Senior National Consultant

Job Posting Organization:
UN Women, 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. UN Women leads and coordinates efforts within the UN system to ensure commitments on gender equality translate into action globally. The organization focuses on eliminating discrimination against women and girls, empowering women, and achieving equality between women and men. UN Women operates in multiple countries, providing strong leadership and building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors to support Member States' priorities.

Job Overview:
The Senior National Consultant will play a crucial role in supporting UN Women Albania's Strategic Note (SN) for 2022-2026, which aims to ensure that all women and girls enjoy their human rights in a gender-equal society. The consultant will work independently and collaborate with other national and international consultants to provide technical assistance on gender-responsive local governance, including planning, budgeting, and service delivery. The position requires the preparation and adaptation of training materials, facilitation of training sessions, and mentoring municipal staff on gender-responsive budgeting practices. The consultant will also support municipalities in identifying the needs of women in vulnerable situations and aligning these needs with innovative municipal services. This role is essential for advancing gender equality and ensuring that gender-responsive policies are effectively implemented at the local level.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The Senior National Consultant will undertake various assignments, including: preparing and adapting training materials on gender-responsive planning and budgeting; facilitating training sessions for municipal staff and councilors; supporting the costing of gender-responsive services and action plans; providing technical assistance to municipalities for integrating gender-responsive budgeting into local budgets; mentoring municipal staff on gender-responsive budgeting practices; reviewing strategic and policy documents from a gender perspective; contributing to the preparation of project proposals and reports; participating in relevant meetings and workshops; and ensuring systematic documentation of all work conducted. The consultant will also undertake missions to municipalities as required and prepare reports in English for each assignment.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess a thorough knowledge of gender-responsive planning and budgeting processes. They should demonstrate the ability to interact effectively with various stakeholders, particularly in public administration and local government units. Proven research, analytical, and drafting skills are essential, along with the ability to work independently and under time constraints. Excellent writing skills in both English and Albanian are required, as well as strong interpersonal skills and initiative-taking capabilities.

Educational Background:
An advanced university degree (master’s level or equivalent) in Gender Studies, Human Rights, Public Policy, Public Administration, Social Sciences, Economics, or closely related fields is required. Alternatively, a first-level university degree in the aforementioned fields combined with two years of qualifying professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced degree.

Experience:
Candidates must have at least 13 years of relevant professional experience in gender equality, human rights, good governance, or public finances. Experience working with Local Government Units on social services and local budgeting processes is essential, as is experience in providing technical assistance and capacity building on gender mainstreaming and gender-responsive budgeting. Familiarity with the UN system or other international organizations is considered an asset.

Languages:
Fluency in English and Albanian is mandatory for this position. Proficiency in additional languages may be considered an advantage but is not required.

Additional Notes:
This consultancy is home-based, with potential travel to various municipalities based on program needs. The contract duration is for up to 120 working days, and travel expenses will be reimbursed according to UN Women’s travel policy. This is a retainer contract, meaning there is no guarantee of a minimum number of days of engagement, and any additional days required will be addressed through a separate contract extension.