Program Support and Research Manager (Unpaid Volunteer Position but comes with benefits)

YCWL seeks a motivated, proactive, research-oriented, and results-driven individual to serve as Program Support and Research Manager (Volunteer). The successful candidate will support program development, project coordination, research, grant writing, resource mobilization, partnership development, donor engagement, and implementation monitoring across the organization's program portfolio.

The position will play an important role in strengthening YCWL's technical capacity to deliver quality programs, mobilize resources, document results, build strategic partnerships, and sustain its interventions beyond individual project funding cycles.

The volunteer will provide programmatic, research, documentation, and coordination support to two key initiatives:

Liberia Spotlight Initiative 2.0 — European Union through UN Women

YCWL implements activities primarily under Outcome B: Gender-Equitable Social Norms, Attitudes and Behaviours in Lofa, Nimba, and Montserrado Counties. The initiative focuses on challenging harmful social norms and practices, preventing and eliminating violence against women and girls (VAWG), strengthening women's and girls' confidence and decision-making, and expanding their opportunities for education, skills development, economic independence, and community participation.

Key interventions include Second Chance Education (SCE), Inclusive Skills Training, Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs), financial literacy, entrepreneurship, women's rights education, life skills, leadership, and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) prevention. The initiative engages women and girls affected by or at risk of violence and harmful practices, including survivors of SGBV, survivors of female genital mutilation (FGM), girls at risk of FGM, and former Zoes/traditional practitioners, while also engaging men, partners, community leaders, and other stakeholders.

Protection in Education Advancement for Community Empowerment (PEACE) Project — Plan International Liberia

The PEACE Project, titled Strengthening Health, Education, and Economic Pathways for Girls and Young People, is implemented in Bomi, Lofa, and Nimba Counties. It addresses interconnected barriers affecting girls and young people, including limited access to quality education and health services, school dropout, early pregnancy, gender-based violence, harmful social norms, poverty, and limited opportunities for skills development and economic empowerment.

Its interventions include school and community needs assessments, strengthening Girls' and Boys' Clubs and School Health Clubs, teacher and school leadership capacity building, Girls Shine peer-support initiatives, community dialogues on gender equality, violence prevention, positive male engagement, life skills, employability, vocational training, youth leadership, advocacy, and economic empowerment.

The volunteer will support the effective coordination, monitoring, documentation, and reporting of these initiatives while helping YCWL identify additional funding opportunities and strategic partnerships to strengthen and expand its work.

The successful candidate will report directly to the Program Support and Partnership Advisor and work closely with the Executive Director, Program Manager, project teams, field officers, Finance and Administration team, and other relevant personnel.

Key Responsibilities

A. Program Development, Coordination, and Management Support

• • Support the planning, coordination, implementation, and monitoring of YCWL programs and projects.
  • Assist in translating approved project documents into practical workplans, activity schedules, implementation trackers, and monitoring tools.
  • Support project teams in tracking activities against approved objectives, outputs, indicators, deliverables, budgets, and timelines.
  • Contribute to the development of project concepts, theories of change, logical frameworks, results frameworks, and implementation strategies.
  • Coordinate with field officers and project teams to collect timely updates on activities, achievements, challenges, and emerging community needs.
  • Support the preparation of project progress reports, donor reports, internal updates, presentations, and other required documentation.
  • Identify implementation gaps and support the development of practical recommendations and corrective actions.
  • Promote coordination among project personnel, community stakeholders, schools, government institutions, and implementing partners.
  • Support the integration of gender equality, child safeguarding, disability inclusion, youth participation, accountability, and community ownership into program planning and implementation.
  • Contribute to organizational learning by documenting lessons learned, effective practices, implementation challenges, and opportunities for improvement.
  • Support sustainability planning and the strengthening of existing community and institutional structures rather than creating parallel systems.

Liberia Spotlight Initiative 2.0 — UN Women Project Support

The volunteer will provide programmatic, research, coordination, and documentation support to YCWL's activities under the Liberia Spotlight Initiative 2.0.

Specific responsibilities include:

• • Support the planning and monitoring of activities under Outcome B: Gender-Equitable Social Norms, Attitudes and Behaviours.
  • Assist project teams in tracking activities aimed at challenging harmful social norms, promoting gender equality, and preventing violence against women and girls.
  • Support documentation of community engagement and social and behavioural change activities involving women, girls, men, partners, traditional and religious leaders, and other stakeholders.
  • Assist in tracking and documenting activities related to Second Chance Education and Inclusive Skills Training.
  • Support the documentation of training and empowerment activities in agriculture, cross-border trade, craft and tie-dye, digital entrepreneurship, literacy and numeracy, entrepreneurship, life skills, leadership, women's rights, and SGBV prevention.
  • Support the monitoring and documentation of Village Savings and Loan Associations, including group strengthening, financial literacy, savings and loan activities, and initiatives promoting women's economic participation.
  • Assist in documenting activities and results relating to women's economic independence, confidence, decision-making power, livelihoods, and community participation.
  • Support reporting on activities involving survivors of SGBV, survivors of FGM, girls at risk of FGM, former Zoes/traditional practitioners, and other vulnerable women and girls, while maintaining strict confidentiality and applying survivor-centred safeguarding practices.
  • Assist in identifying implementation challenges, emerging risks, lessons learned, and opportunities to improve program effectiveness.
  • Support the preparation of activity reports, donor presentations, project briefs, success stories, and other reporting materials required by YCWL and its partners.
  • Help maintain organized project records and ensure that documentation is consistent with approved project objectives, reporting requirements, and applicable safeguarding standards.
  • Support coordination with relevant community structures, women's organizations, local stakeholders, and project personnel in Lofa, Nimba, and Montserrado Counties.

PEACE Project Support — Plan International Liberia

The volunteer will support YCWL's implementation of the PEACE Project, which seeks to strengthen health, education, and economic pathways for girls and young people in Bomi, Lofa, and Nimba Counties.

Specific responsibilities include:

• • Support the planning, coordination, monitoring, and documentation of PEACE Project activities in accordance with approved project documents.
  • Assist in tracking project deliverables, activity completion, implementation progress, indicators, timelines, and reporting requirements.
  • Support the documentation of school and community needs assessments and the identification of barriers affecting girls' education, health, protection, and economic opportunities.
  • Assist in tracking activities that strengthen Girls' and Boys' Clubs and School Health Clubs.
  • Support the documentation of Girls Shine peer-support initiatives and activities aimed at strengthening youth participation, peer learning, and leadership.
  • Assist in documenting teacher and school leadership capacity-building activities and initiatives that promote gender-responsive and inclusive education systems.
  • Support the preparation and documentation of community dialogues on gender equality, harmful social norms, early pregnancy, school dropout, and violence against women and girls.
  • Assist in documenting positive male engagement initiatives, including activities aligned with SASA! and Engaging Men through Accountable Practice (EMAP).
  • Support the monitoring and reporting of life skills, employability, vocational training, youth leadership, advocacy, and economic empowerment activities.
  • Coordinate with field officers and project personnel to obtain updates from schools, communities, youth groups, women's organizations, traditional and religious leaders, government institutions, and other local partners.
  • Participate in authorized field monitoring visits and help document implementation progress, community feedback, challenges, and recommendations.
  • Support reporting on improved access to education and essential services, safer learning environments, violence prevention, youth participation, and economic opportunities, using available project evidence.
  • Help document the strengthening of referral pathways, community leadership, institutional accountability mechanisms, and other structures intended to sustain project results.
  • Assist with the preparation of project reports, presentations, case studies, success stories, monitoring records, and other required deliverables.
  • Flag implementation concerns, safeguarding risks, delays, and reporting deadlines to the Program Support and Partnership Advisor and relevant project personnel.

Research, Analysis, and Knowledge Management

• • Conduct desk research on gender equality, violence against women and girls, education, youth development, women's economic empowerment, safeguarding, and other themes relevant to YCWL's programs.
  • Research development trends, policy priorities, donor interests, and funding opportunities relevant to the Spotlight Initiative 2.0, the PEACE Project, and YCWL's wider strategic priorities.
  • Support stakeholder mapping, community needs assessments, contextual analysis, and other research activities as assigned.
  • Identify credible evidence, statistics, policy developments, and contextual information to strengthen project design, grant applications, and program recommendations.
  • Analyze research findings and translate them into practical recommendations for program development and organizational decision-making.
  • Prepare research briefs, background papers, project summaries, policy briefs, case studies, success stories, and lessons-learned documents.
  • Support the documentation of community-level changes, participant experiences, and promising practices, ensuring appropriate consent and protection of personal information.
  • Assist in organizing project evidence, monitoring data, reports, photographs, training records, and other supporting documentation.
  • Contribute to internal learning sessions and knowledge-sharing activities across YCWL's program portfolio.
  • Maintain organized electronic records of research outputs, funding opportunities, donor requirements, partnership engagements, and project documents.

Grant Writing and Resource Mobilization

• • Identify, research, and track funding opportunities aligned with YCWL's mission, strategic priorities, and program experience.
  • Prepare or contribute to grant applications, concept notes, expressions of interest, project proposals, and funding requests.
  • Develop proposal narratives addressing needs, problem analysis, objectives, target groups, activities, expected outcomes, sustainability, and monitoring and evaluation.
  • Support the preparation of proposals related to gender equality, prevention of violence against women and girls, education, child protection, youth empowerment, vocational skills, women's economic empowerment, financial inclusion, and community development.
  • Identify opportunities to scale up or complement relevant approaches from the Spotlight Initiative 2.0 and PEACE Project without assuming that existing project funding can be extended or redirected.
  • Work with the Program Support and Partnership Advisor, Program Manager, Finance and Administration team, and relevant project staff to prepare realistic project budgets and budget narratives.
  • Review donor calls for proposals, eligibility criteria, application guidelines, submission deadlines, compliance requirements, and reporting expectations.
  • Maintain and update a funding opportunity tracker, donor pipeline, proposal calendar, and record of submitted applications.
  • Prepare donor profiles, funding briefs, organizational capability statements, institutional profiles, project portfolios, and impact summaries.
  • Research prospective donors, including foundations, international NGOs, UN agencies, bilateral and multilateral agencies, embassies, private sector organizations, and other development partners.
  • Support resource mobilization strategies designed to diversify funding sources and strengthen YCWL's institutional sustainability.
  • Review proposals for clarity, completeness, relevance, and alignment with donor priorities before submission.
  • Track proposal outcomes and maintain records of feedback, follow-up actions, and future funding opportunities.
  • Ensure that all proposals and funding requests are reviewed and authorized by the appropriate YCWL personnel before submission.

Partnership Development and Stakeholder Engagement

• • Identify and map prospective institutional partners, donors, civil society organizations, government institutions, private sector organizations, foundations, academic institutions, and development agencies.
  • Initiate approved outreach to introduce YCWL, present its work, and explore areas of collaboration.
  • Arrange partnership meetings, both online and in person, with potential donors, implementing partners, and other stakeholders.
  • Prepare meeting requests, agendas, briefing notes, organizational presentations, and supporting documents.
  • Participate in partnership discussions and prepare meeting minutes, action points, follow-up communications, and engagement plans.
  • Support the development of partnership proposals, memoranda of understanding, collaboration frameworks, and other relevant documents, subject to management review and approval.
  • Explore partnership opportunities that complement YCWL's work in girls' education, women's economic empowerment, violence prevention, skills development, youth leadership, and community-based programming.
  • Identify opportunities for technical collaboration, capacity building, knowledge exchange, referrals, and resource mobilization.
  • Maintain a partnership engagement tracker recording prospective partners, outreach activities, meetings, agreed actions, and progress.
  • Follow up on partnership leads and agreed actions in coordination with the Program Support and Partnership Advisor.
  • Support YCWL's engagement with schools, community structures, women's organizations, youth groups, traditional and religious leaders, and relevant government institutions.
  • Help strengthen collaboration between program teams and local stakeholders to promote ownership, sustainability, and community participation.

Networking, Coordination Meetings, and Donor Presentations

• • Attend authorized networking events, donor meetings, coordination forums, workshops, conferences, and stakeholder consultations relevant to YCWL's work.
  • Support YCWL's participation in discussions relating to gender equality, violence prevention, child protection, education, youth development, women's economic empowerment, and community development.
  • Prepare and deliver presentations on YCWL's organizational profile, program portfolio, project achievements, institutional capacity, and proposed areas of collaboration.
  • Develop tailored presentations highlighting the Spotlight Initiative 2.0 and PEACE Project, their target groups, geographical coverage, interventions, and documented results.
  • Prepare briefing notes, talking points, project summaries, and donor engagement materials for meetings with prospective partners and funders.
  • Arrange and coordinate follow-up meetings with prospective partners after networking and donor engagements.
  • Document meeting outcomes, partnership leads, funding opportunities, commitments, and agreed next steps.
  • Submit timely meeting reports to the Program Support and Partnership Advisor.
  • Ensure that external presentations and communications accurately reflect approved project information and do not disclose confidential beneficiary information.
  • Represent YCWL professionally when authorized and avoid making commitments on behalf of the organization without the required approval.