The Entrepreneurship in the Digital and Gig Economy (EDGE) program is a five-year national initiative developed by the Mastercard Foundation in partnership with Hybrid Designs and its consortium partners. The program aims to unlock over 300,000 dignified and fulfilling employment opportunities for economically disadvantaged young people across Ethiopia.

The program focuses on enhancing youth awareness, skill development, and enterprise growth within the digital and gig economy. By scaling innovative digital products such as the RIDE Smart Distributed Kitchen, Qegnet creative marketplace, and Fetroader sales force platform EDGE is transforming Ethiopia into a competitive hub for both domestic and offshore outsourcing.

Job Profile

• Program: Entrepreneurship in the Digital and Gig Economy (EDGE)
• Implementing Partner: Hybrid Designs
• Duty Station: Addis Ababa, with travel to regions from time to time
• Employment Type: Program-based (2025–2029)
• Duration: One year with possible extension up to four years
• Reports to: Program Manager
• Required Number: One
• Application Deadline: Jan 12, 2026

Short Description of the Position

Tasked with the critical front-end of the program, the Program Officer (Training & Recruitment) manages the planning and facilitation of participant recruitment. This officer oversees the quality and delivery of standardized training modules to ensure participants are market-ready. Additionally, this role serves as the primary safeguard for program inclusivity, ensuring the program meets its strict mandate of 80% young women and 10% vulnerable youth participation.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead the planning and facilitation of large-scale participant recruitment across multiple regional locations.
• Collaborate closely with the Marketing Officer to design and execute awareness-raising campaigns and recruitment drives for the program’s digital products.
• Oversee the quality and delivery of standardized training modules, ensuring they meet the program’s technical and inclusive excellence standards.
• Manage the data management and tracking system, ensuring real-time visibility into the participant journey from recruitment through training completion.
• Control and maintain the program’s tracking platform to match demand-side needs with supply-side talent.
• Serve as the primary safeguard for program inclusivity, ensuring 10% of participants are from vulnerable groups (e.g., persons with disabilities or conflict-affected youth).
• Coordinate with consortium partners to screen and onboard participants for short-term, mid-term, and long-term training tracks.
• Implement gender-sensitive recruitment strategies to consistently achieve the program’s 80% young women target.
• Work with training leads and product owners to ensure the curriculum remains aligned with market requirements.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Competencies

• Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences, or a related field.
• Minimum of 3-5 years of experience in a projects or Recruitment/Training Officer, with a track record of managing high-volume participant onboarding.
• Prior experience working within non-profit organizations (NGOs) or UN organizations.
• Experience with Mastercard Foundation programs or other Youth Livelihood and Women Empowerment initiatives is highly desirable.

Technical Skills:

• Expertise in data management systems and the use of digital platforms for tracking participant progress.
• Strong understanding of recruitment methodologies and training quality assurance standards.
• Knowledge of safeguarding principles and inclusive recruitment for vulnerable populations.
• Ability to coordinate complex logistics for training and awareness events in various regional locations.

Interpersonal Skills:

• Excellent communication and facilitation skills to work effectively with marketing and training teams.
• Ability to work in an inclusive and gender-sensitive environment.
• Strong organizational skills to manage high-volume data and system controls efficiently.

Diversity and Inclusion

The EDGE program is deeply committed to inclusion and diversity. We strive to create an environment where all young people, regardless of their background, can thrive. As our program aims for 80% participation from young women, they are highly encouraged to apply for this position.