Since 1963 and in 146 countries, ACDI/VOCA has empowered people in developing and transitional nations to succeed in the global economy. Based in Washington, D.C., ACDI/VOCA is a nonprofit international development organization that delivers technical and management assistance in agribusiness, financial services, enterprise development, community development, and food security to promote broad-based economic growth and vibrant civil societies. ACDI/VOCA has approximately 50 projects in 30 countries and total revenues of approximately $174 million.
We are seeking a D.C.-based Gender & Youth Specialist who will provide technical guidance and support to programs and proposals related to gender integration, women’s empowerment, and youth development. This position will also provide guidance to other technical areas – such as nutrition, finance, and climate change – on how to apply gender integration, women’s empowerment and youth development principles into their sectors. The Senior Gender & Youth Specialist will support gender integration, women’s empowerment, and youth development in the design of proposals and new business development as well.
Essential Responsibilities:
Integration of Technical Specialty into Projects
• Provide leadership in articulating an approach to youth development that reflects ACDI/VOCA experience, drawing from core challenges and successes that youth experience in engaging in and benefitting from the projects, systems and sectors in which we work.
• Provide technical guidance and support for projects in how to design and implement youth development and empowerment activities, particularly related to market systems, agriculture, and rural development. Support other technical teams on incorporating youth development into their technical approaches.
• Provide technical guidance and support for projects in how to design and implement gender transformative, gender integrated, and women’s empowerment activities, particularly related to market systems and nutrition-integrated agriculture. Support other technical teams on incorporating gender and empowerment into their technical approaches.
• Provide gender and youth technical guidance and support to assigned projects, advising and supporting project staff. This includes conducting gender/youth analyses and trainings for staff and partners; supporting projects in implementing ACDI/VOCA’s gender and diversity policies and their own project gender and youth strategies, and providing ongoing mentoring support and technical guidance in gender and youth integration.
• Advise projects and M&E teams in how to put in place effective monitoring and evaluation indicators and processes for gender and youth.
• Develop technical and programmatic scopes of work for consultants visiting field offices on gender- and youth-related topics.
New Business Development
• Act as technical writer and/or reviewer on technical proposals as appropriate.
• Act as contributor, and/or reviewer on gender- and youth-related components of proposals and/or oversee gender/youth consultants.
• Meet with other organizations/donors on possible new funding activities and/or partnerships related to gender, youth and other relevant technical topics.
• In conjunction with other program staff, respond to proposal questions from the donor related to gender, women’s empowerment, and youth activities, as appropriate.
Learning and Tools
• Contribute to technical learning both within ACDI/VOCA and for external audiences.
• Conduct desk and field research on gender and youth gaps, program impacts on gender equity, women’s empowerment, and youth development.
• Gather and highlight strategic learning from the field. Where appropriate, develop into tools for dissemination throughout ACDI/VOCA and externally.
Internal Collaboration
• Organize, facilitate and/or participate in working groups with participants from TLA and Project Management, around relevant technical topics.
• Actively seek out opportunities to share technical knowledge.
Minimum Qualifications:
• Master’s degree in international development, gender, behavioral economics, agronomy, sociology, or other related.
• Minimum four years’ work experience, including overseas work, in international development or related field.
• Demonstrated experience and technical knowledge in gender and youth development, particularly as it relates to food security, agricultural value chains/market systems, climate change, and nutrition integrated agriculture.
• Experience with both quantitative and qualitative research methods, as well as conducting field based assessments.
• Excellent writing skills for proposals, reports, and papers.
• English language fluency.
• Ability and willingness to travel internationally.
Preferred:
• Excellent analytical and technical skills and expertise with the ability to work independently.
• Ability to multi-task under tight deadlines.
• Strong interpersonal and team skills, with the ability to work with individuals from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
• Spanish language working proficiency or fluency.
EmoticonEmoticon