Role Overview
UN Women is seeking a globally recognized thought leader to serve as the Chief of the Leadership and Decision-Making Section in Nairobi. This high-level strategic role is responsible for providing authoritative advice to UN Women leadership and directing the development and implementation of a comprehensive global strategy for women’s leadership and decision-making. The Chief will position the organization as an influential actor in ensuring gender-responsive implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, exercising independent judgment on strategic priorities and resource allocation.
Key Responsibilities
Strategy and Policy Leadership
- Serve as a global thought leader on women’s leadership and decision-making.
- Direct the development of a comprehensive strategy that utilizes UN Women's triple mandate (normative, coordination, and operational).
- Establish standards for and oversee policy support to Member States regarding normative frameworks.
- Provide authoritative policy guidance to regional and country offices to promote political participation and leadership.
- Convene leading feminist academics and practitioners to guide organizational strategy.
Programmatic Oversight and Innovation
- Direct data collection (including SDG indicators) and research on global commitments to women's participation.
- Lead the operationalization of global programming frameworks in country and regional projects.
- Manage global projects that catalyze regional programming and support cross-regional collaboration.
- Spearhead the development and testing of innovative tools and methodologies for results-based programming.
- Oversee results management for the Impact Area, establishing performance metrics and accountability frameworks.
Research and Knowledge Management
- Establish the strategic direction for UN Women’s global research and knowledge agenda in this thematic area.
- Direct the production of high-quality policy knowledge products, analytical papers, and briefs.
- Oversee systems for evidence and knowledge management across HQ, regional, and country offices.
- Ensure quality assurance and adherence to peer-review requirements for all knowledge products.
Intergovernmental Support and Advocacy
- Provide substantive contributions to intergovernmental fora to shape global and regional policies and standards.
- Direct the production of Secretary-General reports and background papers for relevant intergovernmental bodies.
- Establish and manage diverse high-level partnerships to advance UN Women’s work.
- Represent UN Women at international fora, academic conferences, and within UN inter-agency coordination mechanisms.
Section Management
- Direct the development and implementation of bi-annual workplans and annual reports.
- Manage financial resources and exercise delegated authority for budget management within UN rules.
- Lead a multidisciplinary team (P1-P5 levels), managing performance, recruitment, and career development.
- Promote an inclusive teamwork environment conducive to high-quality results.
Requirements and Qualifications
Education
- Master’s degree (or equivalent) in development-related disciplines, gender issues, economics, public policy, law, or other social science fields is required.
- A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree.
- Professional certification in programme or project management is an added advantage.
Experience
- Minimum of fifteen (15) years of progressively responsible senior professional experience in development.
- At least ten (10) years of experience specifically related to women’s rights and gender equality (e.g., elections, parliaments, or public/private decision-making institutions).
- Substantial experience in managing large, complex programmes and leading multidisciplinary teams.
- Grounded knowledge on young women and intergenerational leadership.
- Proven knowledge of United Nations intergovernmental processes, including support to governing bodies and intergovernmental negotiations.
- Prior experience within the UN system or other international/intergovernmental organizations is highly desirable.
Competencies
- Core Values: Integrity, Professionalism, Respect for Diversity.
- Core Competencies: Awareness of gender issues, Accountability, Creative Problem Solving, Effective Communication, Inclusive Collaboration, Stakeholder Engagement, Leading by Example.
- Functional: Strong political acumen, strategic visioning, technical leadership, and ability to leverage information technology for office performance.
How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should apply online through the UN Women career portal. Applications are processed via the Oracle Cloud recruitment system. Click here to apply.
