COSDEC Operations Specialist at Adam Smith International

Tracking Code: 1165-112
Location: Kano
Department: Private Sector Development
Position Type: Full-Time/Regular

Programme Background

• Mafita is a large-scale, six-year youth employment programme operating in Nigeria’s northern states, funded by DFID and implemented by Adam Smith International. 
• Through a combination of innovative skills development and job creation interventions, Mafita will support over 60,000 marginalised young people to find employment or become entrepreneurs by 2021.
• Within the above scope, Mafita is mandated to support the economic empowerment of Northern Nigerian women, whose economic disenfranchisement has direct and adverse impacts on the country’s economic prosperity and development at the national, regional and community levels.
• Through its work, Mafita seeks to support women to access economic resources both directly by supporting women’s entrepreneurship, employment and access to finance, and indirectly by creating a more enabling environment for women.

Areas of Responsibility

• The COSDEC (Community Skills Development Centre) Operations Specialist will work closely with the COSDEC Intervention Manager and TVET Intervention teams to ensure the establishment and day-to-day management of the COSDECs in Katsina, Kano, Jigawa and Kaduna state.

Main Tasks

• Facilitate and ensure selected vocational training centres are renovated timely and up to the required standard as well as assess the readiness to deliver tools and equipment.
• Ensure timely provision of specified training materials.
• Facilitate the development of list of consumables required for all trades across COSDECs.
• In close consultation with the procurement officer, facilitate the procurement and timely delivery of training consumables selected COSDECs.
• Facilitate the procurement, delivery, installation and training of tools and equipment relevant for Level 1 & 2 training across COSDECs in all focal states.
• Organize the procurement deliveries within the COSDEC’s requirements/capabilities.
• Ensure all procurement meets technical, quantity and quality specifications. Validate warranties for all products.
• Closely collaborate with the COSDEC managers on the smooth transition of responsibilities to them in order to guarantee sustainability.
• Facilitate the placement of work place experience learning of MAFITA beneficiaries with the industry.
• Facilitate training of COSDEC Trainers on usage of Workshop equipment.
• Facilitate the availability of asset management policy and ensure the effectively implementation at all COSDECs.
• Facilitate the establishment of effective planning and management systems in the COSDECs.
• Work with the skills development specialist in each state on daily operational and logistics issues at COSDECs.
• Support the timely submission of COSDEC attendance records to MRM
• Support enrolment and admission processes at the COSDECs.
• Support job placement of beneficiaries.
• In close collaboration with LED to support the transition to work for the COSDEC trainees.
• Coordinate and ensure effective reporting and communications for all COSDEC intervention.
• Work closely with the COSDEC unit (as well as other team members) to ensure coherent messaging and strategy for engagement with trainees and other stakeholders.
• Provide wider team with recommendations for community engagement and facilitate access for the MRM and Research Unit to carry out studies.
• Any other tasks as assigned by the Intervention Manager.

Required Skills

• A university Degree in any related field.
• A post-graduate degree would be an added advantage.

Required Experience

• Professional experience in vocational training is essential for the role.
• Experience working on donor funded programmes is an added advantage.
• Intermediate proficiency level of Microsoft Office Suite.
• Excellent interpersonal verbal/written communication skills.
• Fluent in Hausa and English (written and spoken).

Duration and Location

• This position will be based in Kano, Nigeria with frequent travel to Jigawa, Kaduna and Katsina states.
• The successful candidate will be contracted for 110 days till March 2019 however we expect the role to receive a further allocation of days with the new programme year beginning April 1st, 2019. The allocation will be subject to programme needs.