Climate Resilience & Gender Specialist

JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title: Climate Resilience & Gender Specialist

Job Grade Level: III

Duty station:Islamabad – Pakistan

Reports to:Project Manager (BRAVE) & Head of Programs

Number of Positions:01

1. Background

CESVI (Pakistan) is a member of the Building Resilience and Addressing Vulnerability to Emergencies (BRAVE) Programme funded by the FCDO, which implements the Climate Resilience and Humanitarian Response (in the North of Pakistan). BRAVE (Phase-2) is a three-year programme, from 2025 to 2028. BRAVE supports increasing the capacity of the most vulnerable communities to anticipate, adapt to, and absorb the impact of shocks and stresses induced by climate change and natural disasters (including measurable changes in gender roles and social inclusion). The component also establishes a flexible humanitarian response mechanism (particularly through communities and potential partners) that can swiftly respond to humanitarian needs, minimize the damage caused and enhance the efficiency of the response operations.

Within this framework, the Climate Resilience and Gender Specialist will provide technical leadership on climate change adaptation, resilience building, and gender integration across the BRAVE Programme activities in the district of Shangle, KP Province, Pakistan. The role will ensure that inclusive and gender-responsive approaches are embedded throughout the programme so that women, men, and marginalized groups equitably benefit from strengthened resilience and humanitarian response systems.

2. Role Purpose

The Climate Change & Gender Specialist will support the BRAVE Programme by ensuring that climate resilience strategies are effectively integrated with gender and social inclusion priorities. The position will guide technical inputs, build partner and community capacity, and ensure that both climate-smart and gender-responsive approaches are applied in strengthening community resilience. The role will strengthen institutional and community capacities to anticipate, adapt to, and absorb climate-induced shocks while promoting transformative changes in gender roles, resilience building, and inclusive humanitarian response.

3. Key Responsibilities

• Provide technical expertise on climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction, and gender integration across programme components, including support for the local implementing partner.

• Provide technical guidance on the various studies, including but not limited to Multi-hazard Climate Vulnerability and Risk Assessment (MCHVRA), developing Adaptation Planning at the village, VC and UC and district adaptation plan, and school-level disaster preparedness plans.

• Ensure programme design and delivery are aligned with national climate adaptation frameworks, global best practices, and donor requirements.

• Support developing and promoting inclusive, gender-sensitive, and climate-resilient approaches for community and institutional strengthening.

• Provide technical support in the activation/formation of Inclusive Climate Adaptation Forums (IVCAFs, IVCCAFs, IUCAFs) at village, union council, Tehsil, and district levels in Shangla district of KP province.

• Lead the technical aspects of climate change adaptation in agriculture and livelihood initiatives.

• Collaborate with Consortium lead and local partners to design and implement climate-smart agriculture (CSA)resilient livelihood, adaptation planning and livelihood diversificationinterventions.

• Lead interventions such as climate vulnerability analysis, local adaptation planning, community-based disaster risk management, awareness campaigns on climate change, and anticipatory action.

• Strengthen the capacities of local forums, community structures, and volunteers to anticipate, respond to, and recover from climate-induced risks and disasters.

• Promote participatory and inclusive approaches in climate risk assessments, adaptation planning, and awareness-raising at household, community, and institutional levels.

• Facilitate integration of women, youth, and marginalized groups in all programme interventions.

• Lead the implementation and regular review of the Gender Action Plan for Gender Equality, Disability Equity, and Social Inclusion to ensure it reflects evolving priorities.

• Facilitate the preparation of curriculum, training sessions, knowledge management platforms, co-creation of communication and knowledge products, and training of Master Trainers; knowledge management platforms on Climate-resilience food security innovations, technologies, approaches, and practices.

• Support field teams and partners to strengthen district disaster preparedness committees and mobilize smallholder farmers to pilot climate-resilient, nature-based solutions for protecting ecosystems and communities from climate shocks.

• Collaborate with government line departments and local authorities to strengthen institutional capacities in climate adaptation planning, risk financing, and inclusive service delivery.

• Contribute to policy dialogue and advocacy on gender-responsive climate change adaptation and disaster preparedness at district, provincial, and national levels.

• Support knowledge hubs, business hubs, and forums to serve as platforms for evidence generation, policy engagement, and demonstration of scalable models.

• Ensure collection, analysis, and use of sex- and age-disaggregated data to monitor climate and gender impacts.

• Document lessons learned, best practices, and innovations to inform programme adaptation and policy advocacy.

• Provide technical inputs into donor reports, knowledge products, and communication materials.

• Mainstream gender equality, protection, and social inclusion across all interventions.

• Ensure safeguarding and “do no harm” principles are applied throughout programme delivery.

• Represent CESVI and the BRAVE programme in technical working groups, coordination forums, and external engagements.

4. Required Qualifications and Competencies

Education:

• Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in Climate Change, Environmental Sciences, Disaster Risk Management, Gender Studies, Development Studies, or a related field.

• Additional training or certification in climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction, or gender and social inclusion is an asset.

Experience:

• Minimum 5 years of progressively responsible experience in climate change adaptation, resilience building, disaster risk reduction, or related fields within humanitarian or development programmes.

• Demonstrated experience in mainstreaming gender and social inclusion in climate resilience, disaster preparedness, or livelihood programming.

• Proven track record of working with communities, civil society, and government institutions on climate adaptation and disaster risk management.

• Prior experience in donor-funded projects (e.g., FCDO, EU, USAID, UN agencies) preferred.

• Strong experience in community and institutional capacity-building, facilitation, and participatory approaches.

Skills and Competencies

• Strong technical knowledge of climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction, and nature-based solutions.

• Excellent analytical and professional report-writing skills.

• Solid understanding of gender equality, protection, and social inclusion frameworks in humanitarian and development contexts.

• Strong facilitation and training skills with the ability to engage diverse stakeholders, including communities, government, and the private sector.

• Ability to manage multiple priorities under pressure and deliver quality results within deadlines.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with proficiency in English and Urdu; knowledge of Pashto or other local languages is an asset.

• Proficiency in MS Office; knowledge of GIS, climate modelling, or data analysis tools is desirable.

• Commitment to CESVI’s values, safeguarding, and “do no harm” principles.