Background

With the launch of the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), UNDP Africa has committed to leveraging its presence in 46 African countries, to play its part in facilitating regional integration and intra-African Trade. Through its Africa Promise, UNDP Africa recognizes that increasing intra-African trade will accelerate opportunities to empower youth and women creating alternative livelihood options for young people in particular, who account for three-quarters of the African population. UNDP will therefore, work with African countries and institutions to turn this demographic dividend into a driving force for economic change, including through entrepreneurship, employment, and economic empowerment. 

The Enhancing Capacities of Young Women and Youth-Led Enterprises for Regional Trade (ECoWYERT) project builds on this commitment and is aimed at building resilience and alleviating poverty by enhancing capacities of women and youth-led MSMEs to leverage AfCFTA opportunities. The project seeks to unlock the challenge of income generation and job creation by building the entrepreneurship, innovation, financial, and market-readiness capacities of youth - especially young women - in enterprise. These interventions will be in the form of access to finance, business development support, digital inclusion, and market access, along with enhancement of the policy, regulatory and collaborative environment while amplifying the youth voice.   

Interventions seek to increase the productivity of women and youth-led businesses, helping them tap into regional value chains while facilitating provision of youth-friendly financial and ecosystem services particularly targeted at young women. Funded by the Mastercard Foundation and coordinated by UNDP, the project will be co-implemented by UNDP, the International Trade Centre (ITC), the COMESA Federation of Women in Business (COMFWB), and the Trade and Development Bank (TDB),  in six countries – Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Malawi, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Zimbabwe with a Project Implementation Unit (PIU), based in Harare, Zimbabwe. 

UNDP Zimbabwe is therefore, seeking the services of a Project Coordinator to manage and oversee implementation of the project in Zimbabwe in line with UNDP rules, regulations and policies. Under the dual guidance and supervision of the Head of Prosperity and the Project Specialist, the Project Coordinator will provide technical support and coordinate all aspects of project implementation in Zimbabwe, in close liaison with the Zambia-based multi-country Project Implementation Unit. The role will be based in Harare, Zimbabwe.

Duties and Responsibilities

Provide technical advisory for implementation

• Coordinate and quality-assure all project activities over the life of the project, including at inception phase;
• Provide technical guidance on export-readiness, access to finance and business development;
• Offer substantive guidance on market opportunities for cross-border trade;
• Work closely with Responsible Parties and service providers in building the capacity of delivery partners and ecosystem actors including Business Development Organizations (BSOs), financial institutions, policymakers, trade promotion agencies and other relevant stakeholders. This includes design of materials;
• Advise on policy and regulatory reforms that facilitate inclusive trade, SME financing and gender-responsive economic development.

Ensure effective project implementation

• Responsible for the day-to-day implementation of country-level project activities;
• Responsible for country-level oversight and quality assurance of programmatic activities; 
• Support project partners in activity implementation in the country; 
• Ensure effective project management (both programmatic and operational) and implementation in line with the annual work plan; 
• Ensure effective financial management of the country project budget;
• Prepare regular progress reports on project implementation in the country;
• Coordinate and support country Technical Committee meetings;
• Ensure integration of youth, gender mainstreaming and disability inclusion in all areas of responsibility;
• Coordinate annual work planning and budgeting.  

Provision of policy, and programme support

• Coordinate relevant national partners and all project stakeholders to ensure effective project implementation;
• Provide support in the identification, development and design of country-level partners and needs;
• Organize country-level policy dialogues and ecosystem strengthening activities in support of participation of women and youth in regional trade and value chains;
• Provide support in mobilization of project beneficiaries; 
• Monitor the quality of project implementation by partners and service providers;
• Ensure linkages with existing projects and initiatives in the country (including UNDP projects), and lead the building of synergies with these.

Facilitate knowledge management and partnerships support:

• Compile knowledge and lessons learnt from project implementation in the country;
• Integrate the project into the Country Office Programme, Portfolios and reporting;
• Contribute to communications through identification and curation of knowledge sharing and communication opportunities;
• Create and maintain a database of findings from dialogues and policy engagements;
• Lead stakeholder and partner identification and activation of strategic alliances at the country level; 
• Take the lead in organizing and supporting project events and meetings at country level;
• Regularly liaise with the Regional team and other Country Project Coordinators for information and practice-sharing;
• Facilitate, manage and nurture partnerships with project and ecosystem players within the country;
• Facilitate partnerships and networking among project beneficiary groups within the country and across the project countries.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and Organization.

Institutional Arrangement

The Project Coordinator works under the direct supervision of the Head of Prosperity with a matrix reporting line to the Project Specialist, and in close collaboration with the Project team, and will directly supervise any Trade Information Desk Officers (TIDOs) that may be based in the country.

Partnership Management

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Business, Development Studies, Economics, or related fields is required.
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in a relevant field in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• Minimum five (5) years of relevant experience (with a master’s degree) or seven (7) years (with a bachelor’s degree) in areas such as economic empowerment, project or programme management, private sector engagement, or working with international organizations, community-based organizations, and communities.

Required skills:

• Demonstrated experience in women and/or youth economic empowerment in rural areas, entrepreneurial support, private sector engagement; 
• Proven working experience in trade promotion, agricultural value chains;
• Knowledge of financial inclusion and/ or digital financial services for MSMEs;
• Proven track record in coordinating complex programs with diverse partners, including government institutions, community-based organizations, and entrepreneurship support ecosystems;   
• Strong communication, and stakeholder engagement skills/experience; 
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, PowerPoint, Excel, etc.).

Desired additional skills:

• Demonstrated commitment to gender equality and youth empowerment, evidenced through prior work experience;
• Knowledge of UN or UNDP project management or operational frameworks is an asset;
• At least 7 years’ experience in economic empowerment, project/programme management, /private sector engagement or working with international organizations, community-based organizations and communities is an asset;
• Knowledge of and experience working with Government institutions and processes is desired;
• Experience working in entrepreneurship support and economic empowerment, including in rural areas is an asset;
• Proven experience working with government and community-based organizations along with knowledge of community protocols is a distinct advantage;
• Experience in Project or Office Operations is an advantage;
• Proven knowledge of the entrepreneurship and policy ecosystems is an asset.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English and Shona or Ndebele is required.

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination. 

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles. 

Right to select multiple candidates

UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

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