Job Title: GESI Technical Lead – Itongo Ryanje, Itunga Ryanje, Burundi

Job Location: Ngozi, Burundi

Job Type: Regular, Full Time

Reports to: Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP). You will report to the DCOP and may line manage technical or program staff members. You will also work closely with the Chief of Party (COP), Programmes Director (PD), MEL Advisor, Systems Director (SD), Desk Officer (DO) and Advisors, and consortium members.

About the role: This is a 60-month, new role with unaccompanied terms based in Ngozi, Burundi with a salary of Grade 4 €45,457 - €50,509.

*This position is contingent on upon successful agreement award and USAID approval. 

Founded in 1968, Concern Worldwide (Concern) is an international humanitarian aid organization dedicated to reducing extreme poverty and alleviating suffering through emergency relief and long-term development programs spanning livelihoods, education, nutrition, health, and WASH. Concern currently operates in 26 countries in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and the Middle East, and works in partnership with communities, public and private service providers, local government, academic institutions, and other local and international organizations to ensure sustainable delivery of effective services. Concern Worldwide has operated in Burundi since 1997, successfully implementing programs in health, nutrition, social protection, food security, livelihoods, and youth empowerment throughout the country.

Your purpose:

Concern Worldwide seeks a Gender and Social Inclusion Technical Lead for an anticipated USAID “Itongo Ryanje, Itunga Ryanje” activity in Burundi. This activity will help Burundian women secure access and rights to land, promote climate-smart agriculture, and strengthen economic empowerment. The activity will partner with local actors, including the private sector, to strengthen women farmers’ participation in market-driven enterprises and build their entrepreneurial, leadership and management skills to achieve greater economic independence.

The GESI Technical Lead will lead development and implementation of the Activity’s GESI strategy, and will ensure the integration of women, youth, and other vulnerable populations in all interventions, from targeting through closeout. The GESI lead must have an in-depth understanding of gender, age, and other locally significant socio-cultural and inclusion factors, and a demonstrated capacity to lead the collection, analysis, and utilization of information from a broad range of sources. The successful candidate should possess substantial experience working on complex, multi-year USAID or other international donor-funded Activities.  

The GESI Technical Lead’s responsibilities will be to:

• Lead the development of the GESI strategy which will guide the integration of GESI concepts and approaches into all program interventions. Ensuring the gender and social inclusion technical approach, methodologies, and interventions are technically sound and relevant to the success of the Activity.
• In collaboration with the DCOP, MEAL Lead, and technical teams – and working closely with consortium partners, stakeholders, and program participants – review activities and results and develop the workplan for GESI initiatives under Results 1, 2, and 3. This includes, but is not limited to, women’s access to land, entrepreneurial services, agricultural inputs, and resources and markets.
• Lead or assist in the design and implementation of GESI analyses, impact assessments, and other learning studies, and provide technical leadership in the Activity’s analyses and assessments to ensure meaningful participation and positive impacts for women. In collaboration with the MEL Lead and technical teams, incorporate GESI into CLA plans and practices. Ensure GESI learning questions and GESI issues are integrated in pause and reflect sessions.
• Ensure GESI initiatives are developed in coordination with communities, national and local government stakeholders, and private sector partners.
• Provide technical advice and training to program staff, partners, and stakeholders to build their capacity to integrate gender, youth, and other relevant social considerations when designing interventions, implementation, and MEAL.  
• Foster strong working relationships with other agencies/individuals, including Government of Burundi representatives, working on GESI to maximize visibility and learning.
• Lead or assist to prepare any reports, as requested by USAID, Concern Worldwide and Concern US, and the Government of Burundi.
• Undertake any other tasks as assigned by the COP and DCOP to ensure Activity objectives are met.

Requirements and Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in international development, gender, women’s studies, or other relevant field.  
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience managing and implementing gender and social inclusion programming, with at least 3 years management or advisory experience.

• Demonstrated experience fostering commitment and building capacity among activity staff and in-country actors to ensure gender and social inclusion initiatives are integrated in the Activity.
• Demonstrated experience and understanding of a range of approaches that address changes in social norms, structures, and individual behaviors, especially those related to gender dynamics and women’s empowerment.
• Excellent leadership, program, organizational management and oral and written communication skills are required.
• Experience conducting continuous capacity building of activity staff on GESI approaches.
• Strong interpersonal skills for working with project staff, donors, partners, and program participants are required.
• Experience working in similar contexts, with experience in Burundi and/or East Africa preferred.
• Preferred experience integrating gender-sensitive approaches in agricultural/agribusiness/value chain development interventions.
• Flexible and adaptable approach to working in a changing environment.
• Experience working on USAID or other donor-funded programs.
• Knowledge of Core Humanitarian Standards, Sphere and other international humanitarian guidelines and protocols.
• Professional level fluency in written and spoken English and French. Fluency in Kirundi is preferred.

Travel - Must be willing and able to travel up to 20%. The position will be located in Ngozi.

To Apply:

All applications should be submitted through our website by the closing date: 7^th of October 2024. CVs should be no more than 4 pages in length. 

Concern Worldwide is an Irish-based non-governmental, international, humanitarian organisation dedicated to the reduction of suffering and working towards the ultimate elimination of extreme poverty in the world’s poorest countries.

Due to the urgency of this position, applications will be shortlisted on a regular basis and we may offer posts before the closing date. 

If you have any concerns about our recruitment process and need particular assistance - for example if you have a visual impairment or are neurodivergent - please let us know and we will do our best to accommodate you. 

Concern has an organizational Code of Conduct (CCoC) with three Associated Policies; the Programme Participant Protection Policy (P4), the Child Safeguarding Policy and the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Policy accessible here. These have been developed to ensure the maximum protection of programme participants from exploitation, and to clarify the responsibilities of Concern staff, consultants, visitors to the programme and partner organization, and the standards of behavior expected of them. In this context, staff have a responsibility to the organization to strive for, and maintain, the highest standards in the day-to-day conduct in their workplace in accordance with Concern’s core values and mission. Any candidate offered a job with Concern Worldwide will be expected to sign the Concern Staff Code of Conduct and Associated Policies as an appendix to their contract of employment. By signing the Concern Code of Conduct, candidates acknowledge that they have understood the content of both the Concern Code of Conduct and the Associated Policies and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these policies. Additionally, Concern is committed to the safeguarding and protection of vulnerable adults and children in our work. We will do everything possible to ensure that only those who are suitable to work or volunteer with vulnerable adults and children are recruited by us for such roles. Subsequently, working or volunteering with Concern is subject to a range of vetting checks, including criminal background checking. 

Your Personal Data 

During this job application, you will provide Concern with your personal data. Concern takes its responsibilities towards this personal data very seriously and is committed to complying with all relevant data protection legislation. 

For additional information please consult our web site or contact the Human Resource Division in our Head Office. 

You have certain rights under data protection legislation. For more information on how to exercise those rights please visit www.concern.net/about/privacy 

Concern Worldwide is an Irish-based non-governmental, international, humanitarian organisation dedicated to the reduction of suffering and working towards the ultimate elimination of extreme poverty in the world’s poorest countries.