National Consultants, Gender and Security Sector Research (Roster): Malawi

About Bodhi

Bodhi Global Analysis is a woman-led international development research consultancy established in London in 2017, with subsidiaries in Nairobi (2018), Singapore (2023), Dar es Salaam (2025), and The Hague (2026). We specialise in formative and evaluative research through participatory approaches, serving UN agencies, bilateral donors, INGOs, and regional organisations across fragile and conflict-affected contexts. Bodhi maintains ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 27001 certification and is a signatory to the Women's Empowerment Principles.

About the Role

Bodhi is expanding its Malawi roster of National Consultants specialising in gender and the security sector. Our work in this field examines how security institutions recruit, train, deploy, and promote women, and what helps or hinders women's meaningful participation and leadership in peace and security.

National Consultants lead our engagement in country. The role centres on working relationships with security and justice sector stakeholders, including national security institutions, the ministries responsible for security and for gender, and the civil society organisations working on women, peace and security. It combines interviews with senior decision-makers, the review of institutional policies and records, and the supervision of surveys with serving personnel.

This is a roster engagement. Successful applicants join Bodhi's consultant roster and are contracted project by project as assignments arise, with immediate deployment opportunities anticipated.

Key Responsibilities

Stakeholder Engagement and Access

  • Act as Bodhi's main point of contact in country with security institutions, government ministries, and civil society partners
  • Build and maintain working relationships with institutional focal points and with the departments responsible for human resources, training, operations, and gender
  • Secure the institutional authorisations and research ethics approvals required for data collection
  • Advise the team on protocol, rank structures, institutional calendars, and contextual sensitivities

Institutional Review and Interviews

  • Collect and review policies, standing orders, and administrative data on recruitment, training, deployment, promotion, and welfare
  • Conduct key informant interviews with senior officers and officials, with accurate notes and transcripts
  • Facilitate consultation and contextualisation sessions with institutional working groups

Survey Coordination

  • Recruit, train, and supervise gender-balanced enumerator teams, drawing on existing networks
  • Oversee tablet-based surveys of serving personnel, ensuring that interviews are individual, private, and confidential
  • Carry out spot checks and daily debriefs, and manage scheduling so that participation does not disrupt operations

Analysis, Validation and Reporting

  • Contribute to qualitative coding and to the interpretation of survey findings from a gender perspective
  • Advise on whether recommendations are feasible within the institution's structures and resources
  • Co-facilitate validation workshops with institutional stakeholders and contribute to draft and final reports

Qualifications and Experience

Essential

  • Master's degree in gender studies, security studies, law, political science, development studies, or a related social science, or a Bachelor's degree with equivalent professional experience
  • Minimum five years' professional experience in research, assessment, or evaluation in Malawi
  • Demonstrated experience working with security or justice sector institutions in Malawi
  • Demonstrated expertise in gender equality and women's empowerment, including work on women, peace and security, women's leadership, or gender-based violence
  • Established professional relationships with government and security sector stakeholders in Malawi
  • Proven experience conducting interviews with senior officials
  • Experience recruiting, training, and supervising enumerators for digital data collection
  • Fluency in English and Chichewa, written and spoken
  • Current residence in Malawi with the right to work, and ability to travel within the country
  • Commitment to research ethics, informed consent, confidentiality, and safeguarding, and willingness to undergo Bodhi's vetting and reference checks

Desirable

  • Experience of institutional gender assessments, gender audits, or security sector reform
  • Knowledge of Malawi's National Action Plan on UN Security Council Resolution 1325
  • Experience of peace support operations, including pre-deployment training or selection
  • Experience obtaining research ethics approval from the National Commission for Science and Technology or an accredited committee
  • Experience working with UN agencies, bilateral donors, or INGOs
  • Knowledge of other languages spoken in Malawi, such as Chitumbuka or Chiyao
  • Training in PSEA (Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse)

What We Offer

  • Consultancy engagement with inclusion on Bodhi's consultant roster for consideration for future assignments as they arise
  • Opportunity to contribute to technically rigorous research for UN agencies, donors, and development partners
  • Collaboration with an experienced, multidisciplinary international research team
  • Professional development through exposure to Bodhi's established research methodologies and quality assurance frameworks

How to Apply

To apply, click ‘Apply’ and follow the instructions. Please submit:

  • A CV demonstrating relevant experience with security or justice sector institutions and in primary data collection
  • A cover letter addressing (1) the security and justice sector institutions you have worked with in Malawi and in what capacity, (2) your experience on gender, peace and security, and (3) your availability over the next six months, with your daily rate
  • Proof of right to work in Malawi

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, with a first review on 12 October. Early application is strongly encouraged.

Safeguarding

Bodhi has a zero-tolerance approach to sexual exploitation and abuse, and to any conduct that places research participants at risk. All consultants are subject to vetting, reference checks, and contracting under Bodhi's safeguarding and data protection frameworks, and are required to complete safeguarding and PSEA briefing before deployment.

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

Bodhi is a women-owned enterprise committed to gender parity at all levels of the organisation. We particularly welcome applications from women researchers and candidates who bring lived experience from the regions where we work. Bodhi does not discriminate on the basis of race, religious beliefs, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, socioeconomic background or disability.

At Impactpool we do our best to provide you the most accurate info, but closing dates may be wrong on our site. Please check on the recruiting organization's page for the exact info. Candidates are responsible for complying with deadlines and are encouraged to submit applications well ahead.
Before applying, please make sure that you have read the requirements for the position and that you qualify. Applications from non-qualifying applicants will most likely be discarded by the recruiting manager.