Africa Program Designer – Women’s Economic Leadership (V/SL)

Position Summary

The Program Designer – Women’s Economic Leadership (V/SL) leads the design, refinement, and strategic expansion of Paraklet Inc.’s flagship women’s economic empowerment program. This role is central to shaping high‑impact interventions that strengthen women’s financial autonomy, leadership capacity, and resilience through Village Savings & Loan (VSL) methodologies integrating entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and civic engagement components. As Paraklet scales its operations, the Program Designer ensures program models are evidence‑based, donor‑aligned, and responsive to community realities across the Africa, while maintaining strong engagement with institutional donors and governmental stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

• Program Design & Model Development — Lead the design of VSL‑based women’s economic leadership programs, integrating entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and civic engagement pathways.
• Curriculum & Toolkit Creation — Develop training manuals, facilitator guides, and community toolkits tailored to women and youth in urban and peri‑urban contexts.
• Field Coordination — Work closely with DRC field teams to validate program models, gather community insights, and ensure culturally grounded implementation.
• Donor Alignment & Proposal Support — Ensure program design aligns with donor frameworks (USAID, foundations, INGOs) and support proposal development with technical inputs.
• Government & Stakeholder Engagement — Strengthen relationships with local government, ministries, and community‑based organizations to ensure policy alignment and program acceptance.
• Monitoring & Learning Integration — Collaborate with MEL teams to embed indicators, learning loops, and adaptive management practices into program design.
• Risk & Safeguarding Considerations — Ensure all program models incorporate safeguarding, ethical documentation, and risk‑mitigation strategies.

Qualifications

• Required Skills — Demonstrated experience designing or managing women’s empowerment programs in Africa; strong understanding of VSL methodologies; ability to translate field realities into structured program models.
• Preferred Skills — Experience working with donors (USAID, FCDO, UN agencies, foundations); experience engaging government ministries; familiarity with MEL frameworks; French or Swahili proficiency.

Time Commitment

Flexible, typically 5–10 hours per week, depending on program design cycles and donor timelines.

Volunteer Status

This is an unpaid volunteer role. Volunteers are not employees of Paraklet Inc. and are not eligible for wages or employment benefits.

Safeguarding & Values

All team members must uphold Paraklet Inc.’s mission, safeguarding standards, and zero‑tolerance policies, ensuring ethical representation of women, youth, and community beneficiaries.

Special Instructions / Desired Candidate Profile

Paraklet Inc. is scaling rapidly and strengthening its women’s economic leadership model across multiple provinces. We seek high‑caliber, mission‑driven professionals with deep field experience and a passion for designing programs that transform women’s lives.

Ideal candidates are those who:

• Have Ground Experience — You have designed or implemented women’s empowerment or VSL programs in African contexts and understand community dynamics firsthand.
• Engage Donors Strategically — You have experience working with institutional donors and can translate program models into donor‑ready frameworks.
• Work with Government Stakeholders — You are comfortable engaging ministries, local authorities, and policy actors to ensure alignment and support.
• Take Initiative — You proactively identify gaps, propose solutions, and move work forward without waiting for direction.
• Lead Without Supervision — You thrive in autonomous environments and can manage complex program design tasks independently.
• Seek Career Growth — You want to build a strong portfolio in program design, women’s empowerment, and donor‑aligned development work.
• Deliver Impact — You are motivated by meaningful work that strengthens communities and expands opportunities for women and youth.

If you are ready to shape a high‑impact program, lead independently, and leave a lasting footprint, Paraklet Inc. is the place to grow your career while contributing to transformational change.