Gender Youth and Social Inclusion (GYSI) Senior Advisor At MarketShare Associates

Who we are:

MSA is a socially-driven global consulting firm. We provide innovative solutions for the private sector, government and civil society to improve, measure, and communicate the economic and social impacts of their investments. We believe market dynamics have a strong impact on how people live their lives. Our vision is to improve economic systems in order to reduce poverty. We recognize complexity and as such, use a systems approach to design solutions that work within dynamic environments. We work collaboratively with our clients, serving as brokers of creativity to help catalyze systemic change.

We take a bespoke approach to every engagement, developing tailored services for clients across our two practice areas:

· Advisory

· Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning

Since 2009 we have worked with a wide variety of clients and partners in dozens of countries across six continents.

Our work:

At MSA, our staff build results measurement systems for development programs, social enterprises and impact investors; research power dynamics and their influence on market behaviors; train client staff to think more systemically about the problems they seek to address; pitch MSA’s services to new potential clients; write thought pieces; and brainstorm new approaches to old problems. Regardless of task, our focus on disrupting the status quo demands critical engagement.

Who we want:

MSA seeks a talented professional with exceptional experience integrating gender and women’s economic empowerment into development programming to join the team in the position of Gender Youth and Social Inclusion Senior (GYSI) Senior Advisor based in Tamale (TBC), Ghana. Reporting directly to and working alongside the Deputy Chief of Party, the GYSI Senior Advisor will play a critical role in the project’s success. The GYSI Senior Advisor will provide ongoing support to the Deputy Chief of Party, technical teams, human resources, and monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) team for implementation of the Gender and Youth Action Plan (GYAP).

Specific responsibilities include:

· Design and manage the implementation of a Gender and Youth Action Plan over the life of the project

· Provide input on integration of gender analysis into market systems research plans and instruments.

· Regularly meet with the MEL team to review targets and results, and assist them with analyzing the results disaggregated by gender.

· Regularly meet with technical managers to review targets and results, and provide input into their intervention strategies on how to integrate gender and promote women’s economic empowerment (WEE), youth empowerment, and the empowerment of marginalized communities.

· In collaboration with project leadership, develop a plan for monitoring and mitigating risks to gender, youth and minority relations that may arise from the proposed interventions.

· Support technical managers and field teams in creating value propositions that support business investments in empowerment.

· Conduct regular field visits to project sites to support interventions and recommend ways to enhance the project’s empowerment results.

· As needed, identify learning gaps, and design and lead practical research to unpack the systemic constraints to women and youth resilience, and identify opportunities to strengthen their empowerment and participation in market systems

· Collaborate with the MEL team to conduct applied research on what works for empowerment in agriculture and the gender audit.

Required qualifications:

· Bachelor’s degree in gender studies, economics, international development or other related field and 10 years of related experience or a Master’s degree and 7 years of related experience

· Minimum seven years of experience working in gender and women’s economic empowerment in Ghana

· Experience working on USAID-funded projects or other bilateral or multi-lateral funded projects

· Strong ability to design and conduct qualitative research that addresses project learning priorities

· A passion for learning, investigation and for working in economic development

· A positive, collaborative attitude

· Familiar with private sector development, market systems facilitation and/or other economic development approaches (e.g., economic strengthening, inclusive business)

· Ability to build the capacity of colleagues and partners in integrating gender and women’s economic empowerment into programming

· Excellent English written and oral communication skills

· Capacity to take initiative and be a self-starter

· Advanced computer literacy, including strong Excel and PowerPoint skills

Desired qualifications:

· Experience working directly with private sector actors on social inclusion issues

Other information: **

This position is contingent upon award and funding of the program by USAID.