• To support innovative and catalytic programming that assists member states to advance women’s empowerment and gender equality in line with national, regional and global priorities.
• To promote gender equality and women empowerment across the UN cooperation development system.

UNIFEM’s programme direction and results framework are spelled out in its global and regional strategic plan (2008-2011). This plan put emphasis on deepening UNIFEM’s support to countries to implement their commitment to gender equality and women human rights particularly in the areas of enhancing women’s economic security and rights, reducing the prevalence of violence against women and HIV and AIDS and promoting gender equality in democratic governance in stable and fragile states. The Strategic Plan also calls for greater alignment with and support to emerging UN regional coordination mechanisms.
UNIFEM relies on a wide range of partnerships in fulfilling its mandate. These include governments, intergovernmental organizations, civil society organizations (including women’s NGO and grassroots organizations and networks), academic and multilateral partners and faith based organizations. Its support is aligned with commitments to gender equality and women human rights as agreed in international and regional frameworks such as the MDG, the Beijing platform for action, CEDAW, the solemn declaration on Gender Equality in Africa and the protocol on Women Human Rights in the African People Charter.
UNIFEM established its presence in Cameroon in 2004. UNIFEM will capitalize on its position and successful experience to strengthen the partnerships with key national and regional stakeholders as well as donors to ensure the realization of women’s rights in Cameroon.
The goal of UNIFEM presence in Cameroon, during the life span of its Strategic Plan, is to ensure that gender equality and women’s empowerment are achieved, and women’s human rights are enforced. As such, the following areas have been identified as strategic areas for UNIFEM’s support:

• Violence against women (VAW)
• HIV/AIDS
• Women’s Economic Empowerment
• Conflict Management and Peace-building
• Women in decision-making

In order to strengthen its presence in Cameroon, UNIFEM seeks to recruit a Country Programme Manager (CPM). The Country Programme Manager will be a person with proven expertise in program development and implementation, project management, human and financial management, partnership building and resource mobilization- to guide, direct and oversee UNIFEM’s work in Cameroon.

• Monitor trends and issues affecting women in the country and develop strategic responses to opportunities and challenges including the formulation and implementation of plans, strategies and activities in line with UNIFEM’s strategic plan 2008-2011.
• Enhance UNIFEM’s participation in inter-agency and inter-governmental processes.  As such he/she will participate in heads of agency meetings as well as in consultation meetings with donors to ensure that the principles of Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment are integrated in the UN and donors’ programs and resourced.
• Ensure improved coordination and collaboration of the UN Country Team on Gender Equality.
• Support synergies between actors working on the same issues at national levels, building on each one’s comparative advantage.
• Position UNIFEM as the lead agency on gender equality
• Provide leadership and quality oversight over the efforts to strengthen government institutions, especially the Ministry of Women, to implement national development strategies.
• Develop strong partnerships with a wide range of constituencies, including NGOs and the Women’s Movement.

Donor Relations and Communications:

• Strengthen donors’ confidence in UNIFEM. The CPM will lead UNIFEM’s efforts to ensure ongoing and substantive communication with current and potential donors.
• Work in close partnership with donor agencies to ensure synergy or efforts in line with the Paris Declaration Principles.

Programme Management:

• Provide close guidance and direction to ensure strategic focus, result orientation, effectiveness and efficiency in all aspects of UNIFEM’s operations and programs.
• Monitor ongoing projects both substantively and financially to ensure efficient and timely delivery and realization of results.
• Provide guidance and advice to the RPD on UNIFEM’s priorities.
• Work closely with government and national partners to ensure ownership and delivery of programs.
• Manage, coordinate and provide guidance for reporting to ensure efficient implementation and compliance with UNIFEM and donor requirements.
• Develop effective and innovative strategies for resource mobilization, network with other UN agencies, donors and international organizations working in and outside of Cameroon.
• Document UNIFEM’s experiences and lessons learnt in Cameroon in line with the organization’s Knowledge Management efforts.

Financial and Human Resources Management:

• Work closely with the national team in the management of office operations including financial and human resources management.
• Ensure effective management of programme resources using appropriate financial information systems and procedures to track project budgets and expenditures.
• He/she will be responsible for oversights of financial resources management and administrative processes in line with UNDP/UNIFEM’s rules and regulations.
• Any other duties that support and strengthen UNIFEM’s role in Cameroon

• Good inter-personal and diplomacy skills;
• Capacity to write clearly and concisely;
• Ability to take decisions under pressure and to deal with matters that are politically and culturally sensitive;
• Ability to work across multi-cultural contexts and build partnerships to ensure achievement of results in a post conflict environment.

• Advanced university degree in social sciences, political or international affairs with emphasis on gender related issues or related discipline.

Experience:

• At least seven years work experience in any of the following fields: Human rights, humanitarian issues, rehabilitation, gender and development, economic security, strategic planning with a specific focus on gender, working in countries in post-conflict contexts.
• Technical Expertise:  Gender analysis and mainstreaming in programming and implementation, knowledge of legal and policy frameworks on women’s rights/roles and analytical skills particularly in a post conflict environment and peace building.
• Knowledge of Cameroon’s country reality, including challenges to gender equality and women’s empowerment.
• Experience of having managed an organization dealing with gender equality and women’s empowerment is an advantage.
• Experience working with UN joint programming frameworks and result-based management systems is a particular advantage.
• Experience with international organizations, the UN system and women’s organizations is particularly desirable.

Languages:

• Fluency in French and English is required. 

Applications should be submitted on line and must include the UNIFEM Personal History Form (P11) posted at http://www.unifem.org/attachments/about/employment/UNIFEM_personal_history_form_P11.doc