Deputy Project Director

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

INTERNAL/EXTERNAL POSTING

POSITION TITLE

Deputy Project Director [PRO-4]

POSITION LOCATION

Accra, Ghana

REPORTS TO

ACTIVATE Project Director

CONTRACT TERM

2 Years

APPLICATION DEADLINE

10 July 2025. However, applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Submit early to ensure consideration.

EXPECTED START DATE

11 August 2025

BACKGROUND

WUSC (World University Service of Canada) is a Canadian non-profit organization working to create a better world for all young people. We bring together a diverse network of students, volunteers, schools, governments, and businesses who share this vision. Together, we develop solutions in education, economic opportunities, and empowerment to overcome inequality and exclusion for youth around the world, particularly young women and young refugees. WUSC currently works in 25 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America, with an annual budget of approximately CAD $40 million. We have over 90 staff in our Ottawa office, and over 200 people overseas implementing 16 development projects in collaboration with donors such as Global Affairs Canada, the UK Department for International Development (DFID), the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the Mastercard Foundation and the African Development Bank.

The Accelerating Change Through InnoVation in Agricultural TVET (ACTIVATE) project is a 5-year collaborative initiative that will contribute to a stronger, gender-responsive, socially inclusive and market-driven Agriculture Technical, Vocational Education and Training (ATVET) System that facilitates sustainable employment pathways, well-being and resilience of young women and men in Ghana. ACTIVATE will blend education and high quality, market relevant skills training in specific agriculture value chains and support growth of agripreneurship.

The project will reduce gender specific barriers, elevate the voice and aspirations of youth and integrate a strong inclusivity lens, with respect to gender and disability while building collaboration and linkages among key stakeholders such as public and private actors, academia, and agriculture value chain actors to create decent work for young people.

ACTIVATE will respond to key challenges facing the agriculture and adjacent sectors including insufficient management capacity of ATVET sector facilitation bodies, non-alignment of new TVET policies and reforms across sector ministries, low quality of ATVET instruction, curriculum and equipment, lack of ATVET engagement with industry, poor business skills among others

NATURE AND SCOPE

The Technical Director (TD) supports the Project Director in ensuring that the ACTIVATE project reaches its stated results and objectives. The TD assists with strategic and work planning, coordination and management of project technical staff, and administration of the project. In the absence of the Project Director, the TD will oversee the management of the ACTIVATE office.

Under the supervision of the PD, the TD will have oversight responsibilities of the technical support unit of the project. This includes working closely with (and managing) technical specialists and service providers.

The TD will support the Project Director in developing and implementing strategies to strengthen ATVET institutions and foster linkages with the private sector and service providers. She/he should have strong experience in market systems approaches, including coordinating intervention plans and budgets, as well as compiling high-quality technical donor reports.

The TD must demonstrate expertise in private-public partnerships and provide advisory support on private sector engagement. She/he will ensure evidence-based, responsive technical interventions aligned with project outcomes and agriculture sector needs.

Key responsibilities:

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  Support the Project Director in their role to oversee the effective and efficient implementation of the ACTIVATE Project;


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  Provide technical advice on the interface between ATVET institutions, private sector and service providers;


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  Responsible for the supervision and performance of the technical team;


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  Work with staff to assess partners, prioritize capacity needs, develop strategic plans, and help implement those plans through gender-sensitive training, coaching, and mentoring;


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  Provide strategic and work planning support, and coordinate the intervention plans and budgets of the technical team to ensure results are achieved in line with project objectives;


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  Compile high-quality technical donor reports and ensure evidence-based, responsive technical interventions aligned with project outcomes and agriculture sector needs;


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  Maintain strong working relationships or networks with key government agencies such as CTVET, GTVET Services, GTEC, and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA).


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  Facilitate public-private partnerships, particularly within the agriculture and technical vocational education and training (ATVET) sectors.


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  Participate in the National Advisory Committee, Technical Working Committee, and other relevant committees or working groups, as appropriate.


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  In the absence of the Project Director, oversee the management of the ACTIVATE office and ensure continued smooth operation of project activities.

Partner Relations and Communications

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  Advise the Project Director and relevant WUSC and Ghana Country Directors on potential strategies and approaches with key implementing stakeholders;


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  Participates in coordination and planning meetings with stakeholders.

Technical Direction & Project Management

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  Oversee a team of technical advisors, providing strategic leadership and ensuring effective coordination across project components.


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  Monitor progress toward project results, ensuring adaptive management, timely course correction, and alignment with evolving priorities.


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  Work with the team to produce regular, high-quality reports for key stakeholders, including the donor agency.


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  Stay informed on developments in agriculture-related markets and support systems for tracking and adapting to market changes over time.


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  Ensure project alignment with WUSC’s theory of change, programming principles, Gender, Age and Diversity (GAD) policy, and performance management tools.


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  Participate in relevant WUSC technical working groups and communities of practice to support learning and knowledge sharing.


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  Strengthen linkages between ATVET institutions and the private sector to improve the relevance and responsiveness of training programs.


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  Contribute to MEL systems and knowledge management efforts, including documentation of best practices and lessons learned to inform project learning and scale-up.

QUALIFICATIONS:

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  A Master’s degree in a relevant field such as International Development, Agriculture, Business Administration, Economics, or other related disciplines.


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  A minimum of ten (10) years of progressive experience in international development, with at least five (5) years in technical leadership or managerial roles overseeing complex, multi-stakeholder projects.


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  Proven experience managing and providing strategic direction to technical teams, particularly in agriculture, vocational training, or market systems development.


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  Demonstrated expertise in private sector engagement and fostering public-private partnerships to strengthen institutional capacities and enhance labor market linkages.


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  Solid understanding and practical experience in applying market systems development (MSD) approaches, especially in skills development or employment-focused programming.


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  Experience working with international development agencies, donors, and stakeholders, preferably including experience managing donor-funded projects in Ghana or West Africa.


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  Demonstrated commitment to gender equality, with experience implementing gender-sensitive and socially inclusive programming.


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  Strong track record in results-based management, work planning, and donor reporting.


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  Familiarity with monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) systems and knowledge management tools.


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  Excellent interpersonal, communication, and negotiation skills, with the ability to work effectively in cross-cultural and multi-disciplinary teams.


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  Professional fluency in English (written and verbal) is required; working knowledge of local languages and/or French is an asset.


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  Experience supporting multi-country and multi-language programs is an added advantage.

Applications

WUSC offers a dynamic work environment with a diverse intercultural workforce.  We offer employees and volunteers exciting opportunities to apply their skills and gain experience all while making a difference for youth around the world. We believe youth have the potential to provide for their families, build strong communities, and create positive social change for future generations.  Employees at WUSC work hard to create lasting change in education, employment and empowerment.

WUSC is an equal opportunity employer.  Female candidates and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.  No telephone calls please.