Gender Advisor (Africa) at Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN)

Location: Abuja, Nigeria

About the Role

• This position is part of a team responsible for supporting the integration of GAIN’s strategic gender objectives into all aspects of its work. This mainstreaming agenda, facilitated by GAIN’s Gender Lead, is comprised of two workstreams: programmatic and institutional. This role is responsible for accelerating GAIN’s process of integrating a gender focus into all steps of project implementation (project design, implementation, and monitoring).
• Reporting to the Senior Technical Specialist, Gender Lead, the postholder will be a thought-leader and adviser to GAIN’s Africa-based teams as they develop and implement projects. You will be responsible for providing the technical guidance and tools to ensure a gender-lens is applied and gender considerations integrated into activities. This position will rely on your previous programmatic experience implementing nutrition programs with a gender focus and their strong grasp of extant evidence on best practices in Africa.
• The postholder will be the focal person and technical advisor on gender for project teams across 6 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, implementing large-scale collaborative multi-sectoral nutrition programmes. In addition, you will utilise project data to document and present successful examples of gender integration, internally and externally. External engagement will also include building strategic relationships with regional partners including government decision makers and NGOs.

Job Description

• The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) is a Swiss-based foundation launched at the UN in 2002 to tackle the human suffering caused by malnutrition. Working with both governments and businesses, we aim to transform food systems so that they deliver more nutritious food for all people. In particular, we aim to make healthier food choices more desirable, more available, and more affordable. GAIN’s mission is to advance nutrition outcomes by improving consumption of nutritious and safe food for all people, especially the most vulnerable to malnutrition.
• Gender relations and the unequal power held by men and women affect and are affected by interactions within households, communities, markets, and food systems. Indeed, gender inequality and women’s disempowerment are root causes of malnutrition. Furthering gender equity is thus central to achieving GAIN’s goal of improving nutrition, particularly for the most vulnerable.

Overall Purpose

• The position is part of a team responsible for supporting the integration of GAIN’s strategic gender objectives into all aspects of its work.
• This mainstreaming agenda, facilitated by GAIN’s Gender Lead, is comprised of two workstreams: programmatic and institutional.
• This role is responsible for accelerating GAIN’s process of integrating a gender focus into all steps of project implementation (project design, implementation, and monitoring).
• The appointed candidate will be a thought-leader and adviser to GAIN’s Africa-based teams as they develop and implement projects; they will be responsible for providing the technical guidance and tools to ensure a gender-lens is applied and gender considerations integrated into activities.
• The appointed candidate will rely on their previous programmatic experience implementing nutrition programs with a gender focus and their strong grasp of extant evidence on best practices in Africa.
• The appointed candidate will be the point-person and technical advisor on gender for project teams across 6 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, implementing large-scale collaborative multi-sectoral nutrition programmes.
• In addition, they will utilise project data to document and present successful examples of gender integration, internally and externally.
• External engagement will also include building strategic relationships with regional partners including government decision-makers and NGOs.

Key Responsibilities include

• Providing technical guidance to GAIN and CARE consortium teams in 6 countries – Benin, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Uganda on integrating gender considerations into all aspects of the project lifecycle. This includes improving theories of change to reflect gender objectives set by programme, reviewing activity plans, identifying appropriate gender indicators, and advising evaluations
• Identifying a set of gender assessment methodologies and tools and advising country teams on appropriate application
• Leading on the development of a gender monitoring framework and in cooperation with the Programme Monitoring and Improvement Lead that tracks gender equitable outputs and outcomes
• Providing advice to Country Directors and Project Managers and build capacity of country teams to effectively employ the monitoring framework in their project portfolios
• Tracking project data on gender and periodically review progress on gender-focused outputs and outcomes and advising course correction when necessary
• Engaging programme staff on gender through launching and facilitating a gender technical advisory group
• Advising country policy teams on where they can and should integrate gender into advocacy initiatives to improve the enabling environment around gender

About You

• A Master’s Degree in Gender Studies, Economics, Nutrition, Sociology, Development, or related field is desirable.
• The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in gender equitable programming in Low- and Middle-Income countries within nutrition, food security, policy, advocacy and/or related programme areas, providing technical support, research, or evaluation (ideally within the international development, civil society, NGO sector). You will have proven fieldwork experience in multiple Sub-Saharan African countries and demonstrated success working in multi-sectoral programmes and multi-cultural settings.
• You will have demonstrable experience of integrating new concepts and working with project / programme staff and multi-disciplinary teams at varying levels with an in‐depth understanding of programme issues and advocacy work at organizational, national and international levels.
• In addition to this, you will posess excellent M&E and data analysis skills, with an understanding of measuring and monitoring gender-equitable outcomes, women’s empowerment/agency, and related topics in projects alongside an excellent understanding of nutrition and food systems concepts and measurement/monitoring.
• Excellent communication (written and verbal) alongside exceptional public speaking skills will be essential to this role, with the ability to communicate technical content to multi-disciplinary teams with varying levels of technical knowledge.
• Candidates should have an excellent command of written and spoken English, and fluency in French or Portuguese or knowledge of second language is an additional asset. 
• Candidates are expected to be highly flexible and be willing to travel occasionally.

Experience: 

• Extensive hands-on experience in gender programming, implementing, managing, and/or providing technical assistance to programs in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (ideally within the international development, civil society, NGO sector)
• Proven field work experience in multiple Sub-Saharan African countries
• Demonstrable experience working with project / programme staff and multi-disciplinary teams at varying levels. Proven stakeholder management experience with key donors, government, and/or policy-makers and internal and external stakeholders is preferrable
• Experience in coordination and advocacy;
• Experience in capacity building and knowledge management across multi-disciplinary teams
• Demonstrated success working in multi-sectoral programmes and multi-cultural settings

About our Offer
The starting salary for each office is as follows, depending on experience:

• Ethiopia: From ETB 923,496 – ETB 1,056,480 (gross) per annum
• Nigeria: From NGN 6,897,828 – NGN 7,876,788 (gross) per annum

What GAIN Offers:

• Flexible working hours
• Friendly working environment
• Professional development opportunities