Country Programme Manager

Job Posting Organization:
UN Women is an entity of the United Nations established in July 2010, with a mission to advocate 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 in the area of gender equality. UN Women has been operational in Kosovo since 1999, focusing on eliminating discrimination against women and girls, empowering women, and achieving equality between genders. The organization has contributed significantly to the development of gender equality legislation and mechanisms at both local and central levels in Kosovo. UN Women operates with a triple mandate that includes normative support, UN system coordination, and operational activities, ensuring that gender equality remains a priority in policies and programs. The Kosovo office aims to strengthen partnerships with various stakeholders, including government entities, NGOs, and international bodies, to enhance advocacy efforts on critical issues such as gender-based violence, economic empowerment, and rural women's development. UN Women also coordinates the UN Kosovo Team's efforts to fulfill gender equality commitments and chairs several groups focused on gender issues, promoting best practices and knowledge sharing.

Job Overview:
The Country Programme Manager is responsible for the strategic positioning of UN Women as a leader in Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in Kosovo. This role involves managing the country portfolio and translating UN Women’s Strategic Plan into development initiatives that align with regional and national priorities. The Country Programme Manager will develop, implement, and manage programs while fostering effective partnerships with government counterparts, UN agencies, civil society organizations, and donors. The position requires overseeing the development and monitoring of the country program's annual workplan, ensuring compliance with UN Women policies and donor requirements, and managing the delivery of program activities to achieve desired results. The role also includes providing technical support and capacity development to project partners, overseeing monitoring and reporting of program activities, managing financial resources, and leading inter-agency coordination efforts to promote gender equality and women's empowerment in Kosovo.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Manage the development, implementation, and monitoring of the country programme annual workplan, including budget and results framework; ensure effective use of resources and compliance with UN Women rules and donor requirements.
• Provide substantive technical advice to project/programme partners and oversee relationship building with national partners.
• Establish an effective monitoring system for program results and prepare quarterly and annual progress reports.
• Manage the programme budget and office operations, ensuring timely financial reporting.
• Participate in country-level assessments and provide leadership to the UN Country Team in advancing gender equality.
• Establish and maintain partnerships with other UN agencies, governments, and civil society organizations; implement resource mobilization strategies.
• Oversee knowledge management strategies and communications initiatives to enhance program performance.
• Perform other duties as necessary for the efficient functioning of the office.

Required Qualifications:
A Master’s degree or equivalent in social sciences, human rights, gender/women’s studies, international development, or a related field is required. 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®) would be an added advantage. Candidates should possess excellent program formulation, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation skills, as well as the ability to develop detailed operational plans and budgets. Strong knowledge of gender equality and women's empowerment, along with the ability to synthesize program performance data, is essential.

Educational Background:
Candidates must hold a Master’s degree or equivalent in relevant fields such as social sciences, human rights, gender/women’s studies, or international development. A first-level university degree may be accepted with additional qualifying experience. A project/programme management certification is advantageous.

Experience:
At least 7 years of progressively responsible experience at the national and/or international level in the design, planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of development projects is required. Candidates should have experience in establishing inter-relationships among international organizations and national governments, as well as experience in gender and human rights of women. Experience in administrative systems and UN norms is desirable, along with experience leading and coaching staff in international settings.

Languages:
Fluency in English and Albanian is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (French, Arabic, Chinese, Russian, or Spanish) is desirable, as well as knowledge of Serbian.

Additional Notes:
The position supervises all affiliate personnel, including 17 staff, 1 International UNV, and 25 consultants. UN Women is committed to diversity and inclusion, ensuring that recruitment and employment decisions are made based on qualifications and competence. The organization has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct incompatible with its aims, including sexual exploitation and abuse, and all selected candidates will undergo rigorous background checks. Applicants must ensure that all sections of the application form are completed to avoid disqualification from the recruitment process.