Social Development Adviser

Main purpose of job:

The British Embassy Juba (BEJ) is recruiting a Country Based Social Development Adviser (SDA). The SDA will be responsible for supplying quality social development advice to support and guide development, humanitarian and peacebuilding work at all levels, including across BEJ and other UK Government Departments.

This is an excellent opportunity to work across a portfolio dealing with complex challenges that require incisive understanding of South Sudan’s social structures, relations and roles to be able to support credible change for all.

You will provide support on a number of high-priority areas across the portfolio including: violence against women and girls, inclusive development and humanitarian action, gender-responsive peacebuilding and safeguarding. In addition, the SDA is the lead advisor to BEJ’s GBV Prevention Programme for South Sudan. In addition to this established portfolio area there is significant opportunity to horizon scan, identify trends, gather evidence and innovate across humanitarian and stability agendas.

The SDA will report to BEJ’s Deputy Development Director, working within the Delivery Excellence Team but providing timely and high-quality technical support across all teams to ensure clear linkages on gender and social inclusion across wider UK strategy, programming and diplomatic engagement. You will be collegiate working relationships with other advisers, co-leading as new streams of work emerge in the fluid South Sudan context.

Although this role is primarily a technical advisory role, the job holder will lead on supporting the Embassy’s senior leadership team meetings with stakeholders on gender equality, human rights, child protection and civil society development. The post holder will ensure compliance with relevant equalities duties, including the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) and the Africa Strategy Inclusion Principles. They will also support the political team in influencing and informing a wide range of international and national stakeholders along with broader corporate responsibilities.

The work is fascinating with real opportunities to make a difference and be involved in fast-moving events. The post will be supported with mentoring and some guidance from senior SDAs in the region.

Roles and responsibilities:

The key responsibilities are listed below, but the post holder will need to be flexible to respond to emerging priorities, and take on new areas as needed, given the evolving nature of the work and to respond to ministerial requirements.

Policy, analysis and expert advice:

• Lead BEJ’s gender and social inclusion analyses, briefings and communications. Commission outputs from partners and support coordinate donor communications where required. Respond to requests for briefings, often in short time, active engagement in strategic and business planning processes.
• Lead BEJ’s policy engagement on gender-based violence based on latest evidence and analysis. Work with key donors to ensure the UN leadership implements agreed actions to tackle GBV more effectively given the context of South Sudan.
• Lead BEJ’s engagement and reporting on Women Peace and Security (WPS) and Children Affected by Armed Conflict objectives. Engage with relevant civil society groups – including Women’s Rights Organisations - and in inputting to UK position for relevant international events
• Lead on implementation of BEJ’s safeguarding plan to prevent sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment
• Develop and maintain linkages with civil society, researchers and academics to ensure that emerging evidence and learning informs our programming, policy and influencing.
• Develop and maintain close linkages with policy colleagues across FCDO to ensure that HMG uses all levers available to it to bring about change on priority social development issues.
• Lead on Equality Impact Assessments for BEJ Business Planning and Public Sector Equality Duty annual assessments across the programme portfolio.

Programmes:

• Act as Lead Adviser for the Gender Based Violence Prevention Programme in South Sudan, ensuring it performs as expected and with cognisance to good programme management standards and its offer to global evidence building.
• Provide quality assurance for SEAH-related approach and findings to our Third Party Monitoring programme
• Provide technical advice in concert with Health Adviser on the aspects of Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights in UK health investments in South Sudan.
• Support our humanitarian and health team to deliver clearer, verifiable results in reaching adolescent girls, people with disabilities and localised marginal groups.
• Provide social development advice in a proactive and timely way to the programme teams. Drive implementation of social inclusion
• Provide operational advice on safeguarding across the portfolio and drive improvements on accountability to affected populations

Resources managed:

Principally this will involve supporting delivery of GBVPSS programme which has total budget of £15m. There may also be limited line management responsibilities which are subject to confirmation as some restructuring is expected within BEJ.

Essential qualifications, skills and experience

The successful candidate will have a demonstrable track record of delivering Social Development outcomes. We are looking for someone with:

• Social Development Technical Competencies
• A proactive and collaborative approach, with an ability to influence others
• Strong proven advisory skills with strong understanding of identifying and acting on opportunities to influence and shape policies, strategies and programmes
• Experience of commissioning, using and/or quality assuring research and/or evaluations.
• Skills to drive learning and capability building, within FCDO and external partners, to strengthen VAWG and gender-responsive policy and programming.

Essential on arrival:

• Strong analytical skills, ideally with experience of delivering, leading and coordinating analysis and actionable recommendations (in South Sudan?)
• Proven experience in working with a range of actors including UN entities, international NGOs and local civil society organisations and networks
• Knowledge and experience of social research and of direct working in or on developing countries and/or in/on fragile and conflict affected environments.
• Proven cultural, social and political awareness of South Sudan.

We'll assess you against these technical requirements during the selection process:

• Social and Political Analysis for practical application
• Poverty and vulnerability monitoring and analysis
• Gender Equality and the Rights and Empowerment of Women and Girls,
• Empowerment and Accountability
• Social Protection

Please see the Social Development Technical Competency Framework for more detail on the technical competencies required for this post

Language requirements:

Language: Juba Arabic and English

Level of language required: Expert

Desirable qualifications, skills and experience

• A Masters degree or equivalent level of academic and professional experience in a subject area clearly related to social policy and development (including social anthropology, sociology, political science, human geography, social/development policy and planning).
• Regional experience
• Experience of working with Her Majesty’s Government (HMG) or another international organisation e.g. the UN
• Monitoring and Evaluation experience