consulting
Gender Equality Advisor - Social Inclusion
UNOPSUnited NationsGenderSenior LevelICA - IICA - Retainer
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Full Description
**Job Highlight**
The Advisor will play a key role in helping Sanitation and Hygiene Fund (SHF) apply its transformative approach to Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) across its operations, partnerships, and investments. The role supports SHF’s efforts to improve access and affordability for women, men, boys, and girls across sanitation economies and menstrual health markets.
The Advisor works closely with the SHF Head of Strategy and Performance and other technical colleagues across the SHF portfolio, geographies, and the wider organisation. The role forms part of a small global advisory team supporting coordination, advocacy, and technical leadership on GESI, results, and impact across SHF.
**About the Region**
The UNOPS Africa Regional Office, based in Nairobi, Kenya, oversees the delivery of over 250 projects across 40 countries, with a focus on fragile and conflict-affected settings. Supported by more than 1,000 personnel across five multi-country offices—spanning North, West, Central, Eastern and Southern Africa, and the Horn of Africa—the office advances national priorities through strategic initiatives in Climate Action, Health, Infrastructure, Peace and Security, Middle-Income Country Support, and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The Regional Office provides strategic leadership, operational support, and oversight in key areas including Partnerships, Communications, Management and Oversight, Infrastructure and Project Management, Health and Safety, and Security. By promoting excellence in project delivery, fostering knowledge sharing, and driving continuous improvement, the office contributes to sustainable infrastructure, transparent resource management, and a better quality of life for communities across the continent.
**About the Country/Multi-Country Office**
Based in Nairobi, UNOPS East and Southern Africa supports sustainable development across 14 countries, including Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Somalia, Tanzania, Zambia, Zanzibar, and Zimbabwe. Since 1995, UNOPS has expanded its footprint in Kenya, delivering services in project management, infrastructure, procurement, and financial management. Across the region, the office implements diverse, partner-funded initiatives that respond to national priorities. In Mozambique, this includes delivering specialized equipment (EU), supporting health services (UNICEF), promoting agro-processing (KOICA), and advancing peacebuilding efforts through a Multi-Donor Fund. UNOPS also supports agricultural input distribution and the Northern Crisis Recovery Project, both funded by the World Bank. In Malawi, efforts include developing Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) centres in partnership with the EU and the British Council. These initiatives reflect UNOPS’ commitment to strengthening national capacities, enhancing service delivery, and supporting progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the region.
**Job Specific Context**
Based in Nairobi under the UNOPS East and Southern Africa Multi-Country Office, the Technical Services Unit (TSU) provides multidisciplinary infrastructure design, design review, assessments, and advisory support for UNOPS projects. The team currently comprises about 17 permanent staff and more than 90 retainer consultants, including architects, civil, structural, mechanical and electrical engineers, quantity surveyors, environmental and social risk management experts, monitoring and evaluation experts, data specialists, finance and transaction experts, and other specialist infrastructure practitioners.
TSU has recently been tasked with securing retainer consultants to support the important work of the Sanitation and Hygiene Fund (SHF).
SHF is a UNOPS project. Operational since July 2021, it is dedicated to advancing market-based approaches and catalysing finance for sanitation and hygiene for all, with particular attention to the needs of women and girls and people in vulnerable situations. Its portfolio focuses on building thriving sanitation economies and Menstrual Health (MH) markets in low- and middle-income countries, increasing access to essential products and services.
SHF works with governments, the private sector, funders, and investors to strengthen the enabling environment, expand the capacity of enterprises to deliver solutions effectively, and attract and catalyse funding, financing, and investment to bring these solutions to scale.
**Role Purpose**
The GESI Advisor provides strategic and technical support to strengthen the integration of gender equality and social inclusion across the SHF portfolio. The role supports coordination, analysis, advocacy, and thought leadership on GESI, and helps ensure that SHF’s programmes, partnerships, and approaches are informed by inclusive and evidence-based practice.
**Functions / Key Results Expected**
The GESI Advisor will support SHF in undertaking the following tasks, as requested and agreed upon:
Strategic planning and
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