Programme Management Advisor
New York City
- Organization: UNOPS - United Nations Office for Project Services
- Location: New York City
- Grade: Mid level - P-4, International Professional - Internationally recruited position
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Occupational Groups:
- Project and Programme Management
- Closing Date: 2025-04-23
Functional Responsibilities
Under the supervision of the Senior Trust Fund Manager, the Programme Management Advisor acts as the focal point for Resident Coordinators and UN Country Teams on all matters related to programme design, implementation and closure of programmes on ending violence against women and girls. The Programme Management Advisor is responsible to ensure sound programme management and the delivery of strategic, technical and operational assistance to Resident Coordinators’ Offices and UN Country Teams in line with the Spotlight Initiative model, leveraging the expertise of other Spotlight Initiative Secretariat colleagues, as well as of the Initiative’s partners (UN Agencies, DCO, MPTFO and others as relevant). The Programme Management Advisor will also ensure the adaptation of the Spotlight Initiative model to country contexts/typologies and to the funding environment of the Fund.
1) Coordinate the development of strategic, programmatic and operational guidance aimed at Resident Coordinators’ Offices, UN Country Teams and Recipient UN Organizations on all aspects related to the holistic management and coordination of comprehensive programmes to end violence against women and girls.
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Establish mechanisms for bi-directional communications between the Spotlight Initiative Secretariat, Resident Coordinators, UNCTs and programmes’ Governance Mechanism.
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Develop mechanisms, protocols and standard operating procedures for coordinating the mobilization of Spotlight Initiative Secretariat’s units as well as UN partners (UN Agencies, DCO, MPTFO and others as relevant) in the provision of delivery of strategic, technical and operational assistance.
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Coordinate the ‘Agency Focal-Points system’ in close collaboration with the Spotlight Initiative’s implementing agencies, to increase collaboration, ensure appropriate information and coordinate programme support.
2) Coordinate Country support team to provide client oriented direct services to Resident Coordinators’ Offices and UN Country Teams on all aspects related to programme ideation, development, management and closure programmes to end violence against women and girls.
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Act as first port-of-call for Resident Coordinators’ Offices and UN Country Teams in designing, implementing and/or closing comprehensive programmes on ending violence against women and girls, in line with the Spotlight Initiative model.
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Undertake duty-travel visits to countries engaged in the development and implementation of comprehensive programmes on ending violence against women and girls in line with the Spotlight Initiative model, at the request of Resident Coordinators’ offices.
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Oversee the recruitment and supervision of consultants supporting RCOs and UNCTs in programme design effort, as directed by the Global Coordinator and upon request of RCs.
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Provide guidance to support the contextualization/localization of the Spotlight Initiative model of programming to local contexts and specific country strategies.
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Advise and support country and regional teams in negotiations with partners, including but not limited to national and local governments, development partners, civil society and private sector actors.
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As requested by the Head of Partnerships at Spotlight Initiative, provide targeted and strategic guidance to specific country and regional teams to support locally tailored partnership strategies and initiatives.
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Support capacity strengthening of country and regional teams’ efforts on programme design, implementation and closure in line with the Spotlight Initiative model, in coordination with Spotlight Initiative Secretariat’s units as well as UN partners (UN Agencies, DCO, MPTFO and others as relevant).
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Liaise with Agency HQs and Brussels liaison office as needed to ensure trouble shooting and the provision of timely solutions throughout the programme cycle.
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Ensure overall compliance with the Programme and Operations Manual provisions for programme implementation and Fund Terms of Reference requirements, particularly related to governance, accountability and programme budget management.
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Ensure adequate cash flow management at fund level to optimize programme implementation flow.
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Liaise with Fund Secretariat sub-teams on monitoring and evaluation, knowledge management, civil society liaison, communications and partnerships to ensure a well coordinated and coherent delivery of support to programme implementation teams.
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Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: The Programme Managerment Advisor is expected to have supervisory/managerial responsibilities of staff and /or consultants.
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Spotlight Initiative 2.0 Fund’s programme portfolio is developed in high-quality through contextualized engagement with UN Country Teams.
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Capacities of UN Country Teams and UN Agency structures at regional and global level on comprehensive programming to end violence against women are further strengthened in line with the Spotlight Initiative model.
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Spotlight Initiative’s programming model to end violence against women and girls is further advanced and evolved, also by accommodating humanitarian-development nexus considerations as well as emerging issues such as digital violence, or impacts of climate change and environmental degradation on violence against women and girls.
Education/Experience/Language requirements
Education:
- Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) preferably in International Relations, International Development, Public Administration, Political or Social Sciences, or related field is required with 7 years of relevant experience or,
- A first-level university degree (Bachelor's degree) in the above- mentioned fields of study, with 9 years of relevant work experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Required experience:
- Relevant experience is defined as experience in programme/project management, and/or coordination of programmes or projects or related area.
- A minimum of three (3) years of experience in developing countries is required.
- Experience working on programmes focusing on gender equality and human rights, especially in the area of EVAWG/HP is required.
- Prior experience working in a global or regional level multi-stakeholder pooled funding mechanisms, preferably within the United Nations is required.
- Experience working at Headquarters or in a Regional Office of an international organization is desirable.
- Experience working in a UN Country Office is desirable.
- Fluency in English (write, read, speak) is required.
- Knowledge of French or Spanish is desirable.
- Knowledge of another UN official language is an advantage.
Applications from non-qualifying applicants will most likely be discarded by the recruiting manager.