UN Women has announced a new international career opportunity for professionals working in gender equality, peacebuilding, and humanitarian action. Applications are now open for the position of Programme Specialist, Women, Peace, Security, and Humanitarian Action (WPSHA), a home-based international role under the International Personnel Service Agreement (IPSA-10).

The full-time position offers an initial 12-month contract and is open to qualified international applicants with extensive experience in programme management, gender equality, humanitarian response, and peacebuilding initiatives.

The application deadline is June 8, 2026.

About the Role

The Programme Specialist will support the implementation and management of regional initiatives focused on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) and Gender in Humanitarian Action (GiHA) across the Arab States region.

The role is situated within the UN Women Regional Office for the Arab States and contributes to ongoing programmes funded by the Governments of Germany and Japan.

Key focus countries include:

Iraq
Libya
Syria
Yemen

The selected candidate will report to the Regional Advisor on Women, Peace and Security and collaborate closely with regional crisis response teams, country offices, civil society partners, and UN agencies.

Key Responsibilities

The Programme Specialist will oversee the design, implementation, coordination, monitoring, and reporting of regional WPSHA programmes.

Major responsibilities include:

Programme Design and Strategy Development

Designing programme strategies and project proposals
Supporting policy dialogue and regional strategy development
Drafting briefs and technical documents related to women, peace, and humanitarian action

Programme Management

Managing annual workplans and programme budgets
Supervising project implementation and technical delivery
Coordinating project steering committee meetings
Ensuring alignment with Results-Based Management frameworks

Capacity Building and Technical Assistance

Providing technical guidance to programme partners
Supporting training and mentorship initiatives
Strengthening partnerships with governments, NGOs, and regional stakeholders

Monitoring and Reporting

Managing programme monitoring systems
Preparing donor and quarterly reports
Conducting field mission oversight and programme evaluations

Resource Mobilization and Partnerships

Supporting donor engagement strategies
Identifying funding opportunities and partnership initiatives
Developing cooperation frameworks with bilateral and multilateral actors

Advocacy and Knowledge Management

Representing UN Women in policy dialogues and regional meetings
Developing advocacy strategies and communication materials
Documenting lessons learned and best practices in WPSHA programming

Focus on Women, Peace and Security

The role aligns with UN Women’s global mandate under the United Nations Security Council framework on Women, Peace and Security.

The programme seeks to strengthen women’s leadership and participation in:

Peace negotiations
Political decision-making
Humanitarian response
Crisis prevention and recovery
Community resilience initiatives

The initiative also promotes gender-responsive humanitarian action and supports inclusive peacebuilding processes across fragile and conflict-affected contexts in the Middle East and North Africa region.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must possess advanced academic qualifications and substantial professional experience in development programming, gender equality, or humanitarian action.

Education Requirements

Candidates must have:

A Master’s degree in:
- Social sciences
- Human rights
- Gender or women’s studies
- International development
- Related fields

A Bachelor’s degree combined with two additional years of relevant experience

A project or programme management certification is considered an added advantage.

Required Professional Experience

Applicants should demonstrate:

At least five years of progressively responsible experience in programme design, planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation
Technical expertise in Women, Peace and Security, humanitarian action, or gender equality
Experience supervising and mentoring staff in international settings
Strong analytical and programme management skills
Experience using office software and web-based management systems

Desirable qualifications include:

Experience within the UN system
Experience coordinating with governments and donors
Familiarity with Oracle Cloud ERP systems
Regional experience in Arab States contexts

Language Requirements

Fluency in English is mandatory.

Knowledge of another UN official language is considered an advantage, particularly:

Arabic
French

Competencies and Skills

UN Women is seeking candidates with strong leadership, communication, and strategic thinking abilities.

Core competencies include:

Accountability
Inclusive collaboration
Creative problem solving
Stakeholder engagement
Gender sensitivity
Professionalism
Respect for diversity

The organization also emphasizes strong knowledge of Results-Based Management and the ability to analyze programme data for strategic decision-making.

Why This Opportunity Matters

The Programme Specialist role presents an important opportunity for experienced international development professionals seeking to contribute to gender-responsive peacebuilding and humanitarian coordination efforts in conflict-affected regions.

As global conflicts and humanitarian crises continue to disproportionately impact women and girls, organizations like UN Women are increasingly prioritizing women’s participation in peace processes and recovery initiatives.

This position offers professionals the chance to influence regional policy, strengthen women-led peace initiatives, and support humanitarian resilience efforts across the Arab States region while working remotely in a globally connected role.

Application Deadline

Application Deadline: June 8, 2026
Contract Type: International Personnel Service Agreement (IPSA-10)
Location: Home-Based
Duration: 12 Months

VISIT OFFICIAL WEBSITE TO APPLY

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Disclaimer: Global South Opportunities (GSO) is not the organization offering this opportunity. For any inquiries, please contact the official organization directly. Please do not send your applications & CVs to GSO, as we are unable to process them. Due to the high volume of emails, we receive daily, we may not be able to respond to all inquiries. Thank you for your understanding

UN Women Seeks a Home-Based Programme Specialist in Women, Peace, Security and Humanitarian Action – Apply by 8 June 2026 @Based Programme Specialist in Women, Peace, Security and Humanitarian Action – Apply by 8 June 2026