National Economist

Job Posting Organization:
ONU Femmes, established in July 2010, is the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. It was created as part of the UN reform agenda to consolidate resources and mandates for greater impact on gender equality and women's empowerment. ONU Femmes operates globally, focusing on eliminating discrimination against women and girls, empowering women, and achieving gender equality as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action, peace, and security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">security. In West and Central Africa, women represent the most disadvantaged group despite their crucial social and economic roles. ONU Femmes collaborates with governmental partners and regional and national stakeholders to enhance women's economic participation, emphasizing access to the green economy, promoting women's entrepreneurship, improving income security, and supporting gender-sensitive planning and budgeting strategies. The organization also advises governments and private sectors on developing gender-sensitive economic and social policies, reinforcing the capacities of various actors to advocate for and implement such policies.

Job Overview:
The National Economist will work under the supervision of the Resident Representative of ONU Femmes and closely collaborate with the Regional Economist, the Deputy Resident Representative, and the program and operations teams within the country office. The role involves developing gender-sensitive programs, conducting research to promote economic reforms that consider gender dimensions, and supporting strategies that extend reforms in unpaid care, women's participation in the green economy, and women's entrepreneurship. The National Economist will also contribute to the development and coordination of flagship policy initiatives in gender and women's economic empowerment, manage the implementation of gender and economy projects, and provide technical expertise to national partners. This position requires a strong commitment to gender equality and women's empowerment, with a focus on creating sustainable economic opportunities for women in Mali.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Develop gender-sensitive programs in the country office. Conduct research on new areas to promote economic reforms that support gender equality and women's empowerment. Assist in formulating strategies to extend reforms in unpaid care, women's participation in the green economy, and women's entrepreneurship. Contribute to the development and coordination of flagship policy initiatives in gender and women's economic empowerment.
• Manage the implementation and management of gender and economy projects, including unpaid care and women's participation in the green economy. Formulate annual work plans and budgets, manage their implementation, ensure synergies with other teams, and oversee the submission of financial and narrative reports from implementation partners. Provide guidance to staff and partners on results-based management tools and performance indicators, and ensure monitoring and evaluation of projects in cooperation with the M&E team.
• Provide technical expertise and assistance to partners. Offer technical advice to governments, civil society, and national institutions for formulating, implementing, and monitoring gender-sensitive economic reforms. Support the development of national strategies to integrate gender dimensions into key economic policies and reforms. Assist the government and national partners in meeting national, regional, and international reporting obligations on gender and economic development. Support the coordination mechanisms of UN economists at the national level and convey ONU Femmes' guidance within these mechanisms.
• Provide capacity-building support to the country office and partners. Offer substantial technical and policy support to the country office and UN system country team in developing and strengthening programs aimed at implementing global standards for gender equality and women's empowerment. Develop, implement, and monitor capacity-building initiatives, identifying capacity-building needs and supporting the country office through technical assistance, mentoring, training, and capacity-building initiatives as needed. Design and implement capacity-building activities for ONU Femmes staff, government counterparts, and civil society partners on key economic reforms to advance the gender equality and women's empowerment agenda in the country.
• Establish and strengthen strategic partnerships with stakeholders, national/local actors, and development partners. Support the building and maintenance of alliances and strategic partnerships to promote gender-sensitive economic policy at the national level. Design and implement advocacy strategies to influence the agenda of key national and local institutions to promote gender-sensitive economic policies.
• Supervise the development and sharing of knowledge on gender-sensitive economics. Actively participate in the Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) community of practice to disseminate lessons learned and best practices at the national level. Coordinate the production of knowledge and communication products on gender-sensitive economics at the national level.
• Perform other duties related to the functional profile as needed to ensure the smooth functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Required Qualifications:
Master's degree or equivalent in economics, development economics, feminist economics, or any other relevant field of economics or public policy. A first-level university degree combined with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Candidates must demonstrate solid skills in program formulation, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation, as well as budget and finance management. A strong understanding of results-based management is essential, along with the ability to synthesize performance data and produce analytical reports to inform management and strategic decision-making. Candidates should possess strong analytical skills and a good knowledge of UN program management systems.

Educational Background:
Candidates must hold a Master's degree or an equivalent qualification in economics, development economics, feminist economics, or a related field. A first-level university degree combined with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree. This educational background is crucial for understanding the complexities of gender-sensitive economic policies and their implementation.

Experience:
At least 7 years of national or international experience and achievements in international development aimed at promoting policy reforms in gender and economics, including macroeconomic policies and women's economic empowerment policies. Proven experience in gender analysis of economics, both quantitative and qualitative, is required. Experience in programming, policy analysis, and strategic planning is essential. Previous professional experience in developing and emerging economies is required, with significant experience working in West and Central Africa being a major asset. Experience working within the UN system is also an advantage.

Languages:
Fluency in French and at least a working knowledge of English are required. Knowledge of another UN language is desirable. Candidates should demonstrate strong communication skills in both written and spoken forms in these languages, as effective communication is vital for collaboration and advocacy in this role.

Additional Notes:
The position is full-time and may involve working with international and national partners. ONU Femmes promotes a diverse and inclusive environment and adheres to a zero-tolerance policy on conduct incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and ONU Femmes. Selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks, including verification of academic credentials and employment history. Applicants must ensure that all sections of the application form are completed, as incomplete applications may be disqualified from the recruitment process.