Programme Specialist, UN Women Africa

About the role

UN Women is the United Nations entity for gender equality and the empowerment of women. UN Women’s Regional Office for Africa (Nairobi) and Country Offices regularly recruit Programme Specialists to lead work on women’s economic empowerment, ending violence against women, women’s leadership in peace and security, and gender-responsive governance. Typical application deadline 31 August 2026 for current vacancies (check the careers portal for live listings).

Responsibilities

• Lead programme design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation in your thematic area.
• Coordinate with government counterparts (Ministries of Gender, Women, Social Affairs), civil society, and other UN agencies.
• Author programme documents, donor reports, and substantive briefings.
• Support resource mobilisation through proposals to bilateral and multilateral donors.
• Represent UN Women at country and regional forums.

Requirements

• Advanced university degree in gender studies, social sciences, public policy, or related field.
• Five to seven years of relevant professional experience including programme design and gender mainstreaming.
• Demonstrated commitment to gender equality and the empowerment of women.
• Excellent written and verbal communication in English; French, Portuguese, or Arabic strongly preferred.
• UN security clearance and willingness to travel within the duty station country.

Nice to have

• Prior UN system experience.
• Familiarity with the African Union Maputo Protocol and continental gender frameworks.
• Field experience in fragile or conflict-affected contexts.

How to apply

Open the UN Women employment portal at the apply link, search for “Programme Specialist” filtered by Africa, and apply through the UN Women recruitment system. CV, cover letter, written assessment, and competency-based interview follow. Closing dates vary by vacancy.