Associate Director of Women’s Economic Power at Women for Women International

Purpose

• The Associate Director of Women’s Economic Power (AD WEP) leads WfWI’s global programming to support women’s economic power. The AD WEP has overall responsibility for developing WfWI’s WEP strategy, inspiring innovation, ensuring quality, seeking funding, overseeing grants, and encouraging learning on all areas related to WEP.
• To be closer to our programs, we have a strong preference for candidates from and based in Sub- Saharan Africa, Middle East, or Central Asia, with priority for fragile states and conflict-affected areas where WfWI operates (Afghanistan, Iraq, South Sudan, Nigeria, Rwanda, and DRC). Expected travel is 20-25% to the countries, US, and European offices (as possible).

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Based on their experience and expertise, the AD WEP will guide WfWI in furthering its extensive women’s economic power program portfolio, with a focus on gender-transformative programing in fragile and conflict-affected countries. WfWI’s WEP portfolio includes but is not limited to: Technical guidance and quality oversight to: Curriculum development and reviews, cash transfers, financial inclusion, formal and informal savings, and loans (including savings groups), numeracy and financial literacy, business and vocational training, micro-entrepreneurship and cooperatives/associations support, and market and value chain linkages and climate adaptation. They are the primary point of contact for WfWI’s Country Offices for supporting context specific WEP strategies, fundraising, nurturing of partnerships and program implementation.

Leadership in Women’s Economic Power

• Serve as the primary technical expert in WEP for WfWI globally.
• Provide strategic advice to Senior management to guide policy and advocacy agendas, planning, and delivery.
• Develop programmatic partnerships to further WfWI’s WEP programing.
• Develop global plans to improve WEP programing based on gaps in existing programs, and work with teams to develop country-specific plans, innovative approaches, and mechanisms to address gaps (technology, partnerships, etc.)
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of WEP research and practice.
• Promote a culture of shared learning on WEP across teams, COs and Globally

Technical Guidance in Design and Planning

• Provide high quality technical guidance to Country Offices and teams for WEP program improvement.
• Carry out regular monitoring and technical assistance to Country Offices to support the effective implementation of their WEP programing.
• Collaborate with M&E team to contribute to the development of WfWI’s M&E system related WEP activities.
• Review and analyze global and country-specific outcome indicator data, and other evaluations, research and reports related to WEP, with country teams, as a basis for improving WEP program approaches.
• Provide support to country teams in strategic and operational planning.

Fundraising Efforts

• Lead WEP program design for grant proposals or new project concepts
• Develop highly impactful messages about our WEP program to share with donors.
• Collaborate with business development teams on finding and responding to funding opportunities.

Relationship Building and External Representation

• Establish relationships and coordination with regional and global NGOs, institutions, UN bodies, and networks.
• Support country teams to develop partnerships and linkages with other organizations, government and private sector working on WEP issues at national, regional and communitylevels.
• Represent WfWI in networks and coalitions and at global and regional forums.
• Support the global advocacy team in developing key messages and policy papers on WEP issues.

Cross-Organizational Communication & Teamwork

• Maintain regular communications with Country Offices and the Global Program Unit (GPU).
• Share up-to-date knowledge of research, policy and practice with Country Offices and Global teams.

Required Skills & Qualifications:

• Required Bachelor’s degree in international development, economics or related field, graduate degree highly desirable.
• Minimum seven years’ relevant work experience in international development, with emphasis on women’s economic power, of which at least five years must be at managerial level.
• Lived experience in WfWI’s target countries (or similar) is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated knowledge of relevant social and economic development issues such as poverty, power, women’s rights and empowerment, gender, and conflict
• Analytical ability and extensive experience in creating project plans, implementing plans, managing grants and budgets.
• Demonstrated leadership skills and ability to support a large, complex, ethnically mixed team of people through a participatory and enabling management style.
• Demonstrated capacity to serve as a coach or mentor of individuals from diverse cultural, linguistic, and professional backgrounds for staff development and capacity building.
• Successful at establishing and maintaining internal and external relationships, building trust, and inspiring teamwork.
• Confidence and experience in external representation and public speaking.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English; working knowledge of a language of WfWI’s country teams (French, Kiswahili, Dari, Kurdish, etc.) highly desirable; knowledge of other local languages would be an advantage.
• Good judgment and problem-solving skills, positive attitude, demonstrated willingness to take initiative especially, in changing security contexts, political dynamics and budgetary shift.
• Commitment to and respect for Women for Women International’s mission and values.
• Strong computer skills in MS Word, Excel, internet, email applications.