Deputy Country Representative

Job Posting Organization:
UN Women was established in July 2010 by the United Nations General Assembly as the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The organization was created as part of the UN reform agenda to consolidate resources and mandates for greater impact in the area of gender equality and women's empowerment. UN Women merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system, namely DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW, and UNIFEM, which focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment. The organization operates globally, with a mission to eliminate discrimination against women and girls, empower women, and achieve equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action, and peace and security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">security. UN Women is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect, employing individuals regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. The organization emphasizes integrity, professionalism, and respect for diversity in its operations and workforce.

Job Overview:
The Deputy Country Representative is a key leadership position within the UN Women Nepal Country Office (NCO), reporting directly to the Country Representative. This role is pivotal in the day-to-day management of the NCO, ensuring that the country programme is effectively designed, implemented, managed, and overseen. The incumbent will play a substantial role in supporting the implementation of UN Women’s Strategic Plan and the Country Office plans, ensuring that results are delivered efficiently and effectively. The Deputy Country Representative will be responsible for managing the programme team, providing strategic direction, and ensuring compliance and accountability in programme monitoring, reporting, and evaluation. The position requires a strong focus on gender equality and women's empowerment, with the expectation of fostering partnerships and resource mobilization strategies to enhance the impact of UN Women’s initiatives in Nepal.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Manage the programme team, overseeing the day-to-day work, finalizing annual workplans, and ensuring effective implementation and monitoring of the programme. This includes leading the preparation of progress reports and identifying areas for action by the Country Representative.
• Provide advisory and specialized technical support on the strategic direction of the office, ensuring compliance and accountability in programme activities. Develop policy documents and strategic papers to support innovative policy positions.
• Represent UN Women in UN system coordination, ensuring coherence and collaboration among agencies, and advocating for UN Women’s mandate in various forums.
• Provide technical support in creating strategic partnerships and resource mobilization strategies, managing project proposals, and establishing relationships with stakeholders.
• Advocate for UN Women in public information events and key meetings, developing and implementing advocacy strategies.
• Facilitate knowledge management and capacity building, overseeing training activities to enhance skills and knowledge among partners and stakeholders.
• Manage personnel under supervision, providing guidance, performance feedback, and ensuring a supportive work environment.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess a Master’s degree in international development, public administration, public policy, or other relevant social science fields. A first-level university degree combined with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree. A project/programme management certification (such as PMP®, PRINCE2®, or MSP®) is considered an added advantage. Candidates should demonstrate excellent programme formulation, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation skills, along with the ability to develop operational plans and budgets. Strong analytical skills and knowledge of Results Based Management are essential, as well as familiarity with the UN system and local country context.

Educational Background:
The educational background required for this position includes a Master’s degree in relevant fields such as international development, public administration, or public policy. Alternatively, a first-level university degree along with two additional years of qualifying experience may suffice. A project/programme management certification is a plus, indicating a formal recognition of expertise in managing projects and programmes effectively.

Experience:
Candidates should have at least 7 years of progressively responsible professional experience that combines strategic and managerial leadership in development programmes, particularly with a strong focus on gender equality and women's empowerment. This experience should ideally be at the national or international level, preferably within the UN system, agencies, funds, or programmes, and in developing countries.

Languages:
Fluency in English is mandatory for this position. Knowledge of another official UN language, such as French, Arabic, Chinese, Russian, or Spanish, is desirable and would enhance a candidate's profile.

Additional Notes:
The position is a temporary appointment with a duration of 9 months. External candidates will be offered a temporary appointment, while staff members in UN Women may be administered as a temporary assignment. Staff members in the UN Common system may be administered under a loan arrangement. The role requires adherence to UN Women’s policies and procedures, including a zero-tolerance policy on conduct incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women. Selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks, including verification of academic credentials and employment history.