Action Against Hunger leads the global movement to end hunger. We innovate solutions, advocate for change, and reach 28 million people every year with proven hunger prevention and treatment programs. As a nonprofit that works across 55 countries, our 8,990 dedicated staff members partner with communities to address the root causes of hunger, including climate change, conflict, inequity, and emergencies. We strive to create a world free from hunger, for everyone, for good.

Action Against Hunger USA is part of the Action Against Hunger International network. As an independent NGO, Action Against Hunger USA currently manages operations in 8 countries: Kenya, South Sudan, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Zambia and Haiti.

I.Job Summary

PROPEL Adapt is a 5-year (September 28, 2022 – September 30, 2027) USAID-funded Promoting Results and Outcomes through Policy and Economic Levers (PROPEL) Adapt project, with a project ceiling of $40 million. The purpose of PROPEL Adapt is to improve the enabling environment in fragile settings for equitable and sustainable health services, supplies and delivery systems through the following strategic approaches: policy development and implementation; adequate, predictable, and sustainable financing; enhanced government stewardship, transparency, and accountability; and an engaged and informed civil society prepared to advocate for improved systems and outcomes. PROPEL Adapt emphasizes voluntary, rights-based family planning/reproductive health (FP/RH), and FP/RH integration with MCH and HIV/AIDS and works across health systems and development sectors to achieve results in FP/RH demand, uptake, and improved health outcomes.

As highlighted in USAID’s Resilience Evaluation, Analysis, and Learning (REAL) program, there is a critical need to closely examine gender when evaluating resilience. The three gender priorities for FP/RH at USAID are empowerment, including reproductive empowerment; male engagement; and preventing gender-based violence. Priorities for the project are framed in terms of and connected to these gender priorities.  The GEDI Senior Technical Advisor will be responsible for leading the incorporation of these priorities into all global PROPEL Adapt activities from conception to full execution. The PROPEL Adapt project team is currently implementing a set of centrally funded activities under the guidance of the USAID Office of Population and Reproductive Health (PRH) as well as implementing country-level activities resulting from USAID Mission buy-ins.

Purpose: The GEDI Senior Technical Advisor is responsible for identifying gaps in knowledge relative to gender and FP/RH, conceptualizing activities to fill those gaps, and leading the technical aspects of those activities to produce a concrete set of deliverables/outputs.

Engagement: The GEDI Senior Technical Advisor will report to the PROPEL Project Director.  In addition, this role will work closely with other technical leads at the central level (Deputy Project Director [DPD] Fragile Settings and Resilience, DPD FP/RH, and DPD Health Financing), as well as with field activity teams working on country buy-ins.

Delivery: On an annual basis, the GEDI Senior Technical Advisor will define and implement a set of core-funded gender-related activities to expand knowledge and tools in this domain. He/she will also update the project’s Gender Strategy, as needed.

II.Essential Job Duties

• Thought leadership (50%)
• In alignment with USAID, identify research gaps, and oversee development and implementation of GEDI-related core funded research activities to fill those gaps. Ensure research activities reflect local priorities and needs and are disseminated in appropriate and accessible modalities.
• Curate, develop and adapt promising GEDI strategies, ensuring consistency with USAID priorities and interests.
• Represent PROPEL Adapt on webinars, panels, in working groups, at conferences and within other opportunities related to GEDI subject matter
• Develops GEDI position papers, guidance, and tools for PROPEL Adapt across both core and field-funded activities, as requested.
• Contribute to overall PROPEL Adapt technical strategy development and lead strategic initiatives on GEDI.
• In collaboration with ACF GEDI specialists, stay abreast of global developments in GEDI to ensure that PROPEL Adapt is both represented within and benefiting from evolving global dialogues and directions

• Program quality and technical assistance (30%)
• Support USAID and the PROPEL Adapt Technical Leadership Team in refining global and country-level priorities, and ensure timely, quality support to GEDI activities. Specifically:
  • Oversee design or adaptation of evidence-based activities to address GEDI in fragile settings, ensuring relevance to the local context and USAID priorities.
  • Contribute to the development of global and country-level work plans and budgets, ensuring the technical integrity and feasibility of proposed GEDI components of activities
  • Oversee delivery of GEDI-related activities, ensuring timely, appropriate technical assistance and support to ensure the quality and integrity of the work.
  • Collaborate with the PROPEL Adapt technical leadership team to identify and implement knowledge exchange methods that strengthen locally led learning for evidence-based GEDI approaches.
  • Support local GEDI technical teams to prepare for global events related to inclusive approaches – assist with the preparation of abstracts, posters, and presentations ensuring they meet the highest technical standards.
  • Provide supervision and mentoring to technical staff and/or consultants engaged in PROPEL Adapt’s GEDI-related work to ensure their work meets technical quality standards and to contribute to their professional development.
  • Contribute to routine project donor reports
  • Participate in technical leadership meetings and provide input on progress, challenges, and proposed adaptations to strengthen implementation as related to GEDI.
  • Conduct fields visits (as requested) to evaluate the quality of GEDI within programs, respond to country program technical requests and provide ad hoc support to quality implementation
  • Review and strengthen GEDI studies and assessments, including formative research, barrier analysis and/or gender analysis.
  • Promote documentation of GEDI best practice and ensure cross-activity sharing of experiences.
  • Contribute to program MEL activities and provide requested secondary analysis.

• Coordination, representation and communication (20%)
• Actively engage with and coordinate on strategic initiatives and working groups for GEDI with other USAID implementing partners and projects (e.g., MOMENTUM Integrated Health Resilience, PROPEL Health and PROPEL Youth and Gender)
• Support documentation of GEDI outcomes to promote broader learnings in collaboration with the Communications/Knowledge Management team.
• Foster alliances and partnerships to further the quality of GEDI interventions with international organizations, donors, academic and policy institutions.
• Coordinate with Action Against Hunger gender team across the network to ensure alignment.
• Supervisory Responsibilities: None
• Fiscal Responsibility: None

IV.Physical Demands

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to sit for long periods and to concentrate on work, including typing, and turn out heavy volumes of work accurately, within short time frames under stressful situations in the context of a moderately noisy office with interruptions.
• To travel to the field, the employee must attest to a level of physical fitness capable of enduring physically difficult, highly stressful situations which may include the necessity to walk long distances, to eat a limited diet and/or to reside in potentially uncomfortable housing or tents.
• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

V. Working Conditions, Travel and Environment

• The duties of the job require regular job attendance at least five days per week. Must be available to work outside normal office hours or on the weekends as required by contact with the missions, mission security, or other obligations.
• Must be able to travel as required for standard domestic and international business travel as well as to the missions if appropriate. While visiting the field, the employee may be exposed to precarious settings under high security risks and/or very basic living conditions and outside weather conditions, as well as infectious diseases.

VI.Gender Equality Commitments & Zero Tolerance to Abuse

• Foster an environment that reinforces values of people of all genders equal access to information.
• Provide a work environment where people of all genders can be evaluated and promoted based on their skills and performance.
• Promote a safe, secure, and respectful environment for all stakeholders, particularly for children, beneficiaries, and members of staff.
• Help to prevent any type of abuse including workplace harassment and sexual abuse and exploitation.
• Respect beneficiaries’ women, men, children (boys and girls) regardless of gender, sex orientation, disability, religion, race, color, ancestry, national origin, age, or marital status.
• Value and respect all cultures.

VIII. Required Qualifications

• Minimum Post-Graduate degree (master’s degree or higher preferred) in Gender Studies, Public Health, Clinical Social Work, Sociology, Anthropology, Medicine, or related field.

IX. Required Skills & Experience

• 12+ years of experience providing technical leadership to global health programs, particularly in GEDI-related areas.
• Experience and training in developing research methodologies, leading research teams and promoting evidence-based practices.
• Considerable experience implementing or supporting public health programs in low-income and/or middle-income countries essential.
• Prior work experience in a non-governmental organization (NGO), government agency, or private organization in subject matter area of expertise; and,
• Experience working in USAID funded programs highly desirable and knowledge of USAID's work in gender a strong plus
• Experience working in humanitarian contexts, emergency and post-crisis, in all the steps of the Project Cycle Management, highly desirable
• Experience strategizing and advising on how to identify and reduce gender gaps in global health, development and/or humanitarian programs
• Experience in the interconnection of gender, health and resilience a plus
• Applied research or technical development experience, involvement in the development of guidance and promotion of tools and methodologies.
• Knowledge of USAID as a donor and of their reporting requirements.
• Capacity to write and review complex technical and donor reports.
• Good working knowledge of computer software, MS Office.
• Ability to manage and prioritize one’s own workload.
• Ability to present clear ideas and arguments, providing distance support, training and influence.
• Flexible, adaptable, dynamic and enthusiastic.
• Fluent written and spoken English; working knowledge of French or language desirable;
• Must be authorized to work in the US.