Task Manager on promoting youth employment

UNDP in Uzbekistan in partnership with the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations (MELR) of the Republic of Uzbekistan is implementing a project “Promoting Youth Employment in Uzbekistan”. The initiative is funded by the Russian Federation - UNDP-Trust Fund for Development (TFD) under its Youth Window. The project is aimed at promoting youth employment in Uzbekistan, particularly among college and university graduates, young women, returning migrants, and other vulnerable groups by helping the Government to implement a number of active labour market initiatives stipulated in the government’s medium-term Employment Promotion Programme and policies. The project will concentrate its work in three major directions:

1. Support to and promotion of youth employment through active labour market policies

2. Promoting youth and women entrepreneurship and business start-ups

3. Increasing the capacities of MELR to deliver services in support of youth employment

Within the project work on promoting youth employment support will be provided in developing job matching, vocational skills development, public works, apprenticeship programmes and initiatives through active labour market policies (ALMP) aimed at improving employability, job opportunities, and enhancing skills of the working age youth. In this regard, UNDP is now seeking an experienced Task Manager to manage project activities on promoting youth employment, provide operational and thematic services ensuring high quality, accuracy and consistency of work and fulfill the outcomes and objectives as set out by the Project document.

Under the overall guidance of Inclusive Growth Cluster (IGC) Leader, direct supervision of the Project Manager, and in close collaboration with the Project National Partners the Task Manager on promoting of youth employment will be responsible for implementation of activities under the component 1 of the Project. S/he is expected to:

• Manage project activities on promoting youth employment to fulfill the outcomes and objectives as set out in the Project document and undertakes day-to-day responsibility for the satisfactory achievement and implementation of the project component outputs;

• Familiarize him/herself with the overall development and labour market policies in the regions, youth and employment development priorities, including existing labour market programs and cooperation in the field of supporting youth and employment generation between government institutions, international agencies and business community;

• Encourage productive youth employment through technical and informational support to the job fairs organized in target districts by national partner agency Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations (MELR) and its branches (Employment Support Centers);

• Prepare the component 1 of Annual Work Plan in alignment with the project document and Board decisions, ensure close monitoring of activities and disbursements;

• Provide inputs to substantive and financial progress reports as required by the component. Prepare periodic procurement/contracting and financial delivery reports. Provide inputs to budget revisions as needed;

• Follow up and conduct supplementary research and other actions required to implement potential projects;

• Assist in designing standard operating procedures and guidelines for conducting the job fairs, registration of job fair participants, jobseekers and the unemployed, electronic job referrals, monitoring the number of occupied individuals following the job fairs;

• Study international experience on active labour market policies and interventions, encourage standards of skills and competences such as WorldSkills aimed at popularizing skills and competence development;

• Support to development a dedicated mobile application (for Android and iOS) and specials programs (bots) linked to MELR’s vacancy database to increase the access to the available MELR vacancy/job databases for job seekers, especially young people living in the regions and remote rural areas;

• Support to preparation of training modules for young people to improve their universal/soft skills such as writing a resume, job interview, foundations of labour legislation, employees’ and employers’ rights and duties, and incorporate to the mobile application for easier access;

• Prepare information materials and guidelines on organization of public works, infographics, as well as publication of announcements in local media, including provision of inventory equipment and clothing for public works in selected target regions;

• Provide technical support to National partners, including MELR, Federation of Trade Unions, and Youth Union on introduction and expansion of Apprenticeship Programmes and monitoring its functioning to ensure fast adaptation and skills learning of young and newly recruited workers and specialists in enterprises throughout the economy;

• Support in organizing case writing on successful youth employment programs and projects and provide practical assistance to international and local partners during case writing process, and provide substantive inputs to the cases;

• Facilitate knowledge and best practice sharing between project, UNDP CO, MELR and its branches (Centers for Employment Promotion), government, private sector and other development partners on active labour market policies and effective interventions, participate in relevant networks and meetings of practitioners;

• Help partners to define a model labour market policies and practices to support sustainability of productive youth employment and apprenticeship programmes in the regions, particularly in rural places;

• Ensure that gender considerations (and women empowerment) are effectively mainstreamed and disaggregated by gender data collection throughout activities;

• Design relevant TORs and technical specifications for calls for bids and proposals, process documents, coordinate and oversee work quality and progress of engaged individual consultants and company services;

• Contribute in organizing and conducting various events including roundtable meetings, discussions, workshops, fairs, exhibitions and trainings;

• Assist in preparation of relevant project and donor semi-annual and annual reports against the set targets and indicators, project board meetings and minutes;

• Perform other duties and responsibilities in the scope of current post.

Corporate Competencies:

• Demonstrates commitment to UNDP’s mission, vision and values;

• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;

• Demonstrating/safeguarding ethics and integrity;

• Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment, self-development, initiative-taking;

• Acting as a team player and facilitating teamwork;

• Managing conflict and facilitating and encouraging open communication in the team, communicating effectively;

• Creating synergies through self-control;

• Learning and sharing knowledge and encourage the learning of others;

• Promoting learning and knowledge management/sharing is the responsibility of each staff member;

Functional Competencies:

Communications and Networking

• Has excellent oral communication skills and conflict resolution competency to manage inter-group dynamics and mediate conflicting interests of varied actors;

• Has excellent written communication skills, with analytic capacity and ability to synthesize project outputs and relevant findings for the preparation of quality project reports;

• Demonstrates maturity and confidence in dealing with senior and high ranking members of national and international institutions, government and non-government.

Knowledge management and Learning

• Promotes a knowledge sharing and learning culture in the team through leadership and personal example;

• Actively mentoring project staff under her/his supervision;

• Leadership and Self-management;

• Focus on result for the client and responds positively to feedback;

• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;

• Remains calm, in control and good humored even under pressure;

• Competent in leading team and creating team spirit, stimulating team members to produce quality outputs in a timely and transparent fashion.

Development and Operational Effectiveness

• Ability to organize and complete multiple tasks by establishing priorities;

• Ability to handle a large volume of work under time constraints.

Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise 

• Understands the main processes and methods of work regarding to the position;

• Strives to keep job knowledge up-to-date through self-directed study and other mans of learning;

• Demonstrates good knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments;

Leadership and Self-Management

• Builds strong relationship with clients, focuses on impact and result for the client, and responds positively to feedback;

• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;

• Demonstrates good oral and written communication skills.

Education:

• University degree in any of the following areas of labour economics, public policy, business management, management, economics or other related fields.

Experience:

• At least 3-years of progressive work experience in the field of employment, labor relations, private sector development, rural development, gender and youth issues, development of laws and regulations, methodology and/or analysis;

• Work experience in any development organizations is an advantage.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in  written and spoken English, Russian and Uzbek.

Others:

• Ability to use information and communication technology as a tool and resource;

• Experience in handling mobile application development and web based management systems;

• Good understanding of private sector development issues, business and labour regulatory environment;

• Proven experience in development of research papers and reports, publications and analytical notes;

• Understanding of Gender equality concept and women empowerment issue and youth/employment issues;

• Initiative and strong leadership skills;

• Result and client-orientations;

• Strong analytical, writing, presentation and communication skills.

Important applicant information

All posts in the SC categories are subject to local recruitment.

Applicant information about UNDP rosters

Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

Workforce diversity

UNDP is committed to achieving diversity within its workforce, and encourages all qualified applicants, irrespective of gender, nationality, disabilities, sexual orientation, culture, religious and ethnic backgrounds to apply. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.

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