Research Manager

POSITION TITLE

Consultant, Senior Program Officer - Higher Education Inclusion

PROJECT TITLE

Displaced and Refugee youth Enabling Environment Mechanism (DREEM)

POSITION LOCATION

Any country on the African continent - applicants must have the right to work in their country of residence

REPORTS TO

Pan-African Initiatives Manager, DREEM

EXPECTED START DATE

April 15, 2025 (4 month contract - renewable based on performance and funding)

Background

World University Service of Canada (WUSC) is a leading Canadian international development organization that works with and through its southern partners to promote sustainable development. Founded in 1957 and currently working in more than 20 countries worldwide, WUSC fosters youth-centered solutions for improved education, economic, and empowerment opportunities to overcome inequality and exclusion. We believe youth have the potential to provide for their families, build strong communities, and create positive social change for future generations. Globally, WUSC has a network of higher education institutions, civil society organizations, private sector partners, professionals, students, volunteers, faculty, and community leaders that can be leveraged to support our work.

WUSC offers a dynamic international work environment with a diverse intercultural workforce. We offer employees exciting opportunities to apply their skills and gain experience all while making a difference for youth around the world. Employees at WUSC work hard to create lasting change in education, employment and empowerment.

DREEM project

WUSC through the DREEM project plays a unique role as a technical assistance and strategic learning partner to the Mastercard Foundation and its partners. The DREEM project contributes to the Mastercard Foundation’s commitment to meaningfully include refugee and displaced youth in their Scholars Program and Young Africa Works strategy.

The DREEM project focuses on two thematic areas:

1. Higher Education Inclusion:
   Support Scholars Program (SP) partners and staff with the knowledge, capacity and networks to meaningfully recruit and serve refugees and displaced youth in higher education and transition to work and to work towards more inclusive societies;

1. Economic Inclusion:
   Support Young Africa Works (YAW) country partners and staff primarily in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Ethiopia and also in other countries around the continent to gain the knowledge, capacity and networks to meaningfully include and develop programming that meets the unique training and employment needs, opportunities and aspirations of refugee and displaced youth, especially young women;
   Strengthening Economic Opportunities for Refugees (SEOR) to complement WUSC’s existing Learning through Education and Access to Employment Pathways (LEAP) project and provide refugee entrepreneurs, especially young women with improved access to market-oriented business support services that improve business and employment outcomes in Kenya.

Mastercard Foundation’s enterprise-wide Refugee and Displaced Persons (RDP) Strategy aims to invest in young Africans who have faced forcible displacement—and in the host communities, they become part of—by enabling access to high-quality education and training and supporting young people's pathways to dignified and fulfilling work as employees or entrepreneurs and job creators. The Foundation also works with multiple stakeholders across the public, private, and non-profit sectors, particularly young people themselves, to address systemic barriers inhibiting the economic prospects of forcibly displaced youth.

Job Role

Under the supervision of the DREEM Pan-African Initiatives Manager and Deputy Project Director, the Senior Program Officer will work closely in collaboration with the WUSC team, the DREEM Youth Advisory Committee, and the Mastercard Foundation team to support the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program partners.

Responsibilities:

• Provides overall programmatic support and coordinates capacity building support, and technical advice to Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program partners on refugee and displaced youth inclusion in higher education;
• Works closely with the DREEM Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, and Learning (MERL) Officer to track Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program partner engagement and impact;
• Supports with the coordination of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars program Inclusion Working Group, providing operational support and organization to the Program activities;
• Coordinates the development and dissemination of resources and delivery of training opportunities for Scholars Program partners;
• Supports in the maintenance of relationships with Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program partner staff and provides ongoing technical assistance on refugee and displaced youth inclusion;
• Identifies and rolls-up promising practices and ways to share learning across the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program network;

Line Manager

DREEM Pan-African Initiatives Manager with a dotted line to the Deputy Project Director.

Qualifications:

• Master’s Degree in international development, education, public policy, social sciences or a related field is preferred

Experience & Competencies

The ideal applicant will combine experience and technical expertise in the higher education and/or forced migration sectors with a familiarity of the African refugee context, strong organization skills, excellent listening and interpersonal skills, and an ability to get things done.

Specific competencies:

• Relevant experience working in international development, education, public policy, social sciences or a related field;
• Strong organization and project coordination skills are essential to succeed in this role;
• Relevant experience on projects that promote inclusion for displaced/ refugee youth; tertiary or technical education for displaced/ refugee youth;
• Experience providing technical support to partner organizations and a commitment to a participatory partnership approach to capacity development;
• Demonstrated commitment to social inclusion and knowledge of the specific constraints and realities of challenges faced by refugee and displaced groups;
• Understanding of the higher education landscape in Sub-Saharan Africa;
• Complete fluency in English is essential, ability to write articulately and cogently, and to edit at a similarly high level;
• French language proficiency desirable;
• Adherence to gender equality and social inclusion principles; proven knowledge of and commitment to the concept of gender equality and intersectionality within programming;
• Curious, enthusiastic and willing to innovate and adapt;
• Commitment to WUSC’s mission of building a better world for all young people, particularly displaced and refugee youth.

Other requirements

• The role will require regular international travel for outreach to refugee communities, conferences, workshops and meetings;
• Ability to work a flexible schedule.

Applications:

WUSC’s activities seek to balance inequities and create sustainable development around the globe; the work ethic of our staff, volunteers, representatives and partners shall correspond to the values and mission of the organization. WUSC promotes responsibility, respect, honesty, and professional excellence, and we will not tolerate harassment, coercion, sexual exploitation or abuse of any form. Successful applicants will be required to undertake an enhanced criminal record check where appropriate.

Only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. WUSC is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome and encourage applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.

WUSC does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process.