Project Manager Opportunities for Youth Employment (OYE)

Company Description

SNV is a Not-for-Profit International Development Organisation with long-term, local presence in over 30 of the poorest countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Our team of advisors works with local partners to equip communities and businesses with the tools, knowledge and connections they need to increase their incomes and gain access to basic services. SNV works across three sectors: Agriculture, Energy and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene. Several international donors fund our programmes. SNV has a +100 million euro annual turnover and is aiming for further growth.

Background

SNV is preparing for an upcoming multi-country Opportunities for Youth Employment Project supported by SDC and other donors. The Opportunities for Youth Employment (OYE) approach, is a market based method to sustainably increase youth (self) employment. The OYE model is distinguished from regular/traditional approaches it goes beyond skills training, including market matching and mentoring into (self-) employment and enterprise development. It aims to achieve access to direct employment and business opportunities in climate smart agriculture and renewable energy sectors.

Overview of the Position

The Project Manager OYE is responsible for the implementation of the project in Zambia and liaise with the Regional Program Coordinator who is based in Harare. He/she works with stakeholders from private sector, government institutions and national and international CSO/NGSs. He/she leads a small team working across the sectors of Energy and Climate Smart Agriculture in collaboration with other SNV projects.

Job Description

Key responsibilities:

• Liaise with Regional Program Coordinator
• Ensuring good connections between the OYE project and relevant AG/Energy programs /projects in SNV Zambia and beyond
• Partnerships and business development
• Responsible for communicating and reporting
• Coordinate push, match and pull dynamics.
• Integrating project components with technical institutes/farmer field schools/business development service providers
• TA in business development, employment and enterprise development
• Engage local institutions and enterprises in technical training relevant for AG sectors.
• Matching trained youth with career opportunities (internships, job placements)
• Identify opportunities for youth-led businesses in agriculture and agro-related sectors (including Energy for Agriculture)

Key activities

• Coordinate youth employment interventions in OYE Zambia
• Provide guidance to public and private sector engagements for youth (self-) employment and enterprise development
• Engage and maintain key partnerships and collaboration modalities
• Oversee and track progress of the implementation of key activities (scans on youth skills and labor demand; skills training curricula development: skills training delivery; peer-to-peer network creation; internships, career guidance and job placement).
• Provide guidance on learning/labor needs assessment.
• Identify local (implementing) partners, training institutions, Local Service Providers and trainers
• Oversight, quality control and support to local implementing partners
• Advise on (criteria and mechanisms for) selection of youth
• Organize/facilitate technical skills training within existing projects and business skills training for youth
• Support to opportunity mapping to match trained youth with private sector job opportunities
• Support internship placements with companies
• Facilitate career guidance and job placement

Qualifications

Requirements

• Masters degree plus 8 years of experience in a relevant discipline e.g. agriculture, agricultural economics, agribusiness, energy economics and business administration;
• Proven track record in implementation of projects of similar nature in development organizations in the following areas:
  • Entrepreneurship/private sector development
  • youth skills development
  • inclusive business/market models
  • multiple stakeholder facilitation, public private partnerships;
  • (action) research for innovative development solutions
• Demonstrated experience in managing capacity building programs with preferably a background in training;
• A proactive, solution driven and entrepreneurial individual who will explore and develop innovative approaches that appeal to rural youth ;
• Excellent social / networking skills, ability to engage with government, private sector and civil society;
• Excellent communication (writing and oral), advisory, reporting and presentation skills;
• Excellent People management skills with Strong project budget/finance skills
• Experience in project monitoring and evaluation with excellent analytical skills
• Experience in proposal development and business development
• Available for frequent travel in the project areas.

Additional Information

If you believe that your credentials meet the outlined profile, we invite you to apply by uploading your motivation letter and CV in English on or before the 28th February,2019.