Gender Youth And Inclusion Specialist at ACDI/VOCA

Job Summary:

ACDI VOCA is currently seeking a Gender Youth & Inclusion Specialist.

The position will provide technical guidance across associate awards under the LMS.

S/he will oversee gender and youth integration efforts across the associate awards, including ensuring that gender and youth-based approaches are central in each associate award project activities, in accordance with the program design and the intended outcomes of the associate award.

S/he will lead the process of identifying and addressing gender- and age-specific constraints across associate awards that limit social and economic empowerment, such as mobility, social stigma, early marriage, adolescent pregnancy, household decision-making, and access to markets.

S/he will lead the development of an evidence-based gender and youth strategy in collaboration with key technical staff under Livestock Market System, which will provide overarching project guidance and include specific recommendations for each associate award.

The position is based in Nairobi, Kenya with frequent travel to field offices.

S/he will directly report to the Chief of Party.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Lead the development—with the support and collaboration of key LMS staff including Leader Chief of party (COP), and Associate Award COPs —of an evidence-based, overarching LMS Gender and Youth Strategy, which includes specific guidance and recommendations for each associate award objective.
• Work with each associate award COP, DCOP, and other technical staff to ensure activities are designed and implemented in accordance with the LMS Gender and Youth Strategy and address youth- and gender-specific considerations, needs, and gaps.
• Work closely with each associate award program team to ensure gender equity and female empowerment approaches are central to program design and subsequent project activities.
• Lead the analysis of available desk research and support field assessments, as appropriate, to identify gender- and age-specific challenges, opportunities, as risks, particularly related to social and economic empowerment in the project sectors.
• Collaborate with each associate award COP, DCOP, and other technical team leads to identify and develop gender- and youth-specific project opportunities, particularly to promote equitable household decision-making, improved nutrition, WASH, and women’s engagement in on- and off-farm economic opportunities, market access, control over income, and leadership.
• Lead the development and promotion of context-sensitive, culturally appropriate female empowerment, male engagement, and gender-transformative approaches.
• Support the development and implementation of strategies and interventions that promote the economic and social empowerment of adolescents, particularly adolescent girls.
• Support the development and implementation of activities that address household decision-making and promote reductions in early marriage and adolescent pregnancy.
• Oversee the design and implementation of gender-sensitive and gender-transformative activities that increase women’s and household dietary diversity through intergenerational and male engagement approaches.
• Work with the Director of MEL to ensure that gender and youth impacts and resource utilization are tracked, monitored, analyzed, and reported.
• Contribute to annual work plans, working with technical staff to develop and write gender and youth related activities and ensuring these considerations are included in the activity design.
• Contribute to quarterly and annual reports for the Leader and each Associate Award, summarizing gender and youth results and evidence as well as progress and evidence of transformative approaches.
• Offer contribution to the gender and youth monthly and quarterly reports in the LMS project.
• Identify and address capacity building and resource needs for project staff and partners, including training, mentoring, and other technical support.
• Represent ACDI/VOCA at workshops and events where information on gender mainstreaming in food security is requested. Represent the project on the ACDI/VOCA Gender Community of
• Practice by sharing learning and successes with other gender specialists and advisors, and by participating in webinars and accessing resources, templates and networks.
• Prepare required and ad hoc reports for government, donor, and HQ, and writes success stories about gender interventions that highlight successes and lesson learned regarding women’s empowerment and gender integration.
• Recommend areas of improvement in ACDI/VOCA’s activity delivery based on the lessons learned on gender and youth in the 5 counties.
• Offer technical support to other country offices/programs whenever need arises.

Qualifications:

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree preferably in sociology, gender studies, or youth development is required.
• A Master’s Degree with 5 years’ experience in a relevant field is an added advantage.

Experience:

• Minimum 5 years of prior work experience in international development or related field, including at least 3 years of work experience in gender and youth integration.
• Must have highly developed project coordination and strategy development skills, as well as experience supporting both gender and youth across multiple projects.

Other Skills and Abilities:

• Demonstrated knowledge of and proven successful ability to conduct gender and youth analyses and integration programming.
• Knowledge of Kenyan and the Horn of Africa gender and youth challenges required.
• Clear knowledge and understanding of gender and youth relationships within pastoral systems.
• Demonstrate awareness and understanding of gender integration in resilience programming.
• Demonstrate awareness to integrate gender in nutrition and food systems.
• Strong knowledge of gender and market systems development
• Demonstrated awareness of and responsiveness to gender and social issues in cross-cultural contexts.
• Strong analytical skills, including ability to gather and analyze a variety of information pertaining to issues and to develop appropriate recommendations for action.
• Proven ability to successfully design and conduct participatory training and workshops and lead interviews and focus groups.
• Ability to communicate effectively with persons on all levels both inside and outside the company on issues that could be complex or sensitive in nature.
• Strong written communication skills, including demonstrated ability to write required documents in a clear, concise, well-organized manner.
• Good interpersonal skills with ability to build personal relationships with staff, donor partners, communities, and government leaders at all levels in a culturally sensitive manner.
• Proven ability to work effectively in a multicultural environment. Awareness, sensitivity, and understanding of cross-cultural issues particularly in representing a US-based agency.
• Fluency in English, written and oral.
• Advanced computer skills in a Windows based environment including Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Excel.
• Knowledge of Gender Lens and Youth Investing strategies and metrics.
• Accuracy, attention to detail.