Youth Coordinator at Fairtrade International

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Key Performance Areas

Capacity Development

• Facilitate knowledge building and mainstreaming of youth aspects among FTA staff members and its producer members.
• Develop tools and approaches towards strengthening FTA’s capacity to support its producer members in promoting youth empowerment, through Fairtrade and other social, political and economic approaches
• Establish, update and maintain youth-related policies and youth strategy for FTA, and lead FTA’s contribution towards the Fairtrade system’s policies and strategies for youth
• Support producers in the design, development and implementation of relevant policies

Portfolio Management

• Work with the regions to administer and deliver programs for youth among producers.
• Utilise as well as review to update, existing portfolio guidelines such as the terms of reference for Fairtrade Africa Premium Alumni Association (FAPAA), and FTA Continental Youth Association, in a way that translates FTA’s priorities into interventions.
• Effectively apply Results Based Management tools, establish management targets, monitor achievement of results, ensure quality control and learning, and coordinate implementation.
• Conduct youth assessments in each region, so as to establish effectiveness of interventions and also to identify gaps; constantly monitor the environment to ensure timely readjustment of interventions.
• Provide regular reports on activities, outputs and outcomes to different audiences.
• Proactively feed into unit planning and manage relevant budget lines in line with financial management procedures and requirements

Mainstreaming youth into Fairtrade Africa's approach to development

• Work closely with FTA regional networks as well as with systemwide Fairtrade units such as Workers’ Rights, Social Compliance, FLOCERT, etc. in order to assimilate youth components into policies, standards, advocacy, producer support, certification/auditing practices, communications, marketing and business engagement. Advice on possible areas for support or adjustments in existing operations.
• Conduct outreach to recruit youth for FTA’s youth programmes.
• Identify good (best) practices and disseminate findings through guidelines and manuals especially among member producers
• Lead in organizing relevant events, attend seminars or conferences as required.

Resource Mobilisation

• Work closely with the Fundraising unit to enable the successful design of youth-related projects and programmes for which external funding is required.
• Develop annual resource mobilization targets for youth strategic plan
• Provide support in design and development of regional youth/programme concepts and proposals
• Ensure high quality and timely submission of proposals and concept notes

Creation and Management of Strategic Partnerships

• Map and develop partnerships with local as well as global partners that have context-specific expertise on youth empowerment, in line with the FTA Partnership Approach.
• Coordinate partnerships, ensuring efficient and transparent communication and exchange with partners.
• Perform other duties and tasks that are consistent with the skills and expertise as needed.

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Social Sciences, International Development or related field

Experience and Knowledge

• A minimum of 3 years of work experience that involved the engagement of youth
• Experience in delivering training, particularly to the youth
• Knowledge of youth-related best practices in the agricultural sector
• Knowledge and understanding of Fairtrade practices, and interest in the Fairtrade system

Skills

• Ability to communicate ideas in a manner conducive to their practical application and comfortable working as part of a team, to add value to collective results
• Able to constructively challenge and influence others to affect change where needed
• Well-developed literacy skills and ability to interpret and communicate complex technical information clearly and concisely, orally and in writing
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to interact with individuals across multi-functional disciplines
• Good organizational, training and facilitation, as well as conflict resolution skills