Category: Programs
Req ID: LOCAL02049
Posted Date: 2020-05-11
Schedule: Full Time
Location: Niamey, Niger NER
Project Summary:
The Youth Connect activity is one of several activities supporting USAID's Bridge project, devoted to addressing the development challenges at the nexus of countering violent extremism and resilience. The goal of the activity is to equip vulnerable young women and men in Niger with technical and life skills, networks, and capital for increased strategic economic opportunities. This objective supports the overall Bridge project purpose, which is to address critical unmet needs that are the main drivers of violent extremist recruitment in the Sahel: poor governance, lack of economic opportunity, and perceived exclusion from the benefits and services provided and facilitated by governments in the region.
Position Summary:
The Governance lead will be the overall technical lead focused on enhancing youth engagement with local governance. The lead will support interventions that assist youth in effectively participating in local governance activities to create a sense of ownership in addressing youth's development needs.
Primary Responsibilities:
- Identify viable and safe opportunities for increasing youth participation in local, commune, and national governance structures;
- Build effective relationships with a range of stakeholders to enhance relevance of youth's potential in the overall contribution of local development efforts;
- Organize youth to effectively engage them in village, commune, and national governance in order to increase their role in shaping, investment, services and policies that respond to their needs;
- Engage youth in interventions that enable youth to actively address and provide solutions to local water scarcity;
- Build the capacity of local leaders to support youth engagement, including village elders;
- Ensure the project delivers technical assistance and support in the areas of local governance including providing targeted guidance to the project team on design and implementation activities in a sensitive manner;
- Promote gender equality and the advancement of women and girls using the Positive Youth Development Approach;
- Familiarity with Participatory and Responsive Governance- Principle Activity (PRGPA), the NCCI (Niger Community Cohesion Initiative) activity desired; and
Strong understanding of, and adherence to, a do no harm approach and provide guidance and direction on the safety of activities proposed and implemented.
Required Skills & Qualifications:
Bachelor's degree in international development, education, social work, human development, psychology, political science, governance, sociology or related field required;
At least eight (8) years of general work experience;
At least five (5) years of experience in designing, managing and implementing youth empowerment, governance, or Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) activities;
Must have four (4) years of direct supervisory experience as well as experience in developing work plans and managing budgets;
Demonstrated technical knowledge in Positive Youth Development, CVE, governance, soft skills development, transforming gender norms, and social inclusion;
Ability to build strong relationships and collaborate effectively with local governance leaders, youth leaders, and other stakeholders;
Deep understanding of youth perspective, dynamics, goals, challenges in the Tillaberi, Maradi, and Diffa regions;
Experience working with donor-funded programming, USAID preferred; and
Fluency in spoken and written French required and English preferred.
Desired Skills & Qualifications:Master's degree in international development, communications, education, social work, human development, psychology, political science, or related field; and
Technical knowledge in youth livelihoods, agriculture, or financial inclusion.
Local and regional candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
Position contingent upon donor funding.
Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)
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