Programme Coordinator, Spotlight Initiative, Niamey, Niger, WCARO

The Position:

The Spotlight Initiative Programme Coordinator substantially contributes to the management of activities pertaining to the coordination and monitoring of the Spotlight Initiative as planned and undertaken by implementing UN agencies, thus ensuring the implementation quality assurance, and regular production of programme reports. Her/his leadership will ensure a full commitment and active participation of all agencies in the joint implementation of the Spotlight Initiative. S/he will supervise and manage the day-to-day work of the Spotlight Coordination team, under the overall leadership and guidance of the UN Resident Coordinator in Niger. S/he will directly report to the UN Resident Coordinator in Niger.

Job Purpose:

Niger has the highest proportion of child marriages (28% of girls are married before the age of 15 and 76,3% before the age of 18 (DHS, 2012)). The country also holds the highest demographic growth rate at 3,9% and highest TFR at 7,6 children per woman (DHS, 2012). GBV is very common, with a lifetime prevalence of 60% for women (UNFPA, 2015). Niger was selected as one of the beneficiary countries of the Spotlight Initiative, for which implementation will start in 2019. The aim of the Initiative is the elimination of all Violence Against Women and Girls, which is in-line with UNFPA’s transformative results. The focus for the African region is on Sexual and Gender Based Violence, including Harmful Practices and their link to Sexual and Reproductive Health.

The Spotlight Initiative is funded by the European Union, and implemented by Core UN agencies (UNFPA, UNDP and UNWOMEN), as well as supplementary agencies in Niger (UNICEF), as required in each country of the programme. The various activities of the Initiative are articulated to address the legislative environment, institutional capacities, preventative measures, service provision, data generation and the strengthening of women’s organizations and movements. UNFPA together with UNICEF, UNDP and UNWOMEN have developed a joint programme for the Spotlight Initiative in Niger, running from 2019 to 2022.

The Spotlight programme will be implemented in the country under the overall supervision of the UN Resident Coordinator's Office and the responsibility of the UN Resident Coordinator. The program implementation is carried out jointly; all agencies are involved technically and administratively, according to their respective expertise and mandate. Each activity is conducted by one agency, which therefore assumes responsibility for the implementation and monitoring and evaluation of the activity. The Initiative’s coordination team at country level will be setup and based at the Resident Coordinator’s Office, with each of the four participating UN agencies contributing for one staff to this team.

It is in this context that UNFPA is recruiting a Programme Coordinator to lead the Spotlight Initiative coordination team and ensure a smooth running of day-to-day activities pertaining to programme coordination. The Programme Coordinator establishes and maintains collaborative relationships with counterparts in the various implementing UN agencies and the office of the Resident Coordinator, to address emerging issues and to facilitate programme delivery.

Qualifications and Experience

Education:

Advanced university degree or equivalent in Public Health, Sociology, Communication, Demography, Gender, Population, Sexual and Reproductive Health, Human Rights, International Relations, International Development, Economics, or other related field.

Knowledge and Experience:

Strong technical knowledge in the area of gender-based violence, sexual and reproductive health, gender and human rights, with professional exposure to issues of sexual and reproductive health.
7 years of increasingly responsible professional experience in programme management, monitoring and communication in the field of gender-based violence, with proven experience on integrated approaches to GBV across sexual and reproductive health, gender and Human Rights.
Demonstrated ability to refine programme design to ensure alignment of organizational programme objectives to national priorities/capacities;
Proven ability to lead and manage teams to achieve demonstrable results;
Excellent communication skills; speaking and writing to foster engaged partnerships at a high level of representation and to maintain political partnerships in the country;
Previous experience in working with the UN, managing joint or multi-agency programmes;
A good knowledge of EU procedures would be an asset.