Senior Expert on Women, Peace and Security (Jordan)

Contract Duration: Short-term consultancy, approximately 3 months. Anticipated delivery in mid-2026, subject to confirmation. Level of effort to be agreed at contract stage.

Location: Jordan (Amman-based preferred; work will require travel across multiple regions of the country).

Reports to: Team Leader / Lead Evaluator.

Closing: Applications reviewed on a rolling basis. Early application strongly encouraged.

About us

Bodhi Global Analysis is an international development research consultancy group, with headquarters in London and subsidiaries in Nairobi, Singapore, Dar es Salaam, and The Hague. At Bodhi we are committed to producing high-quality research through academic rigour and objective analysis, enabling international development stakeholders to develop responsive interventions and effective outcomes through evidence-based strategy recommendations. We specialise in formative and evaluative research through participatory approaches, with a strong track record in gender analysis, conflict and peacebuilding evaluations, and national-level policy research for UN agencies, bilateral donors, and international NGOs.

Bodhi is a woman-owned, woman-led firm and a signatory to the Women's Empowerment Principles (WEPs).

About the role

Bodhi is building a bench of senior Jordan-based consultants with deep expertise on the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda to support upcoming evaluation, research, and policy analysis engagements in Jordan.

We are seeking a Senior Expert on WPS to serve as a technical anchor on UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and Jordan's national WPS architecture. The role calls for working knowledge of Jordan's institutional WPS processes, established working relationships with national partners across government, the security and justice sectors, and civil society, and the analytical judgement required to assess national policy frameworks and inform strategic recommendations.

Successful candidates will shape how future engagements connect with Jordanian stakeholders, how findings are interpreted, and how recommendations are translated into actionable inputs for national policy processes.

Key tasks and responsibilities

Technical leadership on WPS content

• Contribute to the design of research and evaluation methodologies, analytical frameworks, and data collection tools, ensuring alignment with national policy frameworks and recognised evaluation standards including the OECD-DAC criteria.
• Lead on technical review of WPS thematic areas including the security and justice sector, crisis and emergency response, gender-responsive service provision for marginalised women and girls, and youth engagement on gender equality and prevention of gender-based violence.
• Provide substantive input on how findings should be interpreted against Jordan's broader WPS commitments and institutional architecture.

Stakeholder engagement and data collection

• Lead the identification and engagement of senior Jordanian WPS stakeholders across government, security and military institutions, crisis management bodies, education and justice authorities, civil society coalitions, and implementing partners.
• Conduct key informant interviews and facilitate focus group discussions with civil society organisations, ensuring inclusion of women with disabilities, women from marginalised groups, and grassroots women's organisations.
• Act as a bridge between research teams and Jordanian institutions, ensuring engagement is conducted with the cultural, political, and institutional sensitivity appropriate to WPS work in Jordan.

Analysis and forward-looking recommendations

• Contribute to comparative analysis across WPS policy cycles, drawing on first-hand familiarity with Jordan's national action plans where possible.
• Contribute to the drafting of forward-looking policy recommendations and roadmaps informed by research findings.

Reporting and validation

• Contribute to the drafting of inception reports, draft reports, and final deliverables, leading on WPS-specific technical sections.
• Where required, review and validate Arabic-language versions of deliverables for conceptual accuracy of WPS terminology and institutional references.
• Participate in validation workshops with clients and stakeholders, presenting preliminary findings and defending methodological choices.

Person specification

Essential qualifications and experience:

• Master's degree or higher in International Relations, Gender Studies, Political Science, Development Studies, or a closely related field.
• A minimum of 8 years of professional experience in WPS policy or programming, including substantive work on UNSCR 1325 and National Action Plans. Evaluation experience is strongly preferred.
• A minimum of 5 years of experience working with national partners in Jordan on the implementation of the WPS agenda, including both government entities and civil society organisations. This must include direct engagement on policy advocacy and grassroots work.
• Deep and demonstrable technical knowledge of UNSCR 1325 and WPS frameworks in the MENA region, with specific knowledge of Jordan's institutional WPS architecture and national action plans.
• Strong understanding of national action plans and institutional WPS processes, with the ability to analyse policy relevance, coherence, and contribution to change.
• Demonstrated ability to translate WPS concepts into evaluative findings and actionable, strategic recommendations.
• Strong qualitative analysis and thematic interpretation skills.
• Full professional proficiency in English, with excellent written and analytical English.

Desirable:

• Working knowledge of Arabic (strong advantage, as some engagements require deliverables in both Arabic and English).
• Prior direct involvement in the drafting, implementation, or monitoring of national action plans on WPS in Jordan.
• Established working relationships with Jordan's national women's machinery, civil society coalitions working on WPS, UN agencies, and donor partners supporting WPS implementation in Jordan.
• Published research or policy writing on WPS in Jordan or the wider Middle East.
• Familiarity with UN evaluation standards, UNEG Norms and Standards, and GERAAS quality criteria.

Core competencies:

• Research and analytical skills: Advanced analytical and conceptual ability, skill in distilling complex institutional and policy information, and the capacity to produce clear, lucid written analysis suitable for senior government and donor audiences.
• Stakeholder engagement: Proven ability to engage credibly with senior stakeholders across government, the security sector, and civil society, with the diplomatic judgement required to navigate politically sensitive conversations.
• Attention to detail: Commitment to high-quality deliverables, with a meticulous approach to sourcing, referencing, and validating findings.
• Initiative and flexibility: Ability to work independently, anticipate analytical needs, and adapt to emerging demands across tight consultancy timelines.
• Teamwork: Openness to collaboration with team leaders, research analysts, and technical backstopping colleagues; strong listening and interpersonal skills.
• Organisation: Systematic approach to managing a heavy schedule of interviews and FGDs alongside substantive writing deliverables.
• Integrity: Strong sense of research and professional ethics, adherence to the UNEG Code of Conduct, and commitment to the principle of "do no harm", particularly in engagement with women from marginalised groups.
• Communication: Ability to communicate confidently in English (and ideally Arabic) with senior government officials, UN personnel, international donors, and grassroots women's organisations, adapting tone and register appropriately.

Conditions:

Candidates must have the right to work in Jordan. Roles are expected to be delivered primarily in-country, with in-person data collection in multiple regions. Remote working arrangements may be agreed for specific analytical and drafting phases.

How to apply

Please click the Apply button below and submit the following:

• A covering letter (maximum two pages) explaining your interest in the role, summarising your WPS work in Jordan, and naming a selection of Jordanian WPS stakeholders or institutions with whom you have substantive working relationships.
• A CV in reverse-chronological order, detailing WPS experience and Jordan-specific national partner engagements.
• One writing sample, preferably an evaluation, policy analysis, or strategy paper to which the candidate substantively contributed. Publicly available publications may be cited by link.
• Indication of general availability in 2026 and expected daily consultancy rate.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to a remote interview and may be asked to complete a short written exercise prior to a hiring decision being made. Any questions may be directed to jobs@bodhiglobalanalysis.com.

Early application is strongly encouraged.

Bodhi is committed to diversity in its workforce. We actively seek a diverse applicant pool and encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply. We particularly encourage applications from Jordanian women, women with disabilities, and candidates from groups historically under-represented in senior WPS advisory roles. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religious beliefs, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, socioeconomic background, or disability.