UN Women: Writer and Editor Specialist (on retainer basis), Beirut, Lebanon - International Consultant - Home-Based

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.

Placing women's rights at the center of all its efforts, UN Women leads and coordinates United Nations system efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world. It provides strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States' priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.

UN Women has been working in Lebanon since 2015 to address the economic and social needs of refugees and host communities in close cooperation with the Government of Lebanon. UN Women Lebanon works on issues of women’s political participation, peace and security, economic empowerment and changing social norms around gender and masculinities in line with UN Women’s Strategic Plan.

To support its growing portfolio of programmes and partnerships, and to ensure the production of high-quality donor reports, strategic documents, knowledge products, advocacy materials and resource mobilization documents, UN Women Lebanon seeks the services of an experienced international consultant to provide strategic writing and editing expertise.

The consultant will report directly to the Representative of UN Women Lebanon and will work closely with Programme, Communications and Operations teams. The Communications Associate will serve as the focal point for contract management and payment-related matters.
The consultant will be engaged under a retainer arrangement for one year. Assignments will be issued based on an agreed workplan and evolving programme needs. Each assignment will specify the scope of work, timeline, number of working days, and expected outputs.
The consultant will be expected to work independently and provide high-level technical expertise in developing and quality-assuring strategic written products.

Description of Responsibilities /Scope of Work

1. Conduct research and draft, edit and finalize high-quality written content, including press releases, articles,
   information sheets, brochures, newsletters, reports, surveys, analytical notes, briefing notes and key messages;
2. Identify and develop storylines and content for media outreach and visibility initiatives, including op-eds, policy papers, thematic briefs, press releases and other communication products;
3. Write speeches on behalf of the UN Women Lebanon Representative that are appropriate for the national context and adequately articulate the position of the organization across various thematic issues;
4. Provide expert editorial review and quality assurance of programme and corporate documents, including progress reports, project reports, donor reports, concept notes, proposals and knowledge products, ensuring compliance with UN Women standards, results-based reporting requirements and donor expectations;
5. Produce summaries, briefs and synthesized versions of reports, studies and knowledge products to support dissemination and engagement with diverse audiences and stakeholders;
6. Conceptualize, draft and review additional written products and communication materials as requested by UN Women Lebanon in support of programme implementation, partnerships, advocacy and visibility efforts

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel
This is a home-based consultancy.

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 strategic writing, editing and quality assurance skills;
• Ability to translate complex technical information into clear and compelling communications products;
• Ability to work independently and deliver high-quality outputs under tight deadlines;
• Strong understanding of donor reporting requirements and results-based management approaches;
• In-depth knowledge of gender equality and women’s rights issues;
• Ability to communicate sensitively across different focal points;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills;
• Knowledge and understanding of the UN system and familiarity with inter-governmental processes.

Required Qualifications:

Education and Certification:

• Master’s degree in Gender Studies, International Development, International Relations, Communications, Journalism, Public Policy, Human Rights, Social Sciences, or a related field 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..

Experience:

• At least 7 years of progressively responsible international experience in strategic communications,technical writing, editing, journalism, research, knowledge management, donor reporting, policy development or related fields is required;
• Experience developing high-quality reports, policy papers, strategic documents, proposals and donor-facing products is required;
• Experience in providing editorial oversight and quality assurance for complex technical documents is required;
• Experience working with the United Nations system or other international organizations is desirable;
• Strong understanding of gender equality, women’s empowerment and human rights issues is required;
• Experience working in the Arab States region is desirable;

Languages:

• Fluency in English is required.
• Working Knowledge of French and/or Arabic is desirable.

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.