Senior Policy Advisor: Human Rights

Pretoria, South Africa

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Job Info

• Job Identification 30097
• Posting Date 11/27/2025, 08:00 AM
• Apply Before 12/05/2025, 04:59 AM
• Job Schedule Full time
• Locations Pretoria, South Africa
• Agency UNDP
• Grade IPSA-13 Expert
• Vacancy Type International Personnel Service Agreement
• Practice Area Health
• Bureau Bureau for Policy and Programme Support
• Contract Duration 1 Year
• Education & Work Experience Master's Degree -15 year(s) experience OR Bachelor's Degree - 17 year(s) experience
• Required Languages Fluency in English
• Vacancy Timeline 1 Week

Job Description
Please note the appropriate Tier indicated in the vacancy title and ensure that you are holding the applicable contract as defined below:

• Tier 1: UNDP/ UNCDF/ UNV staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed term (FTA) appointments (defined as "internal" candidates)
• Tier 2: UNDP/ UNCDF/ UNV staff holding temporary appointments (TA) and personnel on regular PSA contracts
• Tier 3: All other contract types from UNDP/UNCDF/UNV and other agencies, and other external candidates

Background
Over the past decade, UNDP's Hub on LGBTI+ and Key Populations has led implementation of several important multi-country and regional initiatives in Africa, involving a combination of key populations, LGBTI issues, human rights, law, and inclusive governance. The Hub manages these various Africa-focused projects under the umbrella brand, #WeBelongAfrica.

WeBelongAfrica currently consolidates five distinct projects: (1) the Gates Foundation funded "Power of Prevention" project (PoP); (2) the Sweden-funded "Inclusive Governance Initiative" (IGI); (3) the Netherlands funded "Southern Africa Young Key Population Initiative" (YKP); (4) the African component of the German-funded "LGBTI Inclusion Index"; and (5) the Africa components of the global "Drug Policy Project" funded by the Open Societies Foundation. The PoP project focuses on partnerships with key population led community groups to engage in advocacy and policy dialogue around prevention strategies and financing, including in relation to long-acting pre-exposure HIV prophylaxis (PrEP); the YKP project focuses on strengthening the capacity of young key population groups in southern Africa to engage in policy dialogue and advocacy related to their sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) with their national governments; sub-regional bodies such as the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC); regional institutions including the African Union (AU) and the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR); and relevant national human rights institutions. IGI includes a similar emphasis on capacity development of civil society groups and facilitation of engagement of such groups with these institutions, although IGI focuses only on LGBTI groups. The current phase of the Inclusion Index focuses on strengthening the collection, analysis, and use of LGBTI-related data in seven countries globally, including South Africa, Namibia, Kenya and Cote d'Ivoire in Africa. The "Drug Policy Project" supports implementation of the UN System Common Position on Drugs, recognizing that people who use drugs are an important key population in the HIV response. UNDP's role is to advance evidence-informed, rights-based, and health-oriented reforms to drug policy, with Ghana and South Africa identified as priority countries in Africa.

This ToR outlines the roles of a Senior Policy Advisor to play a technical leadership role in the PoP, IGI and YKP projects, with particular attention to multi-country work on law and human rights, and LGBTI/key population work in Eswatini, Malawi, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Duties And Responsibilities
The Senior Policy Advisor will be responsible for overall technical leadership within #WeBelong Africa for issues related to law and human rights for LGBTI+ and key populations; technical leadership related to "Power of Prevention" activities in South Africa (with additional related support to Malawi and Zimbabwe); and technical support to IGI and YKP activities in Eswatini and Zambia.

Provide strategic technical direction and leadership related to law and human rights:

• Monitoring litigation and jurisprudence in Africa related to LGBTI+ and key population issues and facilitating technical support to senior members of the judiciary in relevant cases when requested;
• Facilitating the ongoing work of the African Regional Judges Forum in consultation with the Forum's leadership, including by designing periodic in-person and virtual events and by supporting the community of practice among senior members of the judiciary;
• Advising on the design and implementation of country-level activities focused on the judiciary, law and human rights;
• Promoting and supporting the development, dissemination, exchange and use of relevant knowledge products for senior members of the judiciary in Africa, as well as for policy leaders influencing the intersection of public health and human rights.

Provide technical oversight and quality assurance for the project implementation of IGI and YKP projects and support resource mobilization : responsibilities related to IGI and YKP in Eswatini and Zambia include:

• Working closely with UNDP country offices in Eswatini and Zambia, provide technical leadership in the design and monitoring of country-level plans related to the IGI and YKP projects, with their respective emphases on LGBTI+ and young key population inclusion;
• Provide regular technical leadership, support and feedback to the IGI and YKP focal points in Eswatini and Zambia;
• Identify tools and lessons from IGI and YKP work in Eswatini and Zambia that could be useful in other countries in the region, and vice versa;
• Support donor liaison and fundraising to sustain country level IGI and YKP work.

Provide technical oversight and advocacy support for the ''Power of Prevention" project in South Africa, Malawi and Zimbabwe:

• Provide technical support to key population–led organizations on advocacy, governance, strategic planning and organizational capacity;
• Facilitate advocacy co-creation and coordination and mid-course correction workshops, including planning, moderation, and documentation;
• Organize and deliver virtual learning exchanges and peer learning sessions, including preparation, facilitation and follow-up;
• Lead targeted coaching sessions on governance, advocacy strengthening, policy engagement, program delivery and institutional development.

Lead knowledge and capacity building, knowledge sharing, and advocacy relative to the assigned thematic area(s) and UNDP:

• Provide substantive advice and technical support to the development and implementation of a capacity development/ learning plan on thematic area of the project for Country Office and participate in global/regional learning initiatives;
• Lead the process of knowledge capture of national and international know-how in relevant thematic areas and document project lessons, experiences, and best practices that may be useful in design and implementation of similar projects for organizational and external sharing and learning. Produce materials with lessons learned and best practices and other knowledge-based tools;
• Keep abreast of the developments in the thematic area of the project and provide guidance on how to incorporate them into UNDP's current and future programming in the relevant sector. Provide technical guidance and quality assurance to content development for knowledge products;
• Lead advocacy for and strengthening of national capacity for planning and coordination of development programmes in the sector.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Institutional Arrangement
Primary supervision of the Senior Policy Specialist will be provided by the Manager: Hub on LGBTI+ and Key Populations (P6), a post based at the UNDP South Africa country office in Pretoria, with a secondary reporting line to the Director: HIV & Health (D1), based in BPPS, New York.

Competencies
CORE

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 4: Prioritize team workflow, mobilize resources, drive scalable results/strategic impact
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 4: Easily navigate complexity, encourage/enable radical innovation, has foresight
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 4: Create systems and processes that enable learning and development for all
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 4: Proactively initiate/lead organizational change, champion new systems/processes
• Act with Determination: LEVEL 4: Able to make difficult decisions in challenging situations, inspire confidence
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 4: Construct strategic multi-partner alliances in high stake situations, foster co-creation
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 4: Create ethical culture, identify/address barriers to inclusion

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

• Business Direction & Strategy: Strategic Thinking

• Develop effective strategies and prioritized plans in line with UNDP's mission and objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, opportunities and potential risks; link the general vision to reality on the ground to create tangible targeted solutions;

• learn from a variety of sources to anticipate and effectively respond to both current and future trends; demonstrate foresight.

• Business Direction and Strategy: System Thinking

• Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system

• Business Management: Project Management

• Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals

• Business Management: Partnerships Management

• Build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies

• 2030 Agenda- People: Health

• Inclusion and rights of Key Populations at risk of HIV and other excluded groups

• 2030 Agenda-Peace: Rule of Law, Security and Human Rights

• Human rights and Leaving No One Behind (LNOB)

• 2030 Agenda: People: Governance

• LGBTIQ rights

Education
Required Skills and Experience

• Advanced university degree (master's degree or equivalent) in Law or Public Health is required. OR:
• A first-level university degree (bachelor's degree) in the areas stated above, in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• Masters degree in Law will be considered as an asset.

Experience

• Minimum 15 years (with Masters degree) or 17 years (with Bachelor's degree) of relevant experience in law and human rights in Africa related LGBTI+, HIV, and/or key populations.

Required Skills

• At least 10 years of strong experience of facilitation with senior officials in Africa is required;
• Experience working with civil society organizations led by LGBTI+ and/or key populations in Africa is required;
• Experience with the United Nations system and/ or the Global Fund is required;
• Proven record of strong writing skills, demonstrated by multiple relevant publications is required.

Desired Skills

• Experience with ethics and policy related to introduction and use of pharmaceutical products (such as PrEP) in Africa is desired;
• Direct work experience in Eswatini, Malawi, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe is desired;
• Direct work experience with the South African National AIDS Committee is desired;
• Experience in resource mobilization is desired.

Language Requirement

• Fluency in English is required.

Equal opportunity
As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination.

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority
UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles.

Right to select multiple candidates
UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

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