Since 1963 and in 148 countries, ACDI/VOCA has empowered people in developing and transitional nations to succeed in the global economy. Based in Washington, D.C., ACDI/VOCA is a nonprofit international development organization that designs and delivers technical and management solutions in agriculture, economic growth, and resilience to promote economic prosperity and social inclusion.

Gender, Youth, and Social Inclusion Lead, Zambia

ACDI/VOCA is seeking a Gender, Youth, and Social Inclusion (GYSI) Lead for an upcoming Agricultural Diversification Activity in Zambia funded by USAID. The anticipated program will transform Zambia’s agricultural sector into an efficient, equitable, and sustainable producer of high quality and nutritious food for consumption, sale, and trade.

The GYSI Lead will lead the development and implementation of the program’s overall GYSI strategy and Action Plan and will ensure the integration of women, youth, and other vulnerable populations into all program activities. The program is anticipated to start in 2024 and this position will be based in Zambia

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of the GYSI strategy and action plan which will guide the integration of GYSI concepts and approaches into all program activities, including technical implementation, monitoring, operations, policies, and procedures
• Lead or assist in the design and implementation of GYSI analyses, impact assessments, and other learning studies
• Provide technical advice and trainings to program staff, partners, and stakeholders to build their capacity to integrate gender, youth, and other relevant social considerations into designing interventions, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation
• Review and provide input to project work plans, with attention to GYSI dimensions of technical activities and operations and discuss GYSI issues and priorities with project senior management and other technical specialists
• Support the MEL/CLA Lead to ensure that all data is disaggregated by sex , age and other relevant social identities (e.g. persons with disability) in data collection processes, analysis, and reporting.
• Work with M&E and technical teams to incorporate GYSI into CLA plans and practices, including developing GYSI indicators and learning questions, incorporating GYSI issues into pause and reflect sessions, and ensuring that the project reports on GYSI outcomes and impacts
• Lead or assist in the preparation of reports and documents for submission to USAID and ACDI/VOCA home office
• Write, coordinate, and disseminate lessons learned among team, program stakeholders (including donors) and other relevant platforms in the development community of practice.
• Maintain an up-to-date and thorough understanding of GYSI issues related to project components

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in sociology, gender, international development, agriculture, business administration, or related field is required; master’s degree is preferred.
• Minimum 10 years of progressive work experience in international development, preferably in an agricultural or food systems context, including 5 years of experience in GYSI programming.
• Knowledge of and experience with USAID rules and regulations related to GYSI is required.
• Knowledge of do no harm, women’s empowerment, and positive youth development frameworks and approaches is encouraged.
• Experience conducting gender analysis and research a plus.
• Experience in building staff GYSI capacity and in collaborating with other technical staff to support GYSI mainstreaming.
• Fluency in English required.

Zambian nationals are strongly encouraged to apply.