International Certified executive coach for women in leadership

Background:

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.

The work of UN Women in Moldova is guided by its Country Strategic Note 2023-2027, aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for Moldova (2023-2027), UN Women Global Strategic Plan, National Programs and Strategies and aims to contribute to the gender-responsive implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Strategic Note focuses on four main areas: 1) Ending Violence against Women (EVAW); 2) Women’s Leadership and Governance; 3) Women’s Economic Empowerment; and 4) Humanitarian and Peace development nexus and UN Coordination on gender equality and women empowerment.

Women and girls constitute more than half of Moldova’s population, yet they are under-represented in the bodies that make key decisions affecting their lives. Gender inequalities continue to persist in all areas of public and private life, while important progress has been recorded in the Republic of Moldova over the past 10 years.

The overarching vision of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is inclusive and sustainable growth with its promise to leave no one behind. Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5, target 5.5. calls to “ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of the decision-making in political, economic and public life”. Gender equality by 2030 requires urgent action to eliminate the many root causes of discrimination that still curtail women’s rights in private and public spheres.  

The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, adopted in 1995, explicitly calls for the removal of all barriers that prevent women's full and equal participation in political life. In October 2024, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women adopted General Recommendation No. 40 on the equal and inclusive representation of women in decision-making systems. The Recommendation provides comprehensive guidance to States parties on achieving equal and inclusive representation of women across all decision-making systems and sectors, with the aim of driving systemic and transformative change.

Women in politics and in decision making still confront stereotypes. According to the latest studies conducted by UN Women partners, it shows that patriarchal conceptions persist among a significant portion of the population. Gender stereotypes about women’s roles remain deeply rooted and have even intensified in recent years. The share of people who believe women have “no place in politics” rose from 18.2% in 2021 to 26.2% in 2025, while around 20% still consider women less capable of leadership roles. At the same time, traditional views about women’s primary role in family life have significantly increased, rising from 47.9% to 62.4%.

UN Women, in line with its mandate, supports women parliamentarians, women from government, mayors, councillors, and other women leaders, including those from underrepresented groups, as a long-term investment in building inclusive and representative societies. This is achieved through capacity-building programmes, networking opportunities, inspirational events, and studies that encourage diverse women to participate in public life and decision-making, while strengthening their confidence, leadership skills, and campaign strategies.    

Over the years, UN Women has supported various platforms of women leaders at both central and local levels, including the Women MPs Caucus (across the last 3 legislatures), the Women Mayors Network, and the Women in Governance network (LiderELE programme), etc. These initiatives aim to equip, support, and inspire women leaders by providing them with the necessary tools to manage pressures, foster social innovation, and promote excellence in governance, while strengthening women’s active participation in decision-making processes, becoming agents of change, especially in the context of EU integration.

In order to equip actual women legislators from senior and middle-level government positions, women MPs, and women mayors with the necessary skills, knowledge, and confidence to succeed in their roles to effectively serve as change-makers in their legislative and representation functions, to provide tools to mainstream gender-sensitive culture in legislatures and society, UN Women Moldova Country Office will initiate an Academy for Women in Public Leadership. The Academy will represent a national platform to strengthen women’s leadership across the public leadership pipeline and will combine cohort-based learning, leadership labs, mentoring and coaching, peer learning circles, and an alumni network that ensures sustainability beyond a single cycle. 

In this context, UN Women Moldova will engage a team of international and national experts in various fields to deliver tailored trainings for up to 300 women from central and local administrations in accordance with TOR requirements. The relevant topics will be linked to transformative leadership, strategic communication, social media, public speaking, mediation/conflict resolution, crisis management and safe Leadership in politics, gender-responsive policy-making, resilience, wellbeing, individual coaching and not limited to.

These initiatives are planned under joint efforts from 3 ongoing projects: the regional project “Women’s Increased Leadership for Resilient and Peaceful Societies” funded by Denmark; the project “Enhancing Peace and Prosperity through Women’s Leadership and Inclusion (Women for Peace and Prosperity)” funded by Switzerland; and UN Women Strategic Note Contribution funded by Sweden.

Description of Responsibilities/ Scope of Work

Under current TOR, UN Women Moldova seeks an international certified executive to design and deliver an executive coaching component within the Academy for Women in Public Leadership, targeting women MPs, women in senior and middle-level government positions, and women mayors.

The executive coaching component aims to support participants to lead with authenticity, clarity and impact; to strengthen self-awareness, purpose and strengths-based leadership; to build psychological resilience and holistic wellbeing under the pressures of public and political life; and to translate individual growth into positive change in their institutions and communities.

It shall be noted that the implementation of the tasks will require close collaboration with UN Women team and will be reporting to Programme Specialist and will be supported by Project Analyst within the same are, who will be the point of contact on the contract and payment issues.

The selected consultant is responsible for ensuring the successful completion of the tasks, as follows:

• Design the executive coaching framework and methodology for the Academy, aligned with International Coaching Federation (ICF) standards and ethics, including intake and goal-setting instruments, coaching agreements and confidentiality protocols, optional strengths-based assessments (e.g. CliftonStrengths or equivalent), and progress-tracking tools.
• Deliver individual (1:1) executive coaching sessions for selected Academy participants (up to 30 participants, with a package of 3–5 sessions per participant, online and/or in person), focusing on leadership identity and presence, purpose and vision, strengths-based development, decision-making under pressure, work-life integration, resilience and wellbeing.
• Design and facilitate group coaching sessions / leadership circles (up to 6 sessions) to foster peer learning, collective reflection and mutual support among women leaders across the Academy tracks. Interpretation will be provided as needed for group sessions
• Develop a Final Report on the assignment, summarizing aggregate (non-identifying) progress and outcomes, lessons learned, challenges, and recommendations for embedding coaching and mentoring in future Academy cycles, in full respect of coaching confidentiality.

The above-mentioned tasks are indicative and subject to further detailing through specific service requests to be made by UN Women Moldova CO during the contract duration; other tasks and duties may be revised/added if required as per expertise. The assignment should be carried out within a period of 12 months with possible extension. 

Deliverables

The Consultant will provide overall technical leadership for the executive coaching component and will be responsible for preparing, consolidating, and submitting all required deliverables, including:

•  Executive coaching framework, methodology and tools, approved by UN Women;

•  Individual and group coaching sessions delivered as per the approved framework, evidenced through anonymized session logs and timesheets;

•  Aggregate progress reviews based on participant self-assessment and feedback questionnaires;

•  Final Report on the assignment, summarizing outcomes, lessons learned, challenges, and recommendations.

UN Women will be responsible for organizing the logistics, participant selection and coordination of the coaching calendar. All deliverables shall be agreed with UN Women and provided in electronic format.

Payment Details  

The Consultant shall be paid for the services performed under the Contract on a per-day basis. UN Women shall pay the Consultant upon certification by UN Women that the services have been satisfactorily performed, and upon submission and approval of corresponding deliverables and timesheets. The fee may be payable in installments and the number of days worked is to be determined solely by UN Women. The Consultant agrees and acknowledges that acceptance of the Contract does not guarantee any minimum fee to be paid to the Consultant. 

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel

This is a home-based consultancy.

For international consultants travel arrangements will be agreed with UN Women in advance in line with UN Women rules and regulations.

Competencies :

Core Values:

• Integrity;
• Professionalism;
• Respect for Diversity.

Core Competencies:

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues;
• Accountability;
• Creative Problem Solving;
• Effective Communication;
• Inclusive Collaboration;
• Stakeholder Engagement;
• Leading by Example.

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Values and Competencies Framework: 

Functional Competencies:

• Leadership Development and Adult Learning
• Strategic Facilitation and Capacity Development
• Gender Equality and Inclusive Governance
• Programme Design and Results-Based Delivery
• Stakeholder Engagement and Partnership Building
• Analytical Thinking and Quality Assurance
• Executive Coaching and Leadership Development
• Strengths-Based and Holistic Coaching Methodologies
• Psychological Resilience and Wellbeing
• Female Leadership and Empowerment
• Cross-Cultural Communication and Sensitivity
• Confidentiality, Ethics and Professional Integrity

Required Qualifications

Education and Certification:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in Business Administration, Management, Psychology, Organizational Development, Communications, or other related field is required.
• A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• Professional coaching certification is required, such as an International Coaching Federation (ICF) credential at PCC or MCC level, or equivalent recognized certification (e.g. EMCC Senior Practitioner, Certified Professional Coach, Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach).
• Executive coaching training from an internationally recognized business school or accredited coaching programme would be a strong asset.

Experience:

• At least 5 years of professional experience, including senior leadership roles in international corporations, public institutions or international organizations, providing first-hand understanding of executive realities, is required.
• Demonstrated experience in strengths-based and/or holistic coaching approaches, integrating leadership performance with wellbeing, resilience, purpose and work-life integration is required.
• Proven track record in designing and delivering female leadership programmes and/or coaching women leaders in male-dominated environments is required.
• At least 3 years of proven experience in executive coaching of C-suite executives, senior government officials, diplomats, political leaders or other high-level decision-makers, is considered an advantage.
• Experience in strategic communications advisory, keynote speaking or group facilitation for leadership audiences is an advantage.
• Experience working in multicultural settings and with international organizations, including the UN and/or EU institutions, is an advantage.

Languages:

• Fluency in English is required. 
• Knowledge of Romanian language or any other UN official language is an asset (interpretation will be provided as needed for group sessions).

Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Statements :

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment.

Diversity and inclusion:

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.)

Note: Applicants must ensure that all sections of the application form, including the sections on education and employment history, are completed. If all sections are not completed the application may be disqualified from the recruitment and selection process.