Senior FemWise Officer at the African Union (AU)

The African Union (AU) is a continental body consisting of the 55 member states that make up the countries of the African Continent. It was officially launched in 2002 as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU, 1963-1999).  We are an Integrated, Prosperous and Peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Senior FemWise Officer

Requisition ID: 901
Location: Central African Republic
Organization: African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights
Reports to: SRCC
Directorate / Department : PAPS
Division: Central Africa Desk
Number of Direct Reports: 2
Number of Indirect Reports: 0
Job Grade: P3
Contract Type: Fixed-term
Location: Bangui, CAR

Purpose of Job

• The Government of the Central African Republic (CAR) and fourteen (14) armed groups (AGs) signed a Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation (PAPR-RCA) on 6 February 2019, with the assistance of the African Union (AU), the support of the Economic Community of Central African States and the United Nations.
• This agreement contains many provisions relating to security arrangements, including political and governance issues; reconciliation; and approximation, which must be implemented in the short and medium term. The AU is the guarantor of the implementation of this peace agreement.
• Working in the framework of the AULO to CAR, and in the implementation of the FemWise-Africa mandate, the Senior FemWise Officer will be under the direct supervision of the Head of the AU CAR. She will also serve as the primary FemWise-Africa focal person in the CAR, and in this capacity, will submit through the SRCC CAR regular reports to the Head of the Mediation and Dialogue Division (MDD) of the Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS) at the AUC Headquarters.
• The Officer will provide technical support and advise to the AULO on issues and processes related to mediation, negotiation, dialogue and national reconciliation (including support to the ongoing Republican Dialogue), as well as sensitization and popularization of efforts being undertaken by the AU or its mechanisms, towards the long-term implementation of the Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in the Central African Republic.
• There will be a focus on community engagement, especially with local FemWise-Africa members, CSO’s, women groups, in order to identify entry points where the FemWise-Africa Network can support or complement ongoing grassroots or national efforts.

Main Functions

• Provide support in the preparation and Implement the programmes developed out of the Division’s strategic plan;
• Ensure effective coordination and implementation of Unit’s plans and activities at various levels;
• Liaise with Member States, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), and other relevant stakeholders on relevant matters;
• Prepare and develop reports, budget and work programmes related to the functioning of the Division;
• Provide support to develop resource mobilization strategy with stakeholders’ coordination;
• Manage and supervise direct reports to ensure their effective performance as per organization’s performance management policy and system;
• Conduct complex analysis and generate accurate reports in a timely manner for the Division and AU’s internal use;
• Liaise with the various Departments/Units of the Commission for coordination and alignment purposes;
• Prepare budgets for the Division in accordance with relevant frameworks. Support the promotion of the activities of the Division including preparing leaflets, guidelines and fact sheets as may be required;
• Actively contribute in the development of strategies, policies, programmes and plans.

Specific Responsibilities

• Provide technical support and expertise on mediation, negotiation and dialogue; and assist the AULO in designing, managing and evaluating gender-inclusive conflict prevention, mediation, dialogue and peacebuilding processes relevant to CAR;
• Maintain good knowledge on the political developments in the CAR, the relevant stakeholders, state and non-state actors, as well as any other national or regional dynamics influencing the country, in order to anticipate their expected impact on ongoing mediation, negotiation, dialogue or peace-building processes;    
• Maintain good knowledge on the implementation process of the Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in the Central African Republic, including by identifying areas in which the FemWise-Africa Network or the MDD could support in strengthening this implementation process;
• Conduct outreach and advocacy activities in the CAR to popularize and promote FemWise-Africa on the ground with an ultimate objective of increasing membership, operationalizing the national chapter, and supporting the undertaking of impactful  and inclusive locally-owned activities at national and grassroots levels related to mediation, dialogue, reconciliation and peacebuilding;
• Related to (d) above, regularly update the FemWise-Africa Secretariat on the progress challenges, and recommendations on areas requiring further support;
• Develop and/or conduct inclusive capacity building exercises or trainings in order to disseminate knowledge and skills related to mediation, negotiation and dialogue;
• Submit regular reports and maintain records and documentation on any mediation, negotiation, dialogue, national reconciliation and peacebuilding processes in the CAR. This will include through regularly liaising with the Knowledge Management Team of MDD to ensure relevant knowledge is gathered in a central database for easy reference and for future dissemination on best practices and lessons learned;  
• Perform any other related duties as may be assigned by the Head of AU Mission to CAR, or the Head of the MDD.

Academic Requirements and Relevant Experience

• A Master’s University Degree in Peace & Security Studies, Governance, International Studies, Political Science, Public Policy, Law, Public Administration, Social Studies, or other related disciplines 7years' experience in the field of human rights in out of which 3 years  should be at a supervisory level

Or

• Bachelor’s Degree in similar studies with 10 years relevant experience and 3 years at Supervisor revel
• A working experience in the field of mediation, alternative dispute resolutions (ADR), political affairs, community engagement, conflict prevention, conflict management or peacebuilding;
• Concrete experience in supporting a negotiation, mediation or dialogue process is required;
• Experience in a related field with Government, NGOs, think tank, or similar multilateral, regional or international institutions would be an added advantage;
• Good comparative knowledge of the AU mediation and negotiation structures/processes, or those of other Regional Economic Communities/Regional Mechanisms (RECs/RMs) or the UN would be desirable;
• Experience in the promotion of institutional gender mainstreaming, especially in conflict or post-conflict contexts would be advantageous.

Required Skills:

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Sound planning and organizational skills
• Ability to negotiate diplomatically
• Ability to delegate the appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision-making authority with regard to performance management and professional development
• Proficiency in one of the AU official working languages (French, English, Portuguese, Arabic) and  fluency in another AU language(s) is an added advantage

Leadership Competencies:

• Strategic Insight.
• Developing others.
• Change Management.
• Managing Risk.

Core Competencies:

• Building Relationship.
• Foster Accountability Culture.
• Learning Orientation.
• Communicating with Influence.

Functional Competencies:

• Conceptual thinking.
• Job Knowledge Sharing.
• Drive for results.
• Continuous improvement orientation.

Tenure of Appointment:

• The Appointment will be made on a fixed-term contract for a period of one (1) year, of which the first three (3) months will be considered as a probationary period. Thereafter, the contract may be renewed for a similar period subject to funding availability, satisfactory performance and agreed deliverables.

Gender Mainstreaming:

• The AU Commission is an equal opportunity employer and qualified women are strongly encouraged to apply.

Languages:

• Proficiency in one of the AU working languages (Arabic, English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish) and fluency in another AU language is an added advantage.

Remuneration
The salary attached to the position is an annual lump-sum of US$ 85,212.07 (P2 Step 5) inclusive of all allowances for internationally recruited staff, and US$  66,751.81  inclusive of all allowances for locally recruited staff of the African Union Commission.

Application Closing Date
24th December, 2021.