Terms of Reference / Job Description

Gender, Social Inclusion & Climate Resilience Expert for Expertise France

“TVET Agri – Ubuhinzi Skills+” project

Job title: Gender, Social Inclusion & Climate Resilience Expert (GESI-CR)

Reports to: Project Manager

Location: Kigali, Rwanda, with regular travel to other regions in Rwanda

Type of contract: full-time, fixed-term contract

Contract duration: 1 year, with possibility of renewal (local contract)

Job Level: senior level

Overview

Expertise France is the French agency for international cooperation, under the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Finance. The agency develops and implements projects that sustainably strengthen public policies in low- and middle-income countries and focuses on four priority areas:

• Democratic, economic and financial governance;
• Stability of countries in crisis/post-crisis situations and security;
• Combating climate change and favouring sustainable urban development;
• Strengthening health systems, social protection and employment.

In these areas, Expertise France engineers and implements capacity-building projects, mobilises technical expertise and acts as a project coordinator, bringing together public expertise and private know-how. With an annual business volume of 390 million euros and over 400 projects in 145 countries, Expertise France’s activities are part of France’s international cooperation policy and official development assistance.

Project description

The “TVET Agri – Ubuhinzi Skills+” project aims to contribute to the National Strategy for Transformation and Vision 2050 established by the Government of Rwanda to guide the socio-economic development of the country towards a prosperous and high-income economy by 2050. Representing 25% of GDP and 70% of Rwanda’s active population, agriculture is a key sector targeted in order to boost the country’s economy and create jobs. The development of agricultural skills is one of the priorities for the sector’s transformation, with the national objective of establishing Centres of Vocational Excellence for technical and vocational education and training in agriculture. These centres will help develop a new generation of qualified workforce, capable of stimulating sustainable agricultural development, contributing to food security, economic growth and improved livelihoods for rural communities in Rwanda.

The “TVET Agri – Ubuhinzi Skills+” project is implemented by Expertise France to support the national agency Rwanda TVET Board (RTB) in the establishment of Centres of Excellence in agriculture. In line with national priorities, the project aims to increase the sustainability, climate resilience and inclusion of agricultural practices by strengthening the skills of women and youth in Rwanda.

The project is structured around two specific objectives:

1. Improve access of women and youth to quality skills and formal certification in agricultural practices.
2. Improve the effectiveness of mechanisms for integrating women and young people into the agricultural labour market, with an emphasis on sustainable agriculture.

In Rwanda, 77% of farmers are women, mainly in subsistence agriculture, vulnerable to climate change. Gender is a key cross-cutting theme for the project which aims to implement transformative and sustainable actions for women, young girls and their communities.

The project will be implemented over a period of five years, with a budget of +16 million euros financed by the EU and the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. It will include technical assistance at the national level in support of RTB, and two TVET schools will also be supported with technical assistance, infrastructure rehabilitation and procurement of equipment. The project will be implemented in collaboration with the beneficiary partner RTB, as well as with donors and project partners, such as LuxDev.

The project will be led by the Project Manager, with direct support from the Deputy Project Manager, and the team will consist of 4 Technical Experts, a MEAL Officer, and 2 Project Advisors based in targeted TVET schools. The team will be supported by Expertise France’s Kigali-based Project Support Unit (PSU) for admin, finance, HR and procurement, as well as Paris-based HQ.

The role

The Gender, Social Inclusion & Climate Resilience Expert will be embedded in the Kigali-based project team and report directly to the Project Manager. They will lead the dedicated GESI-Climate workstream, providing high-level technical guidance on gender equality, social inclusion and climate-risk resilience to the project team, the Rwanda TVET Board (RTB) and other stakeholders. Responsible for the end-to-end delivery of this activity package, the Expert will ensure that every project component—from policy dialogue and curriculum design to campus infrastructure upgrades—is gender-responsive, socially inclusive and climate-smart. They will spearhead the review and development of policy frameworks, strategies, tools and operational procedures that broaden the participation of women, youth, persons with disabilities and other marginalised groups in TVET, embedding climate-risk screening and the principle of “leaving no one behind.” Through this leadership, the Expert will be pivotal in securing an equitable, inclusive and climate-resilient implementation of the project.

The main responsibilities of the GESI-CR Expert will be:

1. Provide strategic and technical advice for TVET reform

• Embed GESI & climate resilience in TVET frameworks. Advise on the design and review of curricula, policy documents and pedagogical approaches so that gender equality, social inclusion and climate-risk resilience are systematically integrated at every stage.
• Strengthen institutional capacity. Support RTB and other implementing bodies to analyse current practices, identify gaps and recommend concrete measures that improve gender responsiveness, social inclusion and climate readiness across all TVET activities.
• Inform strategic planning. Work with project leadership and stakeholders to align GESI-climate strategies with wider TVET reform goals, ensuring systems become more equitable, accessible and resilient to climate impacts.

2. Lead the project’s GESI-climate workstream

• Develop and operationalise GESI-Climate Action Plans. Draft, update and steer action plans—in collaboration with RTB—so they are fully reflected in project workplans, budgets and timelines.
• Coordinate implementation. Provide day-to-day leadership for GESI-climate activities (capacity building, awareness campaigns, tool development, safeguards). Manage and coach national/international experts mobilised for specialised tasks.
• Monitor, evaluate and report. Partner with M&E teams to track progress against disaggregated indicators (sex, age, disability, climate vulnerability), capture lessons learned and report achievements or challenges to donors and partners, ensuring adaptive management.
• Ensure compliance and coherence. Oversee administrative and logistical processes linked to GESI-climate interventions, guaranteeing alignment with donor rules and Expertise France procedures.

3. Support the transition of target TVET schools into Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs)

• Promote inclusive and climate-resilient campuses. Provide technical inputs during design, construction and renovation so that facilities accommodate women, persons with disabilities and other disadvantaged groups—and incorporate climate-smart features (energy efficiency, green spaces, water management).
• Institutionalise inclusive & safe learning environments. Help schools create or refine policies and mechanisms (e.g., GBV/SEAH reporting, accessible grievance channels, disaster-risk protocols) that underpin equitable, secure and climate-prepared CoVEs.
• Build capacity at all levels. Conduct training-needs assessments and deliver capacity-building sessions enabling staff to integrate GESI principles and climate resilience into teaching, administration and daily operations.
• Facilitate peer learning. Stimulate exchanges of successful GESI-climate initiatives among TVET institutions, scaling up proven practices as schools progress towards CoVE status.

Profile

Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in Gender and Development, Social Inclusion, Environmental/Climate Policy, Development Studies, Sociology or another relevant field.

Professional experience

• Minimum of five years’ progressive professional experience integrating gender equality, social inclusion and climate-resilience considerations within development programmes.
• Proven record of delivering technical advice to donor-funded projects (e.g. EU, AFD, …) preferably in TVET, agriculture or skills-development sectors.
• Demonstrated ability to mainstream GESI and climate resilience into policies, curricula, organisational processes and safeguarding frameworks.
• Strong experience co-ordinating multi-stakeholder initiatives, working with government ministries and agencies, private-sector actors, civil-society organisations and academic institutions.
• Project-management competence across planning, budgeting, monitoring and evaluation of GESI-climate action plans, including the use of disaggregated indicators and adaptive management.

Skills

• Demonstrated experience in implementing GESI-CR related activities and trainings/capacity building;
• Good understanding of the challenges in TVET and/or agriculture sectors, labour market dynamics, and skills development strategies, especially for women and youth.
• Demonstrated experience in GESI assessments and strategies;
• Demonstrated experience in supporting gender mainstreaming within institutions;
• Excellent communication and facilitation skills, with an excellent capacity to translate technical concepts to a wide variety of audiences.
• Experience in stakeholder engagement and advocacy for GESI initiatives;
• Strong interpersonal and stakeholder engagement skills, including government, NGOs, and community organizations.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary teams.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Initiative-taking and sense of responsibility.
• Having conducted or been involved in a gender participatory audit is a plus;
• Proficiency in office tools (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.).
• Perfect command of English and Kinyarwanda; fluency in French is an asset.

Additional information

Desired start date: September 2025

Application deadline: July 06, 2025

Remuneration: competitive remuneration will be offered according to Expertise France’s salary scale and the candidate’s qualification and experience.