Senior Social Specialist

Job Description:

                      SENIOR SOCIAL SPECIALIST

Institution: Rwanda AI Agency Ltd (RAIA)

Location: Kigali, Rwanda

Type: Part-Time Individual Consultancy

Duration: 13 Months (1 December 2026 – 31 December 2027)

1. About Rwanda AI Agency (RAIA)

Rwanda AI Agency (RAIA) advances the responsible and inclusive use of Artificial Intelligence and emerging technologies to assist Rwanda's national development priorities. RAIA implements the World Bank-financed preparation program for AI for Economic Transformation in Rwanda.

2. The Opportunity

guide management of project social risks, stakeholder engagement, labor safeguards and inclusion; produce World Bank environmental and social instruments for Rwanda's AI transformation program.

3. Scope of the Role – Key Responsibilities

produce the Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP), Labor Management Procedures (LMP) and social sections of ESMF and ESCP.

Screen AI, data and project activities for social risks, including exclusion, bias, privacy, accessibility and labor conditions.

Organize consultations, disclosure and grievance redress; assist safeguarding and inclusion measures.

evaluate procurement and technical outputs for compliance with World Bank and Rwandan social requirements.

perform monitoring and field visits, produce social reports, and build stakeholder capacity.

4. Qualifications and Experience

Minimum Requirements

• Master's degree in social sciences, development studies, sociology, anthropology or related field.
• At least 8 years of social risk management, including 4 years applying the World Bank ESF and preparing SEP, LMP, ESMF and ESCP social inputs.
• Stakeholder engagement and grievance redress experience; proficiency in English and working spoken/written Kinyarwanda.

Desirable Experience

• Knowledge of Rwandan labor, social inclusion and data protection laws.
• AI/data risks relating to privacy, discrimination, bias and accessibility.
• Safeguarding and sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment prevention.
• Advanced Kinyarwanda proficiency (scored); French is an advantage.

5. Evaluation and Selection Criteria

Criteria / Deliverable Points / Timeline

• Education - 10
• General social risk management experience -15
• World Bank ESF: SEP, LMP and social aspects of ESMF and ESCP -30
• Stakeholder engagement, grievance mechanisms, inclusion and digital/data risks -30
• Rwandan labor, data protection and social inclusion law - 20
• English proficiency (written and oral) -10
• Kinyarwanda beyond minimum working level (interview; not pass/fail -5

Total                                                                         100

Minimum qualifying score for interview: 70 points. The three highest-scoring eligible candidates will be shortlisted; if fewer than three qualify, all qualifying candidates may be shortlisted.

Working Kinyarwanda is mandatory and verified at interview. Five additional points for higher proficiency are assessed at interview; the 70-point shortlisting threshold applies to the remaining 95 points.

6. Deliverables and Reporting Schedule

Criteria / Deliverable Points / Timeline

• D1. Inception report, social work plan and joint screening tool   -Dec 2026
• D2. Stakeholder Engagement Plan and operational grievance mechanism-Mar 2027
• D3. Social evaluate notes for AI, data, skilling and cloud procurement- Before issue / on submission
• D4. Social sections of draft ESMF and Labor Management Procedures - Apr 2027
• D5. Draft ESCP and required follow-on social instruments -May 2027
• D6. Consultation and disclosure record -Jun 2027
• D7. Social inputs to environmental and social monitoring reports -Quarterly
• D8. Final disclosed instruments package for appraisal -Nov 2027
• D9. Handover report and residual monitoring plan -Dec 2027

All deliverables require written acceptance by RAIA. Dates are indicative and may be adjusted by written agreement, without extending the contract beyond 31 December 2027 or increasing its approved ceiling.

7. Consultancy Engagement and Remuneration

Time-based, part-time consultancy (indicatively 8–10 days/month, not guaranteed), 1 December 2026–31 December 2027.

Daily gross fee inclusive of taxes; paid for approved days actually worked within agreed monthly and contract ceilings.

No relocation reimbursement; Kigali presence required for key meetings, missions and field visits.

Reports to the PIU Project Director and coordinates with the counterpart E&S specialist and technical teams.

Possible extension or new contract subject to performance, continued need, financing and required approvals.

8. How to Apply

Submit a cover letter, detailed CV, copies of academic degrees and professional certificates, and contact details for three professionals' referees.

Application title: REOI — Senior Social Specialist, Project Implementation Unit

Deadline: 2 November 2026 at 5:00 PM (Kigali Time).

9. Detailed Terms of Reference (ToR)

For the full scope, deliverables, selection rules and contract conditions, refer;  REOI_Package9B_PIU_Senior_Social_Specialist_PartTime_FINAL_19Oct.pdf

Inquiries: procurement@raia.rw | RAIA, Block 5, Norrsken House, 1 KN 78 St, Kigali, Rwanda

NB:

1. Open to eligible individual consultants of all nationalities; firms are not eligible

2. Selection follows the World Bank Open Competitive Selection of Individual Consultants procedure.