Programme Consultant

Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Organization: UN Women

Closing Date: May 16, 2026, 06:59 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 through its Liaison Office to the African Union (AU) and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) engages with the AU and its various organs, the UNECA and civil society organizations, as well as the diplomatic community. Through the office, UN Women provides technical support to Member States and the AU in the adoption, implementation and monitoring of commitments on gender equality and women’s empowerment (GEWE), in accordance with its mandate. Furthermore, the UN Women Liaison Office represents UN Women in the UN Liaison Team and facilitates the participation of relevant UN Women Offices including Regional offices for East and Southern Africa (ESAR), West and Central Africa (WCAR) and North Africa in the Regional Coordination Mechanism (RCM) for Africa to advance the GEWE agenda on the continent.

UN Women contributes to the implementation of African Union’s Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA-2024), among others, through its continental flagship program, the African Girls Can Code Initiative (AGCCI). The African Girls Can CODE Initiative (AGCCI), a partnership between UN Women, Africa Union Commission (AUC) and International Telecommunications Union (ITU) aims to train and empower a young girls aged between 17-20, across Africa to become computer programmers, creators and designers, placing them on track to take up studies and careers in the information, communication and technology (ICT) sector.

In the context of the African Girls Can Code Initiative (AGCCI), UN Women, in partnership with the African Union Commission and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and with financial support from the Government of Belgium, BMZ, and Siemens, is implementing a biennial programme across eleven African countries. These include four Francophone countries (Burundi, Niger, Senegal, and Mali), six Anglophone countries (Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and South Africa), and one Lusophone country (Mozambique). The programme aims to equip girls and young women with coding and ICT skills, promote gender-responsive ICT and STEM education systems, and strengthen national digital ecosystems through engagement with key national stakeholders. Additionally the program associate will also provide the support for the initiatives under AULO core funding

It is in this context that UN Women Liaison to the AU and UNECA is seeking to recruit a Programme associate as SSA to provide necessary programmatic, operational and administrative support in close collaboration with the operations and program teams in Liaison and other country offices, UN Women Regional Office and HQs.
Reporting to the UN Women Special Representative to AU and UNECA, the Programme Associate works with and provides support to the members of the AULO team and AGCCI project. 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 AGGCI implementing Country offices, Ros and global team

Description of Responsibilities /Scope of Work

Programme Planning, Implementation and Coordination:

Lead the development and implementation of annual and multi-year work plans in line with AGCCI programme documents;
Coordinate overall programme delivery, ensuring alignment with donor agreements, strategic priorities, and expected results;
Liaise with key partners—including the African Union Commission (AUC), Member States, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), ECA, and donors—to ensure effective collaboration and optimal resource utilization;
Provide technical and advisory support to implementing countries on programme strategies and delivery approaches, including coordinating technical review meetings to support effective planning and implementation;
Lead the coordination of AGCCI-related advocacy and outreach initiatives, as well as broader education and youth empowerment engagements, including the development of concept notes, agendas, talking points, and speaker coordination. This includes engagement in relevant platforms such as Steering and Technical Committees (STCs);
Coordinate regular (quarterly) meetings with donors to provide updates on programme progress, discuss key results and challenges, and ensure continued alignment with donor expectations.

Partnership Management and Technical Support:

Strengthen coordination with regional and country-level partners to support effective implementation and expansion of the AGCCI programme;
Provide technical guidance to implementing countries on results frameworks, performance indicators, and programme implementation approaches;
Provide technical support to strengthening the partnerships with key African Union Commission entities, including ESTI/CIEFFA and the AUC Youth Division, on initiatives related to STEM, digital transformation, and youth empowerment.

Monitoring, Reporting, and Knowledge Management:

Oversee monitoring of programme implementation, including progress against targets and utilization of financial resources;
Ensure timely preparation and submission of high-quality narrative and review financial reports to UN Women and donors;
Consolidate inputs from implementing countries and partners for reporting and evaluation purposes;
Support the documentation of lessons learned, best practices, and results, and facilitate knowledge sharing across stakeholders.

Financial Management:

Coordinate the programme budgeting, financial planning, and expenditure tracking in line with UN Women and donor requirements;
Monitor budget implementation and recommend adjustments where necessary.

Provide advanced administrative and logistical support to support to the AGCCI program as well as the LO:

Manage all logistical, administrative and financial arrangements of the organization for meetings, workshops, events, and missions,
Make travel arrangements for the Programme Team, including travel requisitions and claims;
Ensure registration of new contracts and vendors and ensure expenditures are aligned with budget line;
provide briefing on operational policies, rules and procedures to partners;
Receive correspondence and articulate the response with counterparts

Resource Mobilization and Strategic Partnerships:

Contribute to the development and implementation of resource mobilization strategic documents;
Identify new partnership opportunities aligned with programme priorities an d donor interests and support the resource mobilization efforts;
Support the development of concept notes and proposals to expand the AGCCI portfolio.

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

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel:

This is an office-based consultancy.
As part of this assignment, there might be travel to other duties as it will be assigned by the supervisor.

Required Qualification:

Education and Certification:

Master’s degree or equivalent in social sciences, human rights, gender/ women’s studies, international development, 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 (such as PMP®, PRINCE2®, or MSP®) would be an added advantage.

Experience:

Minimum of 2 years’ work experience &/ demonstrated interest in administrative and operational management of GEWE, human rights, advocacy, coordination, and partnership related projects and programs;
Excellent oral and written skills; excellent drafting, formulation, reporting skills;
Excellent interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive; familiarity with tools and approaches of communications for development;
Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging environment; ability to work effectively in a multicultural team of international and national personnel;
Solid overall computer literacy, including proficiency in various MS Office applications (Excel, Word, etc.) and email/internet; familiarity with database management; and office technology equipment;
Self-motivated, ability to work with tight deadlines.

Languages:

Fluency in English and French is required;
Knowledge of other UN official languages is an asset.

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:

Programme formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation skills
Knowledge of Results Based Management
Ability to gather and interpret data, reach logical conclusions and present findings
Good analytical skills
Have experience in gender equality, women’s empowerment and women’s rights

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.