Technical Lead -Gender & Social Inclusion - Soroti job at Q-Sourcing

Background

Q-Sourcing Limited trading as Q-Sourcing Servtec is a manpower management solutions firm operating in the East African Region in the countries of Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, and South Sudan.

On behalf of our client RIPPLE EFFECT in the NGO sector, we are looking for a competent, skilled, and experienced Technical Lead -Gender & Social Inclusion to work in TESO(Soroti) & BUKEDI(Mbale)

About the Project

The Youth Economic Empowerment through Livestock Development (YEELD) Program is a five-year initiative aimed at improving the socio-economic well-being and resilience of financially disadvantaged young people aged 18–35 years in the Teso, Bukedi, and Ankole sub-regions of Uganda through livestock value chains. The program seeks to create 250,000 work opportunities, including for 200,000 (80%) young women, 5% persons with disabilities (PWDs), and 3% refugees and displaced persons (RDPs). YEELD is being implemented across 20 districts in the three sub-regions through a consortium coordinated by Ripple Effect, dfcu Foundation, and Multi Community Based Development Initiative (MUCOBADI), in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation.

Role Purpose

The Technical Lead- Gender and Social Inclusion will provide strategic and technical leadership in integrating gender equality, safeguarding, disability inclusion, youth inclusion and social inclusion approaches within youth and Livestock programme (YEELD). The Technical Lead Gender and Social Inclusion will ensure that programme interventions are gender responsive and transformative, socially inclusive, conflict sensitive and aligned with programme, national and donor standards.

This role requires a technically strong, field-oriented, and highly culturally responsive professional with a proven track record in undertaking participatory program design and implementation which emphasize youth led approaches, gender transformative programming, safeguarding, and inclusive rural development.

Key Responsibilities

Technical Leadership and Program Design

• Lead the design and implementation of gender-transformative and socially inclusive youth and livestock interventions.
• Ensure project activities address barriers affecting women, youth, persons with disabilities, and marginalized groups in livestock value chains.
• Support development of gender analyses, inclusion assessments, safeguarding risk assessments, standard operating procedures and action plans.
• Ensure program align with Uganda’s gender policies, livestock sector priorities and donor requirements.
• Provide technical guidance on integration of women’s economic empowerment approaches/ models into livestock production, marketing and enterprise development.

Capacity Strengthening and Mentorship

• Lead the design and implementation of Gender and Social Inclusion (GESI) strategies across the YEELD programme.
• Develop gender-responsive frameworks, assessment tools, action plans and monitoring indicators to support inclusive programme delivery.
• Conduct gender and social inclusion analyses to identify barriers, risks, and opportunities affecting women, youth, persons with disabilities and other marginalized groups.
• Design and deliver capacity-strengthening initiatives on gender equality, safeguarding, GBV prevention and response, disability inclusion, positive masculinity, and gender-transformative programming.
• Provide technical mentorship and coaching to project staff, partners, community structures, and local government actors on mainstreaming GESI in programme implementation.
• Support the integration of safeguarding and protection principles within all programme activities and partnerships.

Safeguarding, Protection and Inclusion

• Ensure safeguarding, protection, and Do No Harm principles are integrated across all program interventions.
• Support development and implementation of safeguarding policies and reporting mechanisms.
• Promote safe and inclusive participation of women and youth groups in project activities.
• Support prevention and response mechanisms related to Gender-Based Violence (GBV), abuse and exploitation risks within programming.
• Ensure compliance with donor, national and programme gender and safeguarding operating procedures.
• Promote a Do No Harm approach, ensuring programme interventions do not expose participants to harm, discrimination, or exploitation.
• Ensure informed consent, dignity, and confidentiality in all programme engagements and documentation.
• Strengthen safeguarding awareness and compliance across staff, partners, and community structures.
• Ensure that women, youth, persons with disabilities, and vulnerable groups participate safely and meaningfully in programme activities.
• Develop and support functioning reporting, referral, and response mechanisms for safeguarding concerns in line with organizational and donor requirements.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL)

• Support development of gender-sensitive indicators and monitoring frameworks.
• Collaborate with Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) programme teams to collect, analyse GSI disaggregated data.
• Conduct regular gender and inclusion monitoring visits to project sites to ensure adherence to GSI standard operating procedures
• Document lessons learned, case studies, success stories and best practices.
• Contribute to donor reports, annual reports, assessments and evaluations.
• Prepare high-quality technical reports and donor updates related to GESI outcomes and programme impact.

Livestock and Value Chain Programming

• Provide technical support on gender-responsive livestock production systems
• Promote equitable participation and decision-making of women and youth groups in livestock value chains.
• Guide partners and field teams on gender-sensitive animal husbandry, access to veterinary services, markets, and productive assets.
• Strengthen community structures and producer groups to enhance inclusion and participation.

Stakeholder Engagement and Advocacy

• Engage district local governments, community leaders, cultural leaders, women’s groups, youth groups and civil society organizations on Gender Social Inclusion issues.
• Represent the organization in technical working groups, coordination meetings, and stakeholder forums.
• Promote advocacy initiatives at local government level
• Strengthen partnerships with like-minded ministries, NGOs and development partners.

Other Duties

• Contribute to programme reviews, audits, evaluations, and learning processes.
• Support cross-cutting technical integration with other thematic leads (financial inclusion, value chains, business development, MEAL).
• Undertake any other duties of a similar nature as reasonably assigned by the Program Director.

Key Result Areas

• Gender and Social Inclusion (GSI) effectively mainstreamed across all YEELD programme components and regions.
• Increased equitable participation and benefit for women, youth, persons with disabilities, refugees, and marginalized groups in livestock value chains.
• Gender-transformative and inclusive approaches embedded in programme design and implementation.
• Strengthened capacity of staff, partners, and stakeholders to deliver inclusive and safeguarding-compliant interventions.
• Functional safeguarding systems integrated into programme delivery, with risks identified, mitigated, and managed.
• High-quality GSI data generated, analyzed, and used to inform programme decisions and reporting.
• Strong engagement with government, partners, and communities to promote inclusive development practices.
• Documented evidence, case studies, and lessons contributing to learning, scale, and policy influence.

Safeguarding

At Ripple Effect, we are committed to creating a safe and rewarding environment for all of our people, including staff, participants, partners, volunteers, children, and vulnerable adults. It is a shared responsibility to ensure that everyone is treated properly and protected from harm, exploitation, and abuse. To fulfil this commitment, we have established a robust Safeguarding Policy that everyone working with us is expected to follow, along with a confidential whistle-blowing procedure that allows individuals to raise any concerns they may have.

Personal Specification

Qualifications

Essential:

• Master’s degree in Gender Studies, Social Sciences, Development Studies, Community Development, or related field.

Desirable:

• Additional training in safeguarding, GBV prevention and response, or social inclusion.

Experience and Knowledge

Essential:

• 8–10 years of experience in gender equality and social inclusion programming within development low resource or humanitarian contexts.
• Proven experience integrating GSI into large-scale donor-funded programmes.
• Strong experience in gender analysis, inclusion assessments, and gender-transformative programming.
• Experience working with youth, women, and marginalized groups, including persons with disabilities.
• Demonstrated experience in safeguarding integration and GBV risk mitigation.

Desirable:

• Experience in agriculture, livestock, or rural livelihoods programming.
• Familiarity with Mastercard Foundation or similar donor frameworks.
• Experience working with private sector actors and or government systems and influencing policy.

Skills and Attributes

Essential:

• Strong expertise in gender, youth, and social inclusion analysis and programming.
• Ability to design and operationalize gender-transformative and inclusive approaches.
• Excellent facilitation, training, and mentorship skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a systems-thinking approach.
• Excellent communication, advocacy, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Ability to work across multidisciplinary teams and influence programme design.
• High level of integrity, cultural sensitivity, and commitment to safeguarding principles.
• Willingness to travel frequently across programme regions.

Desirable:

• Knowledge of disability inclusion frameworks and approaches.
• Experience in policy influencing and advocacy.
• Understanding of livestock value chains and rural market system

• Lead the design and implementation of gender-transformative and socially inclusive youth and livestock interventions.
• Ensure project activities address barriers affecting women, youth, persons with disabilities, and marginalized groups in livestock value chains.
• Support development of gender analyses, inclusion assessments, safeguarding risk assessments, standard operating procedures and action plans.
• Ensure program align with Uganda’s gender policies, livestock sector priorities and donor requirements.
• Provide technical guidance on integration of women’s economic empowerment approaches/ models into livestock production, marketing and enterprise development.
• Lead the design and implementation of Gender and Social Inclusion (GESI) strategies across the YEELD programme.
• Develop gender-responsive frameworks, assessment tools, action plans and monitoring indicators to support inclusive programme delivery.
• Conduct gender and social inclusion analyses to identify barriers, risks, and opportunities affecting women, youth, persons with disabilities and other marginalized groups.
• Design and deliver capacity-strengthening initiatives on gender equality, safeguarding, GBV prevention and response, disability inclusion, positive masculinity, and gender-transformative programming.
• Provide technical mentorship and coaching to project staff, partners, community structures, and local government actors on mainstreaming GESI in programme implementation.
• Support the integration of safeguarding and protection principles within all programme activities and partnerships.
• Ensure safeguarding, protection, and Do No Harm principles are integrated across all program interventions.
• Support development and implementation of safeguarding policies and reporting mechanisms.
• Promote safe and inclusive participation of women and youth groups in project activities.
• Support prevention and response mechanisms related to Gender-Based Violence (GBV), abuse and exploitation risks within programming.
• Ensure compliance with donor, national and programme gender and safeguarding operating procedures.
• Promote a Do No Harm approach, ensuring programme interventions do not expose participants to harm, discrimination, or exploitation.
• Ensure informed consent, dignity, and confidentiality in all programme engagements and documentation.
• Strengthen safeguarding awareness and compliance across staff, partners, and community structures.
• Ensure that women, youth, persons with disabilities, and vulnerable groups participate safely and meaningfully in programme activities.
• Develop and support functioning reporting, referral, and response mechanisms for safeguarding concerns in line with organizational and donor requirements.
• Support development of gender-sensitive indicators and monitoring frameworks.
• Collaborate with Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) programme teams to collect, analyse GSI disaggregated data.
• Conduct regular gender and inclusion monitoring visits to project sites to ensure adherence to GSI standard operating procedures
• Document lessons learned, case studies, success stories and best practices.
• Contribute to donor reports, annual reports, assessments and evaluations.
• Prepare high-quality technical reports and donor updates related to GESI outcomes and programme impact.
• Provide technical support on gender-responsive livestock production systems
• Promote equitable participation and decision-making of women and youth groups in livestock value chains.
• Guide partners and field teams on gender-sensitive animal husbandry, access to veterinary services, markets, and productive assets.
• Strengthen community structures and producer groups to enhance inclusion and participation.
• Engage district local governments, community leaders, cultural leaders, women’s groups, youth groups and civil society organizations on Gender Social Inclusion issues.
• Represent the organization in technical working groups, coordination meetings, and stakeholder forums.
• Promote advocacy initiatives at local government level
• Strengthen partnerships with like-minded ministries, NGOs and development partners.
• Contribute to programme reviews, audits, evaluations, and learning processes.
• Support cross-cutting technical integration with other thematic leads (financial inclusion, value chains, business development, MEAL).
• Undertake any other duties of a similar nature as reasonably assigned by the Program Director.

• Strong expertise in gender, youth, and social inclusion analysis and programming.
• Ability to design and operationalize gender-transformative and inclusive approaches.
• Excellent facilitation, training, and mentorship skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a systems-thinking approach.
• Excellent communication, advocacy, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Ability to work across multidisciplinary teams and influence programme design.
• High level of integrity, cultural sensitivity, and commitment to safeguarding principles.
• Willingness to travel frequently across programme regions.
• Knowledge of disability inclusion frameworks and approaches.
• Experience in policy influencing and advocacy.
• Understanding of livestock value chains and rural market system

• Master’s degree in Gender Studies, Social Sciences, Development Studies, Community Development, or related field.
• Additional training in safeguarding, GBV prevention and response, or social inclusion.
• 8–10 years of experience in gender equality and social inclusion programming within development low resource or humanitarian contexts.
• Proven experience integrating GSI into large-scale donor-funded programmes.
• Strong experience in gender analysis, inclusion assessments, and gender-transformative programming.
• Experience working with youth, women, and marginalized groups, including persons with disabilities.
• Demonstrated experience in safeguarding integration and GBV risk mitigation.
• Experience in agriculture, livestock, or rural livelihoods programming.
• Familiarity with Mastercard Foundation or similar donor frameworks.
• Experience working with private sector actors and or government systems and influencing policy.