Helen Keller International (HKI)

Helen Keller Intl. Bangladesh
Job Announcement

Guided by the remarkable legacy of its co-founder, Helen Keller, Helen Keller Intl partners with communities striving to overcome longstanding cycles of poverty. By delivering the essential building blocks of good health, sound nutrition and clear vision, we help millions of people create lasting change in their own lives. Working in more than 20 countries – across Africa, Asia, Europe and the United States – and together with a global community of supporters, we are ensuring every person has the opportunity – as Helen did – to reach their true potential.

COUNTRY PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Starting in 1978 by promoting and implementing Nutrition programs, today, Helen Keller Bangladesh is implementing large scale food and health systems program work in Dhaka, the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), Sylhet, Sathkhira, Bogura, Pabna and Narayangonj through and with the government of Bangladesh, as well as national and international partners and NGOs, academic and research institutions, and the private sector.

Since its beginning, Helen Keller Bangladesh has worked with over 150 local, international and government partners to establish Enhanced Homestead Food Production (HFP) programs benefiting over 4.5 million people. We are currently implementing programs to prevent blindness and Neglected Tropical Diseases alongside to programs to improve nutrition and food security that integrate gender-sensitive approaches.

We are currently seeking Specialist - Gender, Youth and Social Inclusion (GYSI) and Protection based at Cox’s Bazar for the USAID’s Host and Impacted Communities Resilience Activity (HICRA) project of Helen Keller Intl Bangladesh.

DURATION: 24 months with the possibility of an extension

INTRODUCTION:

Cox’s Bazar and the three Chittagong Hill Tract (CHT) districts are among the lowest ranked in Bangladesh for education, skills training, food security, poverty and agricultural productivity. The situation has worsened since 2017, with the Rohingya refugee influx, which has put enormous pressure on the local economies, resulting in loss of livelihoods, depressed local wages, increased food insecurity and distorted local market systems. The increased population has also put severe pressure on already limited resources. There is a need for safe drinking water and sanitation facilities. Forests have become degraded negatively affecting biodiversity and ecosystem services. Moreover, these districts are prone to natural disasters including fires, flash floods, landslides, extreme heat and drought. Cox’s Bazar experiences these as well as rising sea levels, salinification of soil and water, and tropical cyclones.

In response, USAID’s Host and Impacted Communities Resilience Activity (HICRA) led by Friends In Village Development Bangladesh (FIVDB) with DevWorks International, Helen Keller International, Christian Aid, International Initiative for Impact Evaluation and Nature Conservation Management (NACOM) as technical partners, and implementing partners ASHIKA Development Associates, ANANDO, and Bolipara Nari Kaylan Somity (BNKS) will take an integrated approach to improve the overall well-being and resilience of people residing in the communities hosting or impacted by the Rohingya refugee crisis. HICRA will achieve this goal through the implementation of livelihoods; water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH); natural resource management (NRM); and disaster risk reduction (DRR) interventions with an estimated 114,000 households across the four prioritized districts.

SCOPE OF ROLE:

The Coordinator, GYSI and Protection is responsible for providing technical support in implementing HICRA GYSI and protection activities across the results. S/he is responsible for continued adaptation and improvement of HICRA’s GYSI and protection intervention and is involved in adopting training materials, and modules where necessary.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

Provide technical support to ensure the integration and implementation of Gender, Youth, and Social Inclusion (GYSI) and protection approaches across the consortium.
Coordinate with consortium and district/upazila coordinators to plan and sequence field activities, maintaining close collaboration while working on a rotational basis at the district/upazila level.
Monitor the quality of stakeholder and community sessions, ensuring high standards of gender integration in field activities, as well as the performance of facilitators.
Assist in monitoring and evaluating gender-related activities as outlined in the program plan.
Prepare and submit monthly and quarterly reports on gender activities to the supervisor.
Organize upazila-level events such as workshops, International Women's Day (IWD) celebrations, fairs, and other activities with support from stakeholders involved in the HICRA project.
Maintain regular communication with the upazila gender focal points to oversee the implementation of gender activities.
Coordinate and participate in various events and celebrations in collaboration with government bodies (GoB) and other stakeholders.
Support the supervisor in documenting successes, case studies, and lessons learned.
Provide ongoing support for Homestead Food Production (HFP) and Income Generating Activities (IGA) fieldwork at the upazila level in addition to gender-related tasks.
Collaborate closely with the Consortium Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) and other regional office members.
Organize Gender Working Group meetings as needed.
Offer technical assistance, training, and mentorship to field staff to build their capacity in applying GYSI-empowering approaches to extension activities.
Ensure protection and inclusion are central to all program activities.
Represent the program and share learnings in Gender Technical Working Groups and other relevant technical committees and forums.
Conduct supportive supervision and coaching visits to strengthen the capacity of frontline staff in content delivery and methodology.
Build and maintain partnerships with local and international GYSI organizations and networks at the sub-national/local level.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:

ESSENTIAL

Academic:

Master’s degree in Gender Studies, Social Sciences, International Development, or a relevant field

Work Experience:

A minimum of 6-8 years of relevant experience in gender-focused roles within the national or
international development sector.
Proven experience in successfully integrating gender considerations into program implementation,
ensuring high-quality outcomes.
Experience working in Cox’s Bazar, the Chittagong Hill Tracts, or similar challenging contexts is highly

Desirable.

Strong familiarity with USAID requirements, regulations, and policies.
Demonstrated experience in facilitating and supporting training sessions, workshops, decision-making processes, adaptive management, and learning.

ACCOUNTABILITY:

The Specialist for GYSI and Protection is accountable to the Technical Lead for GYSI and Protection regarding the overall performance of the gender program. Key performance areas include the timely implementation of project activities through effective planning, resource management, training, coaching, mentoring, and ensuring the monitoring and quality of the program.

To Apply: Qualified candidates should submit a cover letter and resume to Bangladesh-Recruitment@hki.org by November 10, 2024. Please write “Application for the position of Specialist-Gender, Youth and Social Inclusion (GYSI) and Protection” in the subject line. If you write a different subject, your application may be missed.

In the spirit of our founder and namesake, Helen Keller is dedicated to building an inclusive workforce where diversity in all its forms is fully valued.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, caste, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. Should you need to request an accommodation during the recruitment process, please contact us at the email above.