JOB DESCRIPTION

Result of Service The goal of this job function is to coordinate the implementation of the project, ensuring effective delivery of activities, strong stakeholder engagement, and alignment with national priorities.

Work Location Kampala, Uganda

Expected duration One year, with possibility of extension

Duties and Responsibilities BACKGROUND: ITC is the joint agency of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization, fully dedicated to supporting small businesses of developing countries to trade. This post is a local position based in Uganda and located within the Women, Youth and Vulnerable Communities (WYVC) Section in the Division of Sustainable and Inclusive Trade. The post focuses on advancing Uganda’s Creative and Cultural Industries (CCI) as a key pathway to dignified and fulfilling work for young people, particularly women. RESPONSIBILITIES: Under the overall supervision of the Head of Youth and Trade Programme, the National Project Manager will be responsible for the following duties:

• Participate in the implementation of a large-scale project in Uganda’s CCI as a driver of youth employment and entrepreneurship, providing strategic coordination and oversight across all components. Manages a team of staff and consultants, ensuring effective planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the programme.
• Coordinates stakeholder engagement and partnership management, maintaining engagement with government bodies, programme implementing partners, private sector partners, creative industry associations, development partners, and donors, to foster alignment, synergy, and impact across initiatives.
• Ensures coherence and quality in programme delivery, including integration of cross-cutting themes such as gender equality, disability inclusion, digital literacy, entrepreneurship, financial inclusion, and market access, with particular attention to their relevance for Uganda’s CCI ecosystem.
• Provides technical and strategic inputs to strengthen the enabling environment for the Creative Industries, supporting policy dialogue, institutional partnerships, and systemic change efforts to position CCI as a priority sector for national development.
• Oversees the design, coordination, and delivery of capacity-building initiatives, training programmes, and market linkage activities to ensure they reflect the realities of the local creative economy and respond to the needs of beneficiaries, especially women and youth.
• Supervises and coordinates programme budgets, work plans, progress reports, and donor submissions, ensuring accountability, efficient use of resources, and compliance with UN and donor requirements.
• Prepares written outputs, including analytical reports, policy briefs, updates, and communication materials, providing evidence-based insights and highlighting progress and impact of CCI-focused interventions.
• Represents the programme in meetings, conferences, and missions, presenting results, lessons learned, and best practices to internal and external stakeholders.
• Leads and participates in field missions to assess programme progress, strengthen partner capacity, and ensure effective beneficiary outreach and stakeholder engagement.
• Identifies and mitigates project risks, ensuring adaptive management and timely resolution of implementation challenges. Promotes knowledge sharing, documentation of lessons learned, and dissemination of best practices to inform future programming and policy.
• Supports resource mobilization efforts and strategies for programme sustainability. Provides mentorship and guidance to team members, fostering a culture of learning, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Performs other duties as required. Copyright: The personnel has to ensure that s/he has obtained the necessary permissions with regard to intellectual property rights required to perform his/her services under this consultancy contract and for the subsequent dissemination by ITC in any form. Documentary proof is to be submitted to ITC. Should any license fee be due for the use of copyrighted materials of third parties, the Consultant shall request the prior written permission from ITC. S/he has further to ensure to obtain accreditation to event(s), if required.

Qualifications/special skills EDUCATION: Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in business administration, management, economics or a related field. A first-level university degree in combination with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. EXPERIENCE: A minimum of five years of experience in project or programme management, or related area is required Experience managing UN-funded programmes or large-scale donor initiatives (e.g. Mastercard Foundation projects) is desirable. Experience in stakeholder coordination and partnership management, particularly with government bodies, private sector actors, and development partners, is desirable. Experience in youth employment, entrepreneurship, or trade-related programmes is desirable. COMPETENCIES:

• Professionalism: Knowledge of Uganda’s Creative and Cultural Industries (CCI) and its ecosystem is an asset. Understanding of youth development, innovation, and inclusive growth issues. Knowledge and understanding of theories, concepts and approaches relevant to particular sector, functional area or other specialized field. Ability to identify issues, analyze and participate in the resolution of issues/problems. Ability to conduct data collection using various methods. Conceptual analytical and evaluative skills to conduct independent research and analysis, including familiarity with and experience in the use of various research sources, including electronic sources on the internet, intranet and other databases. Ability to apply judgment in the context of assignments given, plan own work and manage conflicting priorities. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.
• Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.
• Teamwork: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.
• Creativity: Actively seeks to improve programmes or services; offers new and different options to solve problems or meet client needs; promotes and persuades others to consider new ideas; takes calculated risks on new and unusual ideas; thinks “outside the box”; takes an interest in new ideas and new ways of doing things; is not bound by current thinking or traditional approaches.
• Client Orientation: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view; establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.

Languages Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of local languages spoken in Uganda is an advantage.

Additional Information This contract will be administered on behalf of ITC by UNOPS. This vacancy is open for locally residing Uganda nationals. Applicants must be authorized to work in the duty station where the position is located. Eligible applicants selected from outside the duty station are responsible for any expenses in connection with their relocation to the duty station.

No Fee THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.