Programme Associate – NPSA 7

Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Organization: UN Women

Closing Date: May 12, 2026, 05:59 AM

Job Description

Background:

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works to eliminate discrimination against women and girls, advance their empowerment, and achieve equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action, and peace and security.
UN Women maintains a large presence in Africa with three regional offices covering East & Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO), West and Central Africa Regional Office (WCARO) and the Regional Office for Arab States (ROAS), a Liaison Office to the African Union and UN Economic Commission for Africa and 23 country offices across the continent. Ending violence against women and girls (EVAWG) is a priority area for UN Women in Africa, which aims to advance integrated approaches to ensure that all women and girls live a life free from all forms of violence. This includes support to regional bodies and Member States, civil society, and coordination with the UN system and other partners to advance and monitor comprehensive, evidence-driven approaches to preventing violence against women and girls and ensuring coordinated multi-sectoral quality services are available to survivors, while promoting accountability to legal and policy commitments, and strengthening women’s rights and civil society movements, with attention to intersectionality and leaving no one behind.

In support of these efforts, UN Women is collaborating with sister UN agencies under the leadership of the UN Development Cooperation Office for Africa in partnership with the European Union (EU) and the African Union Commission to implement the Spotlight Initiative Africa Regional Programme (SIARP 2.0). The Spotlight Initiative is a UN high-impact initiative to end all forms of violence against women and girls. The second phase of the Spotlight Initiative Africa Regional Programme (SIARP 2.0) is a continental collaboration led by the UN Development Cooperation Office for Africa, in partnership with the African Union Commission (AUC). It aims to strengthen engagement between civil society, the AUC, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), and the UN, ensuring systematic participation of civil society organizations (CSOs) in decision-making processes for enhanced accountability to women’s rights movements, youth networks, and feminist civil society.

Recognizing Africa’s large youth population and the activism of young leaders in advancing gender equality, SIARP 2.0 will also proactively engage youth advocates to end VAWG. The Africa Regional Programme focuses on four key pillars: laws, policies, and institutions, prevention, response and strengthening women’s movements and will be implemented over a three and a half-year period by UN Women, UNDP, UNICEF, and UNFPA. The programme will provide technical assistance and support partnerships with regional and sub-regional inter-governmental bodies, CSOs, bilateral donors, and multilateral UN entities.

Reporting to the Programme Coordinator under the overall guidance of the UN Women Special Representative to the AU and UNECA, the Programme Associate works with and provides support to the members of the SIARP 2.0 Programme Team in the development and implementation of effective programmes consistent with UN Women rules and regulations. The Programme Associate contributes to research, financial management, and programme implementation including providing necessary operational, administrative and programmatic support. The Programme Associate works in close collaboration with the operations, programme and projects’ staff in UN Women’s Africa regional offices, global team and sister UN agencies as required for resolving complex finance-related issues and exchange of information.

Scope of Work:

Provide advanced administrative and logistical support to the formulation and management of programmes:

Provide advanced administrative support and inputs in the preparation of programme work plans, budgets, and proposals on SIARP 2.0 programme implementation arrangements;
Provide technical guidance to the country offices and executing agencies on routine delivery and reporting of SIARP 2.0 programme supported activities and finances;
Coordinate the collection of information for the audit of the SIARP 2.0 programme and support implementation of audit recommendations;
Contribute to the development or update of standard operating procedures, guidelines, checklists, templates and business processes in SIARP 2.0 programme management;
Review programme data from the SIARP 2.0 programme for RO websites; and
Identify sources and gather and compile data and information for documents, guidelines, speeches and position papers.

Provide advanced administrative support to the financial management of the SIARP 2.0 Programme:

Create projects in Quantum system, prepare budget revisions, revise project awards and status; and determine unutilized funds and the operational and financial close of a project;
Monitor budget preparation and the finances of programmes/projects; prepare periodic reports; finalize FACE forms;
Review financial reports; prepare non-PO vouchers for development projects;
Maintain internal expenditures control system; post transactions in Quantum system;
Create requisitions in Quantum system for development projects; register good receipts in Quantum system; and
Prepare and follow up of cost-recovery bills in Quantum system.

Provide advanced administrative support to the SIARP 2.0 Programme:

Oversee all logistical, administrative and financial arrangements for organization for meetings, workshops, events, and missions;
Oversee travel arrangements for the Programme Team, including travel requisitions and claims;
Prepare public information materials and briefing packets; and
Liaise with high level officials on administrative issues;
Prepare and assemble briefing materials and prepare powerpoint and other presentations; contribute inputs to the materials; and
Provide guidance and training to responsible parties related to the SIARP 2.0 programme reporting.

Provide administrative support to Resource Mobilization:

Prepare cost-sharing and other agreements; follow up on contributions as part of the AU LO resource mobilization efforts; and
Organize, compile and process information from donors, AU LO and programme team, as inputs to various databases and documents.

Facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing:

Support synthesis of lessons learnt and best practices related to SIARP 2.0 programme management and finance; and
Coordinate the organization of training for the office personnel and partners on programme and operations related issues.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Competencies :

Core Values:

Integrity;
Professionalism;
Respect for Diversity.

Core Competencies:

Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues;
Accountability;
Creative Problem Solving;
Effective Communication;
Inclusive Collaboration;
Stakeholder Engagement;
Leading by Example.

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Values and Competencies Framework:

Functional Competencies:

Strong knowledge of programme management;
Ability to create, edit, synthesize and present information in clear and presentable formats;
Ability to administer and execute administrative processes and transactions;
Ability to provide input to business process re-engineering, elaboration and implementation of new data management systems;
Ability to manage data, documents, correspondence and reports information and workflow;
Excellent financial and budgeting skills;
Excellent IT skills.

Education and Certification:

Completion of secondary education is required;
Bachelor’s degree in business or public administration is desirable.

Experience:

At least 7 years of progressively responsible experience in administration or programme management/support is required;
Experience in working in a computer environment using multiple office software packages is required;
Experience in supporting a team is required;
Experience in the use of a modern web-based ERP System, preferably Oracle Cloud, is desirable.

Languages:

Fluency in English is required;
Knowledge of another official UN language is desirable (French, Arabic, Chinese, Russian or Spanish).

Statements :

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Diversity and inclusion:

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.)

Note: Applicants must ensure that all sections of the application form, including the sections on education and employment history, are completed. If all sections are not completed the application may be disqualified from the recruitment and selection process.