Gender Specialist

Job Summary

• We are currently looking to fill the role of Gender Specialist to ensure the integration of gender and protection services across ACF projects.

Key Responsibilities:

Objective 1: Lead Gender Mainstreaming and inclusion strategies across ACF program:

• Lead the development, implementation, and periodic review of the mission Gender and Inclusion Strategy.
• Provide technical oversight to ensure effective integration of gender, diversity, disability inclusion, age, and protection considerations across all ACF sectors.
• Support sector teams to mainstream gender throughout project design, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and learning processes.
• Provide technical guidance on gender transformative programming approaches.
• Ensure compliance with Action Against Hunger gender policies, safeguarding standards, and donor requirements.
• Lead mission-wide gender analyses, assessments, and inclusion studies to inform programming and strategy.
• Develop mission guidance notes, tools, checklists, and minimum standards for mainstreaming gender and inclusion.
• Leads and conducts gender analysis, technical studies, and assessments on Gender and Protection; Provides technical input on Gender mainstreaming and/or coordinates technical support on gender-sensitive and inclusive programming in WASH, Health and nutrition, FSL, and humanitarian protection sectors with relevant sector specialists if required;
• Ensures that project activities are carried out with an inclusive lens, cultural sensitivity, promotes gender equality, and inclusion of marginalized groups;
• Works with field teams to ensure access and participation of women, men, girls, and boys at risk to Action Against Hunger's response, recovery, and rehabilitation work.
• Conducts gender leadership training for project staff, community leaders, target communities, and beneficiaries;
• Takes the lead in the development of gender mainstreaming work plans in the implementation of all project activities in the LGA in collaboration and coordination with other sectors;
• Leads in integrating gender into MEAL processes in operational areas; setting of specific indicators for process monitoring and follow-up, advising team in getting gender-specific information through spot monitoring and Post Distribution Monitoring (PDM) process;
• Initiates innovative documentation process to capture learning and changes, and capitalize on the process;
• Supports local stakeholders in organizing and carrying out advocacy and campaigns for greater gender equality and equity in humanitarian protection programmes;
• Engages with State and Local Women's rights organizations and mobilizes collective voice around gender discrimination in the post-conflict setting;
• Proactively represents Action Against Hunger International and participates in Gender and protection working groups.

Objective 2: Support program design, proposal development and capacity building for Project teams and organizational development for LGA stakeholders:

• Participate in needs assessments, program design workshops, and strategy development processes.
• Review concept notes and proposals to ensure quality gender and inclusion integration.
• Support technical teams in developing gender-sensitive logframes, indicators, theories of change, and monitoring frameworks.
• Provide technical inputs into donor proposals, budgets, work plans, and implementation strategies.
• Ensure that gender and inclusion risks are identified and addressed during project design.
• Support donor reporting by ensuring adequate documentation of gender-related results and achievements.
• Contribute to donor engagement and technical discussions on gender and inclusion priorities.
• Provide orientation sessions to community stakeholders, including camp and host community leaders, to increase understanding of gender and protection needs of beneficiaries;
• Conduct capacity assessments and facilitate capacity building for the project teams to enhance their commitment and effective implementation of gender strategies;
• Ensures identification and satisfaction of training needs for the project staff on relevant standards and instruments for gender mainstreaming and protection;
• Designs and implements demand-driven programme approaches and methodologies aiming toward capacity building, working in partnerships, policy analysis, and advocacy;
• Develops and facilitates capacity-building programs on gender sensitivity and gender mainstreaming, as well as gender issues on gender advocacy;
• Designs and documents training modules and capacity-building processes.

Objective 3: Strengthen capacity of partners, stakeholders and support monitoring, learning and knowledge management:

• Support implementing partners to integrate gender and inclusion into programs and organizational systems.
• Build capacity of local partners on gender-responsive programming, safeguarding, and accountability.
• Facilitate learning workshops and communities of practice related to gender and inclusion.
• Support localization efforts through technical coaching and mentoring of local organizations.
• Ensure gender-sensitive indicators are incorporated across projects and programs.
• Collaborate with the MEAL team to strengthen collection, analysis, and use of sex-, age and disability-disaggregated data.
• Support program teams in monitoring gender outcomes and inclusion commitments.
• Lead periodic gender audits and program reviews.
• Document lessons learned, promising practices, and success stories.
• Produce gender analysis reports, learning briefs, case studies, and technical guidance documents.
• Support annual reporting on organizational gender commitments and achievements.

Objective 5: Lead project monitoring and reporting on gender and protection equality and mainstreaming issues at the LGA level:

• Take the initiative to understand the logical framework and review the gender mainstreaming indicators (LFA) of the project accordingly;
• Ensure the compilation of need/feasibility assessments and related reports. These reports must be well synthesized, documented, and transmitted to the line manager;
• Contribute ideas based on field experiences in informing gender equality and equity and training manuals as requested;
• Responsible for supervising and quality assurance of all gender equality and mainstreaming interventions in a given LGA of intervention;
• In collaboration with the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning team, leads the design and implementation of transparent and accountable mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating progress for Action Against Hunger Programs;
• Guide the field teams to develop a comprehensive knowledge base on all aspects of gender by contributing to gender analysis and situational studies, and advise on the gender-sensitive data to be gathered and the indicators that will serve as the basis of developing effective gender programme strategies;
• Help monitor the overall gender activities in program implementation, gather lessons learned, and build upon the strengths and improve on weaknesses;
• In collaboration with the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning team leads, conduct regular monitoring and evaluation as required to ensure quality gender programming and adherence to donor's deliverables and program management policies;
• Monitor the external contexts and emerging needs regarding gender work to introduce programmatic changes as necessary;
• Contribute to documenting gender mainstreaming experiences, preparing gender-specific reports, presentations, briefs, and articles for publication;
• Lead the development of gender-specific progress reports.

Objective 6: Partnership engagement, coordination and representation. Promote gender equality and safeguarding for ACF and coordination with other stakeholders within the intervention area:

• Represent Action Against Hunger in national gender, protection, safeguarding, disability inclusion, and social inclusion forums.
• Maintain productive relationships with government ministries, UN agencies, donors, INGOs, and local partners.
• Participate in Gender in Humanitarian Action (GiHA) platforms and relevant technical working groups.
• Support ACF's positioning on gender equality and inclusion within sector coordination mechanisms.
• Contribute to advocacy initiatives related to gender equality, women's empowerment, inclusion, and protection.
• Work with Action Against Hunger Project Managers, Sector Managers, MEAL Manager, RRM team, and support team to advance gender equality and equity issues throughout the project cycle;
• Establish and strengthen gender-focused technical partnerships together with HODS.
• Develop joint activity plans with technical teams and allies to further gender objectives and gender results of the social protection programme;
• Advise on the development of communication and information programmes to raise gender and protection awareness within the base Programme.
• Support internal gender equality initiatives and workplace inclusion efforts.
• Promote safeguarding, prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA), and protection principles.
• Support departments in gender-responsive human resource practices where applicable.
• Contribute to creating an inclusive and safe working environment for staff.
• Support gender action plans and organizational self-assessments.

Position Requirements

• Degree in Public Health, Social sciences, Gender Studies, or any related field;
• At least 2-3 years of experience in Design, Development, and Management of Gender Equality in health and nutrition programmes, including a minimum of 1 year in a field coordination role;
• Proven experience in displacement and durable solutions contexts;
• Well-developed knowledge and understanding of Protection Principles, Gender
• Mainstreaming, and Women's Rights, in areas of Early Recovery and Resilience Building; Demonstrated experience of working in collaboration with local partners and government institutions;
• Well-developed analytical and strategic planning skills with the ability to influence the wider programme strategy;
• Demonstrated experience of conducting trainings and providing capacity building to local partners and beneficiaries on gender issues;
• Able to work under time pressure and long hours whenever required;
• Resilience, flexibility, and adaptability to work successfully under stressful conditions;
• A high level of socio-cultural sensitivity when dealing with colleagues, partners, and beneficiaries;
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including diplomacy and tact, to be able to liaise effectively with a range of stakeholders, including NGO partners, community leaders, and government officials;
• Creative problem-solving and innovation in complex and / or restrictive working environments;
• User-level computer literacy (Office Package, Outlook, etc.).