Grant-Making Programme Specialist

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 builds on the work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system, focusing exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment. The organization operates globally, with a mission to eliminate discrimination against women and girls, empower women, and achieve 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. UN Women administers the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women, which was established by the UN General Assembly in 1996 and has funded over 700 initiatives in more than 140 countries and territories, significantly contributing to global efforts to end violence against women and girls.

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, ensuring strategic alignment with the Fund's objectives. This role involves managing the technical and operational aspects of the Grant-Making Programme, including application review, partner selection, grantee contracting, and fund disbursement. The specialist will coordinate engagement with various partners and stakeholders, including UN Women offices and civil society partners, to strengthen grant selection and assessment processes. Additionally, the role requires providing technical guidance to applicants, developing tools and resources, and ensuring quality reporting and tracking of grant-making outcomes. The position demands 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.

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, leading the development of tools and resources, and ensuring quality reporting and tracking of grant-making outcomes.
• Provide technical leadership on strategic grant-giving and funding approaches, implementing 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 new Strategic Plan 2026-203
• Conduct assessments of the Fund's processes related to its Grant-making Programme and compile lessons learned, best practices, and results to increase the Fund's efficiency and efficacy.
• Develop an annual grant-making work plan and coordinate the finalization of grantee cohorts according to agreed-upon timelines.
• Liaise with UN Trust Fund staff and partners to ensure Programme results are achieved and resources are managed effectively.
• Oversee communications with applicants and selected grantees, providing inputs into communications materials. 1
• Manage the identification, selection, and recruitment of external experts engaged in the Call for Proposals, maintaining an updated roster of experts. 1
• Coordinate the review of NGO assessments and manage all aspects of the Global Advisory Committee's grant selection processes. 1
• Support applicants through the preparation of easy-to-understand tips and tools for application submission. 1
• Prepare and present periodic narrative progress reports and expenditure status reports to the Supervisor and Chief. 1
• Oversee the Grants Management System utilized by applicants and grantees, ensuring quality assurance and user support. 1
• Perform other duties as necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

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 with national partners, related to Grant-making and Operations is required.
• Experience in coordinating, implementing, monitoring, and administering grant-making programmes and projects is required.
• Experience in project management, preferably grants management, 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:
A 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.

Experience:
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 with national partners, related to Grant-making and Operations is required. Experience in coordinating, implementing, monitoring, and administering grant-making programmes and projects is required. Experience in project management, preferably grants management, 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.

Languages:
Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language is highly desirable, such as Spanish, French, Arabic, Chinese, or Russian.

Additional Notes:
The position is full-time and involves supervising the GMS Consultant and managing up to 60 affiliate personnel each year (short-term consultants). UN Women is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect and adheres to 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.