Gender Research and Data Specialist

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. 

Established by UN Women in 2021 with the support of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family (MOGEF) of the Republic of Korea , the UN Women Centre in the Republic of Korea is dedicated to supporting traditional and non-traditional stakeholders in realizing commitments to gender equality, women’s empowerment, and the rights of women and girls through (i) gender capacity-building training programmes, (ii) research and support for production and use of gender data, and (iii) network building, partnership cultivation and advocacy as a leading gender training and knowledge hub in Asia and beyond. The Centre embraces innovation, including as it relates to new technologies and partnerships, to increase the breadth and impacts of its work, aligning with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Pact for the Future and the on-going regional and global dialogue on Beijing+30 and its transformative promise to leave no one behind. Prioritisation is given to supporting at the regional and global level:  enhanced knowledge, responses and strategies on the Care economy as a cornerstone of women’s overall empowerment; strengthened knowledge, policies and tools to end technology-facilitated gender based violence; and increased emphasis on advancing multistakeholder partnerships for gender equality and women’s empowerment. 

Under the supervision of the Director with a dotted reporting line to the Regional Office’s Gender Statistics Specialist, and under the technical guidance from thematic leads at UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, the Gender Research and Data Specialist exercises overall responsibility for planning, implementing, and managing UN Women research and data analysis on all the relevant gender equality and empowerment of women thematic areas agreed to under the UN Women Centre’s endorsed annual workplans. Focus of work will support enhanced  data and research capacity to document and showcase the gender equality dimensions of the SDGs and the Six Transitions to accelerate the SDGs.The Gender Research and Data Specialist works in close collaboration with the programme and operations team, UN Women HQ and RO staff, other Centres of Excellence, Government officials, multi and bi-lateral donors and civil society ensuring successful UN Women research and data work. The Gender Research and Data Specialist is expected to manage relevant personnel and external researchers, as necessary.

Key Functions and Accountabilities:

1. Manage research, and data and policy analysis, in collaboration with UN Women HQ, regional and country offices, on key areas for gender equality and women’s empowerment, including emerging and cross-cutting issues

• In accordance with the agreed-upon workplan of the Centre, design the Center’s plan  for research and data analysis, in close coordination with the data teams in HQ and RO for Asia and the Pacific, and identifying synergies and linkages with teams across UN Women.
• Identify and carry out pieces of research, data and policy analysis, to advance the global normative framework on gender equality and women’s rights with the focus on Asia and the Pacific, in coordination with UN Women Regional Office and Headquarters.
• Keep abreast of emerging development issues to galvanize UN Women’s analytical capacity to respond.
• Commission and manage research on key cross-cutting issues and in order to help UN Women to forecast and respond to emerging research issues.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of peer review and quality assurance mechanisms for UN Women’s research products.
• Draft analytical publications by following international statistical standards and coordinating with relevant data experts across the region.
• Manage the budgetary and technical implementation of the statistics and data plan, provide technical advice and endure synergies with other teams.
• Review the submission of implementing partner financial and narrative reports on research and data as required.
• Provide guidance to personnel and partners working on research and data on Results Based Management tools and performance indicators.
• Manage, mentor and coach personnel and conduct performance assessment where relevant.
• Contribute to Steering Committee, project review, evaluation meetings, monitoring and reporting.
• Contribute to regional reporting on research and data, including by identifying and sharing lessons learnt and good practices.

2. Provide capacity building support

• Prepare the Center’s training plan on gender statistics, in coordination with statistics teams at HQ and RO, and seeking insights from national governments and other target audiences. 
• Provide substantive technical support to implement the Center’s trainings on gender data and statistics. Develop statistics training materials as needed and in line with international statistical standards.

3. Establish and strengthen strategic partnerships with stakeholders, regional/ international actors and development partners

• Build and maintain alliances and strategic partnerships through research and data programmes for the advancement of gender equality and empowerment of women including with donors.
• Co-lead with the Asia-Pacific Regional office the work of expert groups and networks of statisticians, including on Technology-Facilitated Violence Against Women. 
• Maintain close contact with relevant staff in UN Women HQ and the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific.

4. Contribute substantively to knowledge management and sharing of information

• Identify and disseminate lessons learnt and good practices in the area of research and data
• Ensure technical skills and knowledge are shared within and among UN Women HQ, RO and country offices

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

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:

• Substantial knowledge and expertise in gender data and research.
• Ability to conduct research and analysis and draft high quality clear and concise outputs.
• Proven record of contribution to key technical publications using qualitative and quantitative research methods, particularly in relation to gender.
• Proven expertise on  statistical analysis and indicators, including expertise writing syntax to analyze microdata.
• Ability to develop and maintain partnerships with government counterparts, UN agencies, donors, and NGO partners.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Proven analytical and problem solving skills.
• Ability to leverage information technology, executive information systems, management techniques and tools for optimal office performance.
• Excellent strategic planning, goal-setting and prioritization skills.
• Effectiveness in establishing and fostering good relations and working collaboratively with Member States, UN agencies, UN Women regional and country offices, thematic sections, and other partners.
• Strong knowledge of gender statistics and research methods.
• Strong knowledge of syntax writing for statistical software packages such as Stata,  R, Python. etc. and ability to use computer office tools (word, spreadsheets, databases, etc.).

Recruitment Qualifications:

Education and certification:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in statistics, economics, social sciences, 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 would be an added advantage.

Experience:

• At least 5 years of progressively responsible work experience at the national or international level in design, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of research and data, ideally with some experience in developing countries.
• Experience with the production of gender statistics, social statistics and intersectional statistics, including official statistics and in line with international statistical standards. Professional experience analyzing micro data, conducting research and drafting analytical publications.
• Mastery of STATA, R or related statistical package through syntax writing.
• Experience coordinating and liaising with government agencies, research or statistical institutions and/or donors is an asset.
• Experience working in the UN System is an asset.
• Experience working in Asia and the Pacific region is an asset.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English is required.
• Knowledge of the local language (Korean) is an asset.
• 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.)