Position Title: Youth Innovation Champion (YIC)

Department: RISE 

Reports to: Youth Engagement Advisor

Based in: SWEPR

Required Number: Pool (Indefinite Quantity Contract)

Duration of contract: Definite/contractual: to be engaged with PSI on call basis when program need arises

Remuneration: As per organization pay scale plus other PSI/Ethiopia staff benefits.

Application Deadline: April 6, 2023

Who we are?

We’re Population Services International (PSI), the world’s leading non‐profit social marketing organization. We work to make it easier for people in the developing world to lead healthier lives and plan the families they desire by marketing affordable products and services that range from mosquito nets to contraceptives to HIV testing. We are a $560m enterprise based in Washington, DC, operating in the private and public sectors in more than 65 countries.

Join us!

There are over 9,000 “PSI’ers” around the world. It’s a diverse group of entrepreneurs and professionals with an unusually wide range of backgrounds - from the medical industry to the music business - all with unique skills we bring to the job.

PSI/Ethiopia wants to reimagine healthcare, put the consumer at the center, and whenever possible, bring quality care to the front door.  We achieve health impact in Ethiopia by working with both government and private partners and harvesting technology innovation to bring quality care closer to communities, schools, and homes.   We empower consumers by including them in the design of healthcare solutions, offering them more healthcare choices, and helping them to have a voice in influencing national priorities.  We work with all market actors in the health system to understand their needs, designing and delivering solutions so that market systems can sustainably serve consumers for the long term, helping to support the Government of Ethiopia in achieving Universal Health Coverage. 

We are looking for Youth Innovation Champions who are passionate to work with adolescents and youths who represent and voice for the rural adolescent married girls and boys. The purpose of this announcement is to establish a pool of potential Youth Innovation Champion who will be engaged for the program design and implementation as the need arises. 

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

Youth Innovation Champions are adolescents and youths from age 18-24 who will be engaged in PSI and co-design and involve in implementation process of family planning programs for rural adolescents in Ethiopia. We believe that young people are experts on identifying adolescent reproductive health issues. Young people are generally more effective than adults at understanding the needs of their peers and knowing how to reach and engage them because of their deep experience and understanding of adolescence and young adulthood in Ethiopia. 

You will work under the supervision of youth engagement advisor, PSI/Ethiopia. More specifically, you will: 

• Attend trainings on how to interact with rural 15-19 years’ old girls and boys and generate insight and   influence decisions in the program. 

• Conduct formative research and collect data and contribute towards insight generation, synthesis and prototyping stages. 

• Provide feedback on prototypes, bring the youth perspective to interpret the feedback on prototypes, shape the discussion on what is feasible and not, how to accommodate feedback from end users, suggest channels which may not be obvious to adult audiences.

• Participate actively in interpreting the feelings of rural adolescents and giving inputs that is helpful in designing.

• Write reports after each engagement based on young designers reporting format.

• Attend various awareness creation and advocacy events whenever invited by the team to be the voice of the 15-19-year rural adolescents. 

• Interact with youth champion groups to get insight on rural adolescents. 

Key Result Areas:

• Participation in trainings and events 

• Facilitation and engagement 

• Advocacy

• Insight generation

• Contribution to prototype development, testing and implementation. 

• Supporting research and reporting 

Job Requirements

Background

Qualification and Experience:

• 18-24 years old. 

• At least High School Complete (Grade 10 or 12 complete), university/college student or fresh graduate

• 2 years of experience in youth club or extracurricular activities, 

• Conversant with the local language and cultural context of the respective region where the application is made. 

• Knowledge of candidate’s respective regional language is a must for candidates applying from regions and ability to translate to and from English and Amharic is also necessary. 

What would get us excited?

• Able to understand and speak English and one of the regional local languages will be a plus.

• Minimum facilitation skills with peers is preferable. 

• Actively participating in community youth activities/youth clubs able to show participation certificate or letter of support (Preferred) 

• Willingness to travel in the field (rural, urban and or semi-urban sites) 

• Commitment to improving the lives of young people in Ethiopia 

How to Apply

Are you intrigued? Apply!

By following our 3 steps application process:

1. Fill out the application form using the following link: Online Application Form. It will only take 5 to 10 minutes.

2. Send your CV and application letter to recruitment@psiet.org clearly mark “Application for Youth Innovation Champion Position” in the subject line.

3. Check your email and make sure you receive an automatic response acknowledging receipt of your application which means your application was successful. If you don’t receive the automatic response, check again your subject line and if needed, re-submit your CV and application letter with the correct subject.

Application deadline April 6, 2023. We’ll call or e-mail you back if there is a good fit on both sides.

PSI is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages applications from qualified individuals regardless of race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability.