Gender Technical Advisor, Adolescents 360 at Population Services International

Job Description

Based in Washington, DC, USA or Nairobi, Kenya

Up to 25% international travel (Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya, Nigeria primarily)

Reports to Deputy Director, Adolescents 360

Join us!

PSI’s flagship adolescent program, Adolescents 360 (A360) is searching for additional talent to support the next phase of the project.  With funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, A360 has partnered with young people and government health systems to design, pilot and scale adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) interventions which position contraception as a tool to achieving girls’ self-defined goals. In 2½ years of implementation it has supported over 360,000 adolescent girls adopt modern contraception. A360 is set to embark on an ambitious new phase which will focus on making adaptations to support continuation, strengthening the enabling environment, providing more substantive economic empowerment opportunities and embedding A360’s approaches in the government health systems in which we work. Cutting across this will be a comprehensive research and learning agenda designed to advance ASRH evidence and practices.

As A360 enters its next phase, PSI is looking for a Gender Technical Advisor to (i) strengthen the integration and mainstreaming of gender issues within A360’s global project and individual country interventions, (ii) to develop A360/PSI’s institutional capacity to address issues of gender integration, economic empowerment, and social inclusion, and (iii) provide technical guidance to other PSI SRH programs, contingent on available LOE, that contribute to a broader organizational learning agenda around gender.

Sound like you? Read on.

Your contribution

Technical

• Provide technical leadership to the project to ensure integration of gender in program interventions focused on adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) and economic empowerment.
• With the support of resources internal and external to PSI, develop a realistic and pragmatic global project gender strategy that will lead to positive gender equality outcomes. This gender strategy should also consider the intersection of gender and age-related disadvantages and be developed through a collaborative approach which engages youth as participants.
• Support A360 country teams to refine and deliver on this gender strategy within each specific project geography.
• Provide technical oversight to A360’s global economic empowerment activities – support country teams to design and implement adaptations to A360’s interventions which build greater support for girls’ economic empowerment.
• Partner with the A360 Monitoring and Evaluation Advisor to integrate considerations of gender into project monitoring and reporting metrics and processes, building gender-responsive M&E systems and supporting a culture of gender-responsive evidence-based decision making.
• Build the capacity of A360 global and country teams – through TA (remote and in-country) and training – to identify and act on opportunities for gender integration/mainstreaming within program management and implementation.
• Gather and highlight strategic learning from the global gender and economic empowerment technical fields. Where appropriate, develop or modify knowledge and tools for dissemination and use within A360 and PSI more broadly.
• Manage the technical relationship with project external gender integration partners, alongside the Senior Program Manager and Program Manager.
• Support A360 country teams as necessary in advocacy and communication around gender-related topics for external stakeholders – government, partners, etc.
• Serve as a technical resource for the broader PSI SRH department in gender integration and social inclusion best practices and economic empowerment

Donor relations

• Review and provide timely technical feedback on project results, report, and other deliverables for the donors – whether relayed directly or by the Senior Program Manager.
• Support new business development as appropriate, providing technical input or leading on proposals related to gender and economic empowerment.
• In partnership with the A360 Director and Deputy Director, support ongoing donor relationship management, particularly with the BMGF and CIFF gender teams.

Research and learning

• As part of A360’s research and learning agenda, support A360’s Sr. Research and Learning Advisor to design research questions around project gender integration and girls’ economic empowerment, facilitate research for gathering evidence on these research questions, and analyze and disseminate results.
• Identify successful learning and practices within A360 related to gender integration, gender equality, and girls’ economic empowerment that can be showcased in publications, communication materials, or other global knowledge products (e.g. conference abstracts).
• Lead or support development of identified knowledge products.
• Represent PSI in external fora, including technical working groups and regional/global conferences.

What are we looking for?

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

Collaboration: You can work independently but thrive within a team.

Trust: You trust that your manager and team will have your back and care deeply about gaining that same trust from your teammates

Pragmatism: You dive in and maintain momentum even when things are ambiguous, and you don’t let perfect get in the way of good enough.

Honesty: You aren’t afraid to speak up and speak your mind.

Measurement: You set clear and challenging goals and hold yourself accountable to driving measurable results. 

Commitment: You’re independent and a free thinker, but you’re ready to buy in to the direction of the team and commit to its success.

Our ideal candidate will possess:

• A Master’s Degree in a relevant subject area, preferably in Public Health or Gender.
• 5-7 years of relevant work experience – demonstrated experience and technical knowledge in gender integration, particularly as it relates to ASRH and economic empowerment. At least 3 years of work experience should be in Africa.
• Substantial knowledge of good practices in developing and delivering gender integration strategies and mainstreaming gender within projects and organizations.
• Experience in designing and implementing economic empowerment activities for women and girls
• Strong background in capacity building (e.g. with staff, partners, public sector stakeholders) on gender equality, gender integration/mainstreaming, and social inclusion
• Experience with quantitative and qualitative research methods, and experience conducting field-based gender analyses / research
• Self-directed and highly organized
• Strong communication skills – verbal communication skills in English and excellent report writing skills.
• Knowledge of cultural and gender context within A360’s geographies (Ethiopia, Tanzania, Nigeria, Kenya) is an advantage.
• Experience of working with BMGF and/or CIFF is an advantage
• Please note, references will be required, and a background check will be performed.
• The successful candidate will be required to pass a background check.
• References will be required.
• Must be authorized to work in the US. 

STATUS

• Exempt