Gender and Youth Advisor, Development Food Assistance Project – DRC at Mercy Corps 248 views0 applications


Mercy Corps has been operating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) since 2007, with a staff of approximately 250 people in North and South Kivu. We support vulnerable communities, while fostering strong relationships and partnerships across government, civil society and the private sector to deliver programs that build resilience and promote sustainable change. Our current activities focus on the provision of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) services in camps for internally displaced people, and large-scale WASH infrastructure and service delivery in urban centers. Mercy Corps also has food security, economic recovery/development and governance programs, with an increasing shift towards transitional and integrated development programming. The DRC team has a strong commitment to providing entrepreneurial and innovative solutions to development challenges, and actively seeks and facilitates market-based solutions.

GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY:

Mercy Corps is recruiting a Gender and Youth Advisor for a proposed USAID-funded Development Food Assistance Project (DFAP) to be implemented in Eastern DRC. This proposed five-year project will improve food and nutrition security and economic well-being of vulnerable populations through outcomes focused on agriculture, natural resources, livelihoods, health, nutrition, WASH and governance. The Gender and Youth Advisor will be responsible for leading the implementation of gender and youth integration strategies aimed at ensuring that project activities result in positive outcomes for male and female participants of different age groups. S/he will have overall responsibility for building team members’ and partners’ capacity to integrate a gender and youth perspective into project activities, and raising awareness of the importance of gender and youth integration. The Gender and Youth Advisor will work closely with sector team leads to ensure the effective and timely execution of activities related to gender and age-based access to opportunities. During the first year of the program, in alignment with Mercy Corps’ best practices and USAID requirements, the Gender and Youth Advisor will conduct a gender analysis to inform and guide program implementation and to ensure that men, women, girls and boys have equitable opportunities to engage in and benefit from program activities.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

Strategy and Vision

  • Organize and conduct the donor-required gender analysis during the first year of the project and serve as the lead for any program-related youth assessments.
  • Work closely with DFAP Managers in integrating the findings from the gender/youth assessment into the project’s work plan and milestones.
  • Conduct gender-based violence risk analysis and incorporate findings into program implementation plan.
  • Develop gender and youth integration strategies, oversee the implementation of these strategies and adapt and improve them as needed.
  • Coordinate closely, work with and support managers and partners to promote gender/youth integration.
  • Work closely with the relevant team members to develop strategies for encouraging youth participation and leadership in agriculture and community decision making.
  • Work closely with the M&E team on gender/youth integration and analysis tools. Also with the M&E team, ensure sex and age disaggregated and gender-sensitive data is collected and analyzed. Make recommendations based on assessment findings and regular monitoring to inform program strategies to better meet the needs of the project participants.
  • Contribute to any research conducted in the program to ensure gender and youth dynamics are fully represented.
  • Work closely with Human Resources team to ensure gender accountability is incorporated into the position descriptions of team members.

 

Team Leadership and Management

  • Demonstrate flexibility, resilience and ability to maintain positive relationships and composure.
  • Maintain high ethical standards and treat people with respect and dignity.
  • Demonstrate an awareness of his/her own strengths and development needs.

 

Representation and External Coordination

  • Develop relationships and linkages with organizations implementing other donor-funded programs focused on gender and youth in eastern DRC.
  • Conduct regular community consultations to ensure programming remains gender and youth sensitive and on-track.
  • Collect and share learnings and best practices from this program with actors and in the Mercy Corps world.
  • Identify, build and manage collaborative partnerships with consortium partners, donor, local governments and other stakeholders.
  • Communicate effectively to ensure overall project targets and donor obligations are met.

Capacity Building

  • Develop targeted gender and youth capacity building interventions to promote integration with project staff.
  • Support project team in the development and delivery of training and capacity building on key gender and youth topics to project participants.

 

Organizational Learning:  As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve – we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

Accountability to Beneficiaries: Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts towards accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

 

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY:  1-2 gender/youth support officers

 

ACCOUNTABILITY:

REPORTS DIRECTLY TO: Deputy Chief of Party

WORKS DIRECTLY WITH: DFAP component leads, Social and Behavior Change Manager, Monitoring & Evaluation Manager, DFAP field teams, technical support unit, partner organizations

 

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE: 

  • MA/S or equivalent experience in international development, political science, women’s studies, economics, sociology or other relevant field.
  • 5-7 years’ experience in gender and youth development work including experience developing and conducting gender training, gender/youth mainstreaming and engaging in gender advocacy.
  • Demonstrated capacity to lead the collection, analysis and utilization of information from a broad range of sources to ensure effective integration of gender and youth concerns throughout the project’s duration.
  • In-depth understanding of gender, age and other socio-cultural factors in the context of food security programming.
  • Ability to foster commitment and build capacity among project staff and in-country actors around gender and youth integration.
  • Experience in DRC or other sub-Saharan African countries strongly preferred
  • Fluency in French and English proficiency required.
  • Strong public speaking skills required.
  • Proficiency with Microsoft Office.

 

SUCCESS FACTORS:

The successful candidate will have excellent team and interpersonal relationship skills, with demonstrated ability to work effectively in complex environments. S/he will combine strong communication skills, creativity, initiative, participatory leadership and tactful decisiveness to assist in program implementation. Multi­tasking, prioritizing, problem solving and simultaneous attention to detail and strategic vision are essential. S/he must have the confidence and humility to work effectively with a diverse group of people – as well as be sensitive to political and cultural nuance. S/he must ­ be able to consistently apply excellent judgment to a variety of demanding and fast-­changing situations while working as part of a team and coordinate with program personnel.

 

LIVING CONDITIONS/ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS:

The position will be based in Bukavu, DRC and will require travel throughout South Kivu. While conditions in the country are improving, and security is quite stable in Bukavu, there are still pockets of violence and insecurity and petty crime is present. Mercy Corps’ suboffices experience variable levels of insecurity, with the situation closely monitored by UN peacekeepers. Years of conflict and corruption have badly damaged the country’s infrastructure. Air travel is necessary to get from one end of the country to the other. Mobile phones and cellular service are widely available. Internet is limited, but available in all Mercy Corps offices. Travel to field sites will be required where living conditions are clean and secure, but basic. There are a number of health services available with several evacuation options for serious illnesses. There is reasonable access to most consumer goods, although they can be expensive.

Mercy Corps Team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC’s policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

  • This job has expired!
Share this job


Since 1979, we have helped people grappling with the toughest hardships survive — and then thrive. That’s the heart of our approach: We help communities turn crisis into opportunity.

Throughout our history, Mercy Corps has demonstrated innovation, timeliness and the ability to adapt quickly to changing realities.

Alleviate suffering, poverty and oppression by helping people build secure, productive and just communities.

Our core values

  • We believe in the intrinsic value and dignity of human life.
  • We are awed by human resilience, and believe in the ability of all people to thrive, not just exist.
  • We believe that all people have the right to live in peaceful communities and participate fully in the decisions that affect their lives.
  • We value stewardship of the earth’s health, pledging to accountably and efficiently preserve and manage its resources.
  • We believe that it is our duty to be effective stewards of the financial resources entrusted to us.

Our philosophy

We believe secure, productive and just societies emerge when the private, public, and civil society sectors are able to interact with accountability, inclusive participation and mechanisms for peaceful change. This theory is illustrated in our Vision for Change ▸

To see how this is articulated for the current fiscal year in our Strategic Roadmap, please contact Anna Young.

Our accountability to stakeholders

  • As an organization and as individuals, we act ethically.
  • We treat all people with respect.
  • We are open and transparent about the work we do and how we do it.
  • Our stakeholders participate in the design, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of our work.
  • We are effective stewards of the financial resources entrusted to us and the natural environment in which we live.
  • We commit to achieving demonstrable impact for our stakeholders, using their feedback to innovate, learn and improve.

Mercy Corps stakeholders are people or organizations affected by Mercy Corps’ decisions and actions.

Our primary stakeholders are the people and communities we serve.

Other stakeholders include: donors, partners, governments, Mercy Corps team members, and Mercy Corps board members.

Connect with us
0 USD CF 3201 Abc road Full Time , 40 hours per week Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps has been operating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) since 2007, with a staff of approximately 250 people in North and South Kivu. We support vulnerable communities, while fostering strong relationships and partnerships across government, civil society and the private sector to deliver programs that build resilience and promote sustainable change. Our current activities focus on the provision of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) services in camps for internally displaced people, and large-scale WASH infrastructure and service delivery in urban centers. Mercy Corps also has food security, economic recovery/development and governance programs, with an increasing shift towards transitional and integrated development programming. The DRC team has a strong commitment to providing entrepreneurial and innovative solutions to development challenges, and actively seeks and facilitates market-based solutions.

GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY:

Mercy Corps is recruiting a Gender and Youth Advisor for a proposed USAID-funded Development Food Assistance Project (DFAP) to be implemented in Eastern DRC. This proposed five-year project will improve food and nutrition security and economic well-being of vulnerable populations through outcomes focused on agriculture, natural resources, livelihoods, health, nutrition, WASH and governance. The Gender and Youth Advisor will be responsible for leading the implementation of gender and youth integration strategies aimed at ensuring that project activities result in positive outcomes for male and female participants of different age groups. S/he will have overall responsibility for building team members’ and partners’ capacity to integrate a gender and youth perspective into project activities, and raising awareness of the importance of gender and youth integration. The Gender and Youth Advisor will work closely with sector team leads to ensure the effective and timely execution of activities related to gender and age-based access to opportunities. During the first year of the program, in alignment with Mercy Corps’ best practices and USAID requirements, the Gender and Youth Advisor will conduct a gender analysis to inform and guide program implementation and to ensure that men, women, girls and boys have equitable opportunities to engage in and benefit from program activities.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

Strategy and Vision

  • Organize and conduct the donor-required gender analysis during the first year of the project and serve as the lead for any program-related youth assessments.
  • Work closely with DFAP Managers in integrating the findings from the gender/youth assessment into the project’s work plan and milestones.
  • Conduct gender-based violence risk analysis and incorporate findings into program implementation plan.
  • Develop gender and youth integration strategies, oversee the implementation of these strategies and adapt and improve them as needed.
  • Coordinate closely, work with and support managers and partners to promote gender/youth integration.
  • Work closely with the relevant team members to develop strategies for encouraging youth participation and leadership in agriculture and community decision making.
  • Work closely with the M&E team on gender/youth integration and analysis tools. Also with the M&E team, ensure sex and age disaggregated and gender-sensitive data is collected and analyzed. Make recommendations based on assessment findings and regular monitoring to inform program strategies to better meet the needs of the project participants.
  • Contribute to any research conducted in the program to ensure gender and youth dynamics are fully represented.
  • Work closely with Human Resources team to ensure gender accountability is incorporated into the position descriptions of team members.

 

Team Leadership and Management

  • Demonstrate flexibility, resilience and ability to maintain positive relationships and composure.
  • Maintain high ethical standards and treat people with respect and dignity.
  • Demonstrate an awareness of his/her own strengths and development needs.

 

Representation and External Coordination

  • Develop relationships and linkages with organizations implementing other donor-funded programs focused on gender and youth in eastern DRC.
  • Conduct regular community consultations to ensure programming remains gender and youth sensitive and on-track.
  • Collect and share learnings and best practices from this program with actors and in the Mercy Corps world.
  • Identify, build and manage collaborative partnerships with consortium partners, donor, local governments and other stakeholders.
  • Communicate effectively to ensure overall project targets and donor obligations are met.

Capacity Building

  • Develop targeted gender and youth capacity building interventions to promote integration with project staff.
  • Support project team in the development and delivery of training and capacity building on key gender and youth topics to project participants.

 

Organizational Learning:  As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve - we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

Accountability to Beneficiaries: Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts towards accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

 

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY:  1-2 gender/youth support officers

 

ACCOUNTABILITY:

REPORTS DIRECTLY TO: Deputy Chief of Party

WORKS DIRECTLY WITH: DFAP component leads, Social and Behavior Change Manager, Monitoring & Evaluation Manager, DFAP field teams, technical support unit, partner organizations

 

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE: 

  • MA/S or equivalent experience in international development, political science, women’s studies, economics, sociology or other relevant field.
  • 5-7 years’ experience in gender and youth development work including experience developing and conducting gender training, gender/youth mainstreaming and engaging in gender advocacy.
  • Demonstrated capacity to lead the collection, analysis and utilization of information from a broad range of sources to ensure effective integration of gender and youth concerns throughout the project’s duration.
  • In-depth understanding of gender, age and other socio-cultural factors in the context of food security programming.
  • Ability to foster commitment and build capacity among project staff and in-country actors around gender and youth integration.
  • Experience in DRC or other sub-Saharan African countries strongly preferred
  • Fluency in French and English proficiency required.
  • Strong public speaking skills required.
  • Proficiency with Microsoft Office.

 

SUCCESS FACTORS:

The successful candidate will have excellent team and interpersonal relationship skills, with demonstrated ability to work effectively in complex environments. S/he will combine strong communication skills, creativity, initiative, participatory leadership and tactful decisiveness to assist in program implementation. Multi­tasking, prioritizing, problem solving and simultaneous attention to detail and strategic vision are essential. S/he must have the confidence and humility to work effectively with a diverse group of people – as well as be sensitive to political and cultural nuance. S/he must ­ be able to consistently apply excellent judgment to a variety of demanding and fast-­changing situations while working as part of a team and coordinate with program personnel.

 

LIVING CONDITIONS/ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS:

The position will be based in Bukavu, DRC and will require travel throughout South Kivu. While conditions in the country are improving, and security is quite stable in Bukavu, there are still pockets of violence and insecurity and petty crime is present. Mercy Corps' suboffices experience variable levels of insecurity, with the situation closely monitored by UN peacekeepers. Years of conflict and corruption have badly damaged the country's infrastructure. Air travel is necessary to get from one end of the country to the other. Mobile phones and cellular service are widely available. Internet is limited, but available in all Mercy Corps offices. Travel to field sites will be required where living conditions are clean and secure, but basic. There are a number of health services available with several evacuation options for serious illnesses. There is reasonable access to most consumer goods, although they can be expensive.

Mercy Corps Team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

2018-04-03

NGO Jobs in Africa | NGO Jobs

Ngojobsinafrica.com is Africa’s largest Job site that focuses only on Non-Government Organization job Opportunities across Africa. We publish latest jobs and career information for Africans who intends to build a career in the NGO Sector. We ensure that we provide you with all Non-governmental Jobs in Africa on a consistent basis. We aggregate all NGO Jobs in Africa and ensure authenticity of all jobs available on our site. We are your one stop site for all NGO Jobs in Africa. Stay with us for authenticity & consistency.

Stay up to date

Subscribe for email updates

March 2024
MTWTFSS
« Jan  
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031
RSS Feed by country: