Deputy Project Director - World University Service of Canada

World University Service of Canada (WUSC) is a leading Canadian international development organization focusing on three programmatic areas: Economic Opportunities, Education, and Empowerment. Our vision is a better world for all young people. It is a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable world in which all young people, especially women, and refugees, are empowered to secure a good quality of life for themselves, their families, and their communities.

WUSC currently works in over 25 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America, with an annual budget of approximately CAD 50 million. Globally, we partner with a network of higher education institutions, civil society organizations, private sector partners, professionals, students, volunteers, faculty, and community leaders who help us achieve our mission.

In Ghana, WUSC has worked since 1997, contributing to national development priorities through partnerships with the Government of Ghana, civil society organizations, private sector actors, and other key stakeholders. WUSC has co-designed and implemented innovative youth-focused programs, particularly in business environment reform and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), to improve employment and entrepreneurship outcomes nationwide.

Job Description

• Position Location: Accra, Ghana
• Reports To: ACTIVATE Project Director
• Contract Term: 2 Years
• Salary Level: PRO-4
• Languages Required: English
• APPLICATION DEADLINE: 2nd February 2026. However, applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Submit early to ensure consideration.
• EXPECTED START DATE: 2nd March 2026

Are you a senior development professional with advanced qualifications, extensive project management experience, and a proven track record in managing donor-funded TVET or market systems projects? Do you bring strong operational leadership and coordination skills, the ability to deliver results-based reporting, and a commitment to gender equality, social inclusion, and safeguarding?

World University Service of Canada (WUSC) is seeking a Deputy Project Director to provide strategic oversight and coordination of the project’s operational and technical support functions, ensuring effective delivery and alignment across all implementation units.

Background

WUSC is a Canadian global development organization working to catalyze positive education and economic outcomes for young people. We bring together and collaborate with a diverse network of partners (including students, volunteers, schools, governments, not-for-profits, and businesses) who share this mission. Together, we influence systems change, and foster inclusive, youth-centered solutions that enable young people to thrive and belong. We work with all young people, with a focus on women and displaced populations. WUSC currently operates in 28 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as in Canada, with an annual budget of approximately CAD $65 million. Our global team includes over 100 staff in Canada and more than 250 staff internationally, implementing a diverse portfolio of development projects in collaboration with numerous multilateral and bilateral donors, and philanthropic foundations.

The Accelerating Change Through InnoVation in Agricultural TVET (ACTIVATE) project is a 5-year collaborative initiative that will contribute to a stronger, gender-responsive, socially inclusive and market-driven Agriculture Technical, Vocational Education and Training (ATVET) System that facilitates sustainable employment pathways, well-being and resilience of young women and men in Ghana. ACTIVATE will blend education and high quality, market relevant skills training in specific agriculture value chains and support growth of agripreneurship.

The project will reduce gender specific barriers, elevate the voice and aspirations of youth and integrate a strong inclusivity lens, with respect to gender and disability while building collaboration and linkages among key stakeholders such as public and private actors, academia, and agriculture value chain actors to create decent work for young people.

ACTIVATE will respond to key challenges facing the agriculture and adjacent sectors including insufficient management capacity of ATVET sector facilitation bodies, non-alignment of new TVET policies and reforms across sector ministries, low quality of ATVET instruction, curriculum and equipment, lack of ATVET engagement with industry, poor business skills among others.

Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Project Director, the Deputy Project Director (DPD) supports the Project Director (PD) in ensuring that the ACTIVATE project reaches its stated results and objectives. The Deputy Project Director (DPD) provides operational leadership through the coordination of day-to-day project activities, administrative functions, and staff management, ensuring efficient implementation and adherence to project requirements. In the absence of the Project Director, the DPD will oversee the management of the ACTIVATE office.

Under the supervision of the PD, the DPD will have oversight responsibilities of the technical support unit of the project. This includes working closely with (and managing) technical specialists and service providers.

The DPD will support the Project Director in developing and implementing strategies to strengthen ATVET institutions and foster linkages with the private sector and service providers. She/he should have strong experience in market systems approaches, including coordinating intervention plans and budgets, as well as compiling high-quality technical donor reports.

The Deputy Project Director (DPD) must demonstrate strong expertise in project operations and coordination, including the management of partnerships and stakeholder engagement processes. The DPD will support the effective coordination of project activities, ensure timely implementation, and facilitate alignment among partners in line with approved project plans and operational requirements.

Project Coordination and Implementation Oversight 

• Support the Project Director in coordinating the effective and timely implementation of ACTIVATE project activities. 
• Coordinate project components to ensure alignment with approved work plans, schedules, and deliverables. 
• Facilitate internal coordination across teams to ensure smooth execution of project activities. 
• Track implementation progress and flag operational bottlenecks or risks for timely resolution. 
• Support adaptive implementation by coordinating agreed adjustments to plans and schedules, as approved by the Project Director.

Partner Relationship and Stakeholder Management 

• Maintain and coordinate working relationships with key government institutions, including CTVET, GTVET Services, GTEC, and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA). 
• Serve as a coordination focal point between ATVET institutions, private sector actors, and service providers to support smooth implementation of project activities. Support partner engagement processes, including coordination meetings, follow-ups, and documentation of agreed actions. 
• Participate in national and sector coordination platforms, committees, and working groups as delegated by the Project Director. 
• Support partner capacity engagement processes by coordinating assessments, meetings, and agreed follow-up actions.

Operational Oversight and Internal Management 

• Oversee day-to-day project operations to ensure continuity, efficiency, and compliance with organizational and donor requirements. 
• Coordinate administrative, logistical, and internal workflow processes to support timely delivery of project activities. 
• Supervise and coordinate staff workplans, task execution, and internal accountability processes. 
• Support the management of the ACTIVATE office and ensure uninterrupted operations in the absence of the Project Director. 
• Ensure internal systems, processes, and documentation are maintained and up to date to support project implementation.

Reporting, Communication, and Knowledge Management 

• Coordinate the preparation and timely submission of project reports, consolidating inputs from relevant team members. 
• Ensure reporting reflects implementation progress, agreed outputs, and operational challenges. 
• Support internal and external communication related to project implementation, coordination meetings, and partner engagements.
• Document implementation processes, operational lessons, and key decisions to support institutional memory and learning.
• Support participation in internal WUSC/ACTIVATE Project coordination meetings and communities of practice focused on implementation learning.

Work environment

• Promote and maintain an organizational culture that advances gender equality, reduces power abuse and inequalities, and fosters trust, respect and safety.
• Create a working environment is free from sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment (SEAH)
• Ensure high standards of prevention and response measures for SEAH are in place consistent with the WUSC's safeguarding policies and WUSC's Code of Conduct.

Required Skills or Experience

Qualifications & Competencies

Education

• Master’s degree in a relevant field such as International Development, Agriculture, Business Administration, Economics, or other related disciplines.

Experience & Competencies

• At least ten (10) years of progressive professional experience in international development, with a minimum of five (5) years in operational, managerial, or coordination roles overseeing complex, multi-stakeholder projects.
• Proven experience in managing and coordinating teams, ensuring smooth execution of project activities, and supporting cross-functional operational processes.
• Demonstrated experience in partner and stakeholder engagement, particularly in fostering collaborations between public and private sector actors.
• Experience coordinating multi-stakeholder projects in agriculture, vocational training, or market systems development is highly desirable.
• Familiarity with donor-funded project operations, work planning, and results-based management.
• Demonstrated commitment to gender equality and socially inclusive programming, with experience coordinating gender-sensitive interventions.
• Familiarity with monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) systems, and knowledge management tools to support reporting and learning processes.
• Strong operational coordination, planning, and organizational skills.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and negotiation skills, with the ability to work effectively in multi-disciplinary and cross-cultural teams.
• Exceptional writing skills for preparing high-quality reports, donor submissions, correspondence, and operational documentation.
• Professional fluency in English (written and verbal) is required
• Curious, enthusiastic and willing to innovate and adapt.

Languages

• Complete fluency in English is required.

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