HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation Ethiopia is a registered charity operating in the working areas of Rural Infrastructure, Natural Resources Management, Support to Civil Society Organizations and Local Government, Skill Development and Education, and Emergency Responses. See also HERE HELVETAS Ethiopia is presently looking for motivated and competent professionals for the following position for a project entitled “UP-Women – Unleashing the Potential of Young Women” in Sidama regional state.

The UP Women project aims to contributing to bridging the gap young women/girls face to enter in strong career paths through improved opportunities for skills training through Integrated Functional Adult Literacy (IFAL) and short-term skills training in market demanded non-traditional skills and subsequently find (self-) employment with a decent income and in women-friendly training and working environments. This will be achieved through a combination of Integrated Functional Adult Literacy (IFAL), Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) knowledge, access and services, life skills and vocational skills training, and job placement (JP) schemes, that ultimately results in a gainful income, contribute to gender transformation and dignity for young women. The project would work both with public and private training providers with a result based financing (RBF) approach and would contribute to developing their capacities.

Major Duties and responsibilities:

Organizational and institutional development Officer for UP-women Project will bring in thematic competence in organizational and institutional capacity development skills to ensure that all deliverables pertaining to the building of Capacity and partnerships development with government actors, the private sector and civil society organizations are accomplished on time and in line with the approved work plan. S/he is responsible for strengthening institutional capacity, technical capability as well as supporting organizational and management capacity to fulfill their mandate of promoting young women skills development and employment

S/he will primarily lead project efforts at region and woreda level on both internal and implementing organizations’ institutional strengthening effort. S/he provides technical leadership to systematically identify institutional capacity gaps, capacity development planning and implementation as per the guidelines and direction from the field office

Organizational and institutional development is responsible for facilitating and providing technical support to project partners including government stakeholders, private actors, build capacity of TVETs, PTPs and IFAL centers that has ultimate impact in skills and training provision as well as service delivery to young women’s and girls’. The Project Officer works with project partners, stakeholders and beneficiaries, who are critical for the success of the project. S/he reports to the Project Manager of UP-women Project.

Roles and Responsibilities

Provide technical assistance for institutional strengthening (planning and implementation)

• Establish and facilitate stakeholder fora and platforms through formal relationship with MOUs;
• Conduct selection of service partners (TVET and PTPs), assess their capacity and develop capacity building plans for each partner;
• Explore options to increase the capacity of training facilities and support the implementation of transformative capacity building plans;
• Conduct capacity assessment of IFAL centers and develop plans and provide capacity support for selected IFAL centers;
• Develop and implement cost recovery capacity development for TVETs and training providers particularly to make a mark in institutionalizing efficient modes of delivery that address the most marginalized at a strategic level;
• Lead the process of operationalizing Results-based financing modalities based on past experience elsewhere and contextualizing it;
• Provide Capacity building and technical support to staffs and stakeholders in each City administration on the UP-women skills development and result based financing;
• Develop mechanism to increase girls capacity through capital support , financial literacy and inclusion support;
• Lead the assessment to identify strong viable partners to support financial inclusion of young women and institutionalize partnership;
• Financial inclusion and Enterprise development modality set up and MOU signed with financial institutions for financial support of graduates;
• Develop working modality on financial inclusion and enterprise development for young women and girls;
• Follow up of implementation of capacity building related activities and support on a day to day basis;
• Provide follow up on the implementation of financial service delivery and enterprise development;
• Closely works with site coordinators to provide high quality technical support to institutions and partners in institutional capacity strengthening planning;
• Actively participates in detailed implementation planning (DIP), and annual reviews to ensure the identified institutional gaps are planned throughout the life of the project and properly implemented;
• Works closely with institutions to ensure that review meeting are planned and executed in a manner that adds value to the project and enhances mutual respect and trust;
• Establishes firm and institutionalized working relationship with local government officials; community institutions and other stakeholders and assesse major capacity gaps and identify support needs;
• Support the implementation of gender transformative capacity building plans particularly in areas of non-traditional skills training for young women;
• Explore and support linkage with employers to increase the capacity of training facilities.

 Partnership and accountability

• Ensures productive relationships are established with TVETs, PTPs, IFAL centers, MFIs for effective implementation of project activities;
• Closely works with government institutions, CBO’s and communities to ensure adequate linkages are established.

 Reporting, Learning, Documentation and Sharing

• Prepares monthly and quarterly quality reports as required by donors and counterparts, by contributing progress reports, lessons learned, and case studies for UP-women activities;
• Proactively develops and maintains a robust learning platform with all grassroots stakeholders and ensure that good practices are shared widely;
• Document innovative capacity buildings activities that are scalable and achieve systemic change;
• Avail and provide capacity building (training and material) for city administrations on different project topics;
• Maintain and establish contacts among local partner organizations and government offices particularly within TVET, PTPS, Urban Job Opportunity Creation Agency, WYCA, potential employers and others;
• Organize annual Project learning and experience sharing workshop as well as annual venture competition among graduates;
• Document and share relevant experiences and lessons learnt, contributing to changes in the TVET system;
• Media sharing of documented learning and adoption of project strategy.

 Gender Equity and Diversity

• Design, promote, and/or implements training curricula and capacity building activities that take into account the needs of female youth in terms of training topics, methodologies, timing, location, and other aspects;
• Ensure that gender transformative approach considered—and particularly young women’s and girls access to information, services, finance, and markets, as well as other aspects of women’s empowerment—are incorporated into all youth assessments and activities;
• Promote gender equality within teams, communities and households;
• Ensure that reports make explicit reference to approaches used to address unequal gender relations. 

Job Requirements

Qualifications and Experience:

• Master Degree in social science, livelihoods, economic, social studies, development studies or related discipline;
• Seven years in similar or related assignments in terms of design and execution of capacity building projects/programs;
• Experience coaching and mentoring and Proved facilitation and communication skills;
• Relevant experience working within a partnership agreement and/or a network including regional institutions;
• Understanding and knowledge of the youth development Program, working guidelines, standards and specifications
• Experience in facilitating capacity development programs, training facilitation, familiarity with stimulation/awareness methods, community development works is desirable
• Track record in capacity building of local government bodies and community based institutions, knowledge management; and networking; excellent communication, social, interpersonal and team building
• Very good IT skills (MS office); fluent in English (written and oral) and Amharic
• Ability to forge and nurture partnerships with the stakeholders; high degree of initiative, integrity and accountability

Terms and conditions for the positions:

• Contract duration: from February November 7 to December 2024;
• Duty Station: Hawassa with frequent travel to project areas;
• Salary & Benefits: As per the salary scale of the position and benefit packages for national staff (NPR 2018). 

How to Apply

Interested applicants should submit their application, including a CV, with names and contact numbers of three referees directly either by CLICK HERE, or by email  hr.ethiopia@helvetas.org .  

HELVETAS is an equal opportunity employer; however, women candidates are highly encouraged to apply.