Chief of Party – Gender and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) At Danish Refugee Council

Danish Refugee Council, one of the world’s leading humanitarian NGOs, is currently looking for a highly qualified Chief of Party (chef.fe de Mission) for our new upcoming project “STAR-EST”.

About the project and the role

The STAR-EST project, funded by the World Bank, aims to stabilize and support the recovery of Eastern DRC through socio-economic infrastructure and sustainable reintegration of people who have left armed groups. A key focus of the project is addressing gender-based violence (GBV), sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), and sexual harassment (SH), particularly in vulnerable communities.

The chief of Party (Chef.fe de Mission) will lead and oversee the writing proposal, the implementation of all activities related to the prevention, mitigation, and response to GBV, SEA, and SH within the project. The incumbent will work closely with community stakeholders, NGOs, and the project’s environmental and social team to ensure that the project’s interventions are survivor-centered and comply with ethical and safety standards.

This position is contingent on funding.

Your main duties and responsibilities will be:

• Provide strategic leadership and management of the GBV prevention and response activities across the provinces of North Kivu, Ituri, and South Kivu.
• Coordinate the work of the GBV response team, ensuring effective and efficient implementation of the project’s GBV strategy.
• Conduct and update risk assessments regularly to identify GBV/SEA/SH risks in project areas.
• Oversee the development and implementation of mitigation measures for identified risks, ensuring these are effectively communicated to all stakeholders.
• Lead community engagement efforts by coordinating GBV prevention awareness campaigns in target communities.
• Build the capacity of community leaders, women’s groups, and local authorities to act as focal points in preventing GBV and supporting survivors.
• Ensure the establishment and maintenance of a survivor-centered, confidential, and ethical referral system for GBV survivors, offering psychosocial, medical, and legal support.
• Monitor the implementation of all GBV-related interventions and report on progress regularly to the project’s coordination unit and donors.
• Serve as the primary focal point for GBV-related activities within the project, ensuring coordination between the project team, local communities, and external stakeholders.
• Represent the project at relevant coordination forums, including government, donor, and civil society meetings focused on GBV/SEA/SH.

About you

To be successful in this role we expect you to have a few years of management experience and have worked both strategically and operationally with several of the tasks above. We hope to hear from you if you have a proven ability to work effectively with local communities, NGOs, government officials, and international donors and a solid understanding of GBV risk mitigation, survivor support mechanisms, and ethical considerations in the context of humanitarian and development work. Moreover, we also expect the following:

• Master’s degree (BAC +5) in Gender Studies, Law, Sociology, Human Rights, Social Work, or a related field;
• Minimum of 7 years of professional experience, with at least 5 years in the field of gender, GBV, human rights, or women’s empowerment.
• Proven experience in managing large-scale projects related to GBV, SEA, and SH, preferably in fragile or conflict-affected settings.
• Familiarity with international standards for GBV prevention and response, particularly in the context of development projects.
• Experience working with donors such as the World Bank, USAID, UN, or similar organizations is an asset.
• Full professional proficiency in French, mandatory.
• Knowledge of other languages spoken (e.g. Swahili) in the project areas (North Kivu, Ituri, South Kivu) is highly desirable

In this position, you are expected to demonstrate DRC’ five core competencies:

Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process.

Collaborating: You involve relevant parties and encourage feedback.

Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation.

Communicating: You listen and speak effectively and honestly.

Demonstrating integrity: You uphold and promote the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation to our values and Code of Conduct, including safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment.

We offer

Contract length: To be confirmed

Band: E2

Designation of Duty Station: Goma, North Kivu Province/ DR Congo, with travel to DRC Field Offices

Start date: To be confirmed

Salary and conditions will be in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for national or International employees. For questions regarding the vacancy please contact: benjamin.mayele@drc.ngo