Submit Your Application Today! Social Development and Gender Specialist (2026)
Submit Your Application Today! Social Development and Gender Specialist (2026)
Role Summary
The Social Development and Gender Specialist provides technical leadership on gender equality, social inclusion (GESI), protection sensitivity, and community safeguards across programme operations. The role ensures that women, youth, and marginalized groups—including persons with disabilities, young mothers, refugees, returnees, and pastoralist women—benefit equitably from programme interventions.
The position integrates gender-sensitive programming, GBV risk mitigation, conflict sensitivity, and environmental and social safeguards (ESMF) throughout community mobilization, livelihoods pathways, financial inclusion, coaching, and monitoring systems. The Specialist also leads the Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM), ensuring survivor-centered, confidential, accessible, and culturally appropriate complaint-handling systems.
Role Purpose
The Social Development and Gender Specialist ensures that gender equality, youth inclusion, protection principles, and social safeguards are fully embedded across all programme activities. The role strengthens equitable participation, mitigates GBV risks, enhances community accountability, and ensures conflict-sensitive implementation across diverse operational contexts.
Key Responsibilities
A. Gender and Social Inclusion Analysis & Mainstreaming
- Conduct gender, protection, and social inclusion analyses to identify barriers affecting participation in livelihoods, training, and community engagement.
- Ensure programme designs address the needs of marginalized and vulnerable groups.
- Develop gender-responsive strategies for training delivery, VSLA formation, cooperative development, and financial inclusion.
B. Technical Support to Livelihoods, Coaching & Grants
- Provide technical guidance on gender-sensitive business and vocational curricula.
- Advise on equitable grant disbursement and inclusive business planning.
- Integrate gender-responsive indicators, psychosocial considerations, and GBV safety planning into livelihood pathways.
C. GBV Risk Mitigation & Safe Programming
- Lead the integration of GBV prevention, mitigation, and survivor-centered response approaches.
- Establish and strengthen referral pathways with service providers, government structures, and humanitarian actors.
- Train staff, partners, and community facilitators on GBV awareness, confidentiality, and cultural sensitivity.
D. Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM)
- Design, operationalize, and oversee a multi-tier GRM system.
- Ensure complaint channels are accessible, confidential, and safe for all community members.
- Analyze grievances, monitor resolution trends, and address systemic risks.
E. Environmental & Social Safeguards (ESMF)
- Ensure environmental and social screening tools are applied to livelihood and business activities.
- Train teams on safeguarding, labour standards, child protection, and community health and safety.
- Monitor compliance and recommend mitigation measures for identified risks.
F. Community Engagement & Conflict Sensitivity
- Support inclusive, conflict-sensitive community engagement strategies.
- Address local power dynamics, social norms, refugee–host relations, and inter-communal tensions.
- Promote representation and leadership of women, youth, and marginalized groups.
G. Capacity Building
- Strengthen staff and partner capacity on gender equality, social inclusion, safeguarding, and GBV risk mitigation.
- Support gender-transformative approaches within livelihoods and financial inclusion initiatives.
H. Reporting, Learning & Adaptation
- Contribute to learning reports, gender briefs, case studies, and evaluations.
- Track GESI indicators and support evidence-based adaptive management.
Key Areas of Accountability
- Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Mainstreaming
- GBV Risk Mitigation and Safe Programming
- Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) Leadership
- Environmental and Social Safeguards (ESMF) Compliance
- Conflict-Sensitive Community Engagement
- Capacity Building and Learning
Qualifications & Experience
Essential Qualifications
- Master’s degree in Gender Studies, Sociology, Social Work, International Relations, Development Studies, Project Planning & Management, or related field with at least 5 years of relevant experience; OR
- Bachelor’s degree in a related field with a minimum of 10 years of relevant experience.
Essential Experience
- Proven experience in gender equality and women’s rights programming at community level.
- Demonstrated expertise in gender mainstreaming and gender-sensitive programme design.
- Experience in GBV prevention, mitigation, and response.
- Experience working in conflict-affected or fragile contexts.
- Strong facilitation, training, and community engagement skills.
- Ability to analyze gender norms, protection risks, and social inequalities.
Desirable Experience
- Experience in humanitarian or conflict-affected contexts.
- Experience in livelihoods, economic empowerment, or women’s entrepreneurship programmes.
- Knowledge of GRM systems, safeguarding frameworks, and accountability mechanisms.
- Familiarity with ESMF, Do-No-Harm principles, and conflict-sensitive programming.
- Experience producing donor reports, learning briefs, and gender case studies.
Values and Behaviours
- Accountability: Responsible use of resources and ethical decision-making.
- Ambition: Strategic thinking and commitment to continuous learning.
- Collaboration: Inclusive teamwork and respect for diversity.
- Creativity: Innovative, adaptive problem-solving.
- Integrity: Transparency, honesty, and ethical conduct.
Equal Opportunity & Safeguarding
The organization is committed to equal opportunity, diversity, and inclusion. All recruitment processes reflect a strong commitment to child safeguarding, protection from abuse, and safe programming.
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Additional responsibilities may be assigned in line with organizational needs and the role holder’s skills and experience.
