Inclusion, Youth Engagement & Skill Development Advisor (Contingent to Donor Funding)

SNV is a global development partner, deeply rooted in the countries where we operate. Driven by a vision of a better world where all people live with dignity and have equitable opportunities to thrive 
Sustainably, SNV strengthens capacities and catalyzes partnerships that transform agri-food, energy, and water systems. We help strengthen institutions and effective governance, reduce gender inequalities and barriers to social inclusion, and enable adaptation and mitigation to the climate and biodiversity crises. 

With 60 years of experience and a team of approximately 1,600 people, we support our partners in more than 20 countries in Africa and Asia, tailoring our approaches to different contexts to achieve large-scale impact and create more equitable lives for all. 

Our core values of people-centeredness and respect, equity and equality, and diversity and inclusion are fundamental to who we are and what we do. This is reflected in our vision, mission, and strategy, which set out our aspirations and commitments as our compass towards 2030.

For more information on SNV, please refer to our website: www.snv.org. 

Project background

SNV Ethiopia will be implementing an anticipated flagship programme focused on enabling 800,000 rural young women (RYW) to access dignified and fulfilling jobs. The programme will target high-potential agricultural value chains (e.g., horticulture, poultry, dairy), using a market systems development approach in seven regional clusters.

It emphasizes transformative gender and social inclusion (GESI) and aims to address structural and socio-cultural barriers that limit young women’s participation in economic life. Implementation will be decentralized, with strong collaboration across local TVETs, youth centers, community organizations, and public service institutions.

Summary of the position

This is an exciting opportunity for a passionate professional committed to creating equitable opportunities for rural young women (RYW), persons with disabilities, returnees, and other marginalized youth. As the Inclusion, Youth Engagement, and Skills system Advisor, you will lead the design and implementation of inclusive, gender-responsive, and market-relevant strategies that enhance youth participation in skills development, entrepreneurship, employment, and leadership. Working closely with woreda facilitators, TVETs, OSSCs, local institutions, community structures, and the private sector, you will ensure that business, training, and employment opportunities are accessible, responsive, and tailored to diverse youth needs. The role actively support YSLA formation, engages youth in meaningful skills and enterprise activities, strengthens local skills ecosystems, and fosters youth voice and leadership through platforms such as Youth Advisory Groups (YAG) and multi-stakeholder dialogues, ultimately contributing to meaningful employment creation and the empowerment of unemployed rural young women and other marginalized groups.

• Lead the planning, design, and rollout of inclusion, youth engagement and skills development interventions within the cluster in alignment with annual and quarter work plan and national program strategy.
• Implement inclusive community outreach and mobilization strategies that ensure effective targeting, registration, and enrolment of RYW, Persons with Disabilities, returnees, and other marginalized youth into the program, and support their progression into enterprise formation and skill training.
• Play lead role in identification of social, cultural, and systemic barriers for inclusion and develop context-specific strategies to access skill and other services.
• Support the implementation of a comprehensive strategy of YSLA approach including targeting, group formation processes, and guidance on group lifecycle and sustainability.
• Support woreda facilitators to Identify, recruit, and provide orientation to YSLA facilitators based on clear selection criteria, ensuring their active engagement and readiness to support group formation and facilitation activities.
• Implement targeted inclusion interventions, including but not limited to facilitating access to assistive devices, reasonable accommodations, adapting training venues for accessibility, and coordinating tailored support services, to ensure full and meaningful participation of Persons with Disabilities in all program activities.
• Oversee the implementation of tailored training packages (entrepreneurship, agribusiness, digital & financial literacy, value chain trainings) adapted for RYW and persons with disabilities as per the approved cluster plan.
• Ensuring the quality of trainings and training materials to be organized to various groups of project participants, service providers and other TOTs.
• Identify, assess, engage and strengthen local skill service providers such as A/TVETs, youth centres, OSSCs, universities, private training providers, etc to co-develop contextualized manuals, integrate inclusive mechanisms (e.g. reasonable accommodation and facilities, mobility aids) and deliver gender-responsive, digital-integrated training.
• Support flexible and innovative training delivery models (e.g., mobile training, community-based learning, digital advisory services) to increase accessibility.
• Facilitate youth voice platforms (YAG, youth associations) to ensure active participation of youth in general and RYW and marginalized youth in particular in program planning, decision-making, and feedback processes at local and cluster levels.
• Lead efforts to ensure youth are consulted and represented in local decision-making such as MSP platforms, planning, strategy designing, monitoring and evaluation process.
• Lead efforts to embed inclusion mechanisms (e.g., assistive devices, childcare services, safe space) within training institutions to enhance participation for young mothers and persons with disabilities.
• Work to embed digital literacy, digital advisory and learning tools, entrepreneurship, financial literacy trainings and mentorship into existing systems of woreda-level government offices, training centres (A/TVETs, youth centres, OSSCs), and community institutions to improve access for youth, especially RYW and Persons with Disabilities.
• Strengthen and maintain productive relationship with local government offices, TVETs, private service providers, OSSCs, CBOs, and organizations working with persons with disabilities.
• Collaborate with the MEAL team to develop tools and indicators to track participation, completion, and outcome of skills/ training interventions.
• Conduct regular field visits and coaching sessions with zonal coordinator, woreda facilitators and skill service providers to monitor quality and inclusiveness of service delivery and provide timely feedback.
• Capture lessons learned, document success stories, and contribute technical input to cluster-level progress reports, learning briefs, and annual work plans,
• Engage in multi-stakeholder dialogues and represent the program in cluster-level forums, skills networks, and coordination platforms to align training services with market needs and youth aspirations.

• Bachelor’s degree in education, Agriculture, Youth Development, TVET, Social Sciences, or a related field. Preferably master’s degree in the field mentioned.
• 8 years of relevant experience in skills development preferably in rural youth employment and agricultural value chains.
• Proven experience in working with TVET institutions, private training providers, and public skill development systems, OSSCs, Disability organizations and other government institutions.
• Experience in inclusion, youth engagement, and community-based programming, particularly with a focus on rural youth and Persons with Disabilities.
• Strong experience in community outreach and mobilization.
• Strong understanding of GESI, safeguarding, and inclusion approaches in training.
• Experience in coaching and capacity building of field staff and local actors.
• Proven expertise in adult learning methodologies and youth entrepreneurship experience in tracking training quality and gathering field data.
•  Fluency in English is required.
• Willingness to travel extensively within the assigned cluster.

Competencies

• Problem analysis
• Coaching
• Focus on quality
• Result orientation
• Persuasiveness

Contract Type: National, Full-time

This position will be based on donor funding and approval confirmation.

Expected start date: As soon as possible

Duty Station: Hawassa

Contract Duration: One year with the possibility of extension based on performance and budget availability.

How to Apply
If you believe that your credentials meet the outlined profile, we invite you to apply by uploading your CV and a letter of motivation before/on August 4, 2025. Please submit your application only via Smart Recruiters. All information will be kept in the strictest confidentiality.
If your experience and skills match the position's requirements, we will contact you to advise on the next steps in the recruitment process.

Working at SNV  
SNV offers a challenging work environment, opportunities to lead and innovate, and a commitment to growing your skills in a fulfilling and diverse working environment. Our staff benefit from and contribute to an internal and global network of experts.

At SNV, inclusivity is at the heart of our ethos. We celebrate the diversity of our workforce and uphold a policy of non-discrimination based on factors such as disability status, religion, ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, and more.

Vetting
SNV carries out rigorous background and reference checks concerning possible safeguarding incidents for all candidates applying for both nationally and internationally determined positions. As SNV participates in the Inter-Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme, all reference checks include a request to past employers to fill in a questionnaire regarding Misconduct (sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment), the “Statement of Conduct". This Statement of Conduct adopts the definitions used in the Scheme. 

SNV is an equal opportunities employer and female candidates are encouraged to apply.

We do not appreciate third-party mediation based on this advertisement.