Background Information: Technical Services Unit (TSU)

The Technical Services Unit (TSU) engages in multidisciplinary design and design review, assessments and advisory work for infrastructure related UNOPS projects.

The Unit is based in Nairobi, but works extensively in other locations, via travel and by using the network of retainer (consultant) personnel based elsewhere in Africa and beyond. The team is developing a relationship with a UNOPS global network of transaction advisory experts focused on supporting partners, particularly governments, to develop projects which are technically, legally, and financially sound.

The TSU currently has 18 permanent and 60+ retainer (consultant) personnel including architects, civil engineers, structural engineers, mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, quantity surveyors, GIS and specialist infrastructure advisors (for dams, ICT, Environmental and Social Standards, biomedical works inter alia) and CAD technicians as well as support personnel.

Current projects are underway / imminent in Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique and Madagascar. These projects comprise a range of types of horizontal and vertical infrastructure.

The TSU is a business unit for the Multi-Country office and comes under the direction of the Director for East and Southern Africa Office (KEMC).

Purpose & Scope of the Role:

The overall objective of this assignment is to boost the TSU capacity to respond to various GBV-related engagements, including responding to various donor requirements and needs in view of environmental and social risk management.

• The Gender Equality Specialist will provide targeted technical advice, assistance to project management and review of project activities, and preparation of Project Environmental and Social (E&S) instruments and they relate to GBV, as and when required. The GBV Specialist will report to the Technical Services Unit Senior Manager on project progress, issues and risks. The Specialist is to ensure good stakeholder management and the smooth running of the project and partnership activities, with a focus on quality, time and cost UNOPS.

• The Gender Equality Specialist will ensure that programme design, approaches and practices draw from global evidence of what works. S/he will support UNOPS and the Implementation Partners to develop and test innovative and integrated solutions that reflect and adapt in response to emerging evidence and learning. Working with the Technical Leads, s/he will support programme wide learning and development, including through developing guidance and supporting training, mentoring and professional development of personnel. Where required, s/he will support the Technical Leads to quality assure programme outputs. Importantly, they will be expected to contribute to establishing and fostering an organizational and programme culture that enables and facilitates trust, partnership, evidenced-based learning and adaptation.

The Specialist will work closely with the Environmental and Social Risk Management Team, Mapping, Transaction Advisory personnel in TSU.

The Gender Equality Specialist (retainer) shall be called upon on an ad-hoc basis to support various projects and potential projects.

1. Strategic and Technical guidance to the GBV Components of the UNOPS Portfolio:

The Gender Equality Specialist – Gender Based Violence (Retainer) will work closely with project teams to contribute on gender related matters; and will:

• Provide strategic and technical guidance to the Portfolio GBV requirements, in line with current international guidelines (including but not limited to IASC Guidelines for GBV Interventions in Humanitarian Settings), existing tools and good practices.
• Provide day-to-day on the job guidance to and technical supervision of the GBV components of projects.
• Oversee achievement of results by ensuring appropriate policies and procedures are applied by the implementing partners, and appropriate monitoring and oversight mechanisms and systems are established and implemented.
• Ensure GBV coordination and full cooperation with other Units to achieve an integrated programmatic response that is gender transformative and age appropriate.

2. Strengthening Advocacy, Partnership and Resource Mobilization:

• Review the political, social and economic environment relevant to GBV prevention and response activities and pursue opportunities for assistance and intervention. Assess implications of new policy developments and strategies on Portfolio execution and ensure appropriate implementation.
• Participate in advocacy and resource mobilisation efforts by ensuring preparation of relevant documentation, i.e. project summaries, conference papers, speeches, donor profiles, and participating in related donor meetings and public information events.
• Provide synergy and harmony with relevant team members.
• Curate and document knowledge about current and emerging GBV prevention and response activities by the Technical team through the analysis of projects, strategies, approaches and ongoing experience for lessons learned, best practices, and use this knowledge for information sharing and planning future strategies.

Education:

• A Masters Degree in relevant discipline (e.g. International Relations/Political Science; Development Studies; Sociology/Anthropology; Conflict and Security Studies; Law; Gender Studies) is required.

• Bachelor’s Degree in relevant discipline in combination with additional two (2) years relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of the Masters / Advanced University degree.

Experience:

• A minimum of five (5) years’ work experience and technical expertise related to at least in the key thematic area of GBV, which has been applied in a development context through programmatic work (design, implementation, research / M&E) is required.

• Experience working on programmes that address GBV response or prevention and experience supporting both SGBV response and prevention interventions is an asset.

• Experienced and resilient working in fragile contexts, with an understanding of wider conflict, peace and security issues in Africa is required.

• Experience successfully working for/with international development agencies overseas, and of successfully engaging and managing multiple stakeholders an asset.

• Experience working with multilateral and other development partners as well as civil society organisations is an asset.

Contract type: Individual Contractor Agreement (ICA) Retainer Contract.
Contract level: I-ICA 2/ICS 10
Contract duration: One year initially, renewable subject to satisfactory performance and funding availability.

A retainer contract is issued for a period of time during which the services of the individual contractor are required intermittently. The individual contractor agreement on retainer basis will specify a “unit price” per day worked. Please note that the retainer contract will not provide for a minimum, and payment will be made only after completion of work.

As per UNOPS policy, in duty stations where the NPO (National Professional Officer) category has been established by the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), a home-based contract must be issued as a Local ICA Specialist position.

For more details about the ICA contractual modality, please follow this link:
https://www.unops.org/english/Opportunities/job-opportunities/what-we-offer/Pages/Individual-Contractor-Agreements.aspx

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce.
• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.
• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

Terms and Conditions

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post.
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses ( they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here.
• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.
• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.
• It may be the responsibility of the selected candidate to make arrangements, to a standard deemed acceptable by UNOPS, for a secure internet connections, laptop and or equipment necessary for work (as defined by UNOPS).