Economic Opportunities Lead, USAID/Ghana Youth Activity At International Research and Exchanges Board

About IREX:
IREX is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to building a more just, prosperous, and inclusive world by empowering youth, cultivating leaders, strengthening institutions, and extending access to quality education and information. Founded in 1968, IREX has an annual portfolio of over $100 million, work in more than 100 countries worldwide with offices in 20 countries, and a global staff of 600.

Position Summary:
IREX seeks qualified Economic Opportunities Lead candidates to support the USAID-funded Ghana Youth Activity. The Activity will support rural and urban youth in northern Ghana with a range of sustainable opportunities, tools, and support systems that enable youth to improve their livelihoods, increase their abilities to contribute as both economically and socially productive individuals, promote peace, and become engaged community members. Based in Accra, the Lead will be responsible for technical and managerial leadership over the implementation of the project’s Objective 1, which seeks to spur youth-driven and sustainable economic growth in Ghana’s northern region.

Summary of Responsibilities:

• The Lead will be responsible for the technical implementation of activities focusing on increasing high quality economic opportunities for youth in northern Ghana.
• Integrate diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout activity implementation while also promoting an evidence-based positive youth development approach.
• Supervise, manage, and mentor program field staff.
• Provide individualized technical assistance and support to youth-led and youth-serving organizations, with a particular focus on marginalized youth.
• Support integration of PYD approaches in all technical interventions ensuring that young people have the appropriate assets, agency, contributions and enabling environment to meaningfully engage with activities and aims.
• Facilitate dialogue and collaboration with key private sector, government, and civil society actors to develop activities which build youth skills, promote youth participation in decision-making, and enhance government services, practices, and policies.
• Other duties, as assigned.

Only citizens of Ghana or permanent residents with work authorization will be considered.
This position is contingent on funding.

Required Skills and Qualifications:

• Ghanaian citizenship or residency with work authorization to be able to work in Ghana is required.
• Master’s degree in Economics, International Development, social sciences, or a related field and 7 years’ progressive experience in youth development, private sector engagement, and/or workforce development; OR a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field with at least 6 years of relevant experience also considered; Master’s degree preferred.
• Successful track record of designing, managing, and implementing complex project objectives within donor-funded technical assistance programs (with strong preference for past USAID-funded project management experience).
• Demonstrated success in establishing strong working relationships with local government officials; youth groups; civil society, and private sector leaders; international donors; and or other stakeholders to increase high quality economic opportunities for young people.
• Proven leadership qualities and excellent management skills.
• Thorough understanding of, and connections throughout, the private sector landscape in northern Ghana.
• Prior professional experience in northern Ghana required.
• Strong representational and organizational skills.