Private Sector Engagement and Youth Talent Management Advisor -Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

REPORTS TO: Youth Development Director

 SUPERVISES: N/A

 LOCATION:  Addis Ababa Central Office

 PROJECT SUMMARY

Amref Health Africa is implementing USAID Ethiopia’s Integrated Youth Activity – Kefeta, a youth program integrating democracy and governance, basic education, higher education, and health. Kefeta takes a holistic approach to support economic and social opportunities for youth in Ethiopia and plans to benefit the lives of at least two million Ethiopian youths in 18 cities, building their agency and capacity for advocacy, linking them to economic opportunities, and improving their access to youth-friendly services.

I.  JOB SUMMARY:

Amref Health Africa is seeking a Private Sector Engagement and Youth Talent Management Advisor to provide technical direction to promote youth employment and entrepreneurship opportunities by engaging the private sector for its USAID funded Integrated Youth Activity (IYA) in Ethiopia. This position will equally engage industry leaders and employers as active partners and provide linkages with youth, transforming economic opportunity for young people in Ethiopia. As a core member of the Kefeta program’s Youth Development team and in partnership with Kefeta’s youth empowerment fund, youth business enterprise development initiatives, and program management disciplines, this position will support a cohesive approach to ensuring that Kefeta’s interventions are responsive to labor market demands, create sustainable economic opportunities for young people, and meaningfully engage the private sector as both a change agent and constituent of project outcomes. This position requires experience in youth economic opportunity and workforce development, established networks within Ethiopia’s private sector and growth industries, and experience building and managing partnerships between private and public sector actors at community, regional, and system levels. While reporting to the Youth Development Director, this position will work with a multidisciplinary team, including the Youth Empowerment Fund directors and advisor, entrepreneurship technical advisor, basic education and skill development advisor, higher education technical advisor, Monitoring, Research, and Learning team, and other consortium team members.

II. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Develop and implement strategy for youth talent management and private sector engagement in the context of Kefeta, with the goal of creating youth employment and youth-led entreprise; Propose implementation plan, key monitoring and measuring indicators and milestones; monitor and report all output, outcome, and impact indicators
• Cultivate, deepen, and leverage project relationships with industry groups and key employers that are creating jobs and employ significant numbers of youth, particularly young women
• Facilitate input of private-sector actors in regional labor market assessments and community asset mapping activities to analyze skills gaps and identify opportunities for and systemic barriers to youth employment, in partnership with implementing partners and private sector stakeholders
• Manage employers’ participation in Kefeta industry stakeholder roundtables, career fairs and job placement activities, TVET curriculum enhancements, and other project activities directly linking employers with youth coalitions and youth-serving organizations
• Provide technical assistance to Kefeta’s Internship and Fellowship Program and other employer-facing project initiatives to extend youth opportunities for on-the-job experience and gateways for full time employment
•  Coordinate and collaborate with the youth entrepreneurship advisor to ensure young people’s increased network with private sector leads through networking, mentorship and internship opportunities; Facilitate networks to connect youth to start and/or continue employment and entrepreneurship opportunities by facilitating linkage with employers through system actors
• Support the development of the youth business entreprise initiative by connecting youth with private sector partners and building mentorship and coaching opportunities
• Support Kefeta’s engagement of and advocacy with employers and industry influencers for improved inclusive HR practices, youth-friendly workplace services and safety for youth and vulnerable groups, and effective talent management systems. Market Kefeta’s youth friendly services such as the youth hubs, SACCO & digital space to private sector partners
• Design and implement strategy to engage out-of-school through an improved informal employment services with the goal to establish targeted interventions for improved and safe placement of youth and young women
• Manage partnerships with targeted private companies as learning platforms for the project’s workforce development interventions. Generate, document and disseminate evidence and best practice learning for scale-up and replication with other employers
• Work with the Youth Empowerment Fund director and advisor, higher education technical advisor, basic education and entrepreneurship technical advisor, and the consortium partners to implement an integrated approach for youth service delivery, prioritizing  most potential for growth based on regional specific market analysis
• Coordinate and collaborate with Kefeta program and technical team to integrate talent management and private sector engagement interventions with other Kefeta technical areas; provide planning and reporting in technical areas and technical assistance and guidance to implementing CSO partners
• Support the development of a learning platform related to Employment and private-sector engagement to be utilized throughout the life of the program

• A master’s Degree in economics, business, business management and related fields
• Minimum of 10 years-experience in the private sector or working with other agencies in market systems facilitation, agribusiness, financial services or business-related field

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE

• Deep understanding and mastery of Markets 4 Poor approach and Economic & Markets Development facilitation including coaching, relationship building, communicating, entrepreneurialism /business understanding, and innovating
• Familiar with all aspects of the relevant market systems including key actors, private companies, micro-financial institutions (MFIs), banks, Insurances, information service providers, inputs suppliers, producers, traders, intermediary and terminal markets governance frameworks (formal and informal); and all support markets and functions
• Business-minded, entrepreneurial, adaptive, curious, with great problem-solving skills, and results motivated
• Experience cultivating relationships and collaborating with a variety of stakeholders including youth, the private sector, government ministries, NGOs, donors and community-based institutions; Excellent communication, facilitation, and networking skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English and Amharic
• Strong presentation, research, reporting and representation skills
• Excellent computer skills using MSOffice 365 Suite of products
•  Ability to travel domestically up to 30% of time