AKF’s Work and Enterprise portfolio includes an exciting array of initiatives promoting employment and entrepreneurship, preparing individuals for decent work and opportunities to kickstart their own enterprises, with a focus on women and youth. In recent years, AKF has made a deliberate shift to focus on digital and green pathways for youth, in view of the changing nature of work and the new opportunities created by rapid technological advancements (e.g. digital platforms, automation, AI), demographic shifts, and climate change. Some examples of AKF’s emerging portfolio include support to green and tech start-ups and small businesses through AKDN’s enterprise accelerator – Accelerate Prosperity, to digital hubs and skills bootcamps for youth in Portugal and Pakistan, to new 21st century skills programmes for young women and men in Central Asia.
Position Overview: The Digital Skills and Employment Specialist will play a pivotal role in designing, implementing, fundraising for, and evaluating programmes aimed at equipping individuals with the skills and support necessary to transition to decent jobs of the future. This entails engaging skills providers, tech employers and global platforms for remote and online work to increase income generating opportunities. This role requires a dynamic individual with a passion for leveraging technology to drive socio-economic empowerment and inclusive growth.
Key Responsibilities
Programme Design and Development
- Lead market diagnostics to identify in-demand digital skills for emerging employment opportunities in the target communities, including both local and remote work arrangements.
- Design flagship initiatives around digital work to address identified needs, with a focus on digital literacy, coding, AI, data analytics and other in-demand skills for remote work such as accounting, design services, social media marketing, and/or remote assistance jobs.
- Leverage various existing AKF and partner investments, from enabling infrastructure (Energy, IT Parks, co-working spaces), to education and skills programs, to employer engagement initiatives to expand opportunities for digital work.
- Prepare high-quality strategy briefs, concept papers, and proposals to support fundraising efforts for our digital skills and jobs programmes.
Programme Delivery Support
- Develop impactful digital skills and job readiness courses and innovative delivery methods, in partnership with skills providers and employers to reach youth at scale.
- Foster partnerships with local and global educational institutions and training providers to facilitate skills development.
- Build strong partnerships with local and global employers, and online-platforms, for internships, e-internships, apprenticeships, job placements, and remote work.
- Build capacity of country units to improve the quality of implementation of digital jobs programmes.
- Provide technical assistance to Accelerate Prosperity to support its business training and investments into digital and tech startups.
- Work closely with AKF’s country and global partnerships teams to design concepts and proposals, to raise funding for digital skills and employment programmes.
Insights and Knowledge Sharing
- Act as a thought leader, reviewing and sharing relevant global good practices within AKF.
- Analyze programme data and use insights to continuously refine and improve programme strategies and interventions.
- Disseminate learnings and best practices from digital skills programmes through workshops, conferences, and publications across AKF and externally.
- Cultivate partnerships with government agencies, private sector stakeholders, and civil society organizations to advance the digital skills and work agenda.
The requirements
Qualifications
- Master’s degree in a relevant field, such as computer science, information technology, business, economics, international development, or related field.
- Minimum of 8 years of experience in designing, implementing, and evaluating digital skills and employment programmes.
- Strong programme design and project management experience, including the ability to plan, execute, and monitor complex initiatives in challenging contexts.
- Field experience in Africa or Central and South Asia is desirable.
Key Skills
- Excellent and up-to-date understanding of Future of Work and its implications for developing countries.
- Proficient in digital skills and a good understanding of online work platforms.
- Native competency in English, with strong verbal and written communication skills.
- Strong strategic thinking and analytical skills, with ability to conceptualize new initiatives.
- Adept at building teams and working collaboratively across countries, in an inclusive and culturally sensitive manner.
This is a remote position.
Join us in making a difference in the lives of individuals and communities through digital empowerment and economic opportunity. Apply now to be part of our dynamic team at the Aga Khan Foundation.
Sector: Social Development
About the Agency
The Aga Khan Foundation is a leading global development organisation working to tackle the root causes of poverty. For more than 50 years, we have helped create strong community institutions that support sustainable, locally driven initiatives to improve the lives of millions of people. By combining local knowledge with global best practices, we strive to bring about transformative and long-lasting improvements to quality of life.
Working alongside the agencies of the Aga Khan Development Network and through partnerships with local communities, civil society and business as well as governments and international aid agencies, we are building a future where we all thrive together.
Region: Remote
Salary: Salary and package to attract the best candidate