Senior Gender Advisor/Senior Program Manager, Gender at BraveICONS Global

Our client, The National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) seeks to hire a Senior Gender Advisor/Senior Program Manager, Gender who will be responsible for providing strategic advice to the NDI/Abuja office, technical assistance to partners as needed, as well as managing gender programs and program development. The Senior Advisor will also represent NDI externally and develop a network of women’s rights and organizations, and develop and sustain close communication with key committees in the National Assembly and with key ministries, especially the Ministry of Women Affairs.

The Gender Advisor will report to the Deputy Country Director, Programs. This position provides support to NDI’s program staff to mainstream and integrate standardized gender programming policies, strategies, and interventions. The position may also provide program related support to other areas within NDI as required. Based in Abuja, Nigeria, this position requires regular travel to various states. The position is available immediately.

Contract Period: Minimum 2 Years (2021 – 2023), with possibility for extension

Primary Responsibilities

Program Management (50% of time):

• Develop and for assure quality implementation of all NDI gender programming initiatives. This includes technical advice to the Deputy Country Director and Country Director to ensure all programs are designed and implemented to benefit men and women equally and promote gender equitable democracy. 
• Supervise team members working on Supporting Advancement of Gender Equality (SAGE) project, Stop-Violence against Women in Politics (Stop-VAWIP) campaigns, and others as needed.
• Provide mentorship and advising as requested to other program teams, such as on election observation and citizen participation projects.
• Develop an atmosphere of collaboration, high-performance, and enthusiasm for integrating gender best practices across NDI/Abuja programs.
• Provide technical guidance and advice when requested to NDI subgrant partners in integrating gender into their activities, programs and organizational policies, and on monitoring and evaluating their activities to successfully mainstream gender equality.
• Work with program teams and external consultants as needed, to coordinate, organize, and manage gender programming and mainstreaming using existing NDI guidance and industry best practices.
• Help supervise program budgets for projects the Senior Advisor oversees, and ensure they are implemented efficiently and with gender sensitivity. Provide advice on other program teams’ budgets if needed.
• Ensure gender programmatic objectives are achieved and reporting requirements are met. In consultation with the NDI/Abuja Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) team, analyze program data and reports, and critically assess impact of NDI gender programming.
• Directly manage sub-grants as needed.
• External Relations and Communications (30% of time):
• Communicate regularly with Washington based regional and functional staff.
• Participate in staff meetings and present weekly program updates.
• Serve as a liaison to key institutions in Nigeria, including the National Assembly and Executive branch.
• Represent NDI to Nigeria organizations and the donor community as delegated by the Country Director.

Innovation and Strategy (20% of time):

 Contribute to and influence the strategic direction of the office with senior leadership. Advise the Country Director and Deputy Country Director on ways to continue to strengthen the NDI/Abuja office’s ability to deliver effective gender programming, such as through training, communication, and the implementation of policies, guidelines, and change processes to ensure ability to accomplish performance objectives.

Monitor and analyze the latest research and program designs.

Attend conferences and events as needed to stay abreast of other relevant initiatives in Nigeria, to develop a strong network of contacts and organizations advancing gender equality. Participate in working groups or cross-organization coordination platforms. Provide updates to the Country Director and Deputy Country Director on the latest strategies and dynamics among peer organizations.

Disseminate resources to colleagues, and promote information and knowledge exchange.

Provide mentorship, coaching, and training as requested to other NDI/Abuja staff, in particular the gender programming team members, to advance the collective expertise and skills of the office.

Other duties:

Develop, implement and/or manage other programmatic and administrative activities as needed.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in social sciences, management sciences, or law.
• Eight (8) to ten (10) years relevant work experience in gender programs, with a history of progressively increasing responsibility.
• Strong experience with policymaking, such as through designing policy recommendations and influencing policymakers or participating in legislative processes.
• Experience implementing development programs funded by USAID or other donors.
• Empathetic and collaborative spirit, with ability to effectively communicate with others as an advisor, mentor, or trainer.
• Experience organizing and conducting trainings and workshops to facilitate adult learning.
• Excellent managerial skills, team-building attitude, and ability to work with range of diverse working styles.
• Excellent networking skills, including the ability to build and maintain cordial professional political relationships.
• Strong project management and organizational skills.
• Excellent oral and written communications skills to effectively and persuasively present information respond to questions and negotiate as well as share information with local and international partners and donors.
• Oral and written fluency in English required.
• Experience in program design, strategic planning and monitoring and evaluation.
• Working knowledge of PC-based word processing and spreadsheet applications with seasoned budget and accounting skills.
• Experience with Google Apps suite (Gmail, Calendar, Google Drive, G+, etc.) strongly desired.
• Ability and willingness to travel to regional locations, which may be remote and difficult to reach.

Comments:

The Senior Gender Advisor/Senior Program Manager, Gender works with NDI's Abuja and Washington-based regional staff. Salary range is commensurate with experience. Benefits and a housing allowance are provided. NDI is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, political affiliation, religion, gender, disability, and/or sexual orientation.