UN Women has opened applications for a Regional Portfolio Specialist, Africa, UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women and Girls (UNTF to EVAW) position based in Nairobi, Kenya.
The role offers an opportunity for an experienced programme management professional to contribute to efforts aimed at preventing and ending violence against women and girls across Africa.
The position is classified at P-3 level and is offered on a fixed-term appointment with an initial contract duration of one year. Applications must be submitted before August 19, 2026, at 5:59 a.m.
The successful candidate will work within the UN Trust Fund, a global funding mechanism administered by UN Women that provides grants to civil society organizations working to prevent and eliminate violence against women and girls.
About the UN Women Regional Portfolio Specialist Role
The Regional Portfolio Specialist will be responsible for managing a portfolio of grants across the African region and supporting the wider implementation of the UN Trust Fund’s grant-making, monitoring, learning, capacity development and partnership activities.
The successful candidate will provide technical and strategic support to grantee organizations throughout the grant lifecycle. This includes helping organizations strengthen programme design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, institutional systems, risk management and compliance.
The role will also involve working closely with UN Women regional and country offices, civil society organizations, women’s rights organizations, feminist movements, UN agencies and other strategic partners.
A major component of the position will be ensuring that programmes funded through the UN Trust Fund remain survivor-centred, feminist-informed, gender-transformative and evidence-based.
Key Responsibilities
The Regional Portfolio Specialist will provide comprehensive support to grantee organizations from the design stage through programme implementation and closure.
Key responsibilities will include reviewing proposals, budgets, theories of change, monitoring frameworks and risk mitigation plans. The specialist will also monitor grant performance through narrative and financial reports, partner consultations, monitoring missions and portfolio analysis.
The position will require the successful candidate to identify programme, operational, fiduciary and contextual risks and work with partners to develop appropriate mitigation measures.
The specialist will also contribute to grant selection and appraisal processes. This will involve assessing the technical quality, feasibility, contextual relevance, innovation, intersectionality and organizational capacity of prospective grantees.
Another important responsibility will be knowledge generation and strategic learning. The successful candidate will analyse grant reports, monitoring findings and portfolio data to identify trends, lessons, promising practices and evidence gaps across the Africa portfolio.
These findings will contribute to strategic planning, adaptive grant-making, advocacy, reporting and broader learning within UN Women and the UN Trust Fund.
Regional Coordination and Partnerships
The position requires strong relationship-building skills because the successful candidate will serve as an important link between UN Trust Fund headquarters and stakeholders across Africa.
The specialist will maintain relationships with UN Women Regional, Multi-Country and Country Offices while also engaging civil society networks, women’s rights organizations, feminist movements, UN entities and regional actors.
The role may also require representing the UN Trust Fund at regional meetings, consultations, technical discussions and other stakeholder engagements.
The successful candidate will supervise one Programme and Finance Associate in the region.
Who Can Apply?
UN Women requires candidates to have a master’s degree or equivalent in social sciences, political science, development, public administration, gender studies or a related discipline.
A first-level university degree combined with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted instead of an advanced university degree.
Candidates must have at least five years of progressively responsible experience in programme management, including programme design, coordination, monitoring and evaluation, donor reporting and capacity building in the field of ending violence against women.
Experience working directly with civil society and women’s organizations in Africa on ending violence against women and girls is also required.
Applicants should have experience in areas such as programme development, budgeting, work planning, monitoring, results-based management and reporting.
Experience managing complex multi-country portfolios, particularly in crisis-affected or fragile environments, would be an advantage. Experience with grant-making, proposal appraisal, due diligence, risk management and institutional strengthening of civil society organizations is also desirable.
Skills and Competencies
The position requires strong knowledge of gender equality, women’s rights, feminist movements and programming to end violence against women and girls.
Candidates should also understand the socio-political context and EVAW/G landscape across Africa and demonstrate knowledge of feminist grant-making, programme management, monitoring and evaluation.
Strong analytical skills are important because the role involves transforming complex programme, operational and contextual information into practical recommendations.
The successful candidate should also be capable of managing relationships across multiple countries and operational environments.
Strong communication, partnership-building, stakeholder engagement and knowledge management abilities will be important for success in the position.
Fluency in English is required, while fluency in French or another UN language is considered desirable.
Why This Opportunity Matters
The UN Trust Fund has supported hundreds of initiatives around the world focused on preventing and eliminating violence against women and girls. Its current strategic approach places emphasis on survivor-centred, feminist and demand-driven grant-making.
For professionals with experience in programme management and gender equality programming, the Regional Portfolio Specialist position provides an opportunity to contribute to this work at a regional level.
The successful candidate will not simply administer grants but will help strengthen organizations, improve programme quality, support learning and ensure that evidence from funded initiatives informs broader policy and programming.
The position is therefore particularly relevant to professionals who have developed expertise in women’s rights, gender equality, civil society partnerships, grant management and international development programming.
Application Deadline and How to Apply
The UN Women Regional Portfolio Specialist, Africa, UNTF to EVAW position is based in Nairobi, Kenya, and applications must be submitted before August 19, 2026, at 5:59 a.m.
Applicants should carefully complete all sections of the online application, including their education and employment history. UN Women notes that incomplete application information may result in disqualification from the recruitment process.
Apply for the UN Women Regional Portfolio Specialist position
Important Information for Applicants
UN Women emphasizes diversity, inclusion, integrity and professionalism throughout its recruitment process. Selected candidates will be subject to reference and background checks, including verification of academic credentials and employment history.
The organization also maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination.
