National Coordinator, Decent Rural Youth Employment

IMPORTANT NOTICE\: Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device

FAO seeks gender, geographical and linguistic diversity in order to best serve FAO Members in all regions.


Qualified female applicants are encouraged to apply.

People with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply.

All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality.

The national coordinator will be responsible for the day to day technical leadership and coordination for the project on “Integrated Country Approach (ICA) for boosting decent jobs for youth in the agri-food system” in Rwanda.

The Integrated Country Approach is geared towards sustainable policy change and places emphasis on strengthening the capacities of national institutions responsible for agriculture and labour to promote decent rural employment, including through private-public partnerships and multi-stakeholder mechanisms. At country level, the approach aims in particular at enhancing the employment content of national strategies, policies and programmes for agricultural and rural development in order to optimize the contribution of the sector to improve the quantity as well as the quality of rural jobs. The approach is strongly focused on youth employment creation in agricultural food systems and value chain development, but also takes into account access to agri-finance, occupational safety and health, migration, youth engagement and digital tools.

The National Coordinator (NC) will work under the direct supervision of the FAO Representative in Rwanda, in close collaboration with the Assistant FAO Representative/Programme and the technical supervision of the International Coordinator of the project Integrated Country Approach (ICA) for boosting decent jobs for youth in the agri-food system, and in close collaboration with the colleagues in the Decent Rural Employment Team (DRET) in FAO headquarters and relevant colleagues in the FAO Rwanda country office. The NC will also work in close collaboration with other relevant UN agencies involved in the Joint Programme on Youth and in consultation with the Ministries responsible for Agriculture, Labour, Youth, Gender, etc.

During the project implementation, the programme will focus on the following strategic entry points\:

• Support the development of National Strategy for Youth Employment in Agri-food systems/agribusiness
• Promote a (district) youth-centred value chain approach, aimed at engaging different groups of youth more successfully in priority value chains
• Support youth organizations, groups and networking
• Youth access to agri-finance and other productive resources

• In close coordination with the International Project Coordinator, and based on the results and activities presented in the project log frame, support the implementation and M&E of project activities including contributing to the development of annual work plans, activity requests and calendars;
• Manage the day to day implementation of the project activities in gender sensitive and inclusive manner, including support to organizing periodic meetings and workshops/trainings, in collaboration with the FAO Country Office, government, and its institutions, UN agencies as well as other relevant stakeholders;
• Oversee the process of policy dialogue with the national partners of the project and key agriculture, employment and rural development stakeholders (in particular related to the development of the youth in agribusiness Strategy);
• Actively participate in meetings, workshops and any other relevant events organized by the national partners of the project and key agriculture, employment and rural development stakeholders (for example related to the development of the Facility for boosting youth entrepreneurship);
• Provide technical inputs to key national stakeholders in the processes of revision of existing or formulation of new policies, strategies, plans and programmes around youth employment in agriculture, agribusiness, value chain development, access to agri-finance and private sector engagement;
• Prepare and submit report on progress of project implementation at national level on a quarterly basis, liaising with national partners;
• Coordinate and assist the missions and trainings conducted by international consultants and FAO staff by processing the administrative procedures and coordination with relevant governmental agencies, UN agencies and national stakeholders;
• Ensure the adoption of a sound project communication strategy, including by assisting in the development of information materials, to guarantee adequate access to information for all relevant stakeholders through different communication means;
• Collaborate and support other youth-related Programmes and projects within the FAO work programme and beyond that may bring collaborations and partnerships with the ICA project. The support may range from technical input into the development of related projects and supporting related missions among others;
• Contribute to the FAO Policy Database on Productive Employment and Decent Work by generating new entries and suggesting news;
• Coordinate an assessment of the presence of ”left behind people” inside or close to the project area and, if relevant, coordinate, document and act as a focal point for the Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) process throughout the different phases of the project in compliance with the relevant FAO Internal policies and procedures;
• In collaboration with the Decent Rural Employment Team, coordinate and act as a national focal point for establishing and implementing the project’s grievance mechanism, which is culturally appropriate and compliant with the relevant FAO policies and procedures, including receiving, assessing and registering complaints, interacting with complainants as required, ensuring complaints’ resolution at the project- or higher level of the grievance mechanism (Lead technical Unit, FAOR, or Regional Office), and documenting the process, all in compliance with the rules agreed with stakeholders and with the relevant FAO internal procedures;
• Perform any other relevant tasks as required.

• The candidate should hold an advanced University Degree relevant in Economics, Agricultural or Development Economics, Development Studies, Social Sciences or related fields;

• Working knowledge of agriculture and decent rural employment and/or youth employment issues;

• Prior experience around the topics of (youth) employment in agribusiness, agricultural value chain development and private sector engagement;

• Prior experience in policy assistance and/or programme management in the field of agriculture or rural development and/ or employment and entrepreneurship policies and programmes, with a special focus on youth policies and programmes;

• Fluent in both written and spoken English and Kinyarwanda, working level knowledge of French is an asset.

• National of Rwanda or resident in the country
  FAO Core Competencies
• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
  Technical/Functional Skills

• Work experience in multi-cultural and multidisciplinary teams

• Familiarity with Rwanda National policies and programmes in place to enhance rural employment, including through private-public partnerships and multi-stakeholder mechanisms

• Ability to work under minimum supervision and deliver within deadlines

• Detailed knowledge and understanding of the gender principles and gender mainstreaming, results-based management and capacity to develop plans, organize resources and take actions to ensure objectives are achieved within realistic time lines

• Good understanding of the government structure and experience in working with the government agencies and UN Agencies.

• High degree of team ethic and dynamic personality
• Good communication skills.
  Selection Criteria
• Academic background (30%)
• Work Experience (40%)
• Technical skills (40%)