A new full time opportunity for a Terms of Reference for Gender Officer and Helpdesk Officer has been announced by Somaliland Community Action Network (SCAN) in Hargeisa. Candidates should bring 5 - 6 years of hands-on experience, preferably in the Gender/advocacy sector. The closing date for this vacancy is Nov, 04.
Terms of Reference: Gender Officer and Helpdesk Officer
Background
Somaliland Community Action Network (SCAN) is recruiting a Gender Officer, who also runs the community helpdesk, for November 2026 to March 2027.
SCAN implements and develops projects with cooperatives, VSLA groups and community members, including the KOICA-funded Climate-Resilient Food Systems Project, the proposed BMZ-funded market-readiness project for 17 cooperatives, and the Deyr 2026 climate microinsurance pilot for 450 households in nine villages, where SCAN is master policyholder.
Duty station
Hargeisa, with field travel to project locations as needed.
Period:
November 2026 to March 2027.
Reports to:
Project Manager
Scope.
The post is organization wide. The Gender Officer works across all SCAN projects
Purpose.
The post makes sure gender equality and social inclusion are built into all of SCAN's activities, from design to reporting, and runs the helpdesk where communities and project participants raise questions and complaints. The helpdesk is SCAN's community feedback mechanism.
Gender responsibilities across all activities
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Review SCAN activities and project plans from a gender point of view, and advise project teams on how women and men can take part and benefit equally.
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Support project teams to make activities workable for women: timing, venue, women facilitators where needed, and separate women's sessions where that works better.
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Help teams collect participation data, questions and complaints by sex, and check that the figures are used in monitoring.
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Brief SCAN staff, partners and community leaders on gender, protection and the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA).
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Support gender-focused activities in SCAN projects, such as literacy and numeracy for cooperative members and women in VSLA groups, and flag barriers such as childcare, timing and safety.
Proposal development
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Take part in developing new proposals and concept notes, and write or review the gender analysis, gender-responsive activities, budget lines and indicators.
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Check proposals and logframes for sex-disaggregated indicators and for donor gender and protection requirements, and propose changes where needed.
Reporting
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Prepare reports on gender-specific issues: participation by sex, barriers faced by women and other groups, protection concerns and lessons learned.
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Give the gender section for project progress and final reports, and share gender findings with project teams and management.
Helpdesk
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Run the helpdesk by phone, WhatsApp and in person from Hargeisa, and keep the helpdesk hours known in project locations.
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Log every question and complaint in the referral log: date, project, village, sex of the person, topic, action taken and status.
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Answer simple questions from approved information, and refer the rest to the responsible SCAN project team or partner (for the insurance pilot: WFP, KMD or Tamini Insurance) within an agreed time.
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Handle sensitive complaints, including protection and SEA concerns, confidentially and pass them on through the agreed channel the same day.
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Report helpdesk cases monthly, and share lessons from beneficiary feedback with project teams and donors.
About Hargeisa
Hargeisa is the capital and largest city of Somaliland, serving as the region's main economic and administrative hub. The city is home to a growing number of international organizations, NGOs, and private sector companies, making it a key employment center in the Horn of Africa. Professionals relocating to Hargeisa will find a dynamic and rapidly developing urban environment.
Ereyada Soomaaliga (Somali Keywords): Shaqo Buuxda • Shaqo Cusub • Shaqo Hargeysa