Portfolio Manager/Advisor, Youth Empowerment

Job Description

Who we are

SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia is an International Non-governmental organization and a member of SOS Children’s Villages International Federation. We started our humanitarian work in Ethiopia with the opening of our first Village in Mekelle, Northern part of Ethiopia in 1974. Since then, we have expanded our programs to different regions where there are significant needs for intervention and where we believe we can work in partnership with all relevant actors to bring sustainable positive outcomes for children’s and young people. 

Today, we have grown significantly to meet the persistent challenges that confront Ethiopian children who have lost parental care and those that are at risk of losing their parental care. Working in close collaboration with international donors, local government and community-based organizations across eight program locations; we aspire that every child grows up with love, respect and security.

Want to know more about life at SOS?

 Explore our Employee Value Proposition Here

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Our Commitment to Safeguarding  

At SOS Children’s Villages, safeguarding isn’t just a policy, it’s a foundational value embedded in everything we do. We are unwavering in our commitment to protecting the children, young people, adults, and communities we serve, as well as our workforce and resources.

We cultivate an environment of trust and accountability where every voice is heard and respected. All successful candidates will be expected to champion our holistic safeguarding principles, actively upholding our Child & Youth Safeguarding Policy, Code of Conduct, and regulations against sexual misconduct, fraud, and corruption.

By joining our team, you commit to integrating these vital standards into your work, ensuring the highest levels of safety, ethics, and integrity in every action and partnership.

Together, we create a world where everyone feels safe, respected, and protected

Join Our Mission:

We are looking for a Portfolio Manager / Advisor – Youth Empowerment to be responsible for the design, development, coordination, and implementation of youth empowerment programmes within SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia,  ensuring programmes are evidence-based, locally relevant, outcome-focused, and fully compliant with standards, donor agreements, and national regulations.

Key Responsibilities

Programme Design and Fund Development

• Lead the design, development, and strategic direction of youth empowerment programmes in collaboration with other departments.
• Conduct thorough research and analysis of political, social, and economic contexts to inform programme design.
• Provide inputs for proposals, concept notes, and funding applications.
• Ensure all programme development aligns with SOS CVE regulations, national laws, and international standards.
• Identify innovative programme elements, tools, or systems to improve effectiveness.
• Serve as the primary focal point for youth empowerment programmes across SOS CVE.
• Collaborate with fundraising and business development teams to secure diverse funding sources

Strategic and Programme Implementation

• Lead the preparation and implementation of startup/coordination plans for youth empowerment interventions.
• Oversee all youth-focused projects within SOS CVE to ensure timely, high-quality, and outcome-focused implementation.
• Provide guidance to LPDs, location programme managers, and coordinators on planning, budgeting, and reporting.
• Monitor outcome-level progress, not just activity completion, and initiate improvements in approaches and strategies.
• Ensure timely government signatory approvals where required.

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Quality Assurance

• Lead quality assurance exercises for youth-focused projects and activities, ensuring adherence to SOS CVE standards and donor requirements.
• Support establishment/revision of processes, procedures, and systems to maintain high-quality service delivery.
• Capacitate staff at all levels on monitoring, evaluation, and quality assurance practices.
• Ensure timely, accurate, and high-quality reporting to donors and government authorities.
• Analyze programme data to illustrate impact and disseminate evidence of good practices.
• Collaborate with the MEAL team to conduct audits, evaluations, and technical support in the youth empowerment portfolio.
• Promote the use of programme data and ICT systems (PDB2, ProDIGI, Compass) for decision-making.

Knowledge Management and Advisory Services

• Identify and document lessons learned, good practices, and innovations in youth empowerment programming.
• Promote cross-functional learning across departments and locations.
• Provide advisory services to management, facilitating knowledge sharing and capacity building in youth empowerment.
• Actively participate in relevant national, regional, and continental forums, campaigns, and advocacy initiatives.

Collaboration and Partnership Building

• Identify and build strategic partnerships with organizations, government authorities, and other stakeholders to strengthen youth empowerment programme implementation.
• Overcome barriers to collaboration and ensure integrated approaches across the portfolio.
• Represent SOS CVE in youth empowerment networks and forum

Managing People and Resources

• Provide leadership, technical guidance, and performance management for staff under supervision.
• Define roles and responsibilities, support professional development, and coordinate team efforts toward organizational goals.
• Ensure budget compliance and efficient use of resources according to approved procedures and donor requirements.

Our Ideal Candidate?

Let’s find out if we’re a match. The next step in our process depends on how your background closely align with the below criteria’s.

Essential Requirements (Must-Have): 

Education

• Master’s Degree or equivalent in Social Work, Psychology, Sociology, Pedagogical Science, Economics, Business administration, Development Studies or related discipline with at least 5 years of working experience in children, youth and family development.

Experience

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Social Work, Psychology, Sociology, Pedagogical Science, Economics, Business administration, Development Studies or related discipline with above 7 years working experience in children, youth and family development.

Desired Assets (Nice-to-Have):

• Experiences in working with hosting institutions for internship, job shadowing and employment.
• Experience on implementation and management of green job initiatives.
• Experiences in working with the target group, i.e. vulnerable children, youth, families and community
• Demonstrable expertise in youth empowerment in donor funded projects
• Good command of English, written and spoken

Competencies

Lead Competency

• Role model: Act as a role model for the organization, living our values and inspiring and learning from others
• Collaboration: Remove barriers to participation, share decision making and build partnerships
• Empowerment: Promote inclusion and equitable sharing of power
• Strategic Thinking: Live the values and mission, setting realistic goals and translating them into actionable plans

Core Competency

• Kindness: Act with empathy towards everyone he/she works with.
• Continuous Learning: Make an effort to learn, understand and grow as a person, admitting your own mistakes.
• Inclusiveness: In any actions show respect and care for others.
• Initiative: speak up when things are not right, do not hesitate to act, and adapt to change when necessary.
• Results Orientation: look for solutions and focus on desired results.

HOW TO APPLY

Does This Sound Like You? 

To apply, please submit your updated resume via: >>SOS Children Villages Application portal (ICIMS).

We actively champion diversity and inclusion and strongly encourage women to step forward and apply. As part of our unwavering commitment to holistic safeguarding protecting children, youth, adults, and assets our selection process emphasizes value alignment and includes thorough background checks for all potential hires.

SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia is an equal opportunity employer, providing fair consideration to all applicant regardless of race, colour, religion, gender, ancestry, national origin, age, disability, marital status, or class.

Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.