Gender Technical Specialist

ROLE PURPOSE: 
The Gender Specialist provides technical inputs and oversight on both design and implementation levels across Save the Children’s portfolio in Iraq including partner organisations, with a focus on gender mainstreaming. The position holder is expected to work closely with the Technical Specialists to provide support and technical advice on gender mainstreaming and design and proposal levels as well as with field operations teams and local partners across Iraq to identify gaps and support teams in ensuring programs are gender sensitive at a minimum and gender transformative wherever possible. The position holder is expected to lead-on, identify and drive forward recommendations on gender-sensitive to transformative and inclusive programming. S/he must be proactive, results oriented, able to manage a large workload and work with diverse range of people. S/he will be expected to work in the field, with local partners and in support of PDQ colleagues.

SCOPE OF ROLE: 
Reports to: Programme Development & Quality Director
Budget responsibility:  None

The Gender Specialist ensures the following:
1)    Programming is gender sensitive and inclusive at a minimum and gender transformative where possible across the full cycle (identification and design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation).
2)    Country office shows an increased understanding of how gender equality effects project and programme outcomes and identify strategies to ensure gender integration in SC Iraq in all projects and programmes.
3)    Programme teams are intentionally identifying and engaging with the most vulnerable children and households, including children with disabilities and diverse backgrounds and/or households with female and male caregivers with disabilities, female headed households and other vulnerable groups.
4)    Increased capacity of all/relevant staff on strategies/guidelines/protocols/tools to mainstream gender equality  (through direct capacity building, referring to learning opportunities, resources sharing, etc.).

Key Areas of accountability 

Strategic planning
•    Support and work with Education Cluster to implement and build capacity on Gender in Education for the partners
•    Work with PDQ Team to ensure Gender commitments of the country strategic plans are implemented
•    Support TAs on embedding the Minimum Gender equality and GBV Actions at proposal stage
•    Develop gender equality strategy and action plan, provide overall strategic leadership to Save the Children’s work in gender mainstreaming in Iraq and in line with the SC’s Country Strategy.
•    Ensure that all offices have gender equality Focal Points to lead implementation of gender equality action plan and SMT lead accountability.
•    Participate in the review of sectoral strategies as needed (together with the PDQ Director and relevant TAs) to identify entry points for gender-sensitive and inclusive strategy.
•    Ensure clear process in place for tracking and reporting on progress against the gender and inclusion mainstreaming action plans and on keeping track of KPIs related to gender in consultation with NBD and MEAL.
•    Identify funding streams that could support specific gender and disability inclusion projects in Iraq.

Programme quality and standards within Programme Operations
•    Provide gender technical advice, quality assurance and support for Save the Children’s PDQ team and programmes across Iraq including by spending substantial amount of time in field offices and working directly local partners.
•    Guide the team and partners in delivering the following recommendations:
    Ensure programme access is equitable and has meaningful quality participation for girls and boys, men and women including with disabilities.
    Working closely with the MEAL team to ensure sex and age and disability disaggregated data and data is consistently produced and used to inform programming and political advocacy at all levels.
    Providing and reviewing training sessions and awareness raising sessions with all community stakeholders to make sure they include a strong gender perspective.
    Ensure meaningful involvement of boys, men and male caregivers in parenting sessions and conducting the needed mapping and analysis to best engage boys and men in promoting gender equality and shifting harmful social gender norms and practices
    Support thematic TAs in the development and roll out of assessments by review of assessment and sector-specific quality benchmarks, tools, training materials, sessions and curricula and incorporation of any other gender support needed.
    Develop and amend existing tools focused on gender analysis, improving the targeting and outreach approach, providing coaching, doing a better risk and needs’ assessment and ensuring that locations where activities are taking place are gender-sensitive and inclusive/accessible. Support from global Gender TAs would be available
    Work on promoting gender analysis, produce reports and recommendations to inform programming (direct and with partners) in coordination with MEAL
•    Review both international and national policies and provide feedbacks on how these policies and protocols could be more gender-sensitive and inclusive.
•    Take part in the Humanitarian and Global Gender Equality Technical Working Groups and Community of Practices and commit to the implementation of the agreed-up work plan and deliverables.
•    Ensure documentation of case studies and dissemination of these both internally and externally working with the Media and Advocacy team.
•    Support the drafting of high quality reports on project progress.
•    Lead on specific initiatives that have gender as central to their design

Capacity Development
•    Lead capacity development initiatives with field teams and partners, on the themes of inclusion and gender.
•    Based on gap analysis, coordinate the development of a technical capacity building plans (based on an initial comprehensive capacity gap assessment) for staff and partners, working with field teams to prioritise training needs and resource these appropriately with technical support from Global and Regional Disability and Regional Advisors and Focal Points.,
•    Facilitate trainings and coaching sessions on topics of gender mainstreaming, disability inclusive programming in line with SCI global training materials on disability inclusion and gender mainstreaming and in accordance with the universal tools and standards.
•    Conduct any necessary refresher gender equality/mainstreaming and inclusion trainings to staff and trainings to partners with technical support from Regional and Global Gender Advisors/Focal Points.
•    Identify Focal Points and create a community of trained Gender Equality and Disability Inclusion staff to support on providing guidance, coaching and trainings to both SCI’s staff and partners.

Partnerships
•    In coordination with the Partnerships and Localization Specialist, the Gender Specialist should lead relationships with relevant stakeholders to ensure Save the Children is participating in relevant discussion and engaging with allies in the gender and inclusion theme. This includes ensuring meaningful partnerships specialised relevant local and national organisations focussed on Gender Issues
•    Undertake a stakeholders mapping to identify and sign MoUs with Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) working with children with disabilities and identify technical collaboration opportunities as well as opportunities for referrals as well as strengthening community-based rehabilitation initiatives.
•    With Advocacy team support relevant Ministries on gender inclusion mainstreaming.
•    Working with the Partnerships TS, contribute to capacity development plans of partners and focus on coaching and mentoring key staff to ensure more inclusive and gender sensitive approaches.

General
•    Comply with Save the Children policies and practice with respect to child protection, code of conduct, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies and procedures.

BEHAVIOURS (Values in Practice)
Accountability:
•    holds self accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values
•    holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities – giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved.
Ambition:
•    sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages their team to do the same
•    widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
•    future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale.
Collaboration:
•    builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters
•    values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength
•    approachable, good listener, easy to talk to.
Creativity:
•    develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
•    willing to take disciplined risks.
Integrity:
•    honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity

QUALIFICATIONS  
•    Masters Degree in International Development / Relations, Women and Gender Studies or related field, or equivalent training/experience.
•    3-4 years’ field work experience implementing, managing, and/or providing technical assistance to programs in developing countries, including with focus on gender mainstreaming/gender focused programs; focus on children, adolescents (especially adolescent girls) and youth programming desirable

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS
•    Knowledge of and experience in applying gender equality and inclusion principles and practices
•    Experience with gender-sensitive child rights programming in areas including Education, Child Protection Shelter and Livelihoods and CRG and the interaction/linkages among those sectors
•    Experience working across KRI and Federal preferable
•    Experience in gender advocacy or policy work, or other regional or national mechanisms to advance gender equality is an asset
•    Demonstrate strong commitment to Save the Children’s Mission, Vision and Values. Previous experience with child rights programming is an asset
•    Adhere to Child Safeguarding policies & procedures
•    Computer literacy including Internet, Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access)

The Organisation
We employ approximately 25,000 people across the globe and work on the ground in over 100 countries to help children affected by crises, or those that need better healthcare, education and child protection. We also campaign and advocate at the highest levels to realise the right of children and to ensure their voices are heard.

We are working towards three breakthroughs in how the world treats children by 2030:
•    No child dies from preventable causes before their 5th birthday
•    All children learn from a quality basic education and that,
•    Violence against children is no longer tolerated

We know that great people make a great organization, and that our employees play a crucial role in helping us achieve our ambitions for children.  We value our people and offer a meaningful and rewarding career, along with a collaborative and inclusive workplace where ambition, creativity, and integrity are highly valued.

Application Information:
Please apply using a cover letter and up-to-date CV as a single document. Please also include details of your current remuneration and salary expectations.

We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

Save the Children does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process.