Position: Senior Social Protection Specialist for MENA Region
Reporting to: Team Leader
Contract Type and Location: To be determined by the individual circumstances of the successful candidate
Duration: 12 months with the possibility of an extension
Are you an expert in Social Protection in the MENA region? Then join Development Pathways!
Background
Development Pathways has been awarded a grant from the Ford Foundation to implement the project “Shifting the paradigm: building inclusive, lifecycle social security systems in the MENA region”. The project’s primary aim is to strengthen the knowledge and awareness of the benefits of inclusive social security policy across a wide range of actors, including civil society, government, academia, the private sector and the media. It will use evidence to show that a more progressive system of social security is both feasible and affordable and can tackle many of the core contemporary challenges faced by countries, including strengthening the economic recovery from the COVID-19 crisis and supporting the achievement of the SDGs.
Activities that will be undertaken in partnership with CSOs in the MENA region and, over the initial 18 months, will comprise:
· Analysis of social protection systems across MENA, with a focus on Lebanon, Jordan and Tunisia.
· Training and capacity building of civil society organisations in the MENA region to effectively engage in national debate on inclusive social security
· Cooperating with CSO partners on joint outputs.
· Development of network platforms for accessing information on inclusive social security in the MENA region, communicating and disseminating project outputs and facilitating dialogue among network participants and the general public.
Initially, the Senior Social Protection Specialist, MENA region will focus on ensuring the successful delivery of the workstreams under the Ford Foundation-funded project but, over time, will have opportunities to contribute to Development Pathways’ broader technical activities both regionally and globally.
Purpose
The purpose of the position is to provide technical leadership in the development and delivery of our regional portfolio of work on inclusive social protection/security.
You will:
· Join an organisation that is at the forefront of providing innovative, evidence-based and context-specific solutions to social and economic policy challenges;
· Being part of a team of global social protection experts helping shift the paradigm around inclusive social protection, with a primary focus on the MENA region;
· Strengthening our reputation as technical specialists in the field of social protection, as well as broader social and economic policy.
Responsibilities
· Lead and participate in the technical implementation of DP projects. This will include timely and high-quality delivery of inputs, and contributing to project outputs (e.g. production of reports, policy advocacy, training materials, etc.). Some assignments will require overseas travel while others will be desk-based.
· Contribute to seeking additional financing for subsequent phases of the Ford-MENA project.
· Build the reputation of Pathways as a thought leader on social protection by undertaking research and publishing papers that provide innovative, cutting-edge insights.
· Build relations with a wide range of stakeholders (i.e. civil society organisations, governments, UN agencies, bilateral development agencies, consultancy firms, etc.) to strengthen Development Pathways’ regional and international reputation and influence social protection policy. This will include representing Development Pathways in international fora, such as conferences and webinars.
· Identify opportunities for Development Pathways to undertake assignments on social protection and other related areas of interest in the MENA region.
· Support the development of funding proposals by providing technical inputs, such as contextual overviews, methodologies and advising on team composition.
· Actively participate in the Pathways Social Policy technical unit, supporting planning, managing and mentoring project team members and helping build a cadre of highly competent and trusted social protection consultants.
· Contribute to and provide high quality website content on social protection, to further enhance the website so that it can strengthen its influence on international thinking.
· Lead on and/or support the design of training programmes on social protection and deliver training on specific topics in the MENA region.
· Continually build self-knowledge and awareness of current trends in social protection across the MENA region and the Global South. This will include attending relevant training courses, staying up-to-date with the literature, and feeding knowledge back into the organisation.
Experience, skills and qualifications
· At least a Masters’ degree in social protection, international development, social policy, economics or related fields.
· At least five (mid-level) or ten (senior level) years’ experience of working in social policy, with a focus on social protection.
· Excellent knowledge of the political and social context in the Middle East and North Africa.
· Capacity to effectively engage with and influence a wide range of stakeholders, from grassroots community members to policymakers.
· A commitment to transformative social policy, innovation and evidence-based policy and programming.
· A deep understanding of social protection.
· Fluency in Arabic is required; excellent spoken and written English is required; proficiency in French is desirable.
· The ability to work independently and be confident to take initiatives, but also to be an effective and collaborative team member across different cultures.
· Excellent team-working and leadership skills.
· An extensive network of contacts in the international development, social protection/security or humanitarian field would be advantageous.
· Ability to travel up to 3 months per year.
How to apply:
We invite interested candidates, who meet the requirements, to submit their applications, by including:
· A Curriculum Vitae (CV) specifying your qualifications, education and relevant work experience.
· A cover letter explaining why you are applying for the position and how your recent relevant experience and skills meet the requirements of this position of Senior Social Protection Specialist. Your statement must also include your fee expectations and availability.
· Please submit one sample of previous written work (for example, a research paper or policy brief).
Applications should be sent to consultants@developmentpathways.co.uk.
The closing date for this vacancy will be the 30th April 2021.
Development Pathways is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate and support diversity and are committed to providing a work environment that is inclusive and free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions are based on individual qualifications without regard to race, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identify, national origin, family or parental status, or disability status.
Applicants should be aware of our privacy notice on our website.
Shortlisted candidates: you will be invited to participate in an interview and complete a series of assessments.
Due to the high number of applications expected, only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
