Gender Expert - Fortified Complementary Food

​​Requisition ID: 7588
Grade: ISA-P3
Country: Home Based
Duty Station: Home Based
Category: International Consultant
Type of Job Posting: Internal and External
Employment Type: NonStaff-When Act. Employed
Contract Duration: 50 working days over a period
Application Deadline: 18-Jun-2026, 11:59 PM (Vienna, Austria time)

Vacancy Announcement
TEMPORARY APPOINTMENT OF PROJECT PERSONNEL
Female candidates are encouraged to apply.

UNIDO welcomes applications from qualified persons with disabilities. Reasonable accommodation will be provided to applicants and employees with disabilities to support full participation in the recruitment process and in the performance of their duties.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is the specialized agency of the United Nations that promotes industrial development for poverty and hunger reduction, inclusive and fair globalization and environmental sustainability. The mission UNIDO, as described in the Lima Declaration adopted at the fifteenth session of the UNIDO General Conference in 2013, the Abu Dhabi Declaration adopted at the eighteenth session of UNIDO General Conference in 2019 as well as the Riyadh Declaration adopted at the twenty-first session of UNIDO General Conference in 2025, is to promote and accelerate inclusive and sustainable industrial development in Member States. The relevance of this mission as an integrated approach to all three pillars of sustainable development is recognized by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which will frame United Nations and country efforts towards sustainable development. UNIDO’s mandate is fully recognized in SDG-9, which calls to “Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation”. The relevance of inclusive and sustainable industrial development, however, applies to all SDGs.

The medium-term programme framework (MTPF) 2026 - 2029 is UNIDO’s core strategic document and it is in line with UNIDO’s Vision 2050. It sets a renewed vision to support Member States and shape their industries for development. The priorities include fair and sustainable global and regional supply chains, ending hunger through innovation and local value addition, renewable and clean energy, sustainable energy access and climate action. Cross-cutting priorities focus on industrial and economic policy advice, skills development, fostering digitalization and artificial intelligence, gender equality and the empowerment of women, supporting youth, promoting cleaner production and circular economy, and leveraging private sector investment and development finance.

Each of these programmatic fields of activity contains a number of individual programmes, which are implemented in a holistic manner to achieve effective outcomes and impacts through UNIDO’s four enabling functions: (i) technical cooperation; (ii) analytical and research functions and policy advisory services; (iii) normative functions and standards-related activities; and (iv) convening and fostering partnerships for knowledge and technology transfer, investment mobilization, networking and industrial cooperation. Such core functions are carried out in Divisions/Offices in its Headquarters, Sub-regional Offices and Country Offices.

Under the overall direction of the Director General, and in close collaboration with all relevant organizational entities within UNIDO, the Directorate of Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Industrial Development (TCS), headed by a Managing Director, ensures the Organization's application of strategies and interventions for sustainable industrial development related to environment, energy, Micro, Small and Medium-Enterprises (MSMEs), and digitalization. The Directorate also oversees the Organization's normative contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals through industrial policy advice and capacity development. Through coordination in-house and with Member States and industry stakeholders, it ensures that the services provided in these areas contribute to effective and appropriate technical, business and policy solutions and are focused on results, scaling up and positioning UNIDO as a leading platform for industrial development in developing countries and global fora.

The Directorate is responsible for the Division of Industrial Policy Advice and Capacity Development (TCS/IPC), and technical Divisions of Circular Economy and Green Industry (TCS/CEG), Energy and Climate Action (TCS/ECA), Climate Innovation and Montreal Protocol (TCS/CMP); MSME Competitiveness, Quality and Job Creation (TCS/SME); and Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence (TCS/DAI). Leveraging the diverse skill sets of UNIDO personnel and the services provided by the two TC directorates, TCS collaborates closely with IET to develop and implement programmes and projects, aiming at enhancing synergy and complementarity and maximizing UNIDO corporate performance and impacts on the ground. The Directorate also ensures close coordination and collaboration among the Divisions as well as with relevant entities in all Directorates across the Organization.

The Division of MSME Competitiveness, Quality and Job Creation (TCS/SME) works towards increasing the competitiveness of industries in developing countries and countries in transition, especially emphasizing business development of MSMEs engaged in manufacturing and creating jobs therein. It aims at increasing competitiveness among MSMEs in two interconnected ways: first, by modernizing businesses through the transfer of advanced technologies adapted to local conditions, product innovation, productivity improvement and upgrading, developing market and value chain readiness as well as improved access to finance; and second, by improving the quality of MSME manufactured products and their compliance with market requirements through capacity building for the development of industrial production and trade-related quality infrastructure including for standardization, metrology, accreditation and of conformity assessment service institutions (testing, certification, inspection and calibration) and the strengthening of their capacities.

PROJECT CONTEXT

Africa Trade Competitiveness and Market Access (ATCMA) Programme – ECOWAS Component

The EU-funded Africa Trade Competitiveness and Market Access (ATCMA) Programme, a pan- African initiative aims at sustainably increasing intra-African and EU-Africa trade. In addition to a continental component, the programme comprises five regional components in the ECOWAS, COMESA, SADC, ECCAS and EAC regions, building on existing or previous regional programmes (WACOMP in West Africa, MARKUP in East Africa, PIQAC in Central Africa, RECAMP and SIPS in Southern Africa).

The programme is implemented jointly by UNIDO and the International Trade Centre (ITC). ITC is the joint technical cooperation agency of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization (WTO) in charge of the sustainable promotion of trade and exports from developing countries and economies in transition. The ITC aims to make micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in developing countries more competitive in global markets, accelerate economic development and contribute to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Thus, the organization contributes to creating jobs along product value chains and promising services sectors, especially for young people and women.

The overall focus of this four-year Umbrella Programme is to address market access challenges faced by selected value chains and enhance their competitiveness, through two pillars:

1. Supporting countries to benefit from trade opportunities by enabling them to conform with standards and technical regulations, requiring quality infrastructure and conformity assessment services, as well as by streamlining regulatory and procedural frameworks at the regional and national levels. The programme will help the African countries to benefit from trade opportunities by being able to conform with standards and technical regulations, which requires establishing efficient testing, certification and accreditation mechanisms that conform to the requirements of the SPS and TBT agreements and benefit from international recognition. It will also strengthen governmental institutions in their capacity to create a more conducive business environment for MSMEs.

1. Maximizing MSME export potential and access to new markets by overcoming constraints or developing enablers like value addition, and export capacities: In order to maximize MSMEs export potential and support them to enter new markets, the Programme will also address other market access constraints or enablers: enhance value addition and export capacities through marketing, labelling, branding strategies, sustainability and environmental issues, technology transfer and processing for export, business promotion through market linkages and capacitate trade and investment support institutions. Support will be provided both at institutional and policy level, as well as at private sector level, with a primary focus on selected key export-oriented regional priority value chains. Particular focus on intra-African exports as well as exports to the EU will be given, so regions can fully exploit their trade-driven growth potential, with a view to contribute to sustainable growth and jobs creation.

The programme is thematically structured into five components leading to 5 outputs as follows:

In relation to Specific Objective 1:

Output 1.1: Market access barriers identified and reduced

Output 1.2: Strengthened quality compliance and standards

Output 1.3: Value-chain revision mechanism facilitated

In relation to Specific Objective 2:

Output 2.1: Enhanced value addition and diversification

Output 2.2: Enhanced SME capacities and opportunities for business and export

While UNIDO oversees implementing output 1.2 and 2.1., ITC is responsible for the implementation of output 1.1, 1.3 and 2.2

To ensure an overall coherent umbrella of the ATCMA framework, coordination and complementarity between the Continental component and sub-regional components will be ensured throughout the overall programme implementation.

Special attention will be given to enhancing the participation and empowerment of women and youth-owned/-led businesses, aligned with the objectives and implementation of the AfCFTA Women and Youth Protocol. The Protocol provides a legally binding framework to promote the effective participation of women and youth in intra-African trade, value addition, and integration into regional and continental value chains. In this context, the assignment will support evidence-based implementation of the Protocol through targeted gender analysis, identification of structural and regulatory barriers, and formulation of actionable recommendations relevant to ATCMA interventions.

The programme will also integrate UNIDO’s approach to gender equality and women’s empowerment as a driver for sustainable industrial development. The gender analysis will generate evidence-based recommendations to inform ATCMA programme design, implementation, monitoring and coordination across outputs, with particular attention to value chains, MSME competitiveness, quality compliance, market access and institutional frameworks.

FUNCTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

To conduct a comprehensive gender analysis of target value chains and geographical areas within the ECOWAS region, identifying structural, regulatory, normative and market related barriers, opportunities affecting women and youth-owned and women and youth-led enterprises and formulating actionable recommendations to advance women’s economic empowerment, equal participation, leadership and benefit from inclusive and sustainable industrial development, including through enhanced participation in value chains, value addition and intra-African trade, in line with UNIDO’s Gender Equality Strategy (2024–2027) and the AfCFTA Protocol on Women and Youth in Trade.

The expert will work under the overall guidance of the UNIDO Lead Programme Manager responsible for the ECOWAS Programme in the Division of MSME Competitiveness, Quality and Job Creation (TCS/SME) at UNIDO HQ, in close collaboration with the Industrial Development Expert of the ECOWAS Programme.

The methodology shall explicitly reflect UNIDO’s gender-transformative approach, including analysis of gender norms, roles, power relations, and intersectional vulnerabilities affecting women’s participation in value chains, as well as identification of entry points for transformative change at policy, institutional and enterprise levels. Where relevant, findings may be channeled through existing regional coordination platforms, including the Value Chain Revision Mechanism, strictly as coordination and validation fora, without expanding the analytical scope beyond Outputs 1.1, 1.2, 2.1 and 2.2. It shall combine desk review, stakeholder consultations and value-chain analysis to identify gender-differentiated barriers, opportunities and entry points for women’s economic empowerment across production, processing, quality compliance, enterprise upgrading and market access.

The analysis shall assess:

• Gender roles and participation across FCF value-chain segments, including primary production, processing, fortification, quality control and distribution;

• Access to productive resources, skills development, certification and finance affecting women-owned and women-led enterprises operating in FCF value chains;

• Barriers and growth opportunities related to enterprise upgrading, compliance capacity, and regional market access for women-owned and women-led FCF enterprises;

• Gender-differentiated impacts of SPS and TBT regulatory frameworks, food safety standards, and quality infrastructure systems on FCF production and trade;

• Gender representation within SPS competent authorities, food safety agencies and inspection bodies, including staffing composition, leadership roles and technical positions.

• Institutional, policy and coordination gaps affecting the integration of gender considerations into FCF-related ATCMA interventions.

All consultations and data collection shall follow ethical and do-no-harm principles, including informed consent, confidentiality, and safe handling of sensitive or commercially sensitive information.

The Expert will be responsible for the performance of the following main duties:

MAIN DUTIES

Concrete/ measurables outputs to be achieved

Expected duration

Location

1. Familiarization with project documents, UNIDO Gender Policy, and ATCMA-ECOWAS programme context, including relevant AfCFTA frameworks, to ensure alignment of the assignment methodology and deliverables.

Desk Review completed.

Demonstrated understanding of ATCMA objectives and gender integration requirements

Participation in inception call with UNIDO

4 days

Home-based

2. Prepare Inception Note: methodology, work plan, and list of stakeholders for consultations. The methodology shall reflect UNIDO’s gender-transformative approach and AfCFTA commitments, including analysis of gender roles, norms, power relations and intersectional constraints affecting women and youth in trade-related value chains, as well as identification of entry points for policy, institutional and enterprise-level change.

Inception Note ()

5 days

Home-based

3. Conduct desk review of regional and national gender equality strategies, MSME and trade policies at ECOWAS level. The desk review shall include relevant regional and national frameworks, including the AfCFTA Protocol on Women and Youth in Trade, regional trade and industrial policies, MSME strategies, and gender and youth mainstreaming frameworks relevant to value chains, trade facilitation, quality infrastructure, access to finance and enterprise upgrading.

Desk review summary (annex to Gender Analysis Report)

7 days

Home-based

4. Carry out consultations (virtual and/or in-person) with key stakeholders such as the African Women in Processing (AWIP), African Women in Business (WIB), the Africa Women’s Chamber of Commerce, Regional Associations, and others. Consultations shall, where relevant, include institutions, platforms and associations representing Women and Youth in Trade, including women and youth business associations, cooperatives, and regional or national AfCFTA focal points, in line with the participatory principles of the AfCFTA Protocol on Women and Youth in Trade.

Consultation notes (annex to Gender Analysis Report).

7 days

Home-based

5. Draft Gender Analysis Report for (max. 20 pages, excluding annexes), covering: gender roles and participation across selected value chains; barriers and opportunities for women - and youth-owned or led enterprises in value addition, women’s participation in trade; gendered impacts of SPS/TBT and quality infrastructure; policy, institutional and coordination gaps relevant to ATCMA and the AfCFTA Protocol on Women and Youth in Trade; and prioritized, actionable recommendations..

Draft Gender Analysis Report

8 days

Home-Based

6. Prepare an Annex of Proposed Gender Indicators – including sex- and age-disaggregated baselines, targets, and data sources – aligned with ATCMA logframe, UNIDO Gender Marker requirements, UNIDO’s Integrated Results and Performance Framework (IRPF), relevant monitoring provisions of the AfCFTA Protocol on Women and Youth in Trade, with particular attention to participation in value chains, value addition, access to finance and formalization of trade activities. and ITC monitoring systems.

Gender Indicators Annex

7 days

Home-Based

7. Present findings and recommendations to UNIDO, ITC, and regional stakeholders through validation workshops, and document feedback to inform final deliverables.

Workshop report; feedback incorporated

6 days

Home-Based

8. Prepare Final Gender Analysis Report, incorporating feedback from UNIDO, ITC, and respective programme stakeholders.

Final Gender Analysis Report (clean + tracked).

6

days

Home-Based

SUMMARY OF DELIVERABLES

All deliverables shall explicitly highlight implications for ATCMA Outputs 1.1, 1.2, 2.1 and 2.2, and identify practical entry points for coordination with ITC-led activities where relevant.

1. Inception Note (max. 3 pages) – detailing methodology, workplan, and stakeholders mapping for consultations.

1. Draft Gender Analysis Report (max. 20 pages excluding annexes) – synthesizing findings across value-chain participation, enterprise-level constraints, SPS/TBT and quality infrastructure impacts, institutional representation, and policy/coordination gaps, and providing prioritized, actionable recommendations aligned with ATCMA Outputs 1.1, 1.2, 2.1 and 2.2.

1. Annex: Proposed Gender Indicators – including baselines, targets, and data sources.

1. Final Gender Analysis Report – incorporating feedback from UNIDO, ITC and relevant programme stakeholders.

MINIMUM ORGANIZATIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Education: Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in gender studies, social sciences, international development, or a related field.

Technical and Functional Experience:

• Minimum 5 years of professional experience in gender analysis and women’s economic empowerment, preferably in trade, value chain, or industrial development context.

• Demonstrated experience applying gender-responsive or gender-transformative approaches in trade, value chain development, MSME competitiveness or industrial development contexts is required.

• Demonstrated experience in developing gender-responsive or gender-transformative indicators and conducting stakeholder consultations is required.

• Experience in African region or similar socio-economic contexts is an asset.

• Familiarity with AfCFTA frameworks and/or regional economic community trade policies is an asset.

• Excellent analytical and report writing skills in English are required; working knowledge of French is desirable.

• Experience with EU-funded programmes is desirable.

• Ability to work in a multicultural environment is desirable.

REQUIRED COMPETENCIES

Core values: Integrity, professionalism and respect for diversity

Core competencies: Results-orientation and accountability, planning and organizing, team orientation

Managerial competencies (as applicable): Strategy and direction, judgement and decision-making

Key Competencies:

WE FOCUS ON PEOPLE: cooperate to fully reach our potential – and this is true for our colleagues as well as our clients. Emotional intelligence and receptiveness are vital parts of our UNIDO identity.

WE FOCUS ON RESULTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES: focus on planning, organizing and managing our work effectively and efficiently. We are responsible and accountable for achieving our results and meeting our performance standards. This accountability does not end with our colleagues and supervisors, but we also owe it to those we serve and who have trusted us to contribute to a better, safer and healthier world.

WE COMMUNICATE AND EARN TRUST: communicate effectively with one another and build an environment of trust where we can all excel in our work.

WE THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX AND INNOVATE: To stay relevant, we continuously improve, support innovation, share our knowledge and skills, and learn from one another.

This appointment is limited to the specified project(s) only and does not carry any expectation of renewal.
Employees of UNIDO are expected at all times to uphold the highest standards of integrity, professionalism and respect for diversity, both at work and outside. Only persons who fully and unconditionally commit to these values should consider applying for jobs at UNIDO.
All applications must be submitted online through the Online Recruitment System. Correspondence will be undertaken only with candidates who are being considered at an advanced phase of the selection process. Selected candidate(s) may be required to disclose to the Director General the nature and scope of financial and other personal interests and assets in respect of themselves, their spouses and dependents, under the procedures established by the Director General.

Visit the UNIDO website for details on how to apply: www.unido.org
NOTE: The Director General retains the discretion to make an appointment to this post at a lower level.
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