PSI – Youth Innovation Champion (YIC)

Population Services International (PSI) invites qualified applicants for Youth Innovation Champion (YIC).

We’re Population Services International (PSI), the world’s leading non‐profit social marketing organization. We work to make it easier for people in the developing world to lead healthier lives and plan the families they desire by marketing affordable products and services that range from mosquito nets to contraceptives to HIV testing. We are a $560m enterprise based in Washington, DC, operating in the private and public sectors in more than 65 countries.

We are looking for Youth Innovation Champions who are passionate to work with adolescents and youths who represent and voice for the rural adolescent married girls and boys. The purpose of this announcement is to establish a pool of potential Youth Innovation Champion who will be engaged for the program design and implementation as the need arises.  

Position Title: Youth Innovation Champion (YIC)

Background  

• 18-24 years old. 
  • At least High School Complete (Grade 10 or 12 complete), university/college student or fresh graduate 
  • 2 years of experience in youth club or extracurricular activities,  
  • Conversant with the local language and cultural context of the respective region where the application is made.  
  • Knowledge of the candidate’s at least one language of the respective regional language is a must for candidates applying from regions and the ability to translate to and from English or Amharic to local language is also necessary. 

What would get us excited?  

• Able to understand and speak English and one of the regional local languages will be a plus.
  • Minimum facilitation skills with peers are preferable.  
  • Actively participating in community youth activities/youth clubs able to show a participation certificate or letter of support (Preferred)  
  • Willingness to travel in the field (rural, urban, and or semi-urban sites)  
  • Commitment to improving the lives of young people in Ethiopia 

Main Duties and Responsibilities:  

Youth Innovation Champions are adolescents and youths age of 18-24 who will be engaged in PSI and co-design and be involved in implementation process of family planning programs for rural adolescents in Ethiopia. We believe that young people are experts on identifying adolescent reproductive health issues. Young people are generally more effective than adults at understanding the needs of their peers and knowing how to reach and engage them because of their deep experience and understanding of adolescence and young adulthood in Ethiopia.  

You will work under the supervision of a youth engagement advisor, PSI/Ethiopia. More specifically, you will:  

• Attend training on how to interact with rural 15-19-year-old girls and boys to generate insight and influence decisions in the program.  
• Conduct formative research, collect data, and contribute towards insight generation, synthesis, and prototyping stages.  
• Provide feedback on prototypes, bring the youth perspective to interpret the feedback on prototypes, shape the discussion on what is feasible, how to accommodate feedback from end users, and suggest channels that may not be obvious to adult audiences. 
• Participate actively in interpreting the feelings of rural adolescents and giving inputs that help design. 
• Write reports after each engagement based on the young designers’ reporting format. 
• Attend various awareness creation and advocacy events whenever invited by the team to be the voice of the 15-19-year-old rural adolescents.  
• Interact with youth champion groups to get insight on rural adolescents.  

Key Result Areas: 

• Participation in trainings and events  
• Facilitation and engagement  
• Advocacy 
• Insight generation 
• Contribution to prototype development, testing and implementation.  
• Supporting research and reporting 

Required number: Pool

Based in: 11 regions (Afar, Benishangul, Central Ethiopia, Dire Dawa, Gambella, Harari, Sidama, Somali, South Ethiopia, Southwest Ethiopia, Tigray)

Application Deadline: December 26, 2024

How To Apply:

Are you intrigued? Apply!

By following our 3 steps application process:

1. Fill out the mandatory application form using the following link: Online Application Form. It will only take 5 to 10 minutes.
2. Send your CV and application letter to recruitment@psiet.org clearly mark “Application for Youth Innovation Champion (YIC) Position” in the subject line.
3. Check your email and make sure you receive an automatic response acknowledging receipt of your CV. If you don’t receive the automatic response, check again your subject line and if needed, re-submit your CV and application letter with the correct subject.

Application deadline is December 26, 2024. We’ll call or e-mail you back if there is a good fit on both sides.

PSI is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages applications from qualified individuals regardless of race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability.