Programme Manager At Youth Empowerment Synergy

Job Title: Programme Manager

No. of Positions: One

Sector: Programme Administration

Employment Category: Fixed Term

Employment Type: Full-Time

Contract Duration: Until March 2022; renewable

Open to Expatriates: No

Reports to: Lead, Innovation & Skills

Start Date: As soon as possible

Location: Accra, Ghana

About us:

Youth Opportunity & Transformation in Africa (YOTA), formerly Youth Empowerment Synergy (YES), is an ECOSOC-accredited NGO at the forefront of youth development policy, practice and research in Ghana. For more than 15 years, we have delivered tailored skills to young people, leading to improvements in their leadership, financial literacy, entrepreneurship and life planning skills. Through our service delivery, we have provided education, skills training, and technical support to thousands of youth and helped them transition to self and wage employment. Our research has contributed to filling the gap in youth data and the evidence base for public policy. And, we continue to use our national appeal and grassroots constituency, through our Voices of Youth Coalition, to advocate and campaign for youth-inclusive policies at all levels.

Summary of the role:

YOTA is collaborating with Prince’s Trust International (PTI) to pilot the UK charity’s flagship Get Into Employment initiative. We are seeking an experienced but fresh-thinking Programme Manager for this effort. The Get Into Employment programme prepares young people who are not in education, employment or training to secure placements in the private sector. For this pilot phase, the Get Into Employment programme in Ghana will focus on opportunities in the green economy. In addition to developing the systems required to implement and monitor delivery of programme offerings, the Programme Manager will be instrumental in building and enabling a multi-stakeholder community for the effective implementation of the activities. The Programme Manager will lead all aspects of the programme’s internal and external communications, media and publicity, promotions, and stakeholder engagements based on a clear engagement strategy. To succeed in this role, you will have experience developing and implementing strategies for programme success, building and managing partnerships with a broad range of stakeholders, and working with youth from diverse backgrounds.

Responsibilities:

• Employer engagement – With Funding Partner, collaboratively develop a green economy employer engagement strategy; conduct employer engagement activities, including but not limited to calls, meetings, events and networking
• Young people engagement – Work with Funding Partner to develop a young people enrolment profile based upon targeting ‘Opportunity Youth’; deploy effective communications and mobilisation strategies to recruit young people who meet enrolment profile
• Young people training – Compile and adapt existing toolkits, materials and content, and integrate any sector specific skills identified by employer, to develop training programme and timetable for training youth participants; ensure training involves participating employers where appropriate
• Organising Taster Day event – Design and organise Taster Day (selection day) event in collaboration with Funding Partner; undertake introductory presentation; participate in interviews and ‘post-interview selection of young persons’ with employers
• Continued employer engagement – Maintain positive relationship with employers over the course of each Programme cohort
• Graduation event – Design event in collaboration with Funding Partner, employers and young people; undertake introductory presentation
• Monitoring, Evaluation & Reporting – Jointly with Funding Partner, develop M&E framework for the Programme; collect and report information detailed in M&E framework to Funding Partner; during weekly partnership meetings discuss possible adaptations to next Programme cohort rollout based on findings and outcomes of current cohort; jointly with Funding Partner undertake a lessons-learned evaluation of programme and outcomes; collate the necessary information and compile donor reports and case studies; review budget reporting template every two months and discuss re-forecasting when required
• Action and monitor agreed timetable of activities – Meet with key Funding Partner regularly (at least monthly) throughout the term to discuss progress, issues, blockages and jointly find solutions/re-forecast activities
• Safeguarding – Meet with Funding Partner to hold termly review to discuss safeguarding issues, ongoing management, best practice, and effective signposting
• Exploration and development of future programme opportunities – Work with Funding Partner to explore and develop potential future programme opportunities
• Other Responsibilities – Perform other duties as may be required from time to time, including responsibilities which require work on weekends and holidays for which time off in lieu (TOIL) may be taken

Person specification:

• Education to degree level or equivalent in a relevant field
• Extensive understanding of the skills eco-system and how to maximise its potential for expanding economic opportunities for youth; extensive knowledge and understanding of skills and training principles, policies, regulations and processes
• Knowledge of the green economy and other key sectors with high potential for youth employment and entrepreneurship in Ghana is considered an advantage
• Extensive knowledge of national and international skills funding and training opportunities
• Experience developing and managing client and stakeholder relationships; experience working in diverse partnerships with local authorities, private sector, skills providers and government departments
• Excellent budget and project management skills
• Advanced communication and presentational skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills that can be used to engage with a wide range of audiences; significant experience in customer facing administrative role
• Strong analytical, information and problem-solving skills
• Excellent facilitation and negotiation skills and experience of consensus building
• High standards of integrity, honesty and professionalism
• Experience in prioritisation and time management of own and others’ workloads to achieve utmost outcomes
• Ability to work effectively under pressure, meet deadlines and targets
• Experience in using ICT systems, particularly Microsoft Office packages to include Word, Excel and PowerPoint and CRM systems
• Fluency in English required, alongside Twi, Ga and/or Ewe

Salary & benefits:

• Competitive salary structure
• Accra Cost of Living allowance
• 13th month salary
• SSNIT contributions
• Medical and dental cover
• Group Personal Accident cover
• Time off in lieu (TOIL)
• Annual leave
• Sick leave
• Parental leave (maternal and paternal)
• 2 weeks Christmas and New Year break
• Professional development initiatives