Job Description
Background
Rays of Hope Ministries is a non-profit, Christian organization that collaborates with the Malawi Government to produce morally responsible and youthful leaders. We use a Transformative Educational Model to strengthen the skills of teachers, support learners, and provide financial inclusion solutions for youth in Blantyre, Zomba, Lilongwe, Thyolo, Mchinji, Ntchisi, and Ntcheu. Malawi has a young generation; unfortunately, most of them are not economically independent, which continues to exert serious doubts if the country can attain its economic goals. This program is designed to serve youth in most under-resourced communities as an alternative pathway to economic independence in the absence of academic routes.
Job Abstract
The role demands the commitment of a versatile candidate with admirable skill sets in business management, youth entrepreneurship, youth livelihood, VLS, leadership, coaching, and mentorship. This is an exciting position that operates at the intersection of faith and economic independence for young people. The incumbent shall conceptualize, implement, and monitor the success of the program activities to ensure that youth become economically independent. The program officer shall report to the relevant program coordinator covering the micro and macro details of the program.
KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY
1. Project Implementation
• Develop and provide technical support in youth economic integration activities in line with the project program strategy that includes necessary preparation of design, technical support, stakeholder consultation, action plan, and identifying appropriate implementation modalities to maximize efficiency and effectiveness.
• Conceptualize befitting youth economic integration interventions for the development of livelihoods for vulnerable youths.
• Design capacity development materials on youth economic independence in line with the program goals and the organizational-wide strategic pathways
• Drive implementation of activities, initiatives, and partnerships that facilitate knowledge management on youth entrepreneurship, and poverty alleviation.
• Put together internal monitoring and operational plan to ensure that daily activities model the program theory of change.
• Monitor program activities in accordance with the conceptual design, implementation plan, set targets, and high-level goals of the program.
• Ensure timely and quality progress reports in line with agreed templates and schedules, organizational policies and work procedures, and relevant stakeholder requirements.
• Plan the actions with close coordination and guidance of the coordinator and relevant team members.
2. Quality Assurance
• Maintain close coordination/linkages with targeted youths/groups focusing on economic integration activities to ensure quality and success.
• Provide backstopping support to all the youth actively participating in the program to attain individual success in their endeavors.
• Provide Management and technical inputs to the implementation of the economic integration activities and outputs – including organizing and participating in various engagements.
• Organize and drive specific program activities that will enhance the capacity of the targeted youth groups to deliver projected program gains.
• Support the overall Monitoring and Evaluation Plan, knowledge management, publications, and documentation to capture all the data, information storage, lesson learned, and success stories.
3. Program Development
• Generate new ideas and approaches, identify best practices, and proposes new, more effective ways of doing things bordering on the market, business development,
• Develop an integrated and coordinated plan of action based on proven evidence that identifies demonstrative opportunities for the project activities and outcomes sustenance.
• Assesses the program performance to identify success factors and incorporate best practices.
• Maintains an established network of contacts for general information sharing and remaining up to date on partnership-related issues.
• Regularly partner and liaise with relevant government institutions on youth entrepreneurship and identify the program’s role and contribution to the government priorities.
• Documents and analyses innovative strategies/best practices/new approaches, formulate case studies, knowledge management, and dissemination.
• Provide inputs and feedback through reporting to ensure systematic documentation and filing of the program gains.
Qualifications
• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited institution of higher learning in either of the following: business management, community development, entrepreneurship, and agri-business
• Experience in program report writing, as well as tracking relevant program promotion indicators in real time to permit program modification/redirection to increase the viability and output of program activities, is required.
• Knowledge of VSLA, SACCO, and other savings and loan models is essential.
• At least a minimum of two years of work experience in program implementation in a development setting (NGO) is a plus.
Oversight
The program officer shall not have any supervisory responsibility.
Other Essential Attributes
• Working experience in Entrepreneurship or Livelihoods programming.
• Specific experience in micro-enterprise development, market-oriented enterprise promotion, and other innovative approaches to youth entrepreneurship
• Experience working with the forming and monitoring of livelihoods groups and activities is essential.
• Must be fluent in written and spoken English.
• Motorbike riding experience and permit preferable.
Mode of Application
Through Email, interested persons meeting the above specifications should submit applications with a detailed Curriculum Vitae as one document, naming three traceable referees to vacancies23@raysofhopemalawi.org addressing:
The Human Resources and Administration Officer
Rays of Hope Ministries,
P.O. Box E365, Post Dot Net,
Blantyre, Malawi
