Position description
CONTRACT TERM: 2 year, renewable
SALARY LEVEL: according to local salary scale depending on the final position location
LANGUAGES REQUIRED: Fluency in English is required
APPLICATION DEADLINE: February 7th, 2025
EXPECTED START DATE: Q1 2025
BACKGROUND
WUSC is a Canadian non-profit organization working to create a better world for all young people. We bring together a diverse network of partnerships with governments, businesses, civil society organizations and academic institutions who share this vision. Together, we develop solutions in education, economic opportunities, and empowerment to overcome inequality and exclusion for youth around the world, particularly young women and young refugees. WUSC currently works in 25 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and the Caribbean, with an annual budget of approximately CAD $40 million. We have 300 global staff collaborating with donors such as Global Affairs Canada, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the Mastercard Foundation, and the African Development Bank.
WUSC is currently recruiting a dynamic Project Director able to lead the start-up and deliveryof a large five year multi-country project supporting the growth of women led enterprises, particularly those led by young rural women. Funded by a philanthropic foundation, the project will deploy a combination of targeted business development and capital to support the sustainable growth of MSMEs led or owned by women. Businesses targeted will primarily be micro businesses in rural areas, however a subset of larger women-led businesses will also be supported to assess potential for impact on young rural women. The project will operate in Ethiopia, Rwanda, Ghana and Nigeria with a broad range of partners. WUSC will work in close partnership with an access to finance partner responsible for capital deployment, while WUSC coordinates business development services delivered in partnership with local Enterprise Support Organisations (ESOs). WUSC will lead a strong learning strategy which will assess various use cases for the deployment of both finance and BDS and the impact on the traditionally underserved segment of young rural women. WUSC has the overall management responsibility of the project.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Under the supervision of the Senior Director of Programs, the Project Director (PD) oversees the strategic and operational implementation of the project in Ethiopia, Rwanda, Ghana and Nigeria. The Project Director manages relationships with key stakeholders, including with national and local Governments, project partners, local partners and the funder.
The Project Director will be responsible for the following:
Partner Relations and Communications
- Establish and maintain effective relationships with key project partners, including those based in Ethiopia, Rwanda, Ghana and Nigeria.
- Develop robust relationships with project stakeholders, including the donor, the access to finance lead partner, relevant governments and enterprise support organisations.
- Organize and manage governance structures / committees
- Represent WUSC among stakeholders, ensuring that the project can provide value to local actors and make a positive impact within the entrepreneurial ecosystem
Technical Direction & Project Management
- Provide technical and managerial direction and guidance to the initiative, in line with the project’s expected outcomes
- Develop key project planning deliverables (i.e. Initiative Inception Plan, Annual Work Plans) using results based management approaches and tools;
- Develop specific strategies for cross-cutting themes (capacity building, gender equality, youth and refugee inclusion, disability inclusion, enterprise support and capital allocation) for the initiative
- Share in WUSC’s commitment and approach to advance gender equality and social inclusion for all young people
- Maintain open and effective communication amongst strategic partners and project team members in Canada and target countries
- Oversee day-to-day coordination and delivery of project activities in conjunction with staff, technical advisors and partners
Human Resources Management
- Recruit and manage the project team across all countries of operation (Ethiopia, Rwanda, Ghana, Nigeria)
- Supervise, guide and evaluate the work of project staff and consultants
- Oversee human resources management issues such as employment policies and practices, in line with local law and in keeping with WUSC policy
Financial & Office Management
- Oversee a financial management system for the project
- Support the establishment and oversight of investment structures in partnership with the access to finance partner
- Ensure that the project complies with relevant local taxation, banking controls, and labour laws
- In conjunction with the finance team, develop and monitor the project budget and ensure regular reporting to the donor
- Recruit, maintain and direct the required administrative and project infrastructure of staff, field offices and equipment as well as making decisions on administrative policy, planning and procedural matters
- Lead the establishment of management structures that integrate WUSC operational standards, workflows and IT systems.
Risk Management & Security Preparedness
- Actively assess the risk profile of the initiative; identify specific risks and appropriate mitigation strategies
- Ensure the application and relevancy of WUSC security policies, procedures and preparedness to the operational context of the project
Donor Liaison & Coordination
- Establish a strong working relationship with the Donor, including planning, capacity building and information sharing
- Convene Project Steering and Advisory Committees at regular intervals
- Coordinate regularly with other development actors to ensure harmonization and synergy with similar initiatives
- Represent the Project in official communication and fora
Work environment
- Ability to contribute to WUSC’s organizational culture that respects differences, including sex, age, ability, refugee or migration status, race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, and other identity factors
- Support a working environment is free from sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment (SEAH) and adheres to the corresponding WUSC safeguarding policies
- Understand own responsibilities towards ensuring high standards of prevention and response measures for SEAH
Qualifications
Education
- A university degree in international development, business administration, finance or other relevant area; or equivalent work experience
- Specialized training in entrepreneurship support, financial inclusion, women’s and/or youth economic empowerment would be an advantage
Experience requirements
- A minimum of ten years of progressively more responsible assignments related to management of development initiatives
- Experience working with international development donor agencies - particularly foundations
- Knowledge and experience in economic development in the context of international development programs
- Knowledge of Results Based Management (RBM) and environmental and gender policies and reporting requirements
- Proven financial, administrative and organizational skills
- Knowledge of donor financial and narrative reporting procedures and requirements
- Proven experience managing a large, multi-disciplinary and international team of staff
- Proven experience of adaptability to a challenging and constantly changing environment requiring iterative planning on a regular basis
- Proven knowledge of and commitment to the concepts of Gender Equality
Assets
- Experience managing projects with an investment component
- Experience managing technical advisors
- Experience in entrepreneurship ecosystem support, gender lens investment and financial inclusion
- Experience in capacity building with local partner organizations and participatory partnership approaches to development
- Ability to work with multiple time zone and frequent domestic and international travels
Languages
- Complete fluency in English is required. Ability to communicate in French a strong asset
Application instructions
Please be sure to indicate you saw this position on Globaljobs.org
