Senior Technical Advisor (IREX)

About IREX

IREX is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to building a more just, prosperous, and inclusive world by empowering youth, cultivating leaders, strengthening institutions, and extending access to quality education and information. Founded in 1968, IREX has an annual portfolio of over $100 million, work in more than 100 countries worldwide with offices in 20 countries, and a global staff of 600.

Position Summary

IREX seeks qualified Senior Technical Advisor (STA) candidates to lead an anticipated five-year USAID-funded Innovative Workforce Activity in Vietnam. This Activity will aim to enhance the capacity of Vietnam’s digital workforce and local innovation to meet the demands of a growing digital economy. The STA will provide high-quality technical inputs to all aspects of the program’s approach.

Only citizens of Vietnam or permanent residents with work authorization will be considered. This position is contingent on funding.

Summary of Responsibilities

In conjunction with the Chief of Party, create and implement a strategy to enhance Vietnam’s digital workforce and local innovation.
Design, develop, and manage evidenced-based interventions targeted at narrowing digital skill supply and demand gaps in selected areas and strengthening the local innovation ecosystem by, illustratively: improving legal and regulatory frameworks for an inclusive digital workforce; expanding sustainable private sector-led digital reskilling, upskilling, and life-long learning models; and implementing solutions to strengthen the connections between digital workforce supply and demand as well as the capacity of various innovation ecosystem actors.
Ensure the program adaptively responds to changes in the operating environment to meet the desired objectives.
Manage and supervise a team of technical support staff.
Ensure activities are gender sensitive/transformative, align with positive youth development, and emphasize participatory and youth-led approaches to narrowing the digital divide.
Establish, cultivate, and maintain relationships with the ecosystem of program stakeholders, including public sector entities, civil society organizations, digital technology organizations, community-based organizations, and local governments, donors and implementers, program beneficiaries, and others.
Support the identification and establishment of partnerships between private sector training organizations/initiatives with the formal training systems such as technical vocational education and training (TVET) centers, professional associations, non profit organizations, and non-degree programs of universities to utilize the extensive training network of formal/conventional training systems nationwide.
Oversee technical activities of local partner organizations, provide coaching to ensure a focus on relevant activities and achieving outcomes.
Contribute to monitoring, evaluation, and learning; project communications; and project reporting.
Other duties, as assigned.

Required Skills and Qualifications

Vietnamese citizenship or residency with work authorization
Master’s degree in Education, Economics, International Development, social sciences, or a related field, along with a minimum of eight (8) years of progressive experience in digital workforce development, youth development, and/or private sector engagement in Vietnam and/or the Southeast Asia region; or a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field with at least 10 years of relevant experience also considered
Strong understanding of the economic, educational, and youth contexts in Vietnam with a deep network of relevant contacts across the innovation ecosystem including technology companies, government, industry, training institutions, and civil society
Experience developing and implementing effective capacity strengthening models and approaches for organizations and individuals
Demonstrated ability to cultivate relationships and collaborate with a variety of stakeholders across the innovation ecosystem including technology organizations, training institutions, youth, government ministries and officials, NGOs, donors, the private sector, and community-based institutions
Excellent leadership and interpersonal skills including conflict resolution abilities
Strong representational and organizational skills
Commitment to inclusive programming that encourages full participation of individual regardless of gender, disability status, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or other marginalized status
Must be fluent in English and Vietnamese