Head of Gender Division (ARC) P5 – Johannesburg (SA) & Abidjan (IC) (405008)

WFP celebrates and embraces diversity. It is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, HIV status or disability.

Are you an experienced Gender Specialist interested in further developing your professional experience while contributing to ending global hunger? Are you passionate about helping those in need? Would you like to join a global organisation investing in its people?

If so, an exciting & fulfilling career awaits you! Join our diverse and passionate team that works on varied and international projects directly contributing to saving & changing millions of lives around the globe.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

Applications must be submitted by Sunday, 19 February 2023 (11:59 PM CET).

WHY JOIN US?

• WFP is a 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
• WFP offers a highly inclusive, diverse and multicultural working environment
• WFP invests in the personal & professional development of its employees through a range of trainings, accreditation, coaching, mentorship and other programs as well as through internal mobility opportunities
• A career path in WFP provides an exciting opportunity to work across various country, regional and global offices around the world, and with passionate colleagues who work tirelessly to ensure that effective humanitarian assistance reaches millions of people across the globe
• We offer an attractive compensation package (please refer to the Terms and Conditions section)

THE ROLE AND ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

The African Risk Capacity is a Specialised Agency of the African Union established in 2012 as an African-owned index-based weather risk insurance that provides African countries with tools and products to quantify and manage disaster risk. ARC offers a comprehensive, integrated solution that transfers weather risk away from governments and the vulnerable households they protect, to ARC. This enables governments to build resilience and better plan, prepare for and respond to extreme weather events.

ARC Agency established its first financial affiliate, ARC Insurance Company Limited (ARC Ltd.) in 2013 as a sovereign risk pool in the form of a mutual insurer owned by member governments. Whereas the ARC Agency provides capacity-building services to Member States in risk profiling, contingency planning, and monitoring and evaluation; ARC Ltd. issues weather insurance policies to governments. It uses ARC’s risk modelling and early warning software platform Africa RiskView to estimate the impact of weather events on vulnerable populations. In addition, it also estimates the response costs required to assist them before a hazard season begins and as it progresses. This ensures that index-based insurance pay-outs, based on predictions from Africa RiskView, are triggered at or before harvest time if the rains are poor or as soon as a severe flood or cyclone has occurred.

As part of its principles of engagement, the ARC Group adopts a differentiated approach to issues of gender equality. ARC considers the promotion of women’s empowerment and gender equality a critical factor in creating long-term impacts and sustainability. In this perspective, in a bid to ensure that its operational responses and its capacity-building work have a differentiated approach to men and women, ARC adopted its Gender Strategy in September 2019. The goal of the ARC Gender Strategy, which is a result of intensive consultations with stakeholders, is to transform Disaster Risk Management (DRM) approaches for both climate-based catastrophes and epidemic-prone diseases to ensure gender equality for vulnerable women and men in ARC Member States. It is in this context that ARC seeks to recruit a Head of the Gender Unit to oversee the implementation of the 5-year strategy.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

The Head of the Gender Division will lead the team to perform the following functions:

• Coordinate guidance on gender issues within all of the ARC Group’s policy and programme areas;
• Provide integrated, multidisciplinary policy and programme leadership on gender issues to all divisions within the ARC Group, as well as in Member States;
• Provide strategic guidance to the organisation on global and regional research for policy guidance, advocacy and policy dialogue on gender and DRM&F issues;
• Develop internal accountability and oversight systems for promoting gender equality as well as ensure integration of gender results in corporate planning, reporting tools and corporate processes to monitor institutional compliance;
• Support and guide the ARC Group to adapt its institutional framework to ensure gender equality results, including the development of systems and implementation of strategies and capacities for gender mainstreaming;
• Support Human Resources to promote gender parity in the organisation’s staff complement;
• Participate and support the WFP Task Force on Sexual Harassment, Abuse and Exploitation;
• Support the Group Director General’s office in its representational role on issues related to gender equality and women’s empowerment and in its reporting to the ARC Group Board;
• Advance the ARC Group’s position in intergovernmental processes;
• Lead coordination and cooperation with AU, RECs and CSO entities, as well as other stakeholders who are working on gender equality and women’s empowerment in the DRM&F spectrum; and
• Position ARC vis-à-vis the international development community on gender and DRM issues and foster partnerships with external partners.

The Head of the Gender Division is a member of ARC’s Group’s senior management team. S/He provides world-class authoritative contributions, advice and technical expertise, leading advocacy and speaking assertively on behalf of the organisation, establishing guidelines and directing the work of staff within the Division. The Head supervises the Gender team while supporting capacities across the organisation to deliver on the ARC Group’s gender equality commitments. S/He promotes gender and women’s empowerment through strong leadership, coordination, analysis, advocacy, outreach and support to the Member States. Further specific responsibilities of the Head of Gender are listed in WFP’s Advert (follow the link to apply to read more).

QUALIFICATIONS AND KEY REQUIREMENTS

Education: Advanced university degree in gender studies, political science, political economy or a related social science or relevant discipline.

Experience: A minimum of ten years or more of professional work experience leading teams, providing policy advice and pioneering approaches in development programmes, in the area of gender equality;

Language: Fluency (level C) in the English and French languages is required.

MORE ABOUT YOU

• Demonstrated track-record of excellence in delivering the work programme of complex, global, national or regional organizational entities in the area of gender equality;
• Working experience in development country contexts;
• Good knowledge of the Disaster Risk Management spectrum;
• Excellent communications skills with public speaking experience; and
• Written publications, ted talks or published op eds on gender equality a plus.

REMINDERS BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION

• We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, language skills and UN Grade (if applicable)
• Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application
• Please make sure you upload your professional CV in the English language
• Kindly note the only documents you will need to submit at this time are your CV and Cover Letter
• Additional documents such as passport, recommendation letters, academic certificates, etc. may potentially be requested at a future time
• Please contact us at [email protected] in case you face any challenges with submitting your application
• Only shortlisted candidates will be notified

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

The selected candidate will be employed on a fixed term 2 years (renewable) non-rotational contract.

WFP offers an attractive compensation and benefits package in line with ICSC standards (http://icsc.un.org) including basic salary, post adjustment, relocation entitlement, visa, travel and shipment allowances, 30 days’ annual leave, home leave, an education grant for dependent children, a pension plan, and medical insurance.

The position will be initially based in Johannesburg, South Africa, and expected to relocate to Abidjan within contract period. The selected candidate will be expected to relocate accordingly.

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WFP has a zero-tolerance approach to conduct such as fraud, sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to WFP’s standards of conduct and will therefore undergo rigorous background verification internally or through third parties. Selected candidates will also be required to provide additional information as part of the verification exercise. Misrepresentation of information provided during the recruitment process may lead to disqualification or termination of employment

WFP will not request payment at any stage of the recruitment process including at the offer stage. Any requests for payment should be refused and reported to local law enforcement authorities for appropriate action.