Overview
The Youth Engagement Associate will strengthen local dialogue and trust-building by fostering inclusive participation of young women and men in decision-making and recovery planning. The role supports youth networks, civic activism, and volunteerism to enhance community resilience and social cohesion.
Key Responsibilities
- Contribute to and support local dialogue and trust-building within communities, focusing on engaging young women and men and fostering interaction with local authorities.
- Support the establishment of local platforms for networking, knowledge sharing, and partnership building with youth and volunteer networks, authorities, and organizations.
- Support advocacy efforts to ensure the participation of youth CSOs, leaders, and networks in meetings and consultations with regional and local administrations.
- Promote the establishment and capacity building of youth CSOs for monitoring local policies and budgets and developing advocacy plans.
- Support organizing and carrying out regular regional and local consultations on youth inclusion and youth-led recovery planning.
- Assist efforts to support authorities at local, district, and oblast levels to implement youth-oriented communication strategies.
- Contribute to the development of civic activism and a culture of volunteerism among young people.
- Contribute to the recovery, development, and functioning of student self-government bodies, youth councils, youth-led CSOs, and other relevant youth stakeholders through capacity-building initiatives.
- Support the activities of social, cultural, volunteer networks, and informal interest groups at the community level.
- Facilitate and provide full support to the development of educational institutions’ curriculum and recommendations on extra-curriculum activities.
- Identify, synthesize, and document best practices and lessons learned.
- Ensure the mainstreaming of gender equality and women’s empowerment considerations.
- Promote a safe and enabling environment free of discrimination and abusive behaviour.
- Assist with ensuring the project contributes to the promotion of gender equality by reaching, involving, and benefiting both women and men.
- Use the principles of gender-responsive communications.
- Be aware of relevant gender issues and concerns.
- Support the promotion of team culture of gender equality and zero tolerance to any sexual misconduct.
- Demonstrate respect for gender equality in professional interactions, identify and address sexism and gender discrimination.
- Assist with informing and briefing personnel and partners about corporate sexual harassment and sexual exploitation and abuse policies.
- Perform other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary.
Required Experience
- A minimum of 6 years (with secondary education) or 3 years (with University degree) of progressively responsible project experience in youth work and engagement or other related fields.
- Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel) and advance knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages, experience in handling of web-based management systems.
- Ability and willingness to travel to the field sites in Mykolaiv oblast (Ukraine) on regular basis.
- Demonstrated experience in organizing and monitoring workshops, roundtables and similar activities aimed at facilitating community dialogues, especially those promoting the inclusion of young people from vulnerable or marginalized groups.
- Proven experience in supporting the implementation, delivering training or facilitating community-based projects focused on youth and volunteers’ engagement.
- Previous experience working within or in collaboration with youth infrastructure such as youth centers, youth councils, youth led civil society organizations or other relevant organizations.
- Prior experience working with UN/UNDP or other international and national civil society organizations.
Qualifications
Secondary Education is required. University degree (bachelor´s degree) in Social Sciences, Political Sciences, Psychology, Youth Work, or other relevant areas will be given due consideration, but it is not a requirement.
