UNOPS

The UNOPS Africa Regional Office, based in Nairobi, Kenya, oversees the delivery of over 250 projects across 40 countries, with a focus on fragile and conflict-affected settings. Supported by more than 1,000 personnel across five multi-country offices—spanning North, West, Central, Eastern and Southern Africa, and the Horn of Africa—the office advances national priorities through strategic initiatives in Climate Action, Health, Infrastructure, Peace and Security, Middle-Income Country Support, and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The Regional Office provides strategic leadership, operational support, and oversight in key areas including Partnerships, Communications, Management and Oversight, Infrastructure and Project Management, Health and Safety, and Security. By promoting excellence in project delivery, fostering knowledge sharing, and driving continuous improvement, the office contributes to sustainable infrastructure, transparent resource management, and a better quality of life for communities across the continent.

Based in Nairobi, UNOPS East and Southern Africa supports sustainable development across 14 countries, including Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Somalia, Tanzania, Zambia, Zanzibar, and Zimbabwe. Since 1995, UNOPS has expanded its footprint in Kenya, delivering services in project management, infrastructure, procurement, and financial management. Across the region, the office implements diverse, partner-funded initiatives that respond to national priorities. In Mozambique, this includes delivering specialized equipment (EU), supporting health services (UNICEF), promoting agro-processing (KOICA), and advancing peacebuilding efforts through a Multi-Donor Fund. UNOPS also supports agricultural input distribution and the Northern Crisis Recovery Project, both funded by the World Bank. In Malawi, efforts include developing Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) centres in partnership with the EU and the British Council. These initiatives reflect UNOPS’ commitment to strengthening national capacities, enhancing service delivery, and supporting progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the region.

Based in Nairobi under the UNOPS East and Southern Africa Multi-Country Office, the Technical Services Unit (TSU) provides multidisciplinary infrastructure design, design review, assessments, and advisory support for UNOPS projects. The team currently comprises about 17 permanent staff and more than 90 retainer consultants, including architects, civil, structural, mechanical and electrical engineers, quantity surveyors, environmental and social risk management experts, monitoring and evaluation experts, data specialists, finance and transaction experts, and other specialist infrastructure practitioners.

TSU has recently been tasked with securing retainer consultants to support the important work of the Sanitation and Hygiene Fund (SHF).

SHF is a UNOPS project. Operational since July 2021, it is dedicated to advancing market-based approaches and catalysing finance for sanitation and hygiene for all, with particular attention to the needs of women and girls and people in vulnerable situations. Its portfolio focuses on building thriving sanitation economies and Menstrual Health (MH) markets in low- and middle-income countries, increasing access to essential products and services.

SHF works with governments, the private sector, funders, and investors to strengthen the enabling environment, expand the capacity of enterprises to deliver solutions effectively, and attract and catalyse funding, financing, and investment to bring these solutions to scale.

The GESI Advisor provides strategic and technical support to strengthen the integration of gender equality and social inclusion across the SHF portfolio. The role supports coordination, analysis, advocacy, and thought leadership on GESI, and helps ensure that SHF’s programmes, partnerships, and approaches are informed by inclusive and evidence-based practice.

Required

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in international development, economics, business administration or a related field OR

• A bachelor's degree in a related discipline in combination with an additional two years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.

Required

• Minimum of 7 years experience in gender equality and gender-sensitive programming in the context of sanitation and/or menstrual health, in policy development related to gender, sanitation and/or menstrual health

Desired

• Strong understanding of global gender frameworks and their relevance to WASH is desirable

• Understanding of gender equality work in the United Nations and general familiarity with the UN system is desirable.

• Experience in the sanitation or menstrual health sector, with a focus on market development or innovative, sustainable solutions is desirable

• Experience working in Africa and/or Asia Pacific is strongly desirable.

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes. 
• Please note that UNOPS will at no stage of the recruitment process request candidates to make payments of any kind.
• Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered. 
• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments. 
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. 
• UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience requirements outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to considering all candidates in a fair and transparent manner, and we value diverse perspectives and experiences, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals with diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.
• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here. 
• For more details about the contract types, please click here.
• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda. 
• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.