Grant-Making Programme Specialist

Job Posting Organization:
UN Women was established in July 2010 by the United Nations General Assembly as part of the UN reform agenda to enhance gender equality and women's empowerment. The organization is dedicated to eliminating discrimination against women and girls, empowering women, and achieving 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. The UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women, established in 1996, is the first global UN funding mechanism dedicated exclusively to providing direct grants to civil society organizations working to prevent and end all forms of violence against women and girls. Since its inception, the UN Trust Fund has funded over 700 initiatives in more than 140 countries and territories, significantly contributing to global efforts to end violence against women and girls. The organization operates through a global infrastructure of country and regional offices, providing strong institutional support and field assistance.

Job Overview:
The Grant-Making Programme Specialist will report to the Programme Lead – Global Grant Portfolio and will be responsible for leading the planning and coordination of the UN Trust Fund’s Call for Proposals. This includes ensuring strategic alignment and managing the technical and operational aspects of the Grant-Making Programme, which encompasses application review, partner selection, grantee contracting, and fund disbursement. The role requires strong technical expertise in grant-making, stakeholder engagement, and system management, with a commitment to advancing inclusive and impact-driven funding models to support frontline civil society organizations addressing violence against women and girls. The specialist will also facilitate grant application support and knowledge management, providing technical guidance to applicants and ensuring quality reporting and tracking of grant-making outcomes.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Lead the planning and coordination of the UN Trust Fund’s Call for Proposals, ensuring strategic alignment with the Fund's objectives.
• Manage the end-to-end technical and operational aspects of the Grant-Making Programme, including application review, partner selection, grantee contracting, and fund disbursement.
• Coordinate engagement with partners and stakeholders, including UN Women offices, external technical reviewers, and civil society partners, to strengthen grant selection and assessment processes.
• Facilitate grant application support and knowledge management, providing technical guidance to applicants and leading the development of tools and resources.
• Implement a grant-giving strategy focused on awarding grants to civil society organizations and women's rights organizations that align with the UN Trust Fund’s Strategic Plan 2026-203
• Conduct assessments of the Fund's processes related to its Grant-making Programme and compile lessons learned and best practices.
• Develop an annual grant-making work plan and coordinate the finalization of grantee cohorts.
• Liaise with UN Trust Fund staff and partners to ensure Programme results are achieved.
• Provide technical guidance to the Fund's Technical Review Groups and external reviewers to ensure quality scoring during the application review process. 1
• Oversee communications with applicants and selected grantees, ensuring timely finalization of Partner Project Documents and Partner Agreements. 1
• Manage the identification, selection, and recruitment of external experts engaged in the Call for Proposals. 1
• Facilitate communication across various stakeholders, including external technical reviewers and UN Women.

Required Qualifications:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in Social Sciences, Political Science, Development, Public Administration, Gender Studies, or a related field is required.
• A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• A project/programme management certification would be an added advantage.
• At least 5 years of progressively responsible experience at the national or international level in managing complex and multi-component ending violence against women programme interventions is required.
• Experience in coordinating, implementing, monitoring, and administering grant-making programmes and projects is required.
• Experience with databases and data management is required.
• Experience working with civil society organizations, particularly women’s rights organizations, is desirable.
• Previous experience working in the UN system or with other feminist funds is desirable.

Educational Background:
The position requires a Master’s degree or equivalent in relevant fields such as Social Sciences, Political Science, Development, Public Administration, or Gender Studies. A first-level university degree combined with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree. A project or programme management certification would be an added advantage, enhancing the candidate's qualifications for the role.

Experience:
Candidates must have at least 5 years of progressively responsible experience at the national or international level in managing complex and multi-component programmes aimed at ending violence against women. This includes experience in grant-making and operations, as well as project management, preferably in grants management. Familiarity with databases and data management is essential, and experience working with civil society organizations, particularly those focused on women's rights, is highly desirable. Previous experience within the UN system or with feminist funds is also considered an asset.

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

Additional Notes:
The position is full-time and involves supervisory responsibilities, including overseeing the GMS Consultant and managing up to 60 affiliate personnel each year. The role requires strong coordination, programme implementation, and monitoring skills, as well as budget and finance skills. The incumbent will be expected to adhere 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.