Zonal Coordinator

SNV is a global development partner, deeply rooted in the countries where we operate. We are driven by a vision of a better world: a world where across every society all people live with dignity and have equitable opportunities to thrive sustainably. To make this vision a reality, we need transformations in vital agri-food, energy, and water systems. SNV contributes by strengthening capacities and catalyzing partnerships in these sectors. 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. Building on 60 years of experience, we support our partners with our technical and process expertise and methodological rigor. We do this in more than 20 countries in Africa and Asia with a team of approximately 1,600 colleagues. By being adaptable and tailoring our approaches to these different contexts, we can contribute to impact at scale, resulting in more equitable lives for all. 

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For more information on our operations in Ethiopia and SNV, generally visit our website: www.snv.org  

Project background 

SNV Ethiopia is recruiting an experienced Zonal Coordinators for Realizing Aspiration of Youth in Ethiopia through Employment (RAYEE II) program in South Ethiopia, Gofa zone, based in Sawla Town.  

Realizing Aspiration of Youth in Ethiopia through Employment (RAYEE II) is a five-year (August 2025 to August 2030 inclusive) youth employment creation project which is being implemented in Collaboration with Mastercard Foundation. The program aims to secure 800,000 dignified and fulfilling job opportunities for rural young women.  The program will embrace a market system approach in high-potential value chains, (horticulture, poultry, dairy and complementary value chains), grounded in seven regional clusters. It will deliberately integrate Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI) transformative approaches and safeguarding mechanisms across all program interventions, empowering young women to secure jobs through initiatives on market and socio-economic barriers and on location-specific gendered root causes.  

SNV will implement the program jointly with five other Ethiopian/ international NGOs, who will deliver their work in specific clusters. Together, these clusters will integrate technical expertise, and they will support the program’s ecosystem to achieve longer-term systems change for youth employment in agriculture.

Summary of the Position

The Zonal Coordinator provides technical guidance and supervision to Woreda Facilitators to build strategic partnerships with government agencies, financial institutions, A/TVETs, and youth networks. This role is critical in driving the RAYEE II program's objectives and ensuring high-impact results across all implementation areas. The role ensures that proper targeting of young women including the disadvantages groups (persons with Disabilities, returnees, internally displaced groups and others) are made as per the program criteria through active participation of the community and local institutions like one stop service centers. The position is also responsible to coordinate woreda facilitators, business development service providers and trainers to be able to provide soft and technical skill training, field level coaching and mentoring, peer to peer coaching and experience sharing and facilitating market linages within her/his responsible intervention zone/s. In addition, the coordinator will undertake field level follow up of the implementation and quality of planned activities, collect and document data for key milestones of the project interventions, identify key challenges and constraints to undertake corrective measures as needed. The coordinator will closely work with cluster-level advisors in skills development, agribusiness, financial inclusion, GESI, safeguarding and youth engagement to ensure consistent information sharing and coordinated technical assistance provided to rural young women led MSEs, private. 

Targeting and Mobilization of the Community

• Ensures the program criteria for targeting of young women (90%) and disadvantageous groups (5% with persons Disabilities and 5% others like returnees and internally displaced groups) is clear and followed by woreda facilitators and key stakeholders
• Provide technical support to woreda facilitators in the implementation of various approaches to mobilize the community, one stop service centres and kebele level taskforces for the smooth targeting of program participants
•  Collect unemployment data for each woreda and kebeles to assign targets and agree with local institutions
• Assist the woreda facilitators to inform the program participants and stakeholders about the program objectives, approaches and areas of support to avoid unnecessary expectations
• Distribute information materials like the business and employment opportunities to program participants and one stop service centres to assist them to make informed decisions among potential agribusinesses proposed to be implemented in the area.  
• Assist in the formation of young women led VSLA groups for the purpose of local resource mobilization, savings and awareness creation
• Establish and capacitate Youth Advisory Groups   and involve in the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of program activities 

Establishment and Growth of young women led MSEs

• Provide technical support to woreda facilitators to ensure the MSEs are organized and established on selected agribusiness (poultry, dairy, horticulture and others)
• Ensure the MSE members have got both the soft (life, business and financial) and technical skill trainings in suitable training centres considering Persons with Disabilities and young women with child.
• Ensure GESI and safeguarding are integrated in all stages of the MSEs
• Create partnership with local financial institutions and other stakeholders to access loan, working premises, training and other legal related services
•   In collaboration with cluster level advisors, identify start up supports and facilitate the procurement as per the approved plan
• Closely monitor the ground level implementation of all program activities   
• Collect and compile data of MSEs as per the tracking system of the program to be developed and shared at program level

Documentation and reporting

• Actively participate in the preparation of annual, quarter and monthly plans and submit progress reports accordingly
• Work closely with cluster level advisors in the identification, collection and write up of learning briefs and impact stories 
• Ensuring the data base of the program is documented like list of MSEs, private actors, etc

Provision of Technical Support 

• Provide field level coaching and mentoring to woreda facilitators under her/his supervision to ensure the program activities are implemented on time and with quality in accordance with the agreements signed with the donor and government signatories
• Organize and conduct regular discussions with Woreda facilitators to monitor the implementation status of the planned activities and to identify the major challenges and the actions to be taken
• Follow the woreda facilitators are following the protocol and guideline of GESI and Safeguarding of the program and SNV  
• Evaluate the performance of woreda facilitators under her/his supervision as per the HR regulation and Guidance of SNV
• Establish strong partnership with stakeholders within the zone and represent the program to participate in review meetings and workshop
• Take other responsibilities within the project that will help the team to achieve the desired results

Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Agribusiness, Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Marketing, Agriculture and related fields.

Experiences:

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in agricultural value chain development or agribusiness, with practical experience working with youth and women in rural contexts.
• Experience in youth employment, working in the establishment of Youth led MSEs and YSLA groups 
• Demonstrated capacity to work with local stakeholders, TVETs, OSSCs, Disability organizations and government institutions.
• Strong experience in community outreach and mobilization.
• Experience in facilitating business linkages and in building partnerships with private sector actors and cooperatives.
• Experience in working in teams and coordination of experts
• Willingness to travel frequently within the zone to support field-level activities.
• Proficiency in English
• Ability to communicate with working language of the zone is mandatory
• Female candidates are highly encouraged to apply

Additional skills:

• Experience in implementing inclusive programs that prioritize youth empowerment, gender equality, and social inclusion.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively in a multicultural environment.
• A proven track record in working with local partners and community-based organizations and groups
• Computer skills and data management

Contract Type: National, Full-time

Expected start date:  February 2026

Duty Station:  South Ethiopia, Gofa Zone, Sawla Town

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

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 January 17, 2026.  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 national 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 out 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.

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