UN Women Is Hiring A Research, Analysis, and Coordination Specialist! APPLY NOW 2025.

March 24, 2025

5 minutes read

UN Women Is Hiring A Research, Analysis, and Coordination Specialist! APPLY NOW 2025.

UN Women is seeking a Programme Specialist to work within the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) framework in Kabul, Afghanistan. This is a high-impact role that focuses on the research, analysis, and coordination of initiatives aimed at advancing gender equality and empowering Afghan women in a challenging context. As a Programme Specialist, you will lead the design, management, and implementation of research and analytical initiatives to support the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda, particularly in light of Afghanistan’s complex political, economic, and humanitarian circumstances.

About UN Women:

UN Women, established in 2010, is a key UN entity dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women. Its mission is to eliminate discrimination against women and girls and achieve gender equality through a multi-faceted approach, engaging in development, human rights, humanitarian action, and peacebuilding. Afghanistan, one of the world’s most volatile countries, remains at the heart of UN Women’s efforts, as the country continues to face severe crises that affect the most vulnerable populations—especially women and girls.

Afghan women are particularly at risk due to a combination of conflict, poverty, economic decline, and gender-based violence. In response, UN Women has been active in Afghanistan for more than two decades, working with local governments, international organizations, civil society, and donors to address gender inequality and ensure that Afghan women and girls are included in peace and security efforts. The UN Women Afghanistan office is focused on four core programming areas:

Gender in Humanitarian Action
Ending Violence Against Women
Women’s Economic Empowerment
Women, Peace, and Security (WPS)

This role in the WPS portfolio involves leading research efforts, coordinating with various stakeholders, and managing the program’s financial and operational aspects to support women’s participation in peacebuilding and security processes.

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Position Summary:

Reporting to the Programme Manager, the Programme Specialist is responsible for designing, implementing, and managing research initiatives that support the Women, Peace, and Security agenda in Afghanistan. In addition to leading research and analysis efforts, this position involves program and financial management, monitoring, reporting, and coordination with internal and external stakeholders. The Programme Specialist will supervise a team of program analysts, assistants, and consultants, ensuring high-quality implementation of all activities.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Design and Development of Research and Analysis Initiatives

The Programme Specialist will be responsible for leading the development of innovative research and analysis efforts focused on gender equality and women’s rights within the context of Afghanistan’s complex security and humanitarian situation. This includes:

Designing and formulating research projects and proposals to advance gender equality and women’s rights, particularly in relation to peace and security.
Managing and commissioning knowledge products, including comprehensive reports and countrywide analyses on the status of gender equality in Afghanistan.
Analyzing both quantitative and qualitative data, and preparing policy briefs, reports, and publications.
Supervising technical consultants and other specialists involved in research and analysis initiatives.
Keeping track of developments and trends related to WPS and gender equality and ensuring that research findings are integrated into program strategies and national policy.

2. Program and Financial Management

The Programme Specialist will oversee the effective management of the WPS program, with a special focus on the research and analysis components. Key responsibilities include:

Finalizing and managing the annual workplan and budget for the research and analysis components of the WPS program.
Ensuring the technical implementation of the program and ensuring alignment with the broader objectives of UN Women’s strategy.
Working closely with other UN agencies, government departments, civil society organizations, and donors to promote synergies in the implementation of gender equality and peacebuilding initiatives.
Monitoring the budget and ensuring financial resources are appropriately allocated and utilized.

3. Monitoring and Reporting

Another critical aspect of the Programme Specialist’s role is ensuring effective monitoring and reporting of the program’s progress, using a Results-Based Management (RBM) approach. This includes:

Managing monitoring processes for the program’s research and analysis components, ensuring that implementation is on track and aligned with intended outcomes.
Writing quarterly reports and donor reports, ensuring comprehensive documentation of the program’s progress, challenges, and results.
Supervising field missions and reviewing reports from monitoring and evaluation teams to ensure high-quality data collection and reporting.

4. Human Resources Management

The Programme Specialist will manage a diverse team involved in the research and analysis portfolio, including program analysts, technical specialists, and consultants. Specific responsibilities include:

Supervising and mentoring team members, offering professional development support and conducting performance assessments.
Overseeing recruitment processes for personnel as required, ensuring that team members are skilled and capable of delivering high-impact work.

5. Inter-Agency Coordination and Stakeholder Engagement

UN Women places high importance on collaboration and coordination. As part of the Programme Specialist’s responsibilities:

Provide technical support to the Representative and Deputy Representative on inter-agency coordination.
Participate in coordination meetings, contributing to the UN’s gender equality efforts by aligning UN Women’s programs with other partners, including UN agencies, donors, and local and international NGOs.
Ensure that program activities are harmonized with other initiatives and are supported by international partners.

The Programme Specialist will also manage the advocacy and communication strategies for the WPS program. This involves:

Developing advocacy strategies for promoting the WPS agenda and advancing gender equality in Afghanistan.
Coordinating the dissemination of knowledge products, research findings, and policy recommendations to relevant stakeholders, including the government, donors, and civil society organizations.
Representing UN Women in policy dialogues and advocacy events on issues related to gender equality, women’s empowerment, and peacebuilding.

Qualifications:

Education:

A Master’s degree in social sciences, gender studies, international development, human rights, research, statistics, or a related field is required.
A Bachelor’s degree combined with seven years of relevant experience will be considered in lieu of a Master’s degree.

Experience:

A minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible work experience in design, planning, implementation, and monitoring of development projects, with a focus on gender equality and women’s rights.
Strong expertise in crisis contexts related to gender equality and women’s rights.
Experience in using statistical software and qualitative analysis tools for research is required.
Proven ability to coordinate inter-agency projects and manage relations with donors is highly valued.
Leadership experience managing a diverse team is essential.

Languages:

Fluency in English is required.
Knowledge of Dari and/or Pashto is highly desirable.
Knowledge of additional UN official languages is beneficial.

Core Competencies:

Integrity, Professionalism, Respect for Diversity
Creative Problem Solving, Effective Communication, Inclusive Collaboration, Stakeholder Engagement, Leading by Example

Why Join UN Women?

This role offers an opportunity to work at the forefront of gender equality and women’s rights efforts in one of the most critical and challenging contexts. As a Programme Specialist for Women, Peace, and Security in Afghanistan, you will play an instrumental role in shaping the future of Afghan women and contributing to long-term peace and security in the region. You will have the chance to lead impactful research and policy initiatives, work with diverse stakeholders, and make a real difference in the lives of vulnerable women and girls.

Application Process:

Interested candidates are encouraged to apply by the deadline on March 30, 2025. Only complete applications will be considered.

Keywords: Programme Specialist, Women, Peace and Security, Afghanistan, Gender Equality, Women’s Rights, Peacebuilding, Research, Analysis, Coordination, UN Women, Humanitarian Action, Women’s Economic Empowerment, Gender-based Violence, Results-Based Management, Stakeholder Engagement, Monitoring and Evaluation, Crisis Contexts, Gender Studies, Women’s Empowerment.