Gender Specialist – Digital Green
Agriculture, Social Sciences and Community
Digital Green
Smallholder farmers are the heroes that produce much of the world’s food, and yet they’re often the poorest and most malnourished among us. At Digital Green, we believe that rural communities can lift themselves out of poverty, and that technology can accelerate their ability to do so. But technology alone is not enough – and neither are we. That’s why we join forces with governments, private agencies and, most importantly, rural communities themselves to co-create solutions that are of the community and for the community.
By integrating digital innovation with grassroots expertise, we are collectively changing the status quo. When farmers have the tools they need to learn from each other, they’re far more likely to integrate what they’ve learned into their farming practices – improving their own livelihoods and those of others in their community, in a manner that’s nutrition-sensitive, climate-resilient, and inclusive.
Digital Green began as a research project at Microsoft and became its first non-profit spin-off in 2008. We began by working with frontline extension workers, training them to produce and share videos featuring local farmers. This led to significant increases in information sharing, best-practice adoption rates and, above all, sustainable development at scale.
Rigorous data analysis and farmer feedback continually challenge our assumptions and identify new ways that technology coupled with local knowledge can push the needle on agriculture, food and nutrition security.
Since day one, our deeply committed, curious and collaborative team has been challenged and inspired. We’ve tried and failed and tried again, and have ultimately become leaders in using technology for global development. To date, we’ve worked with more than 1.5 million smallholder farmers – eighty percent of whom are women – in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. And we’re just getting started.
For more information please visit Digital Green – www.digitalgreen.org
About Digital Green
Digital Green is an international non-government organization that empowers smallholder farmers to lift themselves out of poverty by harnessing the collective power of technology and grassroots-level partnerships. We join forces with governments, private agencies, CSOs and, most importantly, rural communities themselves to co-create digital solutions that help smallholder farmers increase productivity and income. In Ethiopia, Digital Green is working in four regions in introducing and scaling video-extension approach, in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture and Regional Bureaus of Agriculture and Natural Resource. For more information, please visit Digital Green’s website: www.digitalgreen.org. Rigorous data analysis and farmer feedback continually challenge our assumptions and identify new ways that technology coupled with local knowledge can push the needle on agriculture, food and nutrition security.
Digital Green is entering an exciting phase of development as it expands to additional digital solutions, agricultural commodities and geographies. As part of this expansion, Digital Green is building a team of exceptional individuals with a passion for finding solutions to pressing development problems. This is an exciting opportunity to join Digital Green’s growing team in Ethiopia, supporting our ongoing and new programs
Job Summary
The Gender Specialist will serve as a technical lead in supporting gender-intentional planning and implementation of initiatives that will enhance gender equality in accessing and utilizing appropriate agricultural information via digital technologies. The Gender Specialist will be tasked with ensuring that both women and men issues are effectively incorporated into the operations of Digital Green’s programs and projects. It is envisioned that this will initially be achieved through hands-on support that will require outstanding skills in planning and mainstreaming gender issues in the project. It also requires the ability to facilitate and influence change through training, coaching and high-level interpersonal communication skills. The Gender Specialist will report to the Program Director and will work closely with the Digital Green team and consortium members. The Gender Specialist will also support other Digital Green programs in Ethiopia.
Job Purpose
To ensure building Digital Green’s and partners’ capacities in understanding and applying gender approaches, tools and best practices in the planning, implementing and executing of their programs and projects.
Key Responsibilities
- Support gender mainstreaming in all aspects of Digital Green’s digital platforms and other Programs in collaboration with Digital Green’s technical team and partners:
- Develops appropriate strategies for mainstreaming gender within Digital Green projects; ensure implementation of the strategies and measure the results achieved.
- Develops and designs concepts, and inputs to support operationalization of gender mainstreaming strategies and plans within Digital Green projects
- Participates in projects’ detailed implementation plans at the start-up phase and in on-going and annual reviews, to ensure gender responsive project planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
- Devise appropriate methodologies for enhanced engagement in addressing women’s access to and use of digital agricultural information to benefit from various digital platforms
- Conducts assessment and analysis at community level to regularly feed into strategy/approach revisions
- Utilize current MIS Software such as COCO (Connect On Line Connect Offline) and Unique Farmer IDs for reporting and gauging project progress in addressing gender issues
- Work collaboratively with Digital Green team members in Ethiopia and globally to facilitate gender mainstreaming in all aspect’s Digital Green portfolio
- Capacity Building and Technical Assistance:
- Conducts capacity assessment and based on the results, leads the development and facilitation of training on inclusive gender approaches within Digital Green interventions
- Develops and implements follow-up coaching plans to sustain staff expertise and commitment to apply gender inclusive approaches
- Works with the relevant project and government structures to facilitate gender inclusive approaches while developing and framing contents and disseminating the same to the farming community
- Lead and provide technical assistance on gender to partners
- Work closely with the M&E team in the effort to measure impact of projects using gender disaggregated indicators, and document lessons and best practices
Compensation
Digital Green is a great place to work and prides itself on a competitive and comprehensive compensation and benefits package. Digital Green is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or any other characteristic protected by law
Qualifications and Experiences
- Masters Degree in Gender Studies, Agriculture, Rural Development, Social Science, and other related fields
- Minimum of 10 years work experience in the agricultural & rural development sector
- Experience in working as gender specialist, gender manager, or any other senior gender related roles
- Experience in working with consortium partners, government bodies and the farming communities
- NGO experience is of a great advantage
Knowledge & Skills
- Coaching and training/facilitation skills
- Excellent command of written and spoken English
- Team player and has requisite social skills to build cordial relationships with internal / external stakeholders
- Strong work ethic and self-driven: displays the ability to take timely actions and effectively accomplish work results with limited supervision and guidance
- Willingness to take on challenging tasks/ assignments beyond immediate responsibility
- High level of personal and professional integrity and trustworthiness
- Thrive in a fast-paced and fun environment