Program Manager

The Program Manager leads VSO’s implementation of the Mastercard Foundation-financed Internship Opportunities for Young Women program (iWork) across assigned clusters in Central Amhara, Eastern Amhara, and Addis Ababa. The role ensures gender-transformative, inclusive, and high-quality execution that enables young women and marginalized youth—including persons with disabilities, refugees, and internally displaced persons—to access internships, build work readiness, and transition successfully into dignified work.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, deliver, and adapt VSO’s implementation plan across assigned clusters, ensuring delivery is on scope, on budget, and within timeframe.
• Manage technical delivery and project quality using VSO’s Volunteering for Development approach, placing primary actors at the center of development.
• Oversee workforce development, internship placements, enterprise engagement, and systems-strengthening activities.
• Manage consolidated budgets and procurement processes across assigned clusters, ensuring value for money and donor compliance.
• Contribute to consortium Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) plans and lead participatory reporting.
• Build and maintain strategic partnerships with donors, consortium partners, government institutions, the private sector, education providers, and civil society.
• Lead annual planning, implementation review, adaptive management, and overall team leadership.
• Provide people management, coaching, mentoring, and duty of care in alignment with VSO people policies and safeguarding standards.

Educational Qualification & Experience Requirements

• Educational Background: Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Development Studies, Project Management, Business Administration, Economics, Education, Social Sciences, Gender Studies, International Development, or related fields (additional certifications in Program Management or Leadership are an advantage).
• Work Experience: Substantial progressive professional experience managing large-scale donor-funded development programs, including significant leadership and program management roles (familiarity with Mastercard Foundation grants is an advantage).

Required Skills & Competencies

• Technical knowledge of youth employability, internships, workforce development, inclusive workplace practices, and the Ethiopian labor market context.
• Strong skills in managing grant-funded projects, multi-stakeholder consortia, grant compliance, and reporting.
• Proven experience leading multi-functional and field-based teams using inclusive feminist leadership, coaching, and mentoring approaches.
• Expertise in safeguarding, duty of care, project risk management, and incident management.
• Effective communication, digital skills, working English proficiency, and relevant local language fluency.
• Core skills in Communication, alongside competencies in Programme Operations Management, Project Cycle Management (PCM), Youth Employment, and Risk Management.

How to Apply

Please ensure that all required information is provided accurately and that the application is submitted before the specified deadline.