Social Development and Gender Specialist
- Référence cDiscussion: 1135647
- Publié le: 06/01/2026 à 15h35min07s
- Niveau d'études: Bac + 3
- Expérience: 10 ans ou plus
- Expire le: 14-01-2026
Save the Children
Juba, South Sudan
Humanitaire (ONG, Associations, ...), Projet/programme de développement
Social Development and Gender Specialist
SUMMARY
3 Jan 2026
14 Jan 2026 - 10:06 UTC
South Sudan
Programme Operations
Permanent
Full-time
TITLE: Social Development and Gender Specialist
TEAM/PROGRAMME: Operations Department
LOCATION: Juba (with up to 70% field travel- Pariang and Pibor)
EXPECTED START DATE: 1st January 2026 ( Subject to funding approval)
CONTRACT LENGTH: 12 months initially (with the possibility of extension).
CHILD SAFEGUARDING:
Level 2: the role holder will have contact with children and/or young people either frequently (e.g. once a week or more) or intensively (e.g. four days in one month or more or overnight) because they work in country programs; or are visiting country programs; or because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff.
ROLE PURPOSE:
The Social Development and Gender Specialist will provide technical leadership on gender equality, social inclusion (GESI), protection sensitivity, and community safeguards across all project activities. The specialist will ensure that youth and women—especially marginalized groups such as persons with disabilities, young mothers, refugees, returnees, and pastoralist women—benefit equitably from the programme in Juba, Pariang, and Pibor.The role ensures that gender-sensitive training, conflict-sensitive engagement, GBV risk mitigation, and environmental and social safeguards (ESMF) are integrated throughout community mobilization, livelihoods pathways, VSLA formation, financial inclusion, coaching, and monitoring mechanisms.The specialist also leads the Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM), ensuring accessible, confidential, survivor-centered, and culturally appropriate channels.
SCOPE OF ROLE:
Reports to: Project Manager/Team Leader
Staff reporting to this post: N/A
Roles & Responsibilities
A. Gender and Social Inclusion Analysis & Mainstreaming
Conduct gender, protection, and social inclusion analyses to identify constraints affecting youth and women’s participation in livelihoods and training activities across the three counties.
Ensure project designs and activity plans incorporate the needs of marginalized groups (e.g., out-of-school youth, chronically vulnerable women, persons with disabilities, refugees, pastoralist women).
Develop gender-responsive strategies for module delivery, VSLA formation, cooperative development, and financial inclusion.
B. Technical Support to Livelihoods, Coaching, and Grants Components
Advise on gender-sensitive business and vocational skills curricula tailored to the urban, refugee/host, and pastoralist contexts.
Provide guidance to ensure grant disbursements and business plans reflect equitable resource access and mitigate risks for women and youth.
Collaborate with the Livelihoods Specialist to integrate gender-responsive indicators, psycho-social aspects, and GBV safety planning into livelihood pathways.
C. GBV Risk Mitigation & Safe Programming
Lead integration of GBV prevention, response pathways, and Do-No-Harm principles across training, community engagement, and coaching systems.
Develop and implement safe referral pathways in collaboration with local service providers, government structures, and humanitarian actors.
Train staff, mentors, mobilizers, and partners on GBV awareness, survivor-centered response, confidentiality, and cultural sensitivity.
D. Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) Leadership
Design, operationalize, and supervise the three-tier GRM for Juba, Pariang, and Pibor, ensuring channels are accessible to diverse groups.
Ensure community complaint boxes, hotlines, focal-person mechanisms, and digital reporting systems are functional and monitored.
Work with UNOPS, county authorities, and project teams to analyze grievances, track resolutions, and address systemic issues.
E. Environmental and Social Safeguards (ESMF) Integration
Ensure screening tools are applied to business plans and livelihood activities to prevent harmful practices such as deforestation or unsafe construction.
Train project teams and county officials on environmental and social standards, including child safeguarding, labour standards, and community health and safety.
Monitor compliance and recommend mitigation plans for environmental and social risks.
F. Community Engagement & Conflict Sensitivity
Support development of inclusive community mobilization strategies that consider local power dynamics, clan relations, cultural norms, and refugee–host interactions.
Guide location-specific approaches:
Urban settings in Juba
Refugee–host community interactions in Pariang
Pastoralist mobility and inter-clan tension in Pibor
Ensure engagement strategies foster representation of women, youth, and marginalized groups.
G. Capacity Building of Project Teams & Stakeholders
Train staff, mobilizers, local leaders, and mentors on gender equality, social inclusion, GBV mitigation, safeguarding, and conflict-sensitive engagement.
Build capacity of VSLA promoters, cooperative advisors, and trainers to adopt gender-transformative approaches.
H. Reporting & Learning
Contribute to quarterly learning reports, gender briefs, social inclusion case studies, and evaluations.
Track GESI-specific indicators and support M&E in developing evidence for adaptive management.
KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:
Gender and Social Inclusion (GESI) Analysis and Mainstreaming
Technical Support to Livelihoods, Coaching, and Grant Components
GBV Risk Mitigation and Safe Programming
Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) Leadership
Environmental and Social Safeguards (ESMF) Integration
Community Engagement and Conflict Sensitivity Guidance
Capacity Building for Staff and Community Stakeholders
Reporting, Documentation, and Learning on GESI Issues
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-oriented, 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 the highest levels of integrity.
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
Essential:
Educational Qualifications
Master’s degree in Sociology, Social Work, International Relations, Project Planning and Management, Gender Studies, Development Studies, or a closely related field with at least 5 years of relevant experience;OR
Bachelor’s degree in the same fields with a minimum of 10 years of relevant experience.
Professional Experience
Demonstrable experience working on gender or women’s rights programming at community level.
Proven experience in gender mainstreaming, gender-sensitive programming, and integrating gender equality throughout the project cycle.
Experience addressing Gender-Based Violence (GBV), including prevention, mitigation, and response.
Experience working on gender transformation initiatives, preferably in conflict-affected or fragile settings.
Experience encouraging women’s participation in non-traditional or male-dominated livelihood activities.
Familiarity with or experience supporting Grievance Redress Mechanisms (GRM).
Experience collaborating with UN agencies, government institutions, NGOs, or community structures on gender and social inclusion interventions.
Strong understanding of gender dynamics affecting youth and women in development settings.
Ability to analyze social norms, barriers, protection risks, and gender inequalities.
Strong facilitation and community engagement skills, particularly with women, girls, and vulnerable groups.
Excellent communication, coordination, and training skills.
Desireable:
Prior experience working in South Sudan or similar humanitarian or conflict-affected contexts.
Experience working on economic empowerment, livelihoods, or women’s entrepreneurship programmes.
Experience supporting the design or management of GBV referral pathways, safeguarding systems, or accountability mechanisms.
Knowledge of ESMF, Do-No-Harm principles, and conflict-sensitive programming.
Experience providing training to staff or partners on gender equality, GBV risk mitigation, or women’s empowerment.
Ability to generate gender-related reports, case studies, and learning briefs for donors.
Familiarity with the World Bank’s gender, GBV, and safeguards policies (an added advantage).
Bottom of Form
Additional job responsibilities
The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive, and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within the reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.
Equal Opportunities
The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI Equal Opportunities and Diversity policies and procedures.
Child Safeguarding:
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.
Health and Safety
The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI Health and Safety policies and procedures.
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