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information;
• checks assumptions against facts;
• determines the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision;
• makes tough decisions when necessary.
Education
• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in development studies, social studies or relevant discipline.
• A first-level university degree in combination with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Work Experience
• A minimum of ten years of progressively responsible policy advice and programme management experience related to promotion of gender equality particularly with international organizations in conflict or post-conflict settings.
• Proven expertise for integrating gender perspectives into mainstream policies or programmes.
• Prior field (peacekeeping) experience preferably with United Nations agencies and/or other international aid agencies.
Qualified male candidates are encouraged to apply.
Languages
• Fluency in one of the working languages of the UN Secretariat, English or French, (both oral and written) is required;
• knowledge of the other is desirable.
• Knowledge of another UN official language is an advantage.
• Fluency in English is required for this position
Other Skills
Excellent knowledge of institutional mandates, policies and guidelines to inform gender-sensitive programming in conflict-affected environments.
How to apply:
To apply, please visit our website http://jobs.un.org by navigating to “vacancies”. The position is listed under the “Social Affairs” category
Closing Date: Sunday, 12 February 2012