Job Title : Director of Women, Youth, Peace and Security Institute (WYPSI)
Department : Women, Youth, Peace and Security Institute (WYPSI)
Reports to : The Commandant
Supervises : All Staff in the Department
BACKGROUND
Globally, the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Agenda was adopted by the United Nations in the year 2000 to address the gendered impact of conflict on women, promote their participation in peace processes, and ensure their protection during and after conflict. At the continental level, the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, known as the Maputo Protocol adopted by the African Union in 2003 guarantees comprehensive rights to African girls and women’s rights including the right to take part in the political process, to social, political and economic equality. The relevance of these resolutions lies in the fact that they recognize the importance of gender equality and women’s participation in peace and security processes.
Similarly, the Youth, Peace, and Security (YPS) Agenda was adopted in 2015 to recognize the important role of young people in creating and maintaining peace. It marks a shift in the understanding of who the young are and their role to ensure sustainable peace and security. The UNSCR 2250, 2419 and 2535 all underpin the substantial roles the youth play in decisions making, conflict resolution, peacebuilding, leadership and governance and, the need for their increased participation and representation in these spaces.
To accelerate the full implementation of the WPS agenda across the African Continent, with support from partners, KAIPTC established the Women, Peace and Security Institute (WPSI) in 2010. WPSI has worked with various national, regional, and internationals stakeholders to contribute towards addressing the gaps as mentioned above and to promote gender equality and women empowerment within the peace and security environment. It has become necessary to elevate the Women Peace and Security Institute into a Department to advance the implementation of the WPS and the YPS agenda in Africa and beyond.
In view of this, KAIPTC is looking for a strong, dynamic and highly experienced person to provide strategic direction, technical expertise and management oversight to drive the mandate of the Department of the next phase.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Strategic Leadership and Vision
- Provide strong leadership, strategic directions and millstones to project the department’s mandate.
- Provide technical expertise for the elaboration of a 5year operational plan to guide the implementation of the department’s projects and programmes.
- Develop and design gender and youth responsive projects and programmes within the WPS and YPS portfolio in the context of Africa and beyond.
- Develop project proposals on Women, Youth, Peace and Security emerging issues to inform and influence policy decisions on WYPS issues in Africa.
- Provide programmes/projects development and policy advisory roles to both KAIPTC internal and external stakeholders.
- Project the KAIPTC as a gender responsive Centre of Excellence in the Sub-Region and beyond.
- Identify opportunities for strengthening African women and youth’s effective representation and full participation in leadership, governance, peacebuilding, peace negotiations and peacekeeping activities.
- Convene and guide experts’ group meetings to elaborate research gaps and priorities in the field of women, youth, gender, peace and security in Africa.
- Initiate and lead desk-based reviews and on-site visits to mainstream institutions working on peace and security in Africa and globally to assess existing institutional capacities and opportunities for collaboration on programmes to enhance youth and women’s participation in peace processes.
- Provide technical advice as relevant to facilitate integration of a gender perspective in research, policy and mainstreaming gender into training activities of KAIPTC.
- Identify and implement creative, efficient and effective ways to engage LIFT’s audiences and stakeholders including through organizing events such as field trips, missions, seminars, workshops, forums, guest lectures and seize conference participation opportunities in different thematic areas.
Resource Mobilization and Advocacy
- Develop and implement resource mobilization strategies to mobilize funds to support the activities of the department.
- Collaborate with the Stakeholder Engagement Office to conduct stakeholder mapping to identify new partners and expand on the resource mobilization portfolio.
- In line with KAIPTC’s demand driven strategies, engage with key partners to identify areas of interest to develop proposals, design and implement projects to increase the department cash flow.
- Prepare and negotiate funding agreements with donors and stakeholders.
- Develop and implement advocacy strategies/policy for the department to influence policy change and decisions to advance women, youth, peace and security agenda across the African continent and beyond.
Partnership-building
- In line with the KAIPTC partnership policy, develop partnership at the strategic and operational levels with key partners at the national and regional levels including Ministries, Security Sectors Institutions, CSOs, Grassroots Women’s Organizations, ECOWAS gender division, Office of the Special Envoy on WPS and others directorates within the AUC, UNOWAS, UN Women as well as other Women, Youth Peace and Security Institutions at the global levels.
- Establish a strong, effective and transparent partnership with relevant KAIPTC-WPSI partners.
- Develop strategic approach to identify new partners to increase KAIPTC-WPSI partners’ portfolio to improve financial sustainability of the department
- Enhance collaboration with partners to advance Women, Youth, Peace and Security agenda through training, capacity building, research, policies brief, advocacy and education.
- Partner with internal stakeholders to deliver on projects/programmes to achieve a common goal.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
Education and Experience
PhD in Gender Studies, Conflict, Peace and Security or Related Studies. Master in Political science, International Relation/Development, Youth, Gender and Women Studies. Project/Programme Management Certification (PMP) would be an added advantage.
A minimum of 20 years of experience in the field of youth, gender, peace and security, including direct field experience in conflict-affected countries in Africa. At least 12 years in a senior management position with 10 years’ experience in project development and management in an international organization. At least 7 years’ experience in policy development relating to the application of youth and gender-sensitive approaches to conflict, peacekeeping and peace-building interventions in Africa.
A PhD, English and French Languages are required for this position.
COMPETENCIES
Technical Competencies
- Understanding of gender concepts and women, youth, peace and security agenda
- Proven knowledge of the UNSCR 1325, the Maputo Protocol other follow-up resolution and frameworks such as the Continental Results Frameworks (CRF) on Women, Youth Peace and Security.
- Demonstrates excellent written and oral communication skills in English and French.
- Ability to effectively coordinate with internal and external stakeholders in a multi-cultural setting.
- Track record of mobilizing large-scale resources for programme implementation in a practice area, and for managing fund accounting for the use of such resources.
- Experience in fundraising and resource mobilization
- Strong presentation and facilitation skills
- Ability to work in a multi-national organization
- Ability to represent and create visibility for the department at high level international platforms.
- Excellent negotiating and networking skills
- Strong analytical and communication skills, including excellent report writing skills.
- Experience of preparing reports to wide-ranging audiences including policymakers and donors.
- An understanding of how KAIPTC operates is a must.
- Must be proficient in Microsoft Office applications.
Managerial Competencies
- Proven ability to provide strategic direction for the department.
- Set direction and ensure delivery of programmes/projects according to set timelines.
- Ability to focus on how to apply allocated resources to the advantages of the Centre.
- Ability to promote the vision, mission, and strategic goals of KAIPTC-WPSI
- Focuses on results and responds positively to feedback.
- Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude.
- Demonstrated capacity to think strategically and creatively and to apply problem-solving skills.
- Proven ability to pioneer and develop innovative approaches to respond to policy and programmatic challenges.
Personal Competencies
- Confident, remains calm, in control and good humored even under pressure.
- Demonstrates integrity by modeling the KAIPTC’s values and ethical standards.
- Shares knowledge and experience.
- Good interpersonal skills demonstrated by the ability to lead and gain the assistance/cooperation of others in a team endeavour and an ability to build trust through transparency.
- Displays cultural, gender, religious, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.
- Exhibit professionalism and respect for diversity.
How to apply
Interested applicants are kindly requested to send their CV together with 3 references and a professional work portfolio by e-mail to hr@kaiptc.org not later than two weeks after advertisement.
Please indicate the job tile clearly in the cover letter; otherwise your application may not be considered. Applicants will be short-listed on the basis of their qualifications and relevant work experience. Only short-listed candidates will be invited for an interview. Female candidates are encouraged to apply. KAIPTC is an equal opportunity employer.