National Gender Specialist

About the role

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) seeks a National Gender Specialist to lead evidence generation and policy development for Ghana's cocoa sector. The incumbent will provide technical support to create a comprehensive Cocoa Gender Policy and conduct a Gender Baseline Study, ensuring gender mainstreaming across the value chain.

Key responsibilities

• Design and implement a gender baseline study covering production, processing, marketing and community aspects of the cocoa value chain.
• Collect, analyse and synthesize quantitative and qualitative data to produce robust evidence on gender dynamics.
• Support the drafting, validation and finalisation of a national Cocoa Gender Policy aligned with Ghanaian priorities and international commitments.
• Facilitate stakeholder consultations with COCOBOD, government agencies, farmer groups and civil society.
• Prepare technical reports, policy briefs and presentation materials for internal and external audiences.
• Provide capacity‑building and technical advice to FAO country office staff and partners on gender mainstreaming.

Required profile

• Minimum five years of professional experience in gender analysis, research or policy development, preferably in agriculture or cocoa sectors.
• Demonstrated experience working with UN agencies, governments or development partners.
• Strong analytical and report‑writing skills with the ability to translate data into actionable policy recommendations.
• Excellent communication and facilitation skills for multi‑stakeholder environments.

Required skills

What we offer

• Opportunity to influence gender equity in a key agricultural sector.
• Collaboration with international experts and national stakeholders.
• Professional development within a UN specialized agency.