WORLD UNIVERSITY SERVICE OF CANADA

WORLD UNIVERSITY SERVICE OF CANADA
Position Description
Position Title:
Asia Regional Coordinator, Uniterra Program (50%)
WUSC Program Manager (50%)
Position Location:
Ottawa, with frequent travel to Montreal and internationally
Reports to:
Uniterra Program Director, WUSC Director of Programs
Position Level
E
Contract term:
2 years
Application deadline: March 29th, 2015
BACKGROUND:
World University Service of Canada (WUSC) is a leading Canadian international development
organization that works with and through its southern partners to promote sustainable development.
Founded in 1957 and currently working in 20 countries worldwide with an annual budget of
approximately $30 million dollars, WUSC’s mission is to foster human development and global
understanding through education and training. Our internationally recognized programs target youth,
women, and other marginalized populations, focusing on three thematic areas of education,
employment, and empowerment. Globally, WUSC has a network of higher education institutions, civil
society organizations, private sector partners, professionals, students, volunteers, faculty, and
community leaders that can be leveraged to support our work.
The Uniterra Program is a volunteer cooperation program jointly implemented by WUSC and CECI
supporting national poverty reduction and the development of strategies through volunteer
engagement and partnerships. Under the direction of the Uniterra Program Director, the Regional
Coordinator is responsible for the implementation of the Uniterra Program and accountable for the
delivery of results for the countries in the Asia region (Sri Lanka, Nepal, Vietnam and Mongolia).
In addition to Uniterra, the position would also manage a WUSC project in Asia. The project will focus on
improving public sector management of the extractive sector, the project will include support to training
institutions, strengthening their technical capacity to provide relevant skills training and apply best
practices. The Program Manager would provide overall support and direction to the project, including
budgetary oversight and monitoring and reporting.
Uniterra and WUSC understand that the combination of these two positions will present time demands
and conflicting priorities. Both supervisors are committed to working with the successful candidate to
minimize these challenges. Both supervisors and the successful candidate will need to pro-actively
communicate priorities, deadlines and timelines to ensure that core priorities are achieved. The
successful candidate will require excellent communication, strong prioritization and multi-tasking skills.
RESPONSIBILITIES, ASIA REGIONAL COORDINATOR, UNITERRA PROGRAM:
As the Regional Coordinator, you will be responsible for the following Uniterra-related activities:
1. Strategic Program Coordination in the region:
 Oversee the efficient and effective management of the Uniterra Program in the region, according to
the procedures outlined in the Program’s Management Guidelines;
 Ensure the achievement of Program results in the region by: planning, following through on
activities, reporting on results and establishing agreements with partners following the principles of
Results Based Management;
 In collaboration with Country Coordinators, prepare budgets and monitor the Program budget for
the region;
 Approve the budget plans and Annual Work Plans in order to reach anticipated results;
 With support of Sector Specialist resources in Canada and overseas, ensure the completion of
analysis and strategic planning exercises, including sub-sector research, intervention strategies and
partner capacity assessments;
 Leverage additional resources into the program through partnership building and program
development.
2. Ensure Program Quality
 With the support of the Program Gender Resources, ensure the integration of gender equality in all
Program activities and, if necessary, organizing training;
 With the support of the Program Youth Resources, ensuring the integration of youth employment
strategy in Program activities and, if necessary, organizing training;
 Ensure the quality of volunteer mandates, including their relevance to partner capacity
development plans and subsector intervention strategies;
 Ensure that volunteer resource quotas and Human Resource (HR) commitments are respected in the
region;
 In collaboration with the Monitoring, Evaluation and Knowledge Management Unit, contribute and
gather content-rich material from staff, volunteers and Program partners on lessons learned;
 In collaboration with Program, Partnership and Outreach Unit supporting partners and staff in
attaining their public engagement Program objectives;
 In collaboration with Operations Unit, participate in volunteer mobilisation process to ensure
appropriate country and mandate specific preparation;
 Supporting country coordinators in the development of annual work plans narratives;
 In collaboration with Program, Partnership and Outreach Unit, oversee the establishment of a
communications system with volunteers in-post in order to collect, document and disseminate
relevant Program information;
 On an ad-hoc basis, as part of the Management Committee, contribute to the development of
Program implementation tools;
 Ensure fluid communication between Management Committee and Country Teams to ensure input
from field teams in administrative and program decisions and coherent implementation of decisions
within country Programming
3. Country Program Office Oversight
 Ensuring the establishment, updating and application of the emergency and security procedures
established by WUSC and/or CECI as they relate to volunteers and Program personnel;


Directing, planning and coordinating meetings, in head office or in the field, to ensure coherent
programming and establish connections and synergy between the Program and other WUSC and
CECI programs in the region;
Managing Program personnel, including recruitment, training, and evaluation of outputs, according
to the policies in force at WUSC and/or CECI;
RESPONSIBILITIES, PROGRAM MANAGER, WUSC:
1. Program Management
 Provide support to the overall direction and implementation of the project including preparation of
the Initiative Inception Plan and Annual Workplans ;
 Maintain open and effective communications with donor HQ;
 Oversee the maintenance of a project document library accessible to all team members and for
WUSC archives, ensuring that accurate and complete program systems, records and files are set up,
maintained and updated;
 Ensure all relevant local registrations and MOUs are in place, providing support to the Project
Director and liaising with donor HQ as required;
 Understand security procedures for WUSC project personnel and activities and ensure that they are
documented and followed;
 Identify and provide technical resource materials to project field staff as required;
 Liaise with Communications and IT personnel at WUSC, and with the field office, to establish,
manage and maintain a communications products related to the project;
 Oversee logistics for project personnel, (volunteers, consultants) missions to and from the field;
 Ensure WUSC Ottawa Management is kept up to date with key project issues, security updates and
in any key communications with donor HQ;
 Ensure WUSC’s Gender Equality Policy is applied and support gender mainstreaming in the
program, including development of gender strategy and providing coaching and training to staff in
gender equality
2. Financial Management
 Exercise budget control and manage project procurement and expenses in accordance with
contractual obligations and in consultation with the Financial Analyst (FA), the Project
Director/Country Director;
 Work with the Financial Analyst assigned to the project to monitor budgets, prepare financial
reports and provide financial analysis;
 Resolve any contractual and/or budget issues with the donor, including providing any updates,
requests for approval and supporting the documentation of such requirements including preparing
proposals for budget amendments if/as required.
3. Monitoring and Reporting
 Coordinate the preparation of and submit to donor and relevant project stakeholders reports and
plans, according to contract delivery dates:
 Work with the financial analyst assigned to the program to ensure that all financial matters and
quarterly reports are timely and accurate;


Ensure that in all processes, adherence to donor contractual requirements is maintained and that
adequate notice of any issues of concern are documented and raised with the donor in a timely and
appropriate manner;
Capture project’s results and lessons learned and share those within WUSC’s Global Results
Framework and internal knowledge management system;
4. Partners & Sub-Contractors Management
 Develop strong working relationships with Canadian, developing country and other partners, subcontractors, consultants and volunteers (as applicable)
 Develop and implement communications protocols amongst project stakeholders
QUALIFICATIONS AND COMPETENCIES:
Qualifications:
 Seven years of experience in the development and/ or management of projects/programs in the
international development sector;
 Two years of overseas experience in a developing country context;
 Knowledge of and experience working in the Asia region, particularly Mongolia, Sri Lanka, Nepal and
Vietnam;
 Demonstrated experience in cultivating and maintaining relationships with DFATD and other donors;
 Superior oral and written communication skills: clear, concise, persuasive writing style;
 Sound understanding of gender and development issues;
 Significant knowledge or experience in one or more of the following sectors or programming areas:
o Education (basic education, teacher training, education systems strengthening, equity in
education, vocational training, higher education)
o Inclusive market development (sustainable livelihoods, vocational training, value chain,
market system development)
o Youth programming (youth inclusion, youth economic empowerment)
o Women’s rights and gender equality (gender based violence, women’s economic
empowerment, gender mainstreaming)
o University and college programming (student mobility, scholarship management)
Competencies:
 Strong capacity for strategic analysis and representation, including working with networks and
developing partnerships
 Excellent administration and organizational skills, including ability to prioritize tasks and handle
multiple initiatives simultaneously
 Proven ability to lead multiple task-orientated teams in a dynamic and constructive fashion
 Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated capacity to work in partnership and with different
cultural groups
 Experience in working with volunteers in a development program
Education/ Training:
 Bachelor’s degree in a related field (social sciences, international development);
 Master’s degree in a related field an asset.
Languages:
 Complete fluency, oral and written in English or French is essential; knowledge of a regional
language is an asset.
WUSC is an equal opportunity employer. Only those candidates selected for an interview will be
contacted. If you wish to apply for this position, please send your resumé with a covering letter
quoting reference number 15/04 to: [email protected] .