Country Representative, Port Sudan, SUDAN P5 FTA

Position details

• Grade: P5
• Vacancy type: Fixed Term
• Education and experience: Master's Degree - 10 year(s) experience
• Required languages: English
• Desired languages: Arabic
• Application deadline: 2026-12-01T04:59:00+00:00

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.

Summary of Country Profile

The armed conflict in Sudan, now in its fourth year, has resulted in the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with an estimated 33.7 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, and more than 8.6 million internally displaced across all 18 states, amid acute food insecurity, near-collapse of basic services and repeated attacks on civilians, particularly in Darfur and Kordofan. Women and girls bear a disproportionate burden and impact of the conflict. Sexual violence has been used systematically as a weapon of war, and the number of women and girls needing gender-based violence (GBV) services has quadrupled since the conflict began. 

Women-led organizations (WLOs) are at the forefront of the humanitarian response and local peacebuilding, often reaching communities that others actors cannot access. In 2025, 85 WLOs surveyed by UN Women reported supporting more than 17.5 million people, underscoring their critical role in delivering assistance, strengthening community resilience and advancing locally led peacebuilding. Yet, despite their contribution, WLOs continue to face significant funding and capacity constraints, with limited access to humanitarian financing and continued exclusion from formal peace processes. 

Against this backdrop, aligned to the UN Women Strategic Plan, relevant regional and country planning frameworks, and the Sudan UN Interim Cooperation Framework, the UN Women Sudan Country Office implements programmes across the country. Guided by the UN Women Sudan Strategic Note 2026–2028, the country office prioritizes women’s leadership and meaningful participation in peace processes and mediation; gender in humanitarian action (GiHA) and coordination; prevention of and response to GBV and conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV); women’s economic empowerment and resilient livelihoods for displaced and host-community women; and strengthening and resourcing women led organizations, including through the Women, Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF).UN Women Sudan plays a strategic role in advancing the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda, strengthening gender-responsive humanitarian action, and ensuring that women's leadership, priorities and rights are integrated into peacebuilding, recovery and development processes. The Country Office works through national institutions, women-led organizations, civil society networks and UN system coordination mechanisms to strengthen local leadership, accountability and sustainable results in an exceptionally complex operating environment.

Under the overall supervision of UN Women Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, the Country Representative is responsible for providing strategic direction to advancing gender equality and women's empowerment across the humanitarian-development-peace nexus in Sudan. The Country Representative positions UN Women strategically within the UNCT, HCT and broader international engagement on Sudan, while strengthening partnerships with national and local actors, regional institutions and international partners.

As a UNCT member, the Country Representative has mutual accountability with the Resident Coordinator for periodically reporting on contributions to, and support for the implementation of the United Nations Interim Cooperation Framework (UNICF), including substantive contribution to the Sudan Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP) and the UNCT-SWAP Gender Equality Scorecard, among other planning and gender accountability frameworks.  

The Country Representative is responsible for leading and managing the Sudan Country Office (CO) portfolio and for translating the UN Women's Strategic Plan (SP) into humanitarian, peacebuilding and development initiatives and results by developing, implementing and managing programmes and projects under the Sudan CO; and developing effective partnerships with Government counterparts, UN system agencies and organizations, civil society and women led organizations, and with bilateral and non-traditional donors in order to promote inter-agency partnerships, support for UN reform, and mobilization of visibility and resources to advance gender equality and women's empowerment.

Key Functions and Accountabilities:

1.Manage the strategic country programme planning and development:

• Develop and implement the strategic direction of UN Women in Sudan, adapting it to the evolving conflict, humanitarian and political context;
• Lead the design, planning and development of the Country Strategic Note in close consultation and collaboration with the government, civil society, donors, UN system partners and the Regional Director, Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator in the country and other national development stakeholders and partners, taking into account national priorities, and the Country Analysis and UNICF, the Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), among others.
• Provide substantive advice to the UN Women Executive Director, Regional Director and Senior Management on the country strategy, direction, planning and implementation of programmes and projects in the country; 
• Manage and ensure high quality, results and rights-based programming for the CO; 
• Lead the monitoring and reporting of the results under the Country Office Strategic Note;
• Define and assert accountability for UN Women’s results and its ability to operate as a nimble, innovative and enterprising thought leader, programme and business partner capable of taking and managing risks;
• Ensure strategic integration of humanitarian, development, peacebuilding and recovery programming, applying the humanitarian-development-peace nexus and promoting coherent, conflict-sensitive and gender-responsive interventions;
• Ensure that the Country Office's programme portfolio is evidence-based, results-oriented, responsive to changing needs and supported by robust monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning mechanisms;
• Provide strategic oversight of programme performance, expenditure, delivery and achievement of results, ensuring timely corrective action where implementation, financial or operational challenges arise.

2. Lead Enterprise Risk Management and Organizational Resilience:

• Establish and maintain the CO's risk management framework in alignment with UN Women's Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) policy and institutional risk appetite;
• Lead regular risk assessments covering programmatic, operational, financial, reputational, fraud, safeguarding, and security risks; ensure risks are identified, assessed, monitored and mitigated;
• Chair or designate the Country Office Risk Focal Point; ensure risk register is regularly updated and escalated to Regional Office as appropriate;
• Integrate risk considerations into strategic planning, programme design, partner due diligence, and resource allocation decisions;
• Ensure implementation of internal control frameworks and compliance with UN Women's policies on fraud prevention, anti-corruption, and protection from sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA);
• Oversee business continuity planning and organizational resilience measures to ensure programme continuity during crises or disruptions
• Monitor external risk factors (political, economic, social, environmental) that may impact programme delivery and organizational operations; develop mitigation strategies;
• Ensure adequate risk transfer mechanisms (insurance, contractual protections) are in place for major programmes and partnerships;
• Promote an organizational culture of transparency, accountability, ethical conduct and proactive risk management. 

3. Manage the Sudan Country Office;

• Lead the office in the delivery of operational goals; annual work plan and budget; and oversee the implementation, providing direction, guidance and technical support;
• Review and manage high-risk transactions, partnerships, and programmatic decisions;
• Oversee and approve programme work plans and monitor the overall progress and compliance of the CO;
• Manage the preparation of UN Women mandated country reports;
• Manage audit review processes including timely response to audit reports; oversee implementation of audit recommendations and corrective action plans; ensure systematic tracking and closure of audit findings; proactively address recurring or systemic control weaknesses;
• Provide managerial direction, guidance and leadership. Ensure effective workforce planning and timely recruitment; manage the performance of personnel under their supervision; provide ongoing performance and career development feedback, timely completion of performance assessments and coaching; 
• Ensure that personnel are familiar with and follow UN Women’s regulations and rules, policies and procedures in the Policy, Procedures and Guidance Framework (PPG); Ensure personnel are aware in particular or of UN Women’s standards of conduct including but not limited to policies and procedures on preventing, reporting and addressing misconduct, Fraud and Corruption, Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) Harassment, Sexual Harassment, Discrimination and abuse of authority, Protection from retaliation, and ensure mechanisms are in place to support personnel in this regard; 
• Promote teamwork to ensure harmonization, linkages, collaboration and synergy; Ensure a respectful, inclusive safe and healthy work environment for personnel;
• Ensure effective financial stewardship of the Country Office portfolio, including budget management, expenditure monitoring, delivery performance, financial forecasting and appropriate resource allocation in line with institutional policies and donor agreements;
• Ensure effective oversight of procurement, human resources, finance, administration, ICT and other operational functions, maintaining appropriate segregation of duties and internal control mechanisms;
• Promote a culture of accountability for results, performance, compliance and responsible management of organizational resources;
• Provide strategic leadership in workforce planning, organizational restructuring, talent management and succession planning, ensuring that the Country Office has the appropriate skills, competencies and staffing arrangements to deliver its mandate in a complex and evolving operating environment;
• Promote teamwork to ensure harmonization, linkages, collaboration and synergy; Ensure a respectful, inclusive safe and healthy work environment for personnel.

4. Provide support to the Resident Coordinator/ Humanitarian Coordinator and serve as a member of UN Country Team/ UN Humanitarian Country Team 

• Serve as member of the UN Country Team (UNCT) under the strategic guidance and coordination of the UN Resident Coordinator (RC)/Humanitarian Coordinator (HC), collaborate on and lead as needed, UNCT programming and advocacy to ensure gender equality and women’s empowerment issues are fully integrated into UN programming processes, including the Country Analysis (CA) and United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) planning, budgeting, resource mobilization, implementation, monitoring and evaluation through UN results groups and respective joint workplans, and in an enhanced response to national partners;
• Partner with RC and UN system partners to strengthen UN system interagency coherence, collaboration, planning, cooperation, and harmonization of programming, advocacy, common services, and operations; Facilitate joint programming and promote UN competencies to advance gender equality and women’s human rights; report to the UN RC on these issues as required;
• Actively engage in regular UNCT consultations and decision-making processes;
• Actively engage in and contribute to UNCT strategic communications that advance UN system efforts and collective results to promote Agenda 2030, including for national goals and priorities for sustainable development to generate positive public support and ownership;
• Ensure UN Women’s active participation in UN system thematic and other working groups to establish effective networks and keep abreast of ongoing debates and thinking on development;
• Ensure organizational position, interests and priorities are fully considered and integrated in the UNSDCF development planning and agenda/priority setting for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals; 
• Ensure enhanced accountability of the UNCT on gender mainstreaming and work with the RC  on the implementation of the UNCT SWAP Gender Equality Scorecard;
• Participate in RC and UNCT members’ performance appraisal, as requested;
• Provide strategic leadership and technical guidance to strengthen UN system accountability for gender equality and women's empowerment, including through the UNCT-SWAP Gender Equality Scorecard, Gender Theme Group and other inter-agency coordination mechanisms;
• Lead and facilitate inter-agency advocacy and coordination on Women, Peace and Security, including strengthening implementation of relevant Security Council resolutions and ensuring women's meaningful participation in peace processes and political transitions;
• Provide strategic guidance to ensure that gender equality priorities are integrated into humanitarian coordination, response planning, resource mobilization and monitoring, including through relevant HCT mechanisms and the Gender in Humanitarian Action coordination architecture.

5. Represent UN Women and lead advocacy strategie: 

• Represent UN Women in intergovernmental forums, public information/relations events and key meetings, participate in policy dialogue; discuss policy initiatives, report on progress achieved and/or present policy papers/ideas;
• Build relations and partnerships with high level and senior government officials as well as multi-lateral, bi-lateral agencies and NGOs; and participate in regional, country and other critical meetings and events;
• Lead and support advocacy for gender equality and women’s empowerment to ensure UN support towards realization of the national plans and priorities are done in a gender responsive manner, and within agreed international frameworks that promote and protect gender equality;
• Represent UN Women in high-level political, diplomatic and humanitarian engagements, providing strategic advice and advocacy on women's rights, gender equality, women's participation in peace processes and gender-responsive humanitarian action;
• Engage strategically with regional and international actors, including the African Union, IGAD, the League of Arab States, the European Union and other relevant multilateral institutions, to advance women's participation and influence in peace and political processes;
• Lead the development of resource mobilization strategies and manage the implementation of resource mobilization strategies, plans, and efforts;
• Conduct due diligence on potential partners to assess reputational, financial, and operational risks prior to engagement;
• Establish and maintain relationships with government, partners, stakeholders and donors to achieve active collaboration, cooperation and alliances on programme development and implementation and resource mobilization;
• Finalize donor reports and negotiate and/or approve cost-sharing agreements with donors; Establish reporting accountability framework to ensure that donors are duly informed on a timely basis;
• Promote strategic partnerships and direct financing opportunities for women-led organizations and civil society organizations, strengthening their institutional capacity, sustainability and access to humanitarian, peacebuilding and recovery financing.

6. Create and maintain strategic partnerships and manage resource mobilization strategies:

• Lead the development of resource mobilization strategies and manage the implementation of resource mobilization strategies, plans, and efforts;
• Conduct due diligence on potential partners to assess reputational, financial, and operational risks prior to engagement;
• Establish and maintain relationships with government, partners, stakeholders and donors to achieve active collaboration, cooperation and alliances on programme development and implementation and resource mobilization;
• Finalize donor reports and negotiate and/or approve cost-sharing agreements with donors; Establish reporting accountability framework to ensure that donors are duly informed on a timely basis;
• Promote strategic partnerships and direct financing opportunities for women-led organizations and civil society organizations, strengthening their institutional capacity, sustainability and access to humanitarian, peacebuilding and recovery financing.

7. Lead knowledge management, innovation and capacity building

• Manage the development and implementation of the CO communication plans, based on UN Women’s communication strategy;
• Promote critical thinking and implementation of innovation and best practices in the CO
• Promote learning and development by providing opportunities for training and capacity guiding to enhance the competencies/productivity of personnel;
• Lead the production of knowledge products.
• Promote the generation and use of evidence, research, lessons learned and good practices to inform programme design, policy engagement, advocacy and strategic decision-making.

8. Oversee safety, security and well-being of personnel, programmes and organizational assets:

• Maintain and update CO security strategy, plan, and measures to ensure full compliance with UN security policies, procedures and requirements;
• Serve as member of the Security Management team (SMT) and undertake relevant security and crisis management training. Guide and influence decisions and standards related to security of personnel, premises and assets;
• Oversee the implementation of the Security Mainstreaming & Compliance and Business Continuity Management and Organizational Resilience requirements 
• Ensure all personnel are made fully aware of safety and security procedures and policies and undertake mandatory training. Promote staff well-being, duty of care and psychosocial support measures in a high-stress and conflict-affected operating environment;
• Ensure that security considerations are integrated into programme design, implementation, partner engagement and operational decision-making, considering evolving threats, access constraints and the specific vulnerabilities of personnel and implementing partners.

 9. Other duties

• The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organisation.

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities:

The team currently comprises 23 personnel engaged under various contract modalities, with staffing levels expected to increase. The position has five direct reports, comprising two international staff members and three General Service staff members.

Competencies :

Core Values:

• Integrity;
• Professionalism;
• Respect for Diversity.

Core Competencies:

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues;
• Accountability;
• Creative Problem Solving;
• Effective Communication;
• Inclusive Collaboration;
• Stakeholder Engagement;
• Leading by Example.

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Values and Competencies Framework: 

Functional Competencies:

• Excellent programme formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation skills;
• Excellent people management skills in a multicultural environment; ability to deal with individuals from all backgrounds;
• Results-oriented; Ability to develop detailed operational plans, budgets, and deliver on them ;
• Ability to ensure fair and equitable treatment for all;
• Leading, developing and empowering people;
• Ability to advocate and provide policy advice and interact with high level decision makers;
• Excellent knowledge of gender equality and women's empowerment in country;
• Excellent analytical and conceptual thinking;
• Strong knowledge of UN system;
• Ability to envision and lead the strategic direction for UN Women in the country;
• Excellent networking skills;
• Ability to identify and analyze trends, opportunities and threats to fundraising and develop strategies;
• Excellent diplomatic and written and verbal communication skills;
• Strong risk assessment and mitigation skills; ability to balance risk-taking for innovation with prudent safeguards;
• Knowledge of enterprise risk management frameworks and internal control systems;
• Ability to make sound judgments on risk tolerance in complex, ambiguous environments;
• Understanding of fraud indicators and prevention mechanisms

Recruitment Qualifications:

Education and Certification:

• Master's degree or equivalent in development related disciplines, economics or public policy or other social science fields is required;
• A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree;
• A project/programme management certification (such as PMP®, PRINCE2®, or MSP®) would be an added advantage.

Experience:

• At least 10 years of progressively responsible, humanitarian and development experience that combines strategic and managerial leadership in humanitarian and development cooperation at the international level is required;
• Experience in gender and women’s rights programming in humanitarian and conflict settings at the international level, preferably in developing countries within the UN system, Agencies, Funds or Programmes or UN Mission is required;
• Field- based experience in working with multi-cultural teams is required;
• Experience in leading and coaching staff in international settings is required;
• Experience implementing risk management frameworks, internal controls, or enterprise risk management systems in international development or UN context is required;
• Demonstrated experience managing organizational risks including programmatic, financial, reputational, and safeguarding risks is required;
• Experience in responding to audit findings and implementing control improvements is desirable;
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and spreadsheet and database packages, experience in handling of web-based management systems is required;
• Experience in the use of a modern web-based ERP System, preferably Oracle Cloud, is desirable.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English is required;
• Working knowledge of Arabic is desirable;
• Knowledge of another official UN language is desirable (French, Arabic, Chinese, Russian or Spanish).

Statements :

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment.

Diversity and inclusion:

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.)

Note: Applicants must ensure that all sections of the application form, including the sections on education and employment history, are completed. If all sections are not completed the application may be disqualified from the recruitment and selection process.