Background:
UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.
Through its Liaison Office to the African Union (AU) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the organization strategically engages with AU organs, Member States, civil society, and the diplomatic community to advance Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE) commitments at both continental and regional levels. This Office provides essential technical support for policy formulation and monitoring while facilitating seamless coordination across UN Women’s regional and country offices to ensure coherent advocacy and unified policy engagement.
The Liaison Office further strengthens the African Union Commission (AUC) by providing targeted expertise to the Women, Gender and Youth Directorate (WGYD) and various specialized departments, including Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development (HHSD); Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS); and Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (ESTI). By collaborating with the departments of Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment (ARBE) and the Office of the Special Envoy on Women, Peace and Security, UN Women ensures that gender is mainstreamed across all AU frameworks and programmes. This collaborative approach extends to UN agencies, development partners, INGOs, and the private sector, driving catalytic initiatives and amplifying good evidence-based practices. Ultimately, the Office leverages knowledge management and strategic advocacy to transform regional commitments into concrete action and measurable impact for women and girls across the African continent.
Reporting to Special Representative to the AU and UNECA, Executive & Administrative Associate supports the office operations by performing a variety of standard administrative processes ensuring high quality and accuracy of work. The Executive and Administrative Associate promotes a client, quality and results-oriented approach. The Executive and Administrative Associate works in close collaboration with the Operations, Programme and projects teams to ensure consistent service delivery and to resolve complex administration related issues and information delivery.
Key Functions:
Provide executive support to the UN Women Special Representative to the AU&ECA:
- Manage the UN Women Special Representative’s calendar, and schedule of appointments and meetings;
- Arrange travel and hotel accommodations and other logistics for the UN Women Special Representative;
- Maintain roster of AULO contacts; update electronic mailing lists;
- Answer and screen calls for the Special Representative with tact and discretion;
- Manage administrative files on the Special Representative’s mission travel and mission reports;
- Research files, collect information and organize materials to meet the Special Representative’s requests.
Provide administrative and operational support to the AULO in compliance with UN Women rules, regulations, policies, and procedures:
- Undertake the logistical, administrative and financial arrangements, to organize travel planning and approvals, meetings, events, and workshops;
- Prepare and compile briefing materials, presentations, and background documents to support the Special Representative’s engagements and key events.
- Organize and attend meetings, prepare minutes and summaries, and follow up on action points, deadlines, and commitments with the Special Representative.
- [Support the coordination and maintenance of office premises and common services.
- Initiate and support procurement processes (RFQs, ITBs, RFPs), including bid preparation, opening, and evaluation, in line with UN Women procedures.
- Assist in contract and vendor management, including preparation of contract documentation, tracking of Purchase Orders (POs), and maintenance of vendor profiles in Quantum.
- Provide administrative and logistical support to programme activities, including preparation of agendas, materials, and coordination with partners and stakeholders.
- Assist in coordinating AULO’s participation in intergovernmental and partnership meetings, including logistical arrangements and note-taking.
- Support recruitment process, drafting TORs, coordinating interview logistics and documenting.
- Work with Regional HR colleagues for any other HR matters.
Provide effective communication and information management support to the AULO:
- Facilitate flow of information and communication between the UN Women Special Representative’s Office and other units within or outside of UN Women;
- Review, prioritize and route correspondence to and from the UN Women Special Representative’s Office; take proactive follow-up action and keep the Special Representative informed;
- Respond to and/or direct inquiries to appropriate units for timely action/response;
- Prepare routine correspondence and interoffice circulars; review documents and reports to ensure spelling, punctuation and format are correct;
- Maintain and organize up to date hard and electronic files for easy access and retrieval; ensure safekeeping of confidential materials;
Provide support to the AULO with external relations activities:
- Facilitate the AULO’s engagements with various external partners through written, verbal and electronic communication, and through collaborative and proactive relationships with counterparts and colleagues in partner offices;
- Ensure protocol matters, receive high ranking visitors/officials, coordinate logistical arrangements related to visits.
Contribute to knowledge building and knowledge sharing:
- Provide administrative support for effective knowledge management and sharing within the office and other offices/HQs;
- Build and share knowledge and experience related to administrative and operations support.
The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
