Program Manager (IECD)

BACKGROUND

The European Institute of Cooperation and Development (IECD) is a French non-governmental organization founded in 1988 and operating in the field of social and economic development in partnership with local institutions. IECD’s main sectors of action are vocational training and professional integration and support to micro and small enterprises. More information on www.iecd.org

The SEED (Sustainable Energy Education Development) program aims to allow young people to have access to dynamic jobs with opportunities for development in the fields of electricity and automotive sectors, by reducing the gap between companies’ needs and students’ skills. In partnership with companies and vocational training centers, the program main pillars are creating a short course technical training to raise student awareness and help them enter the job market, providing equipment for the technical practice, developing the career orientation center of our partner by connecting them with corporation and training the trainers on updated technologies.

A similar program was launched in 2021 in Lebanon and has then been implemented in Morocco and Liberia in 2023 with some variation depending on each local context.

In Vietnam, after the implementation of a 1st successful program between 2017-2023 with 3 local partners in HCMC (see video), focusing on helping young people integrate the job market in the fields of automotive and electricity, it was decided for the next phase 2024-2026 to implement the SEED program and focus on bringing innovative training approach in the field of green electricity and automotive sectors.

MISSION

Under the management of the IECD country Director and in close collaboration with the program team in Paris, you will be in charge of ensuring the successful implementation and development of the SEED program in Vietnam.

1. Set up the Operations

Within the general objectives of SEED program, in close partnership with the project’s partners, you will:

Outline the project plan of actions to meet the project’s KPIs, taking into account the specific context and needs of vocational training program and labor market in Vietnam
Coordinate and ensure a smooth implementation of the action plan, focusing on the main project’s pillars:

Implementation of a 3-month short course training on automotive and electricity energies with a strong focus on Green energies.
In close collaboration with the local partner and the sponsors, source and coordinate the setup of the workshops’ equipment, to provide quality conditions for the students technical training with the support of the technical experts
Support and improve the existing Career orientation center to build bridges between students, schools and companies with the support of the Life skills and Career orientation teacher
Training of the trainers, to improve their technical skills and pedagogical practices

Follow-up the implementation of the activities and ensure their evaluation and continuous improvement
Advise the project team and project partners on project implementation on a weekly basis.
Attend meetings and update the IECD Vietnam representative and support team in Paris about the project implementation progress
Promote the methodology transfer to the partner schools
Coordinate with external expertise (national or international) to ensure the smooth implementation of the project and achieve the objectives set
Contribute to capitalization activities within the team in Vietnam and within the worldwide team
Organize impact studies, schools’ diagnosis and other surveys or research related to the project

2. Project management

You will be responsible for the general management of the project in Vietnam, including:

Human resources:

Participating in the recruitment of a project team for the project launch
Managing a dedicated team of 3 staffs dedicated to the project (a project officer, a life skill teacher and a technical teacher)
Identifying, coordinating and engaging external resources: experts, volunteers, interns, contractors

Partnerships:

Maintain good relationships with the partners of the project: training centers, companies, NGOs etc.
Maintain good relationship with the financial partners of the project
Develop new partnerships with corporates and employers along with the development opportunities
Initiate an action plan for an institutional partnership, aiming to ensure the sustainability and the replication of the program

Follow-up and steering of the project and the team
Administration
Finance management (budget planning and budget updating)
Reporting: internal & external
Fundraising
Evaluation and continuous improvement
Communication: internal & external

3. Project Development

As a way to increase the project’s impact, in close collaboration with the local and international vocational training ecosystem, you will identify and analyze new project opportunities, as for example:

New partnership with local schools, local authorities, companies etc.
New operating methodologies to scale-up the program in Vietnam and regionally (Thailand, Philippines)
New beneficiaries target groups

EXPECTED PROFILE

Qualities and skills:

Strong project management & team management skills
Autonomy, adaptability and sense of initiative
Excellent interpersonal skills for planning, communication, representation with public and private partners, networking
Strong organizational skills, proactivity and ability to work under pressure
Diplomacy and patience. Ability to adapt fast to changes.
Ability to work in a multicultural environment
Leadership and team-player skills
Good proficiency in spoken and written English. Vietnamese would be an asset.
Writing and presentation skills
Proficiency with Word, Excel, PowerPoint
Previous experience in the Energy / Electricity, or in the Training / Education sector would be highly appreciated
A strong interest in solar energies or renewables energies would be a great asset.