UN Women: Head of Office, Washington, D.C. Liaison Office

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.

The Head of the Washington, D.C. Liaison Office will develop and implement a strategic plan for advocacy, outreach, and resource mobilization initiatives building upon the contacts developed through the partnership of UN Women with the Government of the United States, International Financial Institutions, relevant multi-lateral agencies, non-governmental organizations, think tanks, academia, and other key partners in Washington D.C.

Under the supervision of the Chief of Public Partnerships, the Head of the Washington, D.C. Liaison Office will significantly increase the profile and influence of UN Women in Washington, D.C. The Head of the Washington, D.C. Liaison Office will further manage UN Women’s policy dialogue and engagement in Washington D.C., Resource Mobilization, Donor Relations, and Partnership Building for the Washington, D.C. Liaison Office, and represent UN Women in Washington D.C. The Head of the Washington, D.C. Liaison Office is also responsible for providing guidance to UN Women HQ, regional and country offices on partnership development with the US. The Head of the Washington, D.C. Liaison Office additionally supports the Strategic Partnerships Division in fostering partnerships with International Financing Institutions as well as outreach to and cooperation with civil society, UN agencies based in Washington D.C., and other actors of relevance to the partnership.

Key Functions and Accountabilities:

Manage external relations and build new partnerships in Washington, D.C.:

• Manage the external relations and the profile of UN Women and its visibility among Washington, D.C.-based United States government agencies, non-governmental organizations, including women’s civil society, think tanks and academia, with a particular focus on Congress, the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Agency for International Development, and other relevant U.S. government entities.
• Act as the strategic interface between donors and SPD and other UN Women sections, in particular with respect to communicating donor’s priorities and expectations.
• Develop new partnerships, design and develop innovative strategies for new enhanced and sustainable relations with media, NGOs, networks and think tanks as applicable as well as with other relevant offices including members of Congress and their staffers to significantly increase the understanding of the relevance of the mandate and work of UN Women.
• Develop and implement an advocacy strategy with Congress and other Washington, D.C.-based government agencies, and key partners.
• Develop advocacy strategies aimed at increasing resources for UN Women from the U.S. Government.

Manage UN Women’s Policy Dialogue and Engagement in Washington, D.C.:

• Promote UN Women’s mandate and raise awareness on issues related to Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in Washington DC.
• Track and engage in policy dialogue with Congress and U.S. federal agencies, especially the Department of State and USAID, including through meetings and presentations with members of Congress, Congressional staffers, the U.S. Department of State, USAID, and other United States government agencies, as well as with relevant D.C. based International Financial Institutions and other multi-lateral institutions and feed information back to HQ and Regional Office(s).
• In collaboration with relevant UN Women sections, provide policy advice for stronger integration of gender equality and women’s empowerment issues in US development, humanitarian, foreign, security, and defense policies. Play an active role in crafting UN Women's positions on U.S. policies and positions.
• Monitor, analyze, and brief HQ on relevant U.S. policy developments in Washington, D.C.
• Arrange and support visits to Washington, D.C. by senior UN Women officials.

Lead resource mobilization, donor relations initiatives, and partnership building in Washington DC:

• Identify and develop strategies to mobilize resources with US government partners.
• Provide technical and coordination guidance to other sections of UN Women in developing strategic fundraising proposals and proposal modalities and developing
• strategic partners for the UN Women region and country offices.
• Provide technical and policy guidance on priority issues for the government/public sector in the US.
  Provide briefing material for the UN Women leadership for its engagement with the US, and support bilateral meetings and negotiations.
• Mobilize core and non-core resources.
• Facilitate the negotiation of agreements.
• Track and engage in relevant debates and negotiations related to donor funds for the US.
• Provide strategic guidance as requested to the Private Sector Partnerships (PSP) for its engagement with the private sector, foundations, and other private sector institutions.

Lead UN Women’s strategic engagement with International Financial Institutions (IFIs) to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment:

• Develop and expand partnerships with the IFIs.
• In collaboration with the Chief of the UN Women's Economic Empowerment Section, engage closely with the IFIs to influence their policies, procedures, guidance notes, and programmes to address gender equality and women's empowerment.
• Provide briefing material for the UN Women leadership for its engagement with IFI top-level officials, and support bilateral meetings and negotiations.
• Provide technical support in monitoring IFI-funded programmes.
• Develop and implement strategies to strengthen UN Women's influence on IFI policies and practices related to gender equality.
• Identify opportunities for joint initiatives and collaborative projects between UN Women and IFIs.
• Represent UN Women in high-level meetings and forums with IFI representatives.

Lead the representation of UN Women in Washington, D.C.:

• Represent UN Women in conferences/events in D.C. (speeches/presentations, contribute to relevant working groups, support for gender trainings, etc.), as requested.
  Represent UN Women in strategic conferences and fora in the U.S., as requested.
  Represent UN Women in meetings of Washington, D.C.-based UN entities.
  Organize meetings, and expert workshops as required.

Provide technical and coordination support in programme formulation and monitoring:

• Provide substantive support in developing programmes that are funded by the US government and International Financial Institutions.
  Provide technical support in the monitoring of US-funded programmes.
  Coordinate and facilitate dialogue with donors around reporting and evaluation.

Manage the Liaison Office:

• Lead the office in the delivery of operational goals.
• Finalize the annual work plan and budget; and oversee the implementation, including providing direction, guidance, and technical support.
• Manage the performance of personnel under supervision; provide managerial direction, guidance, and leadership to staff and provide performance feedback and coaching to personnel , ensure performance assessments are implemented on time and ensure personnel are fully aware of UN Women workplace relations policies.
• Promote teamwork to ensure harmonization, linkages, collaboration, and synergy.
• Ensure a respectful, inclusive safe, and healthy work environment for personnel.
• Identify learning and development opportunities of personnel under their supervision and ensure support is provided to build their capacities.
• Manage the security requirements for the office.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organisation.

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities:
Resources pending, the incumbent may lead a small team.

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 the UN Women’s Values and Competencies Framework:

Functional Competencies:

• Substantive knowledge of gender equality and women’s empowerment issues.
• Excellent partnerships development, networking and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to conceptualize and convey a strategic vision.
• Excellent advocacy and negotiation skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to lead strategic planning, results-based management and reporting.
• Ability to lead formulation, reporting and evaluation oversight for development programmes.
• Ability to manage complexities.
• Strong oral and written communications skills, and ability to convey complex concepts to different stakeholders.

Education and Certification:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in political science, international relations, public policy, women’s studies, or a development-related area of study 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.

Experience:

• At least 10 years of professional experience in developing and directing advocacy and outreach is required.
• Experience in partnerships and resource mobilization is required.
• Experience in managing, supporting, and overseeing development policy-making is required.
• Experience in programme and/or operations management is required.
• Experience in the area of gender equality and women’s empowerment is required.
• Experience with Washington, D.C.-based United States government agencies and IFIs as well as non-governmental organizations is desirable.
• Experience leading and coaching staff in international settings is required.

Languages:

• 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.)