Project Manager | Jobtech for Refugees and Youth

• Location Type : Office
• Deadline : September 19th, 2026
• Career Level : Executive(VP, Director)
• Employment Type : Contract
• Number of people required : 1
• Managerial Experience : 8-12 years

About the Job

Reporting to the Platform Inclusion Lead, the Project Manager will serve as the primary implementer and day-to-day operational lead of the Jobtech for Refugees and Youth program in Ethiopia, He/She will lead the He/She will lead the recruitment and enrollment of refugee and displaced talent onto jobtech platforms, coordinate and facilitate collaboration between refugee job seekers, partner organisations, and digital work platforms. Additionally, he/she will take ownership of procurement, contracting, and administrative processes for Ethiopia and participate in the documentation of insights and lessons learned for knowledge products published by the Jobtech Alliance.

The role requires strong coordination skills, a proactive leadership orientation, and the ability to work across multiple stakeholder groups including donors, ecosystem actors, private sector partners, implementing organisations, and refugee-led organisations.

 Key Responsibilities

Programmatic Responsibilities:

• Provide overall leadership for delivery of the program in Ethiopia, translating the strategy agreed with the Platform Inclusion Lead to achieve set targets.
• Identify, vet, and develop partnerships with refugee-led organizations, CBOs and other potential partners capable of recruiting and placing refugees into work on platforms
• Lead the recruitment and enrollment of refugee and displaced talent onto jobtech platforms through trusted partner organisations and channels (see above)
• Contribute to identifying, assessing and engaging jobtech platforms in Ethiopia that are well-placed to onboard refugee and displaced talent, helping shape which platforms the program prioritises and partners with.
• Own the day-to-day relationship with jobtech platforms operating in Ethiopia and coordinate their interactions with partner organisations while feeding market insight back into program design and Jobtech Alliance’s wider learning.
• Serve as the program’s primary liaison with relevant government and refugee-authority stakeholders in Ethiopia (e.g. RRS, relevant line ministries, local authorities) on issues affecting delivery coordinating closely with Mercy Corps Ethiopia country office
• Coordinate procurement, contracting, and administrative processes within the Mercy Corps Ethiopia country office, ensuring compliance with organisational and donor policies.
• Track and manage activity progress against workplans, ensuring adherence to scope, timelines, and budget allocations for Ethiopia-based activities; reviewing budget-versus-actuals and flagging variances to the Platform Inclusion Lead
• Act as the bridge between platforms and talent translating platform needs into partner onboarding
• Support hiring, onboarding and capacity-building of team members and implementing partners.

Community of Practice (CoP)

• Plan and facilitate regular CoP engagements (e.g. convenings, webinars, knowledge exchanges) that bring together the diverse set of members (e.g. donors, ecosystem stakeholders, private sector actors, jobtech platforms etc.)
• Drive CoP membership growth, with a particular focus on incorporating new members from emerging geographies with support from the Program Manager
• Track CoP performance against targets outlined in the program proposal and report on progress to the Program Manager.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning & Reporting

• Conduct field visits to verify data accuracy and collect qualitative insights that will help adapt and improve the program.
• Assist in gathering insights and lessons learned, contributing to research as well as donor reporting while ensuring it meets both organisational and donor standards.
• Support the alignment of program activities with key performance indicators (KPIs) and help maintain data integrity for accurate reporting and informed decision-making.

 Safeguarding Responsibilities

• Actively learns about safeguarding and integrates it into their work, including safeguarding risks and mitigations related to their area of work ·
• Practices the values of Mercy Corps including respecting the dignity and well-being of participants and fellow team members
• Encourages openness and communication in their team; encourages team members to submit reports if they have any concerns using reporting mechanisms e.g., Integrity Hotline and other options

About You

Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills

• Demonstrated Experience and understanding of the refugee working context is a must
• A history of excellence in achieving results and self-management.
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in project management, livelihoods, employment or a related field, including experience managing teams and implementing programs.
• Demonstrated experience in strategic planning, workplanning, and managing project budgets and donor compliance.
• Bachelor’s degree in Development Studies, Economics,Business Administration,Social Sciences, or other related fields
• Experience engaging with the private sector (as placement partner/collaborator or as a staff) is required. Experience working with refugees is strongly preferred. Experience working in a start-up or with technology solutions is a plus.
• A dynamic, “outside-the-box” attitude is required, with proven ability to think and act creatively in challenging environments.
• Excellent planning, management and coordination skills, with the ability to organize a workload among different tasks and team members
• Excellent communication skills (written and verbal), and a collaborative approach to working with others.
• Working and written fluency in English, given work with a regional English-speaking team.
• Outstanding analytical capacity, with capacity to bring clarity for others and make quick decisions.
• Comfortable using shared document platforms including GSuite, as well as Microsoft Applications (Word, Excel and Powerpoint).