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.
UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, works to ensure womenโs rights are at the center of all UN efforts. UN Womenโs East and Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO) is focused on advancing gender equality and womenโs empowerment across its 13 Country Offices and regional programming initiatives.
UN Women ESARO is accelerating its donor engagement to support the Strategic Note 2026โ2029. While continuing to work with traditional partners, the office is placing strong focus on unlocking funding from China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea (ROK),ย three fast-growing donors in Africa whose priorities align with UN Womenโs core themes: womenโs economic empowerment, climate resilience, EVAW, and peace and security.
To lead this effort, UN Women seeks a Junior Resource Mobilization Consultant to drive outreach, intelligence, and proposal development specifically for KOICA, JICA, CIDCA, and affiliated embassies, foundations, and private sector actors. This role is key to positioning UN Women as a strategic partner for Asia-based donors and expanding gender-responsive partnerships across the region.
The consultant will work under the supervision of the Resource Mobilization and Partnerships Specialist and in close coordination with the Regional Communications teams.
Objectives of the Assignment
With the current shifts in donor priorities and shrinking funding environment, the objective of this consultancy is to support UN Women ESAROโs resource mobilization and partnership efforts by enhancing donor intelligence and facilitating collaboration with internal and external stakeholders, with a strong emphasis on deepening engagement with Chinese, Japanese, and Korean donors and partners.
Scope of Work and Responsibilities
Under the supervision of the Resource Mobilization and Partnerships Specialist and in close coordination with the Regional Communications teams, the consultant will be responsible for:
Strengthen Donor Intelligence and Engagement
Produce donor-specific analyses, including trend reports on Southern European, and key Asian donors such as China (CIDCA), Japan (JICA, MOFA), and Korea (KOICA, MOFA), identifying entry points aligned with UN Womenโs strategic objectives and regional programming priorities. Develop and maintain tailored donor profiles and engagement strategies specifically for Chinese, Japanese, and Korean donors, including embassy engagement, grant cycles, and key thematic interests. Provide timely scoping and updates on funding opportunities from Asia-based donors to COs and the Regional Office. Maintain and update donor mapping by theme, funding size, status, and timelines to guide outreach and proposal planning. Draft concise donor briefs, background notes, and talking points to support strategic engagement.Support Proposal Development
Support development of high-quality, culturally and strategically aligned proposals for KOICA, JICA, and CIDCA, ensuring full compliance with each donorโs priorities, formats, and funding modalities. Support in the development of PowerPoint decks and donor packages aligned with thematic areas for Chinese, Japanese and Korean donors. Assist in drafting and reviewing proposals and concept notes for bilateral, multilateral, and philanthropic donors.Enhance Regional and Country Office Coordination
Act as the primary liaison between Country Offices and Asian donors (KOICA, JICA, CIDCA), supporting embassy engagement, proposal coordination, and strategic follow-up. Provide COs with customized donor intelligence and match-making guidance aligned with Chinese, Japanese, and Korean funding priorities. Support RM knowledge-sharing across the region by curating updates, best practices, and funding alertsโespecially related to top Asian donors.Private Sector and Strategic Partnerships
Map and engage Asia-based multinational companies operating in the region (e.g., Huawei, Samsung, LG, Toyota), and explore CSR and WEPs-related collaboration opportunities. Develop visibility materials and onboarding strategies targeting private sector partners from China, Japan, and Korea. Conduct targeted mapping of potential private sector partners whose corporate social responsibility (CSR) or sustainability priorities align with UN Womenโs thematic areas. Serve as the WEPs (Womenโs Empowerment Principles) Focal Point for UN Women ESARO, including: Participating in global WEPs focal point coordination meetings. Identifying and onboarding new WEPs signatories in the region. Supporting knowledge exchange and visibility initiatives for WEPs members.Expected Deliverables
The consultant will be expected to deliver the following outputs over the course of the assignment:
Donor Intelligence and Tracking
Ensure quarterly donor briefs focused on KOICA, JICA, and CIDCA are produced, highlighting trends, funding windows, and embassy priorities. Ensure strategic engagement plans are developed and maintained for key Asian donors and their embassies. Donor mapping database updated monthly, prioritizing Chinese, Japanese, and Korean funding streams. Visual dashboards and summaries created to track contributions and pipelines from Asian donors. Tailored intelligence products (briefs, backgrounders, talking points) developed for key donor engagements.Proposal and Content Development
Ensure concept notes and full proposals are prepared for KOICA, JICA, CIDCA, and other aligned funding sources, tailored to donor formats and requirements. Develop strategic presentations and pitch materials for internal and external donor engagements. Conduct desk research and contribute technical input to multi-country or regional proposals aligned with Asian donor priorities.Private Sector and Strategic Partnerships
Consultantโs Workplace and Official Travel
This is an office-based consultancy (with possible travel and remote arrangements).
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 visitย this linkย for more information on UN Womenโs Values and Competencies Framework:ย
Functional Competencies:
Technical Expertise in identifying opportunities, crafting strategies, and prioritizing action as well as getting significant financial results; Solid expertise in aid policy and demonstrated knowledge of development donorsโ expectations and practice; Proven abilities to engage partners externally and manage relations. Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels Excellent oral and written communications skills; a clear and persuasive communicator. Knowledge and understanding of IFIs (strategies, approaches, processes and systems)ย Required Qualifications
Education and Certification:
ย Masterโs degree in international development, gender studies, social sciences, public policy, or 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 2 years of progressively responsible experience in resource mobilization, donor engagement, development programming, or partnerships in international development settings. Experience working with data tools (e.g., Excel, pivot tables), internal systems (e.g., DAMS), and funding platforms (e.g., Devex, Donor Tracker). Proven ability to synthesize complex information and develop high-quality written products such as donor briefs, proposals, and background documents. Demonstrated experience preparing strategic presentations and communication materials for internal and external stakeholders. Prior engagement with UN entities, development partners, or non-profit organizations is desirable. Fluency in English required. Proficiency in French or another UN language is considered an asset.Languages:
Fluency in English (written and spoken) is required. Knowledge of at least one additional UN language is an asset.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,ย and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age,ย ability, national origin,ย 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 toย UN Womenโsย policiesย and proceduresย andย theย standardsย of conduct expected of UN Women personnelย 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.
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