Program Coordinator

[Kut,Iraq ]

Background:
World University Service of Canada (WUSC) and Canadian Leaders in International Consulting (CLIC) have been jointly awarded a grant from Global Affairs Canada to implement the project “Bolstering Reconstruction in Iraq Through Development, Growth and Employment” (BRIDGE).
The Project’s goal is to improve the employment status of male and female youth and women in selected sectors and governorates of Iraq. The two key outcome results of the Project are Improved delivery of gender-responsive and market-relevant Vocational Training; and Improved employability of targeted female and male youth and women.

BRIDGE will address the need for short-term stabilization of Iraq by helping beneficiaries integrate the labour market. It will also support the ongoing reform of the Vocational Education and Training Sector.

Nature and Scope

The Project Coordinator in Al Kut coordinates the implementation of BRIDGE activities. S/he is a key program employee that will act as the BRIDGE representative to VTCs employees, local government, and private sector.

Key Areas of Responsibility

Administration and Staff
● Provide administrative oversight over the BRIDGE project team in Kut including approving timesheets, monitoring holidays and sick leave and team members’ whereabouts at all times, and implementing the office resumption plan in a time of COVID-19.
● Support the BRIDGE team in Kut, in conjunction with their immediate line managers, to ensure that project tasks are performed in a sound, timely and diligent fashion, and all members of the Kut team are motivated, productive and professional at all times in carrying out their tasks and engaging with partners and beneficiaries.
● Support project efforts to track the status of COVID-19 in the Kut area.

Partner Relations
● Engage and coordinate closely with management and staff of the Vocational Training Directorate within the Kut Governorate, the partner VTC in Kut, the office of the Kut Governor, and other public sector offices to maintain good working relationships with them. This includes monitoring their satisfaction with the BRIDGE project and their suggestions for improvement, altering project management about issues as needed, keeping them informed about project activities, and generating their support for project activities current and in the future.
● Work with the VTC leadership to expand the ‘imprint’ of the project in the Kut partner VTCs in support of project scalability and sustainability. This will include a plan to introduce elements of their cooperation with BRIDGE to other courses offered in their VTC as well as with VTCs with which BRIDGE is not directly engaged.
● Identify key project stakeholders in Kut such as Local Government, CSOs, Chambers of Commerce, Business Associations and help mobilize them to identify employers willing to engage by contributing to revision/development of training and providing internships to VTC trainees.
● Support the project’s ongoing cooperation with Kut-based CSOs.

Communications
● Coordinate with the BRIDGE team in Baghdad, help maintain dynamic communication between the teams, and gather information which the Baghdad team may need from the Kut authority or partners, or from the BRIDGE team.
● Share information in Kut about the project’s online delivery of activities and track online preferences and attitudes among Kut partners.
● Encourage communication between key partners in Kut and with project partners in the BRIDGE network more widely. This includes sharing activity updates and success stories from Kut for the benefit of the wider BRIDGE network.
● Ensure complete reporting by the project in Kut for management.
● Ensure the project maintains high visibility with relevant stakeholders in the Kut area.

Program Delivery/Technical Support
● Support the resumption of in-class VTC instruction in the partner VTCs including the role of the VTC Committee to monitor course delivery.
● Support the work of experts that will conduct baseline surveys and data collection for M&E, Gender Strategy and Rapid Market Skills Assessments, and other assignments, and monitor completion of this work to appropriate standards.
● Coordinate the participation of Kut VTC instructors and managers in training provided in Baghdad or elsewhere.
● Coordinate with the VTCs in Kut for all activities related to developing and delivering the training programs to beneficiaries in the VTC, including piloting guidance and counseling services, conducting tracer studies, and carrying out labor market surveys.

M&E
● Monitor the capacity development results at the VTC level, as well as the training cohorts, and report back to the M&E manager in Baghdad when needed.
● Identify the sources of key data on employers, unemployment, widows and any other data which may be needed.

Background:
World University Service of Canada (WUSC) and Canadian Leaders in International Consulting (CLIC) have been jointly awarded a grant from Global Affairs Canada to implement the project “Bolstering Reconstruction in Iraq Through Development, Growth and Employment” (BRIDGE).
The Project’s goal is to improve the employment status of male and female youth and women in selected sectors and governorates of Iraq. The two key outcome results of the Project are Improved delivery of gender-responsive and market-relevant Vocational Training; and Improved employability of targeted female and male youth and women.

BRIDGE will address the need for short-term stabilization of Iraq by helping beneficiaries integrate the labour market. It will also support the ongoing reform of the Vocational Education and Training Sector.

Nature and Scope

The Project Coordinator in Al Kut coordinates the implementation of BRIDGE activities. S/he is a key program employee that will act as the BRIDGE representative to VTCs employees, local government, and private sector.

Key Areas of Responsibility

Administration and Staff
● Provide administrative oversight over the BRIDGE project team in Kut including approving timesheets, monitoring holidays and sick leave and team members’ whereabouts at all times, and implementing the office resumption plan in a time of COVID-19.
● Support the BRIDGE team in Kut, in conjunction with their immediate line managers, to ensure that project tasks are performed in a sound, timely and diligent fashion, and all members of the Kut team are motivated, productive and professional at all times in carrying out their tasks and engaging with partners and beneficiaries.
● Support project efforts to track the status of COVID-19 in the Kut area.

Partner Relations
● Engage and coordinate closely with management and staff of the Vocational Training Directorate within the Kut Governorate, the partner VTC in Kut, the office of the Kut Governor, and other public sector offices to maintain good working relationships with them. This includes monitoring their satisfaction with the BRIDGE project and their suggestions for improvement, altering project management about issues as needed, keeping them informed about project activities, and generating their support for project activities current and in the future.
● Work with the VTC leadership to expand the ‘imprint’ of the project in the Kut partner VTCs in support of project scalability and sustainability. This will include a plan to introduce elements of their cooperation with BRIDGE to other courses offered in their VTC as well as with VTCs with which BRIDGE is not directly engaged.
● Identify key project stakeholders in Kut such as Local Government, CSOs, Chambers of Commerce, Business Associations and help mobilize them to identify employers willing to engage by contributing to revision/development of training and providing internships to VTC trainees.
● Support the project’s ongoing cooperation with Kut-based CSOs.

Communications
● Coordinate with the BRIDGE team in Baghdad, help maintain dynamic communication between the teams, and gather information which the Baghdad team may need from the Kut authority or partners, or from the BRIDGE team.
● Share information in Kut about the project’s online delivery of activities and track online preferences and attitudes among Kut partners.
● Encourage communication between key partners in Kut and with project partners in the BRIDGE network more widely. This includes sharing activity updates and success stories from Kut for the benefit of the wider BRIDGE network.
● Ensure complete reporting by the project in Kut for management.
● Ensure the project maintains high visibility with relevant stakeholders in the Kut area.

Program Delivery/Technical Support
● Support the resumption of in-class VTC instruction in the partner VTCs including the role of the VTC Committee to monitor course delivery.
● Support the work of experts that will conduct baseline surveys and data collection for M&E, Gender Strategy and Rapid Market Skills Assessments, and other assignments, and monitor completion of this work to appropriate standards.
● Coordinate the participation of Kut VTC instructors and managers in training provided in Baghdad or elsewhere.
● Coordinate with the VTCs in Kut for all activities related to developing and delivering the training programs to beneficiaries in the VTC, including piloting guidance and counseling services, conducting tracer studies, and carrying out labor market surveys.

M&E
● Monitor the capacity development results at the VTC level, as well as the training cohorts, and report back to the M&E manager in Baghdad when needed.
● Identify the sources of key data on employers, unemployment, widows and any other data which may be needed.

● A university degree
● Minimum 5 years of experience in coordinating activities with multiple stakeholders
● Strong organizational and coordination skills as well as attention to details
● Excellent knowledge of Kut institutions and employers
● Good communication and computer skills
● Oral and written English skills
● Willing to travel to other Southern Governorates

WUSC is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome and encourage applications from women and diverse ethnic and religious groups. If you’d like to apply for this position, please send your resume and cover letter to ([email protected]) with the “Program Coordinator-Kut” subject line. There is a probation period of three months for the successful applicant. Only ordinary Iraqi residents will be considered and the candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.