Gender, Youth and Vulnerable Groups Team Leader Job at Mercy Corps

About US:
Mercy Corps is an international non-profit organization which implements high-quality, analytical development work in very difficult places. We have been operating in Uganda since 2006 and currently implement development programs in the Acholi and Karamoja sub-regions of Uganda with funding from USAID, EC, SDC, and USDA. We were recently awarded a market-development focused 5-year USAID/Food for Peace-funded program working in the northern half of Karamoja.

About USAID GHG Program:
The project, called the Northern Karamoja Growth, Health and Governance (GHG) program, aims to support the immediate needs of program beneficiaries while promoting long-term development by spurring systemic improvements in key economic sectors of northern Karamoja. A gender strategy was developed for GHG in the first two years and was overseen and implemented by a gender advisor, two gender officers and sector teams. As the program moves into its final three years of implementation, and the team learns from and adapts its interventions to better suit the needs of the local context, it requires assistance from an experienced gender and youth expert who can lead integration efforts, with the support of two gender officers, but also identify areas where the program can better meet the needs of young people, with an emphasis on vulnerable groups.


Key Duties and Responsibilities:
1. Technical Capacity:
·         Oversee sectorally-focused gender and youth mainstreaming trainings for all team members.
·         Manage the implementation of GHG’s gender, youth and vulnerable groups’ integration strategies and adapt and improve strategies as needed
·         Support the GHG team to apply gender analysis and youth analysis to current program activities and with new program design.
·         Coordinate gender and youth team activities with other GHG team leaders during regular planning and coordination sessions.
·         Identify the need for and supervise the implementation of activities designed to promote greater access, inclusion and empowerment for traditionally excluded groups (Karamajong traders, adult women, young males, adolescent girls etc.) in the areas of economic development, health and governance and at the household and community levels.
·         Work closely with the M&E team to ensure sex and age disaggregated and gender sensitive data is collected and analyzed in line with Mercy Corps’ Design for Impact Guide (DIG) recommendations
·         Support the Project team in identifying barriers to recruiting and retaining female program staff and maintaining a gender friendly work environment.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:
·         The ideal candidate for the USAID GHG Gender, Youth and Vulnerable Groups Team Leader should possess a Bachelors’ degree or diploma in international development, women’s studies, gender or a comparable area of study
·         A minimum of five years’ experience in youth civic engagement and/or economic engagement, gender, and development work; with a minimum of three years in field postings
·         Substantial professional background and experience in conducting gender training, gender mainstreaming, SGBV prevention and response and Positive Youth Development (PYD), including market-based employment, civic engagement and participatory M&EL methods.
·         Past experience working in Northern Uganda is a must
·         Karamoja language skills strongly preferred
·         Prior experience working in large scale, complex programs and challenging environments
·         Exceptional verbal and written communication skills
·         Excellent training and facilitation skills
·         Ability and willingness to both lead and follow as appropriate
·         Comfortable working in a dynamic environment with shifting needs and priorities
·         Has an internal and external network of gender experts to draw upon as needed
·         Computer literacy skills i.e. Proficiency with Microsoft Office

How to Apply:
All suitably qualified and interested Ugandan candidates should send their applications including a cover letter clearly stating the salary requirements, updated CV (with three professional referees), and copies of academic qualifications/certificates to the HR/Admin Manager, Kampala Head Office on 4th Floor Embassy Plaza, Plot 1188-1190 Ggaba Road. The E-mail applications with cover letter should be sent to: mcjobs@ug.mercycorps.org

Deadline:  10th July 2015