Internal/External Vacancy Announcement for Project Coordinator Position

The Ethiopian Center for Disability and Development (ECDD) is an Ethiopian civil society development organization that works with other organizations to promote, facilitate and build organizational capacity to make mainstream government and non-governmental service delivery and development programs accessible to, and inclusive of persons with disabilities.

ECDD is one of the implementing partners of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Ethiopia’s Integrated Youth Activity (IYA) – Kefeta; a five-year, $60 million activity recently awarded to the lead Amref Health Africa (Amref) and its consortium partners. Integrating democracy and governance, basic education, higher education, and health, Kefeta takes a holistic approach to supporting economic and social opportunities for youth in Ethiopia.

The Amref-led consortium’s vision of success for Kefeta is Ethiopian youths who are game changers: empowered to advance their own economic, civic, and social development; resilient in the face of shocks; actively promoting development within their communities and contributing to the country’s peace and prosperity. Kefeta will benefit the lives of at least two million Ethiopian youths (including 120,00 youths with disabilities) aged 15-29 in 18 cities (Addis Ababa, Bishoftu, Adama, Dire Dewa, Harar, Jigjiga, Debre Berhan, Kombolcha, Desie, Bahir Dar, Mekele, Assossa, Gambella, Hawassa, Semera/Logia, Shashemane, Jimma and Dila) building their agency and capacity for advocacy, linking them to economic opportunities, and improving their access to Youth-Friendly Services (YFS).

Currently, ECDD is looking for competent and qualified candidates for the Project Coordinator position.

Description of Tasks

The Project Coordinator is based at ECDD Head Office, Addis Ababa, and reports to the Inclusive Livelihoods Program Team Lead and works under the overall supervision of the Deputy Program Director and the Program Director under the Executive Director of ECDD. The Project Coordinator is responsible for the overall coordination, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting of the activities and results of the project.

Specifically, the Project Coordinator will:

1.     Provide technical support to other kefeta consortium member CSOs to ensure that community action plans entertain disability inclusion;

2.     Provide support and follow-up to CSOs and HEIs to ensure the inclusion of youth with disabilities in skills-building training in each target city;

3.     Support linkage of youth entrepreneurs with disabilities to Kefeta SACCO to promote savings and create access to loans;

4.     Provide continuous Technical Assistance (TA) to Kefeta’s consortium members on disability mainstreaming activities;

5.     Facilitate leadership and disability rights advocacy, and soft skills training to youths with disabilities in the project target cities;

6.     Build the capacities of the implementing partners on disability mainstreaming skills;

7.     Facilitate accessibility audit Kefeta youth-friendly service outlets for disability inclusion and accessibility and sensitize centers’ staff to include youth with disabilities;

8.     Provide Kefeta's internship program for new graduate youth with disabilities found in the target cities;

9.     Arrange short-term training for out-of-school youth with disabilities on market-driven skills training in TVET colleges;

10.  Identify and mobilize youth with disabilities to enroll in Kefeta's youth economic empowerment activities;

11.  Engage in strengthening the Ethiopian Business and Disability Network and facilitate the participation of youth with disabilities in different Job fairs;

12.  Support the establishment of youth enterprises and IGA groups composed of youth with disabilities and link to youth empowerment fund;

13.  Arrange various disability inclusion capacity-building training and other technical supports to Kefeta consortium member organizations;

14.  Support Kefeta consortium CSOs to mobilize youth with disabilities and ensure the active and full involvement of youth with disabilities in all of the integrated youth activities;

15.  Participate in the creation of a voluntary service package for youth with disabilities as a component of the Kefeta Volunteerism Program;  

16.  Actively involve in ECDD’s organizational capacity development implementation activities;               

     11. Facilitate planning and performance review sessions in alignment with Kefeta’s planning cycle:

1.     Conduct bi-annual joint supportive supervision (JSS)(M&E) with kefeta’s consortium members to ensure implementation of disability mainstreaming in their program.

2.     Participate in regular governance and coordination meetings among the consortium and key stakeholders.

3.     Ensure timely submission of quality monthly, quarterly, and annual reports.

4.     Be the primary contact person for Kefeta project and work closely with Directors based at the central coordination office.

5.     Effectively manage the dissemination of information from the central coordination to clusters and city staff.

6.     Ensure the ECDD Child and Adults-at-Risk Policy is observed by herself/himself,  project staff, and others, in consultation with the ECDD Safeguarding Focal Person.

12. Undertake other tasks as the ECDD Program Team Lead, Deputy Program Director, or Program Director may be assigned. 

Required Qualifications:

1. Education – minimum master’s in social work, Sociology, Business Administration, Special needs, or a related social science field.

2. Professional experience – minimum 6 years of responsibility for the implementation of donor-funded projects related to vocational skills training and work

3. Good understanding of national TVET policies and strategies, and extensive knowledge of other organizations active in youth development works in Ethiopia

4. Good knowledge of the practice and profession of special needs education

5. Previous professional work in vocational skills training is desirable

6. Previous business experience is desirable

7. Previous professional experience working with persons with disabilities is desirable

8. Excellent interpersonal relationships and teamwork

9. Excellent communication skills

10. Able and willing to travel frequently to the project intervention areas

11. Competence in the use of computer applications

12. Fluency in English and Amharic or Ethiopian Sign Language, knowledge of other 

  Ethiopian languages are also advantageous.