CARE is one of the world's leading international humanitarian and development organisations, committed to helping people in poor communities improve their lives and alleviate poverty. Founded in 1945, CARE is working across 104 countries to fight global poverty and marginalization. CARE has been active in Bangladesh since 1949 being one of the largest country offices of CARE. CARE works to help people achieve social and economic well-being, while being among the best in their fields. CARE put women and girls at the center of our work because we know that we cannot overcome poverty until all people have equal rights and opportunities. CARE Bangladesh is currently shifting towards a program approach, where it has developed longer-term impact visions to have more sustainable changes in the lives of the extreme poor and marginalized.

Recently, USAID has a business forecast on ‘Bangladesh Integrated Youth Activity (BIYA)’, which is supposed to be awarded by this year. According to the forecast, this initiative is to empower youth to advance economic and democratic opportunities by building skills through appropriate training and linkages with the private sector. The activity aimed at enabling youth to better contribute to Bangladesh’s inclusive, resilient social and economic growth, will be accomplished using a cross-cutting, multi-sectoral approach. The activity will empower youth and strengthen the capacity of government and non-government community-based organizations to address youths needs and provide quality, relevant services. This will include youth better able to support communities affected by natural disasters resulting from climate change.

CARE Bangladesh seeks a Senior Specialist - Youth Skills and Empowerment for the anticipated USAID-funded Integrated Youth Activity in Bangladesh (BIYA). This position is subject to project award and funding. Only citizens of Bangladesh or permanent residents with work authorization are encouraged to apply. The position will be based in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

The Senior Specialist- Youth Skills and Empowerment will work under the supervision of the Deputy Chief of Party (DCoP). The Youth Governance Senior Specialist will serve as the focal point of BIYA project in terms of youth leadership, partnership management with youth agencies and ensure their governance. S/he will report to the Deputy Chief of Party and provide the overall vision on governance, ensure the objectives are made, and take the responsibilities for delivering results within maintaining the timeline and budget. The successful candidate should possess significant senior experience managing governance program, especially with USAID or other international donor-funded projects.

• Develop strategies to increase sustained youth participation and leadership in political, electoral, and civic processes.
• Coordinate youth-focused special initiatives developed in BIYA, such as youth advisory groups, dissemination of knowledge products, events for international awareness days, or other special programs.
• Guide the development and implementation of the BIYA youth political inclusion learning agenda.
• Promote the implementation of USAID youth-centered priorities among stakeholders including as BIYA partners, implementers, and the USG.

• Build the technical capacity of BIYA staffs, sub-grantees and partners to design and implement youth political engagement and employability initiatives that integrate positive youth development, social behavior changes interventions, and intersectional and cross-sectoral approaches to youth political engagement.
• Provide technical assistance to regional, technical, and administrative teams on effective approaches to promoting youth Active civic engagement and mainstreaming youth considerations into BIYA project implementation and CARE’s internal and external policies and processes.
• Enhance the capacity of field staff and local partners to conduct youth-focused programming through training, information-sharing, and resource development.

• Work with the BIYA and CARE Management Team to develop communications products that highlight BIYA generated learnings that inform the donor and the community about effective programming practices and approaches related to youth political inclusion.
• Engage with key external stakeholders, including youth and inclusion points of contact at USAID, to keep up to date on emerging youth political inclusion trends, youth leadership and their inclusion in different civic platforms
•  and to communicate key aspects of BIYA’s youth practice.
• Support the DCOP to promote a holistic, intersectional inclusion approach across BIYA project.

• Fulfill youth-related reporting and other requirements as requested by USAID, including quarterly reports, annual reports, workplans, and data calls.
• Lead collaboration with existing youth-focused staff and youth technical leads in BIYA by coordinating youth inclusion initiatives and activities.
• Foster cooperation and drive consensus by ensuring buy-in on consortium-level decisions pertaining to youth political participation.

• Ensure strong collaboration with Women and Girls Empowerment Program and other USAID projects of CARE Bangladesh for alignment.
• Ensure that CARE’s PSHEA and Safety & security policies and procedures are applied to all program and staff operations.
• Promote a culture of reflective learning and adaptation across the broad spectrum of partnerships and project teams.

Responsibility # 7 Safeguarding

• At least 6 - 7 years of relevant experience including programs focused on youth leadership and engagement, youth economic empowerment/workforce development, youth civic education, or civil society
• Master’s / Bachelor’s degree in political science, international development, gender studies, or related field
• Proven leadership in the management, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of international donor-supported programs, with skills in strategic governance planning and thinking, management and supervision, and experience managing complex activities involving coordination with multiple program partner institutions.
• Strong oral and written communication skills; excellent demonstrated interpersonal and negotiation skills.
• Experience in implementing a project’s vision, aligning key stakeholders with that vision and ensuring that vision is translated into achievable strategies.
• Experience in managing required programmatic reporting.
• Demonstrated commitment to gender equity.
• Demonstrated skills in adapting project team and scope to the rapid evolution of the context.
• Fluency in English required, knowledge of Bangla highly preferred.
• Ability and willingness to travel as required.

• Good managerial and leadership qualities, Ability to work in a team, Developing Teams and contributing to team success, Coaching and mentoring, motivating others.
• Communicates with impact & strategic guidance.
• Networking, Collaboration, liaison, linkages and relationships with external stakeholders.
• Have adequate understanding and familiarity on current youth development policies, large scale programs and best practices
• Adaptability, stress tolerance and management capacity.
• Negotiation and Problem solving
• Participatory planning, Organizing and problem solving abilities, Operational decision making.
• Ensure and Promote GEDI and be GEDI sensitive, creating an enabling environment where diversity can flourish and all staff and stakeholders experience inclusion and appreciation.