Project Director, DREEM

Position Title: Project Director, DREEM

Position Location: Nairobi, Kenya

Reports To: WUSC Senior Director of Programs (Ottawa)

Contract Term: 1 year fixed term (renewable)

Languages Required: English (required); French (strongly preferred)

APPLICATION DEADLINE: February 4, 2026

EXPECTED START DATE: March 1, 2026

Important: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Are you a seasoned leader with experience in forced displacement and technical assistance? WUSC is currently looking for a Project Director to oversee an exciting Phase II initiative across the African continent.

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.

WUSC is launching the second phase (2026-2031) of DREEM, an exciting initiative which aims to significantly expand efforts to help refugee, displaced, and host community (RDP) youth, particularly young women, secure dignified and fulfilling work and access education opportunities across Africa. Building on prior successes, this Phase II will deepen engagement in new geographies, strengthen local ecosystems, and equip partners with necessary knowledge and tools for lasting change. A core strategy is emphasizing the engagement and strengthening of Refugee-Led Organizations (RLOs) to provide sustainable, locally-led technical assistance.

Over the next five years, DREEM Phase II’s ambitious goals include indirectly enabling one million RDP youth to secure dignified work and 35,000 to access education through the provision of expert technical assistance to a broad ecosystem of actors across the continent through a Technical Assistance Mechanism. Key implementation strategies also involve working closely with RLOs through three pathways: providing financial access via an RLO Opportunity Fund, strengthening their capacity to provide technical assistance directly to partners, and embedding them across Phase II’s functional areas. WUSC will serve as a network orchestrator, facilitating connections for scale and training partners and other stakeholders on RDP inclusion. The initiative will achieve its targets by increasing knowledge among partners, enhancing capacity to develop innovative programming, improving collaboration and inclusive policies, and strengthening the institutional ability of RLOs to design, implement, and sustain RDP solutions.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Project Director (PD) oversees all aspects of the initiative to ensure it is a learning program, with the ability to innovate, adapt and produce high-quality outcomes. The PD has overall responsibility for programme strategy, results and reporting, maintaining technical rigor in intervention design, and driving a high performance and learning-oriented team based across the African continent. The PD is also responsible for budgeting, monitoring and communicating results, and managing risks to project performance. This is closely linked to ensuring a strong and productive relationship between the project, its partners, the donor, and other WUSC programming. The PD translates the objectives of the funder and WUSC into relevant interventions that deliver results and value for money. They drive innovation and adaptation, providing strategy, technical and project leadership, as well as guidance and performance management to an interdisciplinary team.

The Project Director will report to the Ottawa-based Senior Director of Programs and will be responsible for the following:

Vision and Strategy

• Provide overall technical and strategic oversight and accountability for successful implementation of the project objectives and deliverables.
• Create a culture that balances control/compliance with innovation, embracing risk and dynamic organizational structures.
• Ensure the project's strategic focus continuously emphasizes and strengthens the role of Refugee-Led Organizations (RLOs) as central agents for sustainable, locally-led change.
• Champion a dynamic organizational structure and management approach capable of rapidly responding to the challenging and constantly evolving forced displacement and education ecosystems across Africa.
  
  

Technical Innovation and Project Management

• Establish and deliver high quality technical assistance to the donor and its partners through a structured Technical Assistance Mechanism.
• In coordination with the Deputy Project Director, oversee day-to-day coordination and delivery of project activities in conjunction with staff, technical advisors, and partners.
• Ensure that innovation and learning is shared across WUSC’s programming and stakeholders globally and in countries of programming.
• Provide strategic direction to the program’s monitoring and results measurement (MERL) agenda to ensure it delivers real time intelligence to the team and other stakeholders.
• Develop specific strategies for cross-cutting themes (capacity building, gender equality, private sector engagement, environmental sustainability) for the initiative.
  
  

Stakeholder engagement and stewardship

• Establish a strong working relationship with the Donor, including planning, capacity building and information sharing.
• Establish and maintain effective relationships between key project partners across Africa and internally.
• Develop robust relationships with project stakeholders, including relevant governments, private sector actors, consultants and civil society organizations.
• Organize and manage project governance structures / committees.
• Represent WUSC among stakeholders, ensuring that the project can provide value to local actors and make a positive impact within the forced displacement ecosystem.
• Network and coordinate regularly with other development actors, sharing information to ensure harmonization and leverage synergy with similar initiatives.
  
  

Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning

• Provide strategic oversight of the project’s learning and capacity building agenda.
• Stay apprised of developments in key markets of interest to the project and develop systems for monitoring changes and adaptations in these markets over time;
• Regularly monitor progress towards results, ensuring appropriate course correction and iterative management;
• Work with team members to produce regular reports to key stakeholders, including the donor agency;
• Maintain regular communication with WUSC colleagues in Canada and with key overseas partners to ensure appropriate support;
  
  

Organizational Alignment & Representation

• Ensure project strategy and implementation are fully aligned with WUSC's global strategy and related initiatives.
• Articulate and promote WUSC's technical methodologies and best practices to partners, the donor, and other external stakeholders.
• Act as a central link between the project team and WUSC's global support team, facilitating the flow of strategic information to inform global strategy development and learning.
• Ensure that all project-related knowledge products and public-facing materials are consistent with WUSC's branding and communication policies as well as those of the donor.
• Lead the adoption and adherence to WUSC's core operational policies, standards, and methodologies (e.g., procurement, finance, HR, safeguarding, and risk management) throughout the DREEM Phase II project.
  
  

Human Resources Management

• Manage a project team of approximately 35 staff across the African continent;
• Supervise, guide and evaluate the work of project staff and consultants;
• Foster a positive and ethical team culture based on trust, mutual respect, shared responsibility, and accountability for results.
• Establish clear performance expectations and metrics, ensuring all team members understand their roles and are held accountable for delivering high-quality, compliant results.
• Take the lead in developing a team culture that promotes teamwork, critical enquiry and creativity, which brings together different skills to generate innovative development solutions.
• Identify current and future talent requirements, competencies, risks and opportunities to ensure that the project attracts the caliber of staff required to fulfill its objectives.
  
  

Financial Oversight

• Work closely with the Finance team to establish and oversee a robust and efficient financial management system for the project.
• In conjunction with the finance and project teams, develop and monitor the project budget and ensure regular reporting to the donor.
• Be accountable for the judicious use of all financial resources, ensuring cost-effectiveness, value for money, and the highest standards of financial integrity in all project expenditures.
• Ensure compliance with all WUSC financial policies, procedures, and internal controls, as well as all relevant donor regulations and legal requirements, proactively addressing any non-compliance.
  
  

QUALIFICATIONS AND COMPETENCIES

Education

• A university degree in international development, migration studies, business administration, finance or other relevant area;
• Specialized training in entrepreneurship support, higher education financial inclusion, gender and/or the digital economy would be an advantage.
  
  

Experience and Competencies

• A minimum of ten years of progressively more responsible assignments related to management of development initiatives;
• Deep knowledge and experience in forced displacement within the African context is a must. Previous experience with the market systems development approach strongly preferred.
• Previous experience in the delivery of technical assistance or the creation of a TA facility is strongly desired.
• Demonstrated experience in managing diverse teams and building a culture of curiosity and learning.
• Proven technical, financial, administrative and organizational skills;
• Proven experience managing a multi-disciplinary team of staff;
• Diplomatic skills and the knowledge of cross-cultural, inter-personal communication;
• Proven experience of adaptability to a challenging and constantly changing environment requiring iterative planning on a regular basis;
• Experience in capacity building with local partner organizations and a commitment to a participatory partnership approach to development.
  
  

Language and other

• Fluency in oral and written English is required; French is highly desirable
• Ability to travel internationally on a frequent basis
• Ability to work a flexible schedule with multiple time zones
• Previous lived experience in forced displacement is welcomed
  
  

WHY WORK WITH WUSC?

Join Us. Our work is important, cutting-edge, and rewarding. We encourage curiosity, innovation, and flexibility.

WUSC offers a dynamic international work environment with a diverse intercultural workforce. We offer employees exciting opportunities to apply their skills and gain experience all while making a difference in the lives of youth around the world. Employees at WUSC work hard to create lasting change in education, economic opportunities and empowerment.

• The role may require frequent travel across Kenya, and occasional international travel for conferences, workshops and meetings.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule.
  
  

APPLICATIONS

WUSC’s activities seek to balance inequities and create sustainable development around the globe; the work ethic of our staff, volunteers, representatives and partners shall correspond to the values and mission of the organization. WUSC promotes responsibility, respect, honesty, and professional excellence and we will not tolerate harassment, coercion, sexual exploitation or abuse of any form.

Persons with disabilities who need accommodation in the application process, or those needing job postings in an alternative format, may e-mail a request to hr-rh@wusc.ca.

WUSC is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome and encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds and abilities. Accommodations are available upon request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process. Please note that only the candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.