Knowledge and Evidence Systems Consultant for East and Southern Africa

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 upon the work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system that focused on gender equality: the Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW), the Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women (OSAGI), the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW), and the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM). UN Women operates globally, with a focus on supporting Member States and regional institutions to advance women's rights and eliminate violence against women and girls. The organization emphasizes the importance of addressing the needs of marginalized and underserved groups, including rural women, women with disabilities, and survivors of violence, among others. UN Women is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and adheres to strict policies against discrimination and misconduct.

Job Overview:
The Knowledge and Evidence Systems Consultant will play a pivotal role in leading the management, institutionalization, accessibility, and governance of gender evidence across the East and Southern Africa Region. This position is crucial for ensuring that data, research, evaluations, lessons learned, knowledge products, and learning outputs are systematically captured, curated, analyzed, visualized, organized, stored, and shared. The consultant will be responsible for establishing practical information management systems that support program monitoring, reporting, organizational learning, and decision-making. The role requires a combination of knowledge management expertise and strong information management capabilities, including the development and maintenance of monitoring databases, dashboards, and evidence repositories using tools such as Power BI, Excel, and SharePoint. The consultant will report to the Regional Statistics Specialist Gender and will be expected to lead the transition from traditional gender data functions to a broader Regional Gender Evidence and Learning Unit, integrating research, data, analytics, knowledge management, learning, and evidence uptake into a coherent evidence ecosystem.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The consultant will have a comprehensive set of responsibilities, including but not limited to: leading the development and oversight of regional knowledge management systems and evidence governance frameworks; ensuring systematic capture and organization of knowledge generated through regional and country programs; developing and maintaining taxonomies, metadata standards, and classification systems; integrating knowledge management across various processes; establishing systems for capturing lessons learned and innovations; coordinating evidence synthesis and knowledge briefs; promoting continuous learning and knowledge exchange; assessing and optimizing regional information management systems; designing and improving digital knowledge platforms; managing systems for the discovery and dissemination of datasets and research reports; ensuring interoperability across data and knowledge systems; developing business intelligence solutions and dashboards; providing technical leadership and capacity strengthening to country offices; and fostering a culture of continuous learning and digital innovation across the region.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess a Master's degree in information management, information science, information systems, data management, data science, library and information science, computer science, digital transformation, or a related field. Alternatively, a first-level university degree combined with an additional two years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced degree. Additionally, candidates should have at least five years of progressively responsible experience in designing and managing information systems, databases, or digital repositories, as well as experience in knowledge management and digital knowledge systems. Proficiency in business intelligence and dashboard development tools such as Power BI, Tableau, and SQL is essential, and experience with programming languages like R or STATA is advantageous. Familiarity with gender equality, international development, and humanitarian settings is also beneficial, as is experience within the UN system or international organizations.

Educational Background:
The educational background required for this position includes a Master's degree in relevant fields such as information management, information science, information systems, data management, data science, library and information science, computer science, or digital transformation. A first-level university degree may be accepted in lieu of a Master's degree if accompanied by additional qualifying experience, specifically two years of relevant work experience.

Experience:
The position requires a minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in areas related to information systems, databases, knowledge management, and digital knowledge systems. Candidates should have a strong background in business intelligence and dashboard development, with specific experience using tools like Power BI, Tableau, and SQL. Experience in programming with R or STATA is considered an advantage. Additionally, familiarity with gender equality issues, international development, and humanitarian contexts will enhance a candidate's suitability for the role. Experience working within the UN system or with international organizations is also beneficial.

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 be considered an asset.

Additional Notes:
The position is expected to be full-time, and candidates should be prepared for a rigorous selection process that includes background checks and verification of academic credentials and employment history. UN Women is committed to diversity and inclusion, and all employment decisions are made based on qualifications, competence, integrity, and organizational need. The organization has a zero-tolerance policy regarding misconduct and discrimination, and selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women's policies and standards of conduct.