Senior Program Officer – Youth Pillar – Erbil/Iraq – National Position At Spark

Position: Senior Program Officer – Youth Pillar – Erbil/Iraq – National Position

Location: Iraq

Program: Networks of Change II

Duration: Full-time – One Year Contract with Possibility for Extension

Start Date: As soon as possible

Explore a dynamic career as a Senior Program Officer – Youth Pillar in Erbil, Iraq, with the Networks of Change II program. This full-time position, available until 31.12.2024, offers an immediate start for an individual passionate about educational development and equipped with program management expertise.

As the Lead Coordinator for the NoC2 program, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring the effective implementation of various youth training initiatives, campaigns, events, and media activities. The position entails managing procurement, contracts, and administrative tasks while fostering collaboration with internal teams and external partners.

If you are a dynamic individual with expertise in program management, training facilitation, and a passion for contributing to educational development, we invite you to apply for this challenging and rewarding position.

Main Tasks and Responsibilities

The responsibilities and tasks include, but are not limited to:

• Lead the coordination of the NoC2 program Capacity Building Youth’s Pillar in KRI funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands under the guidance of the local Program Lead,
• Ensure effective coordination of campaign teams and activities in each region and coordinate various projects, ensuring effective implementation and delivery of outcomes, including:
  • Peer-to-peer training by youth trainers (ToTs) from existing and new youth centers.
  • The operation of youth centers, including equipment, activities, and coordinators.
  • Youth training by international and local partners, including bootcamp campaigning, content creation, ToT training and coaching and creative skills based on needs assessments.
  • Campaigns, events, and media activities as part of youth training initiatives.
  • Recruitment Bootcamp to select members for youth campaign teams in three different regions.
  • Team-building and entrepreneurship training for youth.
• Conduct procurement sourcing for goods and services and coordinate and announce tenders and RFO’s.
• Negotiate contracts with suppliers and vendors, monitoring contract performance and ensuring compliance.
• Submit invoices and manage partner and service provider payment processes through payment tracking system.
• Assist the internal and external audits of procurement activities and take corrective actions as needed.
• Maintain accurate records and documentation related to procurement, contracts, and administrative activities.
• Follow up with partners to assure timely data collection and build their capacity when needed about data collection and data management.
• Conduct frequent visits to the partners and maintaining regular communication with them.
• Work closely with the M&E team, including the data entry of results matrix.
• Collaborate with the Communications team to collect stories for program documentation.
• Collaborating with the local program lead on the preparation of quarterly and annual reports.
• Lead in communication and PR on programme-related activities and actively nurture and expand SPARK’s networks by engaging with media organisations, journalists, influencers, and local organisations (NGOs, youth groups, etc.);
• Provide support to regional programmes where needed and conduct other duties as assigned.

Requirements and Skills

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a relevant field, such as Education or International Development, or a related discipline.
• Certification in program management or a related field is advantageous.
• Minimum of 4 years of relevant experience in program coordination, preferably in education-focused projects.
• Proven experience in coordinating and overseeing complex programs, preferably in the education sector.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to collect and share impactful stories for documentation.
• Ability to organize and facilitate networking activities.
• Ability to adapt to changing priorities and work in a dynamic program environment.
• Familiarity with PVE (Preventing Violent Extremism) concepts and training methodologies.
• Proficiency in English and Kurdish (Arabic is advantageous) both written and spoken.
• Proficiency in using Ms Office and familiarity with Google Drive/Docs and other relevant software for procurement, asset management, and documentation.
• Good communication and social skills and the ability to work in a multicultural setting;
• Excellent organisational skills and ability to prioritise;
• Ability to work independently;
• Eligible to work in Iraq.

SPARK Offers

• International and dynamic working experience;
• Opportunity to take initiative and realise your ideas;
• Full-time employment contract.