/ / / / Job Opportunity at Pathfinder International, Youth Technical Advisor

Job Opportunity at Pathfinder International, Youth Technical Advisor


Youth Technical Advisor  

Job Summary
Youth Technical Advisor shall manage the full project lifecycle from initiation through analysis and development to organization-wide rollout and training. Ensures the success of the project by putting in place sound project and program management practices. Creates and executes project work plans and reports, manages project staff and budgets, monitors and evaluates outcomes for on-time delivery. Works with a multi-disciplinary team and serves as the Pathfinder spokesperson on behalf of the project to promote the project goals, achievements and strengths to key stakeholders.

Job Description

Pathfinder Overview: Pathfinder International is a global leader in sexual and reproductive health. We place reproductive health care at the center of all that we do—believing that it is not only a fundamental human right, but is critical for expanding life opportunities for women, families, communities and nations, and paving the way for transformations in environmental stewardship and innovations in poverty reduction. Pathfinder provides women, men, and adolescents with a range of quality health services—from AYSRH, contraception and maternal care to HIV prevention and AIDS care and treatment. Pathfinder strives to strengthen access to family planning, advocate for sound reproductive health policies, and, through all our work, improve the rights and lives of the people we serve.

Project Overview: Feed the Future Tanzania Advancing Youth project is funded by USAID and designed to tackle youth unemployment by empowering rural youth aged 15-35 in rural agribusiness value chains. The project is implemented in three regions in Tanzania: Iringa (Iringa Rural and Kilolo districts), Mbeya (Rungwe and Kyela districts) and Zanzibar (Unguja and Pemba). The project uses youth-centered approach in which youth are fully engaged as collaborators and leaders in program design, implementation, learning and adaptation. The project connects youth to opportunities promoting employment, healthy wellbeing and leadership – empowering youth to become leaders and practice protective healthy behaviors in their respective communities. The Project has three main objectives:

1. Increasing entrepreneurship and workforce readiness skills among youth

2. Strengthening leadership and positive youth development

3. Enhancing life skills for healthy living and future planning

Pathfinder is recruiting a highly motivated and self-driven individual to join a dynamic team in the partnership to lead and coordinate the implementation of SRH and life skills activities in the regions of Unguja and Pemba, Zanzibar. The candidate will be accountable for project design and implementation in Zanzibar. S/he will guide consortium’s efforts in Zanzibar to strengthen SRH and life skills services among youth, create synergy with other partners within consortium through linkage of youth to other opportunities. S/he will be responsible for enhancing youth healthy living through improving uptake of SRH services especially young women and young mothers. S/he will be responsible for capacity building of grantees implementing SRH and life skills component in Zanzibar.

Key Job Outcomes

1. Project Work Plans and Execution: Creates and executes project work plans and revises as appropriate to meet changing needs and requirements. Identifies resources needed and assigns individual responsibilities. Manages day-to-day operational aspects of a project and scope. Reviews deliverables prepared by team before passing to client. Enforces project standards. Ensures all project documentation is complete, current and stored appropriately.

2. Project Status Reports: Prepares for engagement reviews and quality assurance procedures. Submits regular status project reports. Addresses issues and resolutions to mitigate risks.

3. Project Budget: Manages project budget. Tracks and reports team hours and expenses regularly. Manages and reports budget to actual variance on hours and cost

4. Project Meetings: Holds regular status meetings with project team. Keeps project team well informed of changes within the project and organization. Communicates relevant project information to project leads. Delivers engaging, informative, well-organized presentations. Resolves and/or escalates issues in a timely fashion. Communicates difficult/sensitive information. Facilitates team meetings.

5. Project Schedules: Manages the project schedule and schedules for Pathfinder staff related to the project. Plans and schedules to align resources and deliverables. Serves as the primary point of contact for exceptions and rescheduling.

6. Staff Development: Trains other team members using train the trainer approach. Approves team members’ time and expense reports. Reviews the status reports of team members and addresses issues as appropriate. Complies with and helps to enforce standard policies and procedures.

7. Technical Assistance: Provides technical assistance to country offices, host-country governments, local partners, and other agencies to assess needs and design SRHR and ISS & CB projects and services that are responsive to the needs of intended populations.

8. Quality Assurance: Works with the technical team to ensure that best practices for services and service integration are well documented, evaluated and poised for scale up. Coaches and builds teams to optimize staff performance programming, target setting and project workplan and scale-up.

9. Partner Management: Manages day-to-day partner interactions.

Minimally Required Job-Specific Competencies:

  • Country Specific Public Health System: Advanced knowledge of the countries’ public health systems and SRH programs.
  • Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights: Advanced knowledge of family planning and reproductive health principles, practices and services of programs, including program strategies and indicators, and the latest professional developments in SRHR and SSCB. Advanced skills in designing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating development and intervention activities funded by different donor organizations working in the health sector.
  • Proposal Development: Advanced skills in proposal development from concept to full proposal, resource mobilization, and proven ability to raise substantial research/development funds.
  • Leadership: Advanced skills as a leader in health and health service delivery strengthening in developing countries and proven ability in developing strategic plans.
  • Program and Project Planning and Management: Advanced skills in program and project management and planning to fulfill performance objectives, including the timely implementation and reporting of donor-funded program activities.
  • Operations and Financial Management: Advanced knowledge of operations and project financial oversight Presentation Skills: Ability to make presentations on results and products to small and large groups.
  • Community Relations: Advanced skills in facilitating working relationships between partners, government officials, and communities.


Minimally Required Organizational Competencies:

  • Software Applications: Advanced knowledge of MS Excel, PowerPoint, Word and Outlook.
  • Languages: Proven writing and speaking skills using Kiswahili and English language.
  • Communication and Influencing Skills: Proven ability to influence others through diplomacy and proven oral and written communication skills.
  • Passion for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights: Commitment to family planning, reproductive health services, gender, maternal, child health services, and eradication of harmful traditional practices.
  • Self-Management and Teamwork: Ability to work independently or as a member of the team, ability to thrive in a matrix organization, ability to be details-oriented, and ability to manage stress effectively in a fast-pace environment.
  • Confidentiality: Ability to maintain confidentiality on work related matters.
  • Flexibility to travel when necessary, to support field operations

Minimally Required Education, Training and Experience:

  • Master’s degree in public health, community development, marketing, social sciences or related discipline.
  • Demonstrated experience implementing large scale projects delivering FP and others SRH services to youths. Experience in Human Centered Design, Collective Youth Impact and other strategic youth interventions
  • At least 5 years’ experience in working in international development organizations implementing sexual and reproductive health programs,
  • Experience of working with projects seeking to empower women and girls, advancing their right to contraception and other SRH services
  • Prefer: Experience with programs implemented by multiple partners
  • Prefer: Experience in project design, planning and management


Interested applicants are requested to submit their CV, including contact details for 3 references before the close of business on 20th August 2020.

Applications should be addressed to the Director for Human Resources and Administration, Pathfinder International, PO Box 77991, Dar es Salaam or sent via e-mail to
Tanzania-jobs@pathfinder.org stating the position being applied for in the subject line. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.