Refugee Led Organization (RLO) Engagement Lead at World University Service of Canada

The Role

• Under the supervision of the Nairobi-based Project Director, the Refugee Led Organization (RLO) Engagement Lead will play a pivotal role in advancing the missions of WUSC and the Mastercard Foundation in enhancing access to educational and economic opportunities for RDP leaders across Africa. A significant part of this work involves identifying, connecting and strengthening our work with refugee-led initiatives and voices to amplify our collective impact.
• This is an exciting new position that requires a dedicated, innovative and experiencedindividual and will involve establishing and nurturing relationships and innovative partnerships and initiatives with RLOs, youth community leaders and other key stakeholders to enhance collaboration, support, and resource-sharing. This is a new position for the DREEM project to support RLOs and refugee youth leaders in a variety of areas including: organizational development, storytelling and communications, program development and fundraising, and network building, amongst others.

Responsibilities:

• Works collaboratively with DREEM team members to ensure that the voice of RDP youth are effectively and meaningfully represented across all of our programming;
• Works closely with the DREEM Higher Education Inclusion and Economic Inclusion leads to ensure strong RLO engagement within those portfolios;
• Serves as the primary project liaison to the DREEM Youth Advisory Committee, ensuring regular communication, identifying higher education and economic opportunities, organizing virtual and in-person convenings, continuing professional development opportunities, identifying new members, and ensuring there is an active and responsive feedback mechanism for any issues or concerns that may arise;
• Identifies opportunities for RLO strengthening and network building within and across countries;
• Oversees the Youth Advisory Committee Community Fund, to support members with financial and technical resources to implement self-identified initiatives within their communities or organizations;
• Supports WUSC and the Foundation to identify and assess the landscape and characteristics of RLOs (or similar entities) in countries of expansion;
• Oversees the project’s support of an annual refugee-led leadership conference, driven by the project’s advisory committee;
• Identifies opportunities for the active engagement of displaced youth in international and regional convenings;
• Identifies promising practices and ways to share learnings across project partners and stakeholders;
• In partnership with the DREEM Senior MERL Officer, local communications experts and WUSC Ottawa Communications staff, supports activities to document and highlight refugee leadership programming in the project. This includes documenting learnings, success stories, multimedia content and other relevant information;
• Other duties as appropriate.

Qualifications

• The ideal applicant will combine technical expertise in one or more of DREEM’s sectors (higher education, durable solutions for refugees, vocational and technical training, support to entrepreneurs and businesses), a familiarity with the East African refugee context, an ability to get things done, and strong organization, coordination, and communication skills.

Specific competencies:

• At minimum, a Bachelor’s degree in a related field (International Development, Public Policy, International Relations, Refugee Studies);
• Five to seven years of relevant working experience;
• Experience working on displacement issues in Africa; lived experience is a plus;
• Demonstrated experience working in partnership with individual community-based organizations and networks of CBOs is a must; experience with RLOs is strongly desired;
• Experience in partnership management, human-centered design, community development and/or capacity building is strongly desired;
• Complete fluency in English is essential, with the ability to write articulately and cogently, and to edit at a similarly high level;
• Fluency (or professional competencies) in French is desirable;
• Strong planning, organization and problem-solving skills with ability to work hands-on, independently, and within team in a fast-paced work environment;
• Excellent interpersonal and facilitation skills;
• Demonstrated commitment to gender equality and social inclusion principles; proven knowledge of and commitment to the concept of gender equality and intersectionality within programming;
• Commitment to WUSC’s mission of building a better world for all young people, particularly displaced and refugee youth;

Other requirements

• The headquarters of the DREEM project is located in Nairobi, Kenya; the lead is expected to be based on the African continent, and must already possess the relevant work authorizations in the country they are/will be residing in.
• The role requires regular travel across the African continent and occasional travel to other countries for conferences, workshops and meetings;
• Ability to work a flexible schedule.

Closing date

15 Dec 2023