Sr. Technical Advisor, SRH and Gender at Population Services International (PSI)

PSI seeks a Senior Technical Advisor I, SRH and Gender that will strengthen and grow the organization’s gender capacity as well as provide key gender technical assistance to SRH focused programs including adolescents. We are looking for an internal and external thought leader in their field, someone who is a self-starter, with an entrepreneurial spirit who is excited about helping PSI build strong gender muscles. PSI is looking for someone who can direct the passion and commitment that exists and build new and even greater momentum to employ gender transformative approaches within its SRH focused programming. In doing so, this Senior Technical Advisor will be able to integrally shape PSI’s core gender strategy and implementation approaches. This Senior Technical Advisor will be based within PSI’s SRH department, housed within one of PSI’s global ASRH programs.

Your contributions

• Technical :
• Provide technical leadership on gender-transformative approaches and gender integration for SRH focused programs including adolescents.
• Review and manage project-level gender strategies and make recommendations to strengthen them in pursuit of gender and social norm change and gender equality.
• Support country implementation (remotely and, when feasible, through in-country technical assistance) to operationalize gender strategies and deliver on it within their own specific context.
• Provide gender and adolescent empowerment subject matter expertise in development and review of project documents – including donor deliverables, workplans, technical publications, etc.
• Strengthen SRH country program- ‘gender muscles’ – build capacity of team members to identify and act on opportunities for gender integration.
• I mportantly, generate excitement and commitment within SRH projects at all levels to pursue gender-transformative approaches – something which is supported by project, department, and organizational leadership.
• Partner with Sr. Research and Learning Advisor and Monitoring Advisor to identify opportunities for gender-focused research and for integration of gender into project monitoring and reporting metrics and processes.
• Manage report or deliverable writing and develop technical guidance when gender subject-matter expertise is needed.
• 45% LOE
• Representation :
• Represent PSI and the SRH department at external forums focused on gender or adolescent empowerment (technical working groups, conferences, communities of practice).
• As necessary, participate or present in donor or advisory group meetings where gender-related technical content is being discussed.
• 10% LOE
• Thought Leadership / Knowledge Management:
• Gather and highlight strategic learning on gender and adolescent empowerment coming out of the global community of practice.
• Where appropriate and helpful, develop or modify knowledge and tools for dissemination and use within SRH programs and PSI more broadly.
• Partner with Sr. Research and Learning Advisor and Sr. Program Manager, Technical Services to identify opportunities and develop externally facing technical content (e.g. manuscripts and technical publications) which describe the project and organization’s learning and experience with gender-transformative programming.
• Partner with PSI’s External Communications team to develop gender-focused external communications materials (blog posts, social media postings, conference materials).
• 1 5% LOE
• Fundraising:
• Support or lead new business development as appropriate, providing technical input or leading on proposals related to gender.
• I dentify new funding opportunities related to gender.
• 10% LOE
• Program Management:
• Lead project-level gender workplanning processes, providing subject matter expertise into gender activities which are taking place at all project levels. Ensure all milestones and deliverables are met.
• 10% LOE
• People Management:
• As mentioned above, provide significant coaching and mentoring to project staff at all levels to know how to identify and act on opportunities to integrate gender-transformative approaches within their daily job responsibilities.
• Cultivate champions and advocates for gender within SRH-focused programs and within PSI as an organization more broadly.
• 10% LOE

Time percentages listed above are not exact. They are estimates and may change.

What are we looking for?

• Master’s Degree (or international equivalent) in a related field (e.g., MPH, MSc, MPP, MPA)
• At least 10 years of related experience. Equivalent combination of related education and experience may be substituted.
• Demonstrate advanced technical knowledge in gender, with specific expertise on issues relevant to adolescents.
• Ability to contribute to thought leadership in gender.
• Ability to contribute to the internal and external body of evidence in gender.
• Ability to provide technical assistance to PSI network that is context specific and action oriented – able to translate theory effectively into practice.
• Pragmatism and an understanding of change management – patient and persistent in cultivating buy-in and progress towards gender strategy objectives.
• Ability to share knowledge internally and externally with global communities of practice; represents PSI externally.
• Self-starter. Eager to generate ideas and excited about the opportunity to build something new. Creative in generating impact with limited, but hopefully growing, resources.
• Ability to solve problems with creativity and analyze complex issues using in-depth evaluation of variable factors.
• Ability to operate with minimal supervision and considerable latitude for independent judgement to achieve desired outcomes.
• Ability to develop and maintain relationships with internal and external colleagues. Tenacious and willing to work hard to build buy-in from colleagues to contribute to gender-related initiatives.
• Able to work as a member of a team and independently. Experience working across countries and with geographically dispersed teams.
• Ability to lead development of technical approach for proposals and identify potential new business opportunities.
• Demonstrate flexibility and adaptability.
• Demonstrate emotional intelligence and ability to collaborate with colleagues.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office 365. Familiarity with a quantitative or qualitative data analysis program preferred.
• Exceptional interpersonal and English communication skills, both verbal and written. Proficiency in French an advantage.
• Cultural humility and respect with the ability to not take yourself too seriously.
• SRH advocate comfortable working across various SRH program interventions.

The candidate we hire will embody PSI’s corporate values:

Measurement:  You use hard evidence to make decisions and guide your work. You set clear goalposts in advance and explain clearly if you need to move them.

Pragmatism: You’ll strive to deliver the best possible result with the resources available. You won’t be paralyzed by a need to make things perfect.

Honesty: You own your mistakes and are open about your shortcomings – it’s the only way you’ll learn and improve.

Collaboration: You’ll quickly establish a mental map of whom you can rely on for what, on your team, at headquarters, and in our country offices – if you try to do it all yourself, you won’t succeed.

Trust: You accept limits to your sphere of control and give colleagues the benefit of the doubt.

Commitment:  You are in it for the long-haul and want to grow with the organization, just like PSI serves its consumers and partners with host-country governments through thick and thin.

References will be required. The successful candidate will be required to pass a background check. For domestic positions: Must be authorized to work in one of the countries indicated above. N.B. PSI will not consider work visa sponsorship for this position .

PSI is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages applications from qualified individuals regardless of actual or perceived race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, personal appearance, matriculation, political affiliation, family status or responsibilities, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, childbirth, related medical conditions or breastfeeding, genetic information, amnesty, veteran, special disabled veteran or uniform service member status or employment status.

ACCESSIBILITY NOTICE: If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process due to a physical or mental disability, please send an email to: newhiresupport@psi.org or call (202)785-0072.