Gender & Safeguarding Specialist

Overview

Gender and Safeguarding: Responsible for providing strategic and systematic support in implementing gender transformative programming as well as spearheading gender and protection program development and providing technical support across the implementing states/stakeholders. The Specialist will also ensure safeguarding mechanisms are in place. ensure that risk assessments are completed, stakeholders, staff and related personnel are trained and that complaints mechanisms are designed, consulted on and communicated to staff and program participants and the wider community.

Responsibilities

• As the Gender & Safeguarding specialist, work with the SPA manager to ensure that the project’s work plans are designed, implemented, and monitored with a strong focus on gender equity, diversity, and the safeguarding of vulnerable populations. 
• Serve as the project’s technical resource person and focal person for gender and safeguarding within the organization and externally, representing the organization in relevant forums such as TWGs, etc.
• Conduct rapid gender analysis (if necessary) and lead the development and implementation of project’s gender strategies and initiatives
• With support of the SPA manager, lead strategic engagement with relevant stakeholders at the federal and state levels to advance gender mainstreaming and ensure compliance to gender guidelines during selection of CHWs
• Provide oversight to sub-implementers and CSOs who will engage stakeholders at community levels to advocate for gender inclusion during selection of CHWs and also promote engagements with community stakeholders to ensure appropriate safeguarding for employed CHWs.
• Lead strategic engagements with stakeholders at all levels including at the community level to implement safeguarding measures for CHWs and the communities they serve, especially among the vulnerable population.
• Lead interventions to monitor and track compliance to gender and safeguarding policies among staff, vendors, consultants, and project beneficiaries, including instituting mechanisms for anonymous reporting of violation of these policies for prompt action.
• Support project staff to effectively integrate gender-sensitive approaches into their work, including leading relevant training and capacity-building sessions to enhance staff understanding of gender equality principles and practices.
• Lead the development/review/updating of project’s safeguarding policies, procedures, and protocols to prevent and respond to incidents of harassment, exploitation, abuse, and other forms of misconduct within the organization and among project beneficiaries.
• Promptly identify potential safeguarding risks and vulnerabilities through rapid assessments and develop project’s mitigation strategies to address the risks to ensure safety of project staff and project beneficiaries.
• Together with the MERL specialist, monitor, track, and evaluate effectiveness of the project’s gender strategy and safeguarding initiatives, using the information for adaptive management.
• Lead engagements and collaborations with internal and external stakeholders including government MDAs, implementing partners, CSOs, donors, etc. to promote meaningful gender and safeguarding principles
  
  

The responsibilities and duties are indicative only and are subject to change to meet the needs of the project, the organization and the donor.

Qualifications

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in public health, Health Sciences, gender studies, social work, international development, or related field (master’s is an added advantage)
• At least 6+ years’ experience in gender equality, women’s empowerment, and safeguarding interventions especially in development and/or humanitarian context.
• Strong leadership, mentoring, management, planning, analytical and organizational skills demonstrated by ability to work both independently and within a team, assess priorities, and manage a variety of activities with attention to detail.
• Proven leadership and capacity in negotiation and conflict management.
• Knowledge of donor regulations is preferred and ability to work independently, take initiative and learn complex procedures.
• Demonstrated experience to provide technical assistance to organization and conduct training.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills with fluency in English. Proficient computer skills.
• Experience in maintaining excellent communication with the US office.
• Strong computer skills, Experience with Microsoft Office, presentation software, and e-mail and Internet packages.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to work under time constraints and meet deadlines, and to work independently and take initiative.
• Excellent interpersonal skills: demonstrated ability to interact professionally with diverse clients and stakeholders.
• Commitment to uphold high standards of moral and ethical business practices.
• Proficiency in written and spoken English.
• Experience in collecting and analyzing data.
• Knowledge of sourcing and procurement techniques as well as dexterity in “reading” the market.
• Demonstrated ability to interact professionally with culturally diverse staff, clients, and consultants.
• Proficiency in conducting gender analysis and developing gender frameworks, gender mainstreaming interventions, and safeguarding principles and standards.
• Proven experience in developing and implementing gender equality and safeguarding strategies and initiatives
• Strong stakeholder management skills. 
• Strong communication and coordination skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a multicultural and multidisciplinary team
• Strong analytic, strategic thinking, problem solving, and planning skills
• Excellent computer skills (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc)
• Experience with report writing and documentation of key learnings.
  
  

MSH is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity, religion, creed, citizenship, national origin, age, veteran status, or disability unrelated to job requirements. MSH will take affirmative action to ensure that qualified applicants are employed and that employees are treated without regard to their race, age, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran and disability status. In compliance with U.S. Department of Labor Executive Order 11246, Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act, and Section 4212 of the Vietnam Era Readjustment Assistance Act, MSH has developed and maintains an affirmative action program and plan.

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