The programme has two interrelated objectives:

1. Young people and youth-led groups and networks effectively advocate for their concerns and priorities at various levels, including local, national, continental and cross-continental, and around the AU-EU partnership in Africa.
2. Institutions, governments, partners, and corporations are more youth-centered and meaningfully collaborate with youth in the development and implementation of their policies/decision-making moments and spaces.

The Senior Programme Coordinator is the person responsible for the overall efficient implementation of the programme for Restless Development Sierra Leone, ensuring objectives are met, budget is spent appropriately and results are achieved. The Senior Programme Coordinator will act as the in-country liaison for the project.

The Senior Programme Coordinator will ensure overall strategic programme delivery, coherence and alignment with other Restless Development countries of implementation, as well as contribute to global learning across the agency and establish strategic links between the Youth Collective in Sierra Leone and Youth Voices Lab. She/He will also engage with partners and youth networks in-country to guarantee strategy coherence, cross-learning, and collaborative advocacy.

Key Responsibilities

• On behalf of Restless Development, ensure that the AU-EU Youth Voices Lab performs well in Sierra Leone and achieves overall consortium success.
• Provide strategic, technical and operational oversight for programme implementation.
• Lead planning, coordination and communication efforts with project leadership and colleagues in other Restless Development implementation countries, serving as the primary point of contact.
• Provide quality control oversight for the programme, and ensure adherence to set objectives, indicators, and targets.
• Oversee the design and implementation of monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) frameworks, ensuring continuous improvement and accountability.
• Participate in regular reviews to assess program effectiveness and identify areas for enhancement.
• Support program learning across Restless Development, enabling the agency’s learning and growth agenda while also allowing us to test and prove the value of youth leadership.
• Support youth-led research, or advocacy, or hacks, or accountability with marginalized young people.
• Ability to lead capacity strengthening progresses for emerging Youth civil Society Organizations both in Sierra Leone and diasporans in Europe.

Coordination and Collaboration.

• Ensure effective coordination with project colleagues in other Restless Development implementing countries, youth networks and the Ministry of Youth Affairs, fostering effective communication and collaboration.
• Participate in monthly and quarterly strategic reviews.
• Contribute to the development of a technical support framework for the project.
• Lead in-country engagement with diverse stakeholders including government bodies, civil society, and local partners to strengthen collaboration and garner support.
• Coordinate internal and external platforms for effective knowledge sharing, learning and networking.

Communications and visibility

• Ensure effective communication and visibility of programming outcomes linking them to the global.
• Contribute to the development of all (internally and externally produced) communications materials in support of the YVL programme.
• Support Restless Development’s efforts to create and maintain positive and effective relations with media outlets and professionals.
• Create media packages and draft reports and disseminate them to media outlets.
• Support, when needed, in the implementation of advocacy activities, especially locally.

Financial management and compliance:

• Ensure compliance with key donor financial requirements and Restless Development finance policies, and procedures are adhered to.
• Lead rigorous budget management by tracking programming spending, ensuring accurate reporting and managing variance in collaboration with the finance team.
• Prepare budgets and requisitions, understanding the approved budget position per item line.
• Review periodic financial reports and ensure they are aligning well with the narrative project reports.
• Ensure requisitions and retirements are appropriately implemented and that expenditures are backed by the required supporting documentation.

Other

• You may occasionally be required to work on weekends and/or public holidays, for which time off in lieu will be granted.
• Other duties as required.

Leadership and Programme Performance.

• On behalf of Restless Development, ensure that the AU-EU Youth Voices Lab performs well in Sierra Leone and achieves overall consortium success.
• Provide strategic, technical and operational oversight for programme implementation.
• Lead planning, coordination and communication efforts with project leadership and colleagues in other Restless Development implementation countries, serving as the primary point of contact.
• Provide quality control oversight for the programme, and ensure adherence to set objectives, indicators, and targets.
• Oversee the design and implementation of monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) frameworks, ensuring continuous improvement and accountability.
• Participate in regular reviews to assess program effectiveness and identify areas for enhancement.
• Support program learning across Restless Development, enabling the agency’s learning and growth agenda while also allowing us to test and prove the value of youth leadership.
• Support youth-led research, or advocacy, or hacks, or accountability with marginalized young people.
• Ability to lead capacity strengthening processes for emerging Youth Civil Society Organisations both in Sierra Leone and diasporans in Europe..

Coordination and Collaboration.

• Ensure effective coordination with project colleagues in other Restless Development implementing countries, youth networks and the Ministry of Youth Affairs, fostering effective communication and collaboration.
• Participate in monthly and quarterly strategic reviews.
• Contribute to the development of a technical support framework for the project.
• Lead in-country engagement with diverse stakeholders including government bodies, civil society, and local partners to strengthen collaboration and garner support.
• Coordinate internal and external platforms for effective knowledge sharing, learning and networking.

Communications and visibility

• Ensure effective communication and visibility of programming outcomes linking them to the global.
• Contribute to the development of all (internally and externally produced) communications materials in support of the YVL programme.
• Support Restless Development’s efforts to create and maintain positive and effective relations with media outlets and professionals.
• Create media packages and draft reports and disseminate them to media outlets.
• Support, when needed, in the implementation of advocacy activities, especially locally.

Financial management and compliance:

• Ensure compliance with key donor financial requirements and Restless Development finance policies, and procedures are adhered to.
• Lead rigorous budget management by tracking programming spending, ensuring accurate reporting and managing variance in collaboration with the finance team.
• Prepare budgets and requisitions, understanding the approved budget position per item line.
• Review periodic financial reports and ensure they are aligning well with the narrative project reports.
• Ensure requisitions and retirements are appropriately implemented and that expenditures are backed by the required supporting documentation.

Other

• You may occasionally be required to work on weekends and/or public holidays, for which time off in lieu will be granted.
• Other duties as required.

Leadership and Programme Performance.

• On behalf of Restless Development, ensure that the AU-EU Youth Voices Lab performs well in Sierra Leone and achieves overall consortium success.
• Provide strategic, technical and operational oversight for programme implementation.
• Lead planning, coordination and communication efforts with project leadership and colleagues in other Restless Development implementation countries, serving as the primary point of contact.
• Provide quality control oversight for the programme, and ensure adherence to set objectives, indicators, and targets.
• Oversee the design and implementation of monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) frameworks, ensuring continuous improvement and accountability.
• Participate in regular reviews to assess program effectiveness and identify areas for enhancement.
• Support program learning across Restless Development, enabling the agency’s learning and growth agenda while also allowing us to test and prove the value of youth leadership.
• Support youth-led research, or advocacy, or hacks, or accountability with marginalized young people.
• Ability to lead capacity strengthening processes for emerging Youth Civil Society Organisations both in Sierra Leone and diasporans in Europe..

Coordination and Collaboration.

• Ensure effective coordination with project colleagues in other Restless Development implementing countries, youth networks and the Ministry of Youth Affairs, fostering effective communication and collaboration.
• Participate in monthly and quarterly strategic reviews.
• Contribute to the development of a technical support framework for the project.
• Lead in-country engagement with diverse stakeholders including government bodies, civil society, and local partners to strengthen collaboration and garner support.
• Coordinate internal and external platforms for effective knowledge sharing, learning and networking.

Communications and visibility

• Ensure effective communication and visibility of programming outcomes linking them to the global.
• Contribute to the development of all (internally and externally produced) communications materials in support of the YVL programme.
• Support Restless Development’s efforts to create and maintain positive and effective relations with media outlets and professionals.
• Create media packages and draft reports and disseminate them to media outlets.
• Support, when needed, in the implementation of advocacy activities, especially locally.

Financial management and compliance:

• Ensure compliance with key donor financial requirements and Restless Development finance policies, and procedures are adhered to.
• Lead rigorous budget management by tracking programming spending, ensuring accurate reporting and managing variance in collaboration with the finance team.
• Prepare budgets and requisitions, understanding the approved budget position per item line.
• Review periodic financial reports and ensure they are aligning well with the narrative project reports.
• Ensure requisitions and retirements are appropriately implemented and that expenditures are backed by the required supporting documentation.

Other

• You may occasionally be required to work on weekends and/or public holidays, for which time off in lieu will be granted.
• Other duties as required.