SENIOR OFFICER - GENDER EQUALITY, DISABILITY AND SOCIAL INCLUSION (GEDSI) & MONITORING EVALUATION AND LEARNING (MEL)

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is an international non-governmental organisation committed to working with communities, government, and other partners to manage wildlife and wild places for biodiversity and human well-being.

WCS PNG seeks a dynamic Senior Officer in Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) & Monitoring Evaluation Learning (MEL) to ensure conservation initiatives are inclusive, equitable, evidence-based, and responsive to the needs of women, men, youth, persons with disabilities, and other marginalized groups. Reporting to the Senior Community Relations Manager, the position is full-time and based in Goroka, Eastern Highlands Province.

Main Responsibilities:

Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI)

• Lead the implementation of Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) strategies across terrestrial conservation projects.
• Ensure GEDSI principles are integrated into project planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting.
• Conduct gender, disability, and social inclusion assessments to identify barriers, risks, and opportunities for inclusive conservation programming.
• Facilitate inclusive community consultations and awareness activities that promote meaningful participation of women, youth, persons with disabilities, and marginalized groups.
• Build the capacity of WCS staff, Community Engagement Officers, Community Facilitators, and local partners on GEDSI principles, safeguarding, and inclusive community engagement.
• Support the development and implementation of safeguarding, social inclusion, and community feedback and grievance mechanisms.
• Ensure Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) processes and community consultations are inclusive and culturally appropriate.
• Develop partnerships with government agencies, civil society organizations, Disabled Persons Organisations (DPOs), women's organizations, and other stakeholders to strengthen inclusive conservation.
• Monitor GEDSI indicators and contribute to organizational learning by documenting lessons learned, success stories, and best practices.

Monitoring and Evaluation (MEL)

• Support the implementation of project Monitoring and Evaluation (MEL) frameworks and annual monitoring of reports and work plans.
• Develop and maintain simple project monitoring databases and data management systems.
• Coordinate routine collection, verification, storage, and analysis of project reports in the database.
• Conduct regular field monitoring visits to assess implementation progress, verify outputs, and monitor project performance.
• Support baseline surveys, community assessments, outcome monitoring, and project evaluations.
• Simple analyse quantitative and qualitative monitoring data and prepare summaries for project management and decision-making.
• Work Closely with senior WCS staff to prepare monthly, quarterly, annual, and donor monitoring reports in accordance with WCS and donor requirements.

Other Responsibilities

• Support project design, proposal development, and donor reporting.
• Provide technical support to Community Engagement Officers and project teams on GEDSI and basic M&E.
• Represent WCS at GEDSI, safeguarding, monitoring, and learning meetings where appropriate.
• Perform any other duties assigned by the Senior Community Relations Manager and Senior Terrestrial Conservation Manager.

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor's Degree in Community Development Studies, Environmental Management, Natural Resource Management, Agriculture, Public Administration, Monitoring and Evaluation, or another relevant discipline.
• Postgraduate qualifications in Gender, Monitoring and Evaluation, Development Studies, or a related discipline will be an advantage.

Experience

• Minimum five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in Gender Equality and Social Inclusion, community development, monitoring and evaluation, or international development.
• Experience integrating GEDSI into community-based conservation or rural development programs.
• Capable of working with customary landowners and rural communities in Papua New Guinea.
• Experience in designing and implementing monitoring systems and collecting field data.
• Has experience in preparing donor reports and project performance reports.
• Ability to conduct community consultations, gender assessments, and participatory research.
• Previously worked with NGOs, government agencies, donor-funded projects, and community-based organizations.
• Proficiency in using digital data collection tools (e.g., KoboToolbox, ODK, Survey123, or similar) will be an advantage.

Critical Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong knowledge of Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) principles.
• Good understanding of safeguarding and protection principles.
• Strong understanding of Monitoring and Evaluation concepts, indicators, data collection methodologies, and reporting.
• Knowledge of community-based conservation and participatory development approaches.
• Good understanding of Papua New Guinea's customary land tenure and governance systems.
• Strong facilitation, presentation, and training skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving abilities.
• Excellent report writing and communication skills in English and Tok Pisin.
• Experience using Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
• Experience using basic data analysis software and digital data collection platforms is desirable.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively within multidisciplinary teams.
• Willingness to travel extensively to remote field locations under basic field conditions.
• High integrity, professionalism, cultural sensitivity, and commitment to inclusive conservation and evidence-based decision making.

Application Process:

• Applications should be submitted only by email to [email protected] by 5 pm on 22^nd September 2026.
• Submit your CV (3 pages maximum) and a cover letter (2 pages maximum) as one combined PDF file with the following naming system: “first name last name GEDSI & MEL Officer.pdf”, with the email subject as “Application for GEDSI & MEL Officer: first name last name”
• Only list full-time, paid positions in your CV, starting with your current or last position and going backwards.
• Do not submit any other documents, including reference letters, transcripts, diplomas, etc. with your application.
• Cover letters and CVs generated with AI may be rejected at the discretion of WCS.

Applications will be evaluated on a rolling basis. We encourage you to submit your application at the earliest.

WCS is an equal opportunity employer, and the organisation complies with all employment labor laws and regulations that prohibit discrimination in hiring, ensuring that candidates from all backgrounds are fairly and consistently considered during the recruitment process. We are dedicated to hiring and supporting a diverse workforce. We are committed to cultivating an inclusive work environment and look for future team members who share that same value. The organisation provides equal employment opportunities for all qualified candidates. The organisation does not discriminate for employment based on age, colour, disability, gender identify, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by laws and regulations