Senior Programs Officer – Entrepreneurship and Graduate Employability

JOB ADVERT Position: Senior Programs Officer – Entrepreneurship and Graduate Employability Department: Programmes Location: National Secretariat Office, Lusaka Reports to: Programmes Manager Employment Period: 3 years Contract POSITION PURPOSE: The Senior Programs Officer – Entrepreneurship and Graduate Employability will lead and coordinate the design, implementation, and strengthening of FAWEZA’s entrepreneurship and employability pathways, supporting young women and marginalized youth to transition from skills development to sustainable livelihoods. The role will ensure the delivery of high-quality entrepreneurship training, employability skills development, incubation, start-up financing, mentorship, and market and job linkages to enable youth to secure decent employment or establish and scale resilient, job-creating enterprises. As a cross-cutting technical role, the Officer will provide strategic and operational support on entrepreneurship and employability across all programmes and departments, ensuring the integration of market-relevant skills, career guidance, job readiness training, and business development services into FAWEZA’s interventions. The position will also foster and strengthen partnerships with key ecosystem actors including private sector employers, financial institutions, entrepreneurship hubs, mentors, and alumni networks to enhance access to employment opportunities, enterprise development resources, and sustainable economic empowerment for beneficiaries. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Identify, engage and establish partnerships with organisations willing to provide internship and employment opportunities. Develop and maintain a database of employers, internship opportunities and graduate beneficiaries. Match graduates with suitable internship opportunities based on their qualifications, skills and career interests. Coordinate internship placements, onboarding and engagement with host organisations. Maintain regular communication with interns and host organisations and address challenges arising during placements. Conduct follow-up visits and monitor the progress and performance of interns. Organise career-readiness sessions covering CV writing, job applications, interview skills, workplace etiquette, communication and professional development. Facilitate mentorship, networking and workplace exposure opportunities for graduates. Identify graduates interested in entrepreneurship and support them to develop business ideas and basic business plans. Link aspiring entrepreneurs with mentors, markets, business development services, financing opportunities and other relevant resources. Organise career fairs, employer engagement meetings, networking events and entrepreneurship activities. Track graduates after completion of their internships to determine their transition into employment, further training or entrepreneurship. Develop and maintain strong relationships with employers to increase opportunities for graduates. Maintain accurate programme records and prepare regular reports on internship placements, employment outcomes and entrepreneurship activities. Document success stories, lessons learned and programme outcomes. Contribute to programme planning, monitoring, evaluation and reporting. TECHNICAL AND BEHAVIORAL COMPETENCIES Excellent networking and relationship-building skills. Strong communication and interpersonal skills. Ability to engage confidently with employers, business leaders and other stakeholders. Strong negotiation and partnership-development skills. Good understanding of graduate employment and entrepreneurship challenges. Strong organisational and coordination skills. Ability to work independently and achieve measurable targets. Good mentoring, coaching and facilitation skills. Strong computer skills, including Microsoft Office applications. Ability to maintain accurate records and prepare quality reports. A proactive, creative and results-oriented approach to work. QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE A Bachelor’s degree in Entrepreneurship, Business Administration, Human Resources, Economics, Development Studies, Social Sciences or a related field. At least 3–5 years of relevant experience in entrepreneurship development, graduate employability, internship coordination, recruitment, career development, youth programmes or private-sector engagement. Demonstrated experience in establishing and maintaining relationships with employers and other stakeholders. Experience in organising career development, mentorship, entrepreneurship or networking activities. Experience in beneficiary tracking, programme monitoring and report writing. Experience working in an NGO or development organisation will be an added advantage. APPLICATION DETAILS Interested and qualified applicants should send their cover letters and Curriculum Vitae (CV) ONLY as one document demonstrating suitability for employment, with three traceable references, not later than 18th September, 2026 to [Click the Apply button below to apply, and Create my CV to build a CV tailored to this offer, professionally] . Or addressed to: The Executive Director FAWEZA National Secretariat Plot 6680 Chiwalamabwe Road P.O. Box 37695 Lusaka Applications should be sent by EMAIL ONLY.

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