To apply for this position, please complete and submit our simple on-line form, where you can upload your résumé and other documents.
Only if you are unable to submit online, may you send your résumé and cover letter by e-mail to Recruitment(at)CreativeDC.com with "Senior Associate for Gender Development CODE:HDQ48593" on the subject line. Please note only finalists will be contacted. No phone calls please. Creative is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE/AA).
Office of Programs & Operations
Start Date: Immediate
Background
A woman-owned company, Creative Associates International (Creative) is a dynamic and fast-growing professional services firm that specializes in international development in the areas of education, democratic transitions and stabilization in post-conflict environments. Based in Washington, DC, the firm has a field presence in 20 countries worldwide with a strong and diverse portfolio that includes global and bilateral contracts with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and other USG clients including the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Defense. The firm has earned a solid reputation among its clients and missions worldwide and is well-regarded by competitors and partners alike. The Office of Programs at Creative is comprised of three divisions: the Education for Development (EfD) division, the Communities in Transition (CIT) division, and the Stabilization & Development (S&D) Division. The position supports all three programmatic divisions--projects and proposal efforts.
Policy Context
The US government's engagement with global gender issues is undergoing seismic shifts. The Obama administration's Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR) commits the U.S. government to take into account the views and needs of women and girls in all U.S. diplomacy and poverty-fighting programs around the world. The QDDR sets the stage for a game-changing approach to gender across U.S. foreign policy and foreign assistance and Creative intends to be an integral element of this dynamic shift. There are three critical elements of this policy change:
Leadership at the highest levels: Secretary Clinton's unequivocal commitment to gender issues translates into a clear signal to move away from the practice of just separate, special projects for women and towards gender integration as a crosscutting approach for all of U.S. diplomacy and development. The redefined gender goal is to have buy-in and institutional commitment for gender integration at all levels within State and USAID.
Fulfilling the cross-cutting mandate: The State Department and USAID are now developing project guidelines that will integrate gender as an overall development and diplomatic approach. These indicators are expected to measure gender equality as an outcome of US policy and programs.
Making accountability go both ways: Secretary Clinton and Administrator Shah have made clear that accountability at all levels of gender programming and gender policy implementation will be the key to policy success. The QDDR makes clear that implementing partners, like Creative Associates as well as USAID and State Department officers will be held accountable through performance incentives and evaluations. Creative intends to be aggressively and completely responsive to this positive evolution of the role of gender in the project bidding cycle.
Position Summary
The position seeks to incorporate a rigorous gender dimension to programs, project design and proposals. In particular, the incumbent will help Creative elucidate how gender represents a point of entry into new markets, a tool for programmatic innovation and a strong brand differentiator in selected endeavors. Working collaboratively with corporate leadership, the incumbent will lead the development and execution of a cohesive and market-relevant gender strategy. In partnership with programmatic divisions, the incumbent will catalogue Creative's vast corporate experience in gender programming, and thread and integrate discrete gender-focused programming into a balanced, attractive and market relevant offering. The incumbent will organize and bring rigor and method to Creative's gender programming approaches. The incumbent will identify discrete tools and program modalities which the firm needs to develop, strengthen or procure. Through STTA, the incumbent will support on-going projects in the field and will also lead or support the conceptualization of proposals in pertinent areas.
Reporting
This position is housed in a new Cross Cutting Themes office in the Programs Division, reporting to the COO. The position regularly interacts with Division Directors and senior technical staff in divisions. The incumbent will supervise expert consultants in select technical areas.
Primary Responsibilities
* Catalogues Creative's ample experience, past and present, in gender programming in all divisions.
* Leads broad-based corporate dialogue and facilitates consensus on Creative's unfolding gender strategy.
* Articulates Creative's gender programmatic values and principles, methodological approaches; develops a conceptual foundation for gender program innovation, replication and knowledge development.
* Identifies and leads the development of relevant technical areas, tools and methods in the gender arena to complement Creative's existing capacity and experience, to render a more relevant and responsive program menu.
* Develops strategic alliances--internal (with other initiatives, in youth, livelihoods or workforce development for example) and external (with the private sector employers or donors, for example).
* Identifies relevant market trends in international gender development.
* Identifies and helps seize discrete market opportunities.
* Contributes to the design and execution of gender components of on-going projects in the field.
* Analyzes the competitive field, develops fitting alliances and strategic partnerships.
* Leads selected, pertinent business development efforts--competitive strategy formulation, proposal development, and partnerships.
* Represents the firm before expert audiences, clients and other constituencies of interest.
Required Skills & Qualifications
* Academic degree in international development or a closely-related field;
* A minimum of 15 years of experience in international development;
* A minimum of 10 years of experience in gender-focused programming;
* Substantial prior experience working with donor programming, preferably with USAID;
* Prior project management experience in international development settings;
* Demonstrated success in strategy-to-market situations;
* Demonstrated capacity to lead institutional dialogue, influence and socialize ideas in a business environment;
* Superior communications skills--verbal, written, analytical; and,
* Strong interpersonal skills.
Desired Skills & Qualifications
* Master's degree in international development or a closely related field;
* Familiarity with one or more of Creative's core lines of business: education, democratic transitions, stabilization;
* Prior experience with ICT, mobile technology, Public Private Partnerships, youth programming, employability, case management, sports in development, youth leadership, and related areas;
* Long term experience in the field, preferably in a donor-sponsored project setting.
* Proficiency in a second language.
