Encompass LLC Hiring for Gender and Employment Specialist, USAID WEELA Jordan at Amman, Jordan Full Time

EnCompass seeks a Gender and Employment Specialist for a five-year, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Women’s Economic Empowerment and Leadership Activity (WEELA) in Jordan. The purpose of WEELA is to contribute to increasing women’s access to waged employment and leadership opportunities in Jordan by improving women’s access to the job market, addressing inequalities and prohibitive social norms and traditions, and enhancing the workforce enabling environment.

The Gender and Employment Specialist will support the creation of research and knowledge sharing across WEELA’s implementation to ensure the Activity’s gender equality and social norms strategy is implemented in relation to adult and young women’s employment in the private sector and advancement in leadership roles in both the private and public sectors. S/he will join a team of WEELA experts that provide thought leadership and strategic coordination on gender equality, social inclusion, disability inclusion, and rights-based approaches for women’s roles in the workplace. S/he will work with other WEELA components to facilitate human capital development on a systemic level, working toward reducing the gender gap in the workplace for both women as jobseekers or women already employed, addressing the mismatch between skills and the requirements of the employer, and better accommodating women and the conditions under which they work to improve employee performance and contribute to the growth and sustainability of businesses.

This position will be full-time and based in Amman. 

Position Duties and Responsibilities

Essential functions:

• Assist the Sr. Gender and Youth specialist in collecting and reviewing policies and legal frameworks from the gender perspective and support the design and implementation of interventions to shift negative perceptions and practices in the workplace, encouraging employers to cultivate women’s employment and leadership.
• As part of the WEELA research team, identify factors that impede women’s participation and empowerment in the private sector job market, including weak structures, such as inadequate support services, and design interventions that strengthen advocacy skills for women’s private sector workforce participation through hiring, selection, onboarding, and retention.
• Facilitate workshops, training, and other capacity building events that support women’s engagement with potential employers.
• Work as part of WEELA’s Sector deep dive cluster team to support research into the Activity’s priority sectors – including value chains within those sectors where women can contribute to the production/delivery of more competitive products or services that generate growth and jobs creation.  
• Support WEELA’s engagement with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), workforce development institutes, and private sector actors with research to identify areas to develop/ upgrade curricula to address the skills mismatch preventing women from successfully entering the workforce.
• Conduct research to inform and support WEELA’s strategy design aimed at addressing impediments to women’s economic empowerment and leadership to improve their access to, retainment of, and growth within jobs, with emphasis on market-driven approaches considering geographic and socio-economic contexts, voluntary and involuntary unemployment challenges.
• Under the guidance of the Sr. Gender and Youth Specialist, work with the MEL and other relevant WEELA teams, assist in gender analyses, engaging donor and relevant stakeholders in both the public and private sectors, including conducting both desk- and field-based research, data collection, and analyses.
• Under the guidance of the Sr. Gender and Youth Specialist, work with the Communications team to contribute to campaigns from a gender perspective that promote positive and sensitive messaging regarding women’s access to employment and leadership opportunities,

The above duties are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and skills required of personnel so classified.

Position Requirements

Qualifications:

• Minimum Bachelor’s degree in business, organizational development, or related field
• Three to five years of related experience in progressively responsible research positions looking into employment and unemployment, with emphasis on women, and the economic context for women’s empowerment in Jordan and/or in the region.
• Demonstrated technical expertise/experience in qualitative and quantitative research and data analysis, applying economic frameworks of analysis.
• Citizen or permanent resident of Jordan.

Experience and skills:

• Technical experience in gender equality and women’s empowerment.
• An understanding of local system, policies, and services in Jordan
• Experience in qualitative and quantitative research and data analysis.
• Experience in designing and facilitating interactive meetings, workshops, and capacity building trainings preferred.
• Knowledge of opportunities and challenges to address prohibitive perceptions and cultural norms that deter women’s active participation in the workplace.
• Experience in conducting research supporting community mobilization and norms change preferred.
• Strong written and communication skills, including fluency in Arabic and English.
• Familiarity with USAID gender equality-related policies and gender integration preferred

• The candidate must be able to work in a fast-paced environment with demonstrated ability to juggle and prioritize multiple, competing tasks and demands and to seek supervisory assistance as appropriate.

How to Apply

Please submit CV and cover letter and complete the application at https://app.ismartrecruit.com/jobDescription?x=E7pZW5jb21wYXNzd29ybGQuY29tXzQ5OF9QUk9NT1RFVVJMX2VuQ9e

EnCompass LLC is a progressive Equal Opportunity Employer. We promote, celebrate, and support a diverse and inclusive organizational culture and workforce. We are committed to providing all of our employees with an environment free from discrimination and harassment, where all are treated with dignity and respect. We do not tolerate, and explicitly prohibit, discrimination or harassment of any kind, at any time, in all aspects of employment. This includes recruitment, hiring, promotions, disciplinary measures, terminations, compensation, benefits, social and recreational programs, and training. EnCompass also does not tolerate retaliation against individuals who report discrimination or harassment. Our continuing commitment to the principle of Equal Opportunity Employment for all means all employment decisions are based only on the job requirements, the candidate’s qualifications, and the needs of EnCompass as a business—not on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, belief, sex (including pregnancy and related medical conditions), gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability status, veteran status, genetic information, HIV status, family/marital/parental status, or any other status protected by the laws and regulations in the jurisdictions where we work.