Gender Specialists at Sahel Capital Partners and Advisory Limited

Sahel Capital is a leading fund manager and advisory firm focused on West Africa with deep roots in private equity, financial advisory, management consulting, and agribusiness. When you partner with Sahel you benefit from quality financial and operational experience, broad industry knowledge, and a powerful network of global relationships. Through an integrated approach, we work closely with companies and investment partners to deliver capital solutions and advisory services tailored to fit your unique needs. The power of a partnership with Sahel leads to better investments, stronger businesses, and shared success.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Gender Specialist

Location: Lagos

Project Description

• The Nigerian Dairy Development Program (NDDP) is geared towards improving the livelihoods of smallholder dairy farmers in Nigeria by improving the productivity of their cattle and integrating them into the formal dairy value chain in Nigeria.
• The Project also includes a nutrition and gender component which are geared towards improving nutrition outcomes and promoting women empowerment in smallholder dairy communities.
• This project is implemented by Sahel Capital Partners & Advisory Ltd. and a consortium of other partners.
• The project seeks to boost the yields and incomes of smallholder farmers, increase nutrition outcomes and empower women involved in agriculture in Africa.

Role Summary

• The role of the Gender Specialist (GS) is to be the project’s technical advisor on gender and women empowerment issues, as well as to manage and lead the execution of a holistic study that will assess the cultural and social contexts influencing women participation in smallholder dairy and farming communities in Northern and Southern Nigeria.
• He/she will work alongside other critical stakeholders in the project and other project team members to plan and develop gender integration strategies for the project.
• The GS will also manage and lead the execution of a holistic gender study that will assess barriers that women face in dairy producing communities in Northern and Southern Nigeria and propose specific interventions that will address these barriers.
• The gender specialist will also work closely with a wide range of stakeholders at the federal and state ministries of agriculture and women affairs as well as development agencies active in gender related issues to design and implement gender sensitive approaches for enhancing the livelihood of smallholder dairy farmers while yet improving their nutrition.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities
Sub-Grantee Management: Gender Study:

• In coordination with the NDDP’s Project Management Office (PMO), partner dairy processors, the Nutrition Specialist and the sub-grantee for the gender study, the Gender Specialist will plan, design and lead the execution of the gender study in smallholder farming communities in Northern and Southern Nigeria.
• Together with the sub grantee for the Gender Study, he/she will define key hypotheses for the focus of the analysis, including issues around employment of women in the dairy sector, control of productive assets, women participation in household decision making, access to basic education and health services for women and girls.
• Together with the Nutrition Specialist, oversee the development of harmonized, methodologies, approaches and instruments for conducting the Gender Study.
• Together with the sub grantee for the Gender Study, propose interventions and structures to address barriers that women face in dairy producing communities and to ensure that they continue to maintain a significant control over the proceeds from the sale of their milk and other productive assets related to dairy production.
• Investigate the applicability of proven dairy women empowerment programs such as the East African Dairy Development Project’s Social Capital Development and Dairy Interest Group approaches for the social, cultural and economic settings in Nigeria.
• In coordination with the Project Manager and Nutrition Specialist, oversee the organization of two stakeholder meetings in Lagos and Abuja to share the results of the gender study and obtain buy-in for proposed interventions
• Oversee the development of regular progress reports on the gender studies for the PMO and project funder use.
• Oversee the development of interim and final project reports from the gender studies for onward submission to the project funder and other stakeholders in the public, private and development sectors.
• Assist the Project Manager in the selection, contracting and remuneration of sub-grantees working on the gender study in accordance with donor guidelines.
• Assist the PMO in supporting the implementation of other project activities, including the nutrition component of the program.

Planning, developing and implementing Dairy Development Services:

• Oversee the development and implementation of a gender integration plan in the focal cluster communities.
• Work closely with the PMO and Dairy & Livestock Specialist in designing training modules targeting women farmers to drive production efficiencies as well as designing and trialing interventions as part of the overall gender study that can drive inclusion of women’s organizations in these communities.
• Serve as liaison on women’s issues for high-profile delegations from Government and private sector actors within and outside the dairy industry.
• Documentation, Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting
• Assist the Project Manager and Project Coordinators to develop project strategies, project plans technical capacity building interventions, activities and policies related to implementing the gender components of the NDDP.
• Participate in regular field visits to project sites (up to 50% of the time) to ensure high quality project performance and monitor and track progress against project timelines.
• Support the PMO M&E team and other sub-grantees on the collection and reporting of program results especially with regards to the baseline studies and any gender-related interventions.
• Support the Project Manager in monitoring progress and evaluation of project activities including financial performances.
• Assist the Project Manager in preparation of progress reports (quarterly, annual, final) and respond to the queries related to the gender components of the project.
• Coordinate with federal, state and local governments, communities, project beneficiaries, private sector service providers and suppliers, consultants, and other stakeholders at project level for effective delivery of project activities
• Assist the Project Manager to maintain good relations with project beneficiaries, partner organizations, and other stakeholders
• Oversee the preparation of the results of the gender study in compelling formats for eventual publication on selected platforms.
• Participate in public forum within and outside Nigeria to share and communicate the results of the study to public, private and development sector stakeholders focusing specifically on the dynamics influencing the success of dairy development, gender and nutrition interventions targeted at West Africa.
• Work with the Project Director and Project Manager to develop proposals for a potential 2nd Phase of the NDDP incorporating proposed gender interventions and developing a framework for the implementation of those interventions.

Relationship Management:

• Develop and maintain relations with a wide variety of private, public and international stakeholders working on gender related issues to ensure coordination of activities, support best practices, and build partnerships.
• Build relationships and partnerships with a wide range of Government officials including ministerial directors at the national level, state and local levels, and representatives from multiple ministries at the management, technical and administrative levels.
• Build relationships and partnerships with potential implementing partners as necessary, including meetings at a senior level with key NGO implementing personnel to discuss issues related to the effective implementation and support for potential interventions

Minimum Qualification and Requirements
Candidates should have:

• Master’s degree in Gender Studies, Development Studies, International Development, Sociology, or any other related social science discipline with at least three years of work experience in a similar capacity in Nigeria or West Africa or a Bachelor’s degree in in Gender Studies, Development Studies, Sociology, or any other related social science discipline with at least five-seven years of work experience in programming for women’s development in Nigeria or West Africa.
• Deep understanding of women’s and gender equality issues in Nigeria both at national, state and community levels.
• Familiarity with key policies and stakeholders related to women’s and gender equality issues in Nigeria (local and international governmental and non-governmental actors).
• A substantial understanding of gender equality with knowledge of relevant international and national gender and human rights instruments, conventions and legislation is highly desirable.
• Strong program management skills and high level of analytical skills in planning and project implementation.
• Ability to be flexible, respond professionally, and establish priorities in often fluid, changing, and challenging situations with little clear guidance is necessary.
• Ability to work calmly, tactfully, and effectively under pressure and to demonstrate extreme flexibility in managing more than one activity.
• An understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of gender mainstreaming strategies and methodologies and of gender dynamics and complexities and cultural issues/constraints in facilitating women’s participation with a particular focus on the agriculture sector in Nigeria.
• Ability to formulate and present expert analyses from personal observations, surveys, journal articles, and other documents, and a demonstrated ability to express views clearly and logically before groups and individuals verbally or in writing.
• Understanding of the social and cultural contexts that underpin Fulani and smallholder farming communities in Nigeria.
• Willingness and enthusiasm for working with rural and vulnerable communities living in remote areas of the country.
• Proficiency in the English language (required) and Yoruba and Hausa (preferred)
• Position based: Lagos (Project Management Office) with 50% travel to project sites across Nigeria as will be required.

Application Closing Date
6th January, 2017.

Method of Application
Qualified and interested candidates should forward their CV's to: [email protected] with the position they are applying for as the subject of the mail.

Note: Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.