Skills Development Team Lead (Macedonia YACO Activity)

Location: Skopje, Macedonia

Please Note: This position is contingent upon award and USAID approval with an anticipated start date of November 2022.

Overview:

Global Communities works at the intersection of humanitarian assistance, sustainable development, and financial inclusion to save lives, advance equity and secure strong futures. We support communities at the forefront of their own development in more than 35 countries, partnering with local leaders, governments, civil society and the private sector to achieve a shared vision of a more just, prosperous and equitable global community. We work with government, non-government, private sector, and community stakeholders to promote transparency, foster accountability, and access the channels they need to make their voices heard, promote change, and realize their full potential.

Global Communities seeks a Skills Development Team Lead for the anticipated USAID Macedonia Youth Actively Create Opportunities (YACO) project. This five-year $7M million program will increase youth’s positive contributions to society and collective leadership by creating partnerships in support of attractive economic opportunities, strengthening youths’ competencies for jobs, progressive careers, and civic life, and promoting values and experiences that underpin self-reliance. Furthermore, the YACO Activity will focus on the idea that there is no greater resource than youth power to accomplish the Country Development and Cooperation Strategy Goal “USAID Partnerships Promote a Prosperous, Well-Governed, and Resilient North Macedonia Committed to Euro-Atlantic Integration. Hence, the YACO activity will fall under Development Objective 1 (DO1) – Greater economic growth through improved competitiveness, Development Objective 2 (DO2) — youth contributions to society increased, and Development Objective 3 (DO3) – Reduced corruption that is eroding faith in public institutions and the culture of accountability to achieve the USAID goal previously mentioned.

The Skills Development Team Lead is responsible for building youth competencies related to employment and career development. They are accountable for securing and building the capacity of partners to deliver innovative and/or specialized training, research, work-based learning, and life/soft skills acquisition in high opportunity sectors for Macedonian youth.

Responsibilities:

• Manage resources and relationships with partners (e.g., non-formal training providers, selected specialized tertiary education programs) in IT technology and other high-demand sectors to provide youth access to innovative skills, technical training, career counseling, internships, and scholarship funds for the marginalized
• Support the existing and identify new partnerships to develop digital training opportunities for interested students in secondary schools and explore options to create makerspaces
• Collaborate with the DO1 portfolio in policy reform and skills development (e.g., support to startups, business accelerators, training, and coaching for young entrepreneurs)
• Promote success stories on youth entrepreneurship, innovation, and research with national and local media
• Collaborate with the DO3 new project/s to complement the anti-corruption efforts (e.g., support youth anti-corruption skills development that students can take into the classroom, families, and among peers)
• Train YACO’s implementing partners and youth-led organizations in Positive Youth Development (PYD) concepts and youth engagement strategies
• Create a group of local PYD ambassadors that help raise awareness of the importance of the PYD approach
• Work directly in the design, management, and implementation of youth interventions
• Work to connect internal and external stakeholders for information exchange, program development, and ensuring the overall quality and impact of youth programming
• Ensure strong and coordinated communication and information sharing processes between staff in the field
• Develop strategies and tools to increase the engagement of the targeted youth and other partners
• All other duties as assigned

Qualifications

• Minimum Bachelor’s degree in social studies, business, international development, or a related field
• At least seven years’ relevant experience to qualify as the Team Lead
• Demonstrated ability to design and deliver effective interventions in youth skills development
• Experience designing and implementing programming focused on capacity building of organizations to deliver market relevant training
• Proficiency in addressing factors that maximize youth social inclusion in economic and civic activities. Understanding of and/or experience with gender integration, engaging youth with disabilities, rural youth, LGBT youth, and/or other marginalized youth groups desired
• Demonstrated experience in working effectively with diverse stakeholders, including the private sector as well as government officials, donors, education institutions, or civil society organizations with shared objectives with USAID
• Demonstrated understanding of and passion for youth empowerment, workforce development, and soft skills training
• Demonstrated experience in working effectively in complex, politically sensitive activities
• Experience with USAID approaches including Positive Youth Development; Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility; Climate Change/Green Agenda, Innovation, Technology, and Research; and Collaborating, Learning, Adapting framework desired
• Fluency in English and Macedonian or other local language required
• Knowledge/Experience with USAID Cooperative Agreement rules and regulations strongly preferred
• Experience in the Balkan Peninsula, with preference for recent work in Macedonia; experience working with youth populations in the Balkan Peninsula desired
• A passion for the mission and values of Global Communities.
• Citizenship of North Macedonia or residence and legal authorization to work in North Macedonia highly preferred

Global Communities positively welcomes and seeks applications from all sections of society. We are committed to a work environment that respects the dignity and worth of everyone and offers equal opportunity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment.