The Position:
The Senior Technical Project Coordinator (STPC) provides overall leadership and management of the Regional Technical Secretariat (RTS) programmatic team of the Sub-Saharian Women’s Empowerment and Demographic Dividend project (SWEDD) for the WCARO. The STPC provides tailored support to the SWEDD countries management Units and other partners in the planning and implementation process to ensure a smooth performance of the Project, considering the different stages of implementation of the participation SWEDD countries. S/He builds strategic and operational relationships among donors and implementing stakeholders, essential to sustaining effective project development, implementation, and delivery. The STPC serves as a de facto Deputy to the Project Director.
How you can make a difference:
UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled. UNFPA’s strategic plan (2022-2025), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize our goals.
In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.
UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.
Job Purpose:
The Sub-Saharian Women’s Empowerment and Demographic Dividend Project (SWEDD) is a regional collaboration and partnership encompassing thirteen countries of West and Central Africa. The SWEDD project is an initiative of the participating governments, funded by the World Bank’s regional IDA (International Development Association) resources. Other participating partners are the West Africa Health Organisation (WAHO), technical health wing of ECOWAS, the African Union, and the Agence Francaise de Development (AFD). UNFPA ensures the Secretariat, with overall coordination and technical assistance role. The Project acts on the UN-ASfrican Union-World Bank commitment to assist countries reap the Demographic Dividend with deliberate investments in human capital, with focus on adolescents girls’ education and women’s empowerment. The overall goal of the project is to accelerate the demographic transition, to spur the demographic dividend, and to reduce gender inequality in the participating countries.
The SWEDD Project interventions are structured around 3 components: (1) Gender transformative interventions across the 4E’s that promote girls’ and women’s social and economic autonomy; (2) Availability of Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Nutrition (RMNCAHN) Commodities, and Qualified Health Workers at the community level and Strengthen Regional Capacity for adolescent-friendly services; (3) Foster National and Regional Commitment and Capacity for Policy Making and Project Implementation.
The Project governance is vested in a Regional Steering Committee, supported by the Regional Technical Secretariat (RTS) located at the UNFPA’s WCARO. The RTS is responsible for strengthening project management capacities of implementing agencies at national and regional levels. It also oversees the programming and implementation of all funding channeled through UNFPA for the project activities directly executed by UNFPA or sub-contracted to other agencies and partners.
It is in this context and as a member of the SWEDD Regional Technical Secretariat, that the Senior Technical Project Coordinator (STPC) is to provide the overall technical coordination for this project and specifically outcomes focusing on coordinating and facilitating the technical and programmatical assistance to SWEDD countries taking into consideration best relevant examples from UNFPA, other SWEDD partners – World Bank, WAHO, AU, AFD – and around the world, adapt necessary tools and technology for women empowerment and harnessing the demographic dividend. The STPC leads high-level technical and programmatic discussions with national Project Management Units in each member countries and draws from other national, regional, international institutions and experiences as appropriate to improve the SWEDD project. S/He will provide supervision to the technical specialists assigned to the RTS and guide the RTS financial and administrative staff/consultants to ensure delivery of high-quality results. S/He will liaise with the technical teams of partner agencies to maximize impact of the project and ensure synergies and complementarities, in ensuring the joint planning and monitoring and evaluation of the SWEDD project. The STPC serve as deputy Director SWEDD/WCARO and report to her/him.
Qualifications and Experience:
Education:
Master’s degree in public health, development studies, demography and/or other related social science discipline.
Knowledge and Experience:
- At least 10 years specialized experience in technical assistance programming and delivery on development programmes, five (5) of which an international level.
- Excellent understanding of demographic dividend concept and gender transformative agenda.
- Experience in capacity development.
- Experience engaging with high level national and intergovernmental decision makers and leaders within a multinational and multicultural environment.
- Proven track record in budget management
- Excellent communication and inter-personal skills, IT literacy, as well as organizational skills and personal time-management
- Experience in managing diverse an multi-cultural teams.
Languages:
Fluency in French and English; knowledge of other official UN languages is an asset.
Compensation and Benefits:
This position offers an attractive remuneration package including a competitive net salary plus health insurance and other benefits as applicable.
Disclaimer:
UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Fraudulent notices, letters or offers may be submitted to the UNFPA fraud hotline http://www.unfpa.org/help/hotline.cfm
In accordance with the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations, persons applying to posts in the international Professional category, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.
We are no longer accepting applications for this position.
