UN Women Programme Specialist – Women’s Economic Empowerment, Bangkok, Thailand
UN Women is inviting applications for a Programme Specialist – Women’s Economic Empowerment position based in Bangkok, Thailand. The position is a P3, fixed-term appointment and offers an opportunity for an experienced development professional to support women’s economic empowerment programmes across the Asia-Pacific region.
The Programme Specialist will play a central role in planning, implementing, monitoring and managing programmes focused on women’s economic empowerment, including initiatives involving the private sector, gender-responsive business practices and the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs).
The position is based at the UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific and has an initial contract duration of one year.
UN Women Programme Specialist – Key Details
Organisation: UN Women
Position: Programme Specialist – Women’s Economic Empowerment
Job ID: 37856
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Grade: P3
Contract type: Fixed-Term Appointment
Contract duration: 1 year
Job schedule: Full-time
Job function: Economic Empowerment
Application deadline: 17 November 2026
About UN Women
UN Women is the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. Its work focuses on eliminating discrimination against women and girls and advancing equality between women and men across development, human rights, humanitarian action, peace and security.
Women’s economic empowerment is a major part of this mandate. It is closely linked to the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 5 on gender equality and women’s empowerment and SDG 8 on decent work and inclusive economic growth.
The role also contributes to wider development priorities, including poverty reduction, reducing inequalities and strengthening global partnerships.
About the Role
The Programme Specialist will work within the UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific and will have overall responsibility for planning, implementing and managing interventions within the Women’s Economic Empowerment portfolio.
A major component of the position is the Gender Action Lab (GAL), an initiative developed in partnership with the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
The Gender Action Lab seeks to strengthen gender-responsive business policies and practices across Asia-Pacific by supporting governments, businesses and other stakeholders to close the gap between commitments and practical implementation.
The programme covers Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia, alongside a regional component managed by the UN Women Regional Office.
Key Programme Areas
UN Women’s regional Women’s Economic Empowerment strategy covers several interconnected areas.
These include advancing gender-responsive business conduct and creating decent work opportunities, accelerating gender-responsive entrepreneurship for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, sustainable finance and transforming care systems.
The programme also considers cross-cutting issues such as the digital economy, fintech, climate action, social norms and intersectionality.
The successful candidate will therefore work across a broad portfolio involving governments, businesses, development partners and civil society organisations.
Key Responsibilities
The Programme Specialist will be responsible for developing programme strategies and preparing project proposals and initiatives relating to Women’s Economic Empowerment.
The role also involves managing programme implementation, including annual workplans and budgets, technical implementation, financial and narrative reporting, results-based management and project review processes.
Another important responsibility is providing technical assistance and capacity development to programme partners.
The successful candidate will build relationships with national partners, identify capacity-building needs and coordinate technical assistance, mentoring and training initiatives, particularly in relation to the Women’s Empowerment Principles.
Monitoring and reporting will also be a significant part of the position. The Programme Specialist will monitor programme implementation and finances, conduct field missions, prepare quarterly and donor reports and contribute to wider UN Women reporting.
The role also includes managing programme resources, supervising and mentoring personnel and supporting recruitment processes where necessary.
Partnerships and Resource Mobilisation
The Programme Specialist will contribute to developing partnerships and resource mobilisation strategies.
This includes researching potential donors, preparing substantive briefs, identifying opportunities for cooperation and supporting cost-sharing arrangements.
The position will also contribute to inter-agency coordination by working with UN agencies, government departments, donors and NGOs to ensure that Women’s Economic Empowerment programmes are aligned with wider regional efforts.
Advocacy, knowledge management and communication are additional responsibilities. The successful candidate may represent UN Women in policy dialogues and develop advocacy strategies based on international standards and evidence.
Qualifications and Experience
Applicants must have a master’s degree or equivalent in social sciences, human rights, gender or women’s studies, international development or a related field.
A first-level university degree combined with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted instead.
At least five years of progressively responsible experience at national or international level in the design, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development or Women’s Economic Empowerment projects is required.
Experience in women’s economic empowerment, particularly private-sector engagement or promoting gender-responsive business conduct through the Women’s Empowerment Principles, is also required.
Experience with multi-country or multi-stakeholder events, capacity building, government or donor coordination, the UN system and team leadership would be an advantage.
Fluency in English is required, while working knowledge of another official UN language is desirable.
How to Apply
Qualified candidates interested in advancing women’s economic empowerment across the Asia-Pacific region should review the official UN Women vacancy requirements and submit their applications before the deadline.
The application deadline is 17 November 2026 at 06:59.
This P3 position offers an opportunity for an experienced development professional to contribute to regional programmes that connect gender equality, economic participation, private-sector engagement and sustainable development.
