Youth Development Specialist - Community Development

The Youth Development Specialist is required to collaborate with relevant organisations and agencies to facilitate the development and/or implementation of programmes that will:

• Mainstream youth issues across various sectors in national planning, programmes and budgets, including through evidence-informed approaches aligned to the CARICOM Youth Development Index (CYDI);
• Promote and increase awareness of youth and community development issues and initiatives among public and private sector agencies, including youth organisations/ Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Community-Based Organisations (CBOs) and young people throughout the Member States and Associate Members through strengthened communication and use of data, indicators, and best practices; and
• Develop and disseminate information and best practices which will inform policies aimed at strengthening and building capacity of national and regional youth governance structures such as Ministries/Departments responsible for Youth Affairs, National Youth Councils and the CARICOM Youth Ambassador Programme, particularly as it relates to the implementation of the CARICOM Youth Development Action Plan (CYDAP) and its supporting Framework, and the operationalisation of the Regional Youth Development Governance Structure (RYDGS).

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Candidates must possess a Masters’ Degree or equivalent in Sociology/Social Work/Project Management or another related Social Science, along with professional qualifications in areas such as Youth Development/Youth Work, Community Development, Social Administration or Development (and/or education, where relevant). Candidates must also have a minimum of five (5) years of relevant and equivalent experience, which must have been gained in an established organisation and working at a senior level in one or more of the following entities:

• Public Sector Institutions
• Regional  and/or International Organisations
• Non-governmental organisations with a mandate for youth development

The incumbent must have acquired demonstrable competence in:

• Policy/proposal writing
• Project formulation, implementation and evaluation
• Human relations and networking
• Relevant computer applications (i.e. Microsoft Office Suite, including MS Project).

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Key Result 1: Promotes youth participation and partnership in development, democracy, and governance, particularly at the national level and decision-making at the national and regional levels:

Activities

1.1 WORKS with governments, regional youth networks and other partner agencies to devise youth development and empowerment policies and programmes;

1.2 COORDINATES and BUILDS capacity of the CARICOM Youth Ambassador Programme; and SUPPORTS linkages to the RYDGS where applicable;

1.3 FACILITATES the implementation and PROVIDES regional oversight of the CYDAP and Framework (2022-2030);

1.4 SUPPORTS the coordination and functional rollout and implementation of the Regional Youth Development Governance Structure (RYDGS), including engagement with national youth directors/focal points, technical working groups, and youth representative bodies;

1.5 SUPPORTS the coordination of initiatives under the CARICOM Young Professionals Network (CYPN);

1.6 UNDERTAKES research and DISSEMINATES information on relevant issues, including CYDI-aligned youth development indicators and evidence products;

1.7 ASSISTS stakeholders in preparing concept papers and articles on global development issues in the area of youth and governance; and

1.8 PROVIDES technical assistance and ORGANISES capacity building workshops for youth organisations and agencies across the Region to facilitate their meaningful participation in youth policy and programme planning.

Key Result 2: Fosters collaborations on youth development issues in the Region, particularly to increase the skills and knowledge of young people:

Activities

2.1   WORKS with and through networks and other structures such as Youth  Ministries/Departments, the CARICOM Youth Ambassador Programme, National Youth Councils,  NGOs and CBOs across the Region to develop and enhance programmes;

2.2     PLANS, COORDINATES, DELIVERS and EVALUATES programmes; and

2.3 UNDERTAKES research and USES this to inform and/or enhance youth-related policies and programmes, including the use of youth development data and indicators aligned with CYDI to inform programme strengthening. 

Key Result 3: Participates in managing the Regional Youth Development Programme:

Activities

3.1 DEVELOPS, IMPLEMENTS and EVALUATES  an annual operational plan anchored in the CARICOM Youth Development Goals, Action Plan and Framework 2022-2030;

3.2 SUPPORTS Member States’ preparation for phased piloting and implementation of the CARICOM Youth Development Index (CYDI), including coordination with national youth and statistics focal points and youth stakeholders;

3.3 CONTRIBUTES to documentation, coordination, and reporting processes associated with establishing and operationalising the RYDGS;

3.4 ADVOCATES for, and LOBBIES multilateral and bilateral development organisations to increase resource allocation for youth development projects and implementing of approved donor funded projects; 

3.5 PREPARES documents and presentations for meetings of COHSOD and Directors of Youth Affairs/Development and emerging youth governance mechanisms under the RYDGS; and

3.6 PREPARES relevant reports for internal and external stakeholders, including inputs on CYDI-related progress, governance milestones, and regional reporting requirements.

Key Result 4: Work Programme managed and executed within agreed budget:

Activities

4.1 PREPARES the Annual Work Programme and budget for the Youth Development Sub-Programme and IDENTIFIES, in collaboration with youth leaders, Directors of Youth Affairs and other stakeholders, the Key Results Areas (KRAs), to be used as determinants of successful delivery of the Work Programme;

4.2 PREPARES Programme and Project Proposals in relation to the Work Programme;

4.3 PREPARES reports of meetings, seminars, workshops and quarterly reviews of the work programme;

4.4 REPORTS on official travel;

4.5 ASSISTS with the scheduling and logistical tasks associated with the execution of consultancies, REVIEWS and APPROVES deliverables submitted by the consultants;

4.6 ASSISTS with administrative tasks relating to Programme implementation, including follow-up with Member States, regional bodies, non-governmental organisations and stakeholders within the Secretariat;

4.7 ORGANIZES technical and policy level meetings and provides technical briefs to inform deliberations at the meetings; and

4.8 CONTRIBUTES to a positive and professional image of the CARICOM Secretariat at all times in keeping with its Core Values.

In addition to the Results and Activities outlined above, the incumbent is expected to perform any other relevant duties and responsibilities in keeping with job functions.

EMOLUMENTS AND BENEFITS

This is an S3 post. The salary scale for the position is EC$11,686.00 to EC$15,190.00 per month.

EDUCATION GRANT

The Officer shall be eligible for the payment of an education grant in respect of children (including stepchildren and legally adopted children) who require reasonable education facilities that are not available at the assigned duty station or whose education the Officer would not want to disrupt in relocating to take up this appointment.

The grant shall apply to children under the age of twenty-three (23) years and shall not exceed seventy-five per cent (75%) of the cost of tuition (including textbooks), room and board up to a maximum total of EC$16,200.00 per year per child for a maximum of two (2) children at any one time. The grant is payable for a maximum of five (5) years.

SETTLEMENT GRANT

On assumption of duty in Guyana, the Officer shall be paid a settlement grant in respect of the staff member, his or her spouse and each eligible child or other approved dependent.  The number of dependents eligible for Settlement Grant shall not exceed six (6) persons.

RECRUITMENT AND APPOINTMENT

Appointment may be on contract, in which case the officer will be required to contribute to the Secretariat’s Pension Scheme or on secondment from a Public Service or a statutory body of a Member State or approved regional organisation. It will be subject to such staff rules and policies, rules, regulations, orders and instructions as exist and as may be introduced from time to time with respect to service with the Caribbean Community Secretariat.

An Officer recruited from outside the assigned duty station, on first appointment, will be provided economy class air passages by the most direct route for the Officer, spouse and children (provided they are below the age of eighteen (18) years, unmarried and dependent on the Officer) and for such other dependents not exceeding two (2) as may be approved by the    Secretary-General, provided that the number of children and other dependents does not exceed six (6) in all.

In addition to passages, the Officer will be granted the following transportation allowances:

(i)               ocean freight charges, including insurance, for shipping personal and household effects to Guyana, not exceeding 45.3 cubic meters, plus a motor car (if the Officer already owns one);

(ii)             the cost of transporting baggage, personal and household effects from the home of the Officer to the place of embarkation and from the port of disembarkation to the place of residence in Guyana; and

(iii)            the cost of packing and crating personal and household effects.

LEAVE

The officer will be eligible for vacation leave at the rate of twenty (20) working days a year and a leave grant after every twelve (12) months of service in respect of the officer, spouse and up to two (2) other approved dependents. 

PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES

The officer will be granted the privileges and immunities extended to officials of the Caribbean Community in accordance with Article 8 of the Community’s Headquarters Agreement with the Government of Guyana.

GROUP HEALTH AND LIFE AND ACCIDENT INSURANCE

Subject to acceptance by the Secretariat’s insurance carrier, the Officer will be required to participate in the Secretariat’s group health, life and accident insurance schemes. With respect to the health insurance, the Officer will contribute fifty per cent (50%) of the premium.  The life and accident insurance scheme is non-contributory.

SUPERANNUATION

An Officer appointed to this post will be required to participate in the Secretariat’s Defined Contribution Pension Plan and contribute 7 per cent of basic salary per month, while the Secretariat will contribute 13 percent of the Officer’s basic salary to the pension plan. Where the appointment is on secondment, the Secretariat will pay to the Officer’s substantive employer, over the period of secondment, a contribution not exceeding twenty-five per cent (25%) of the pensionable salary normally payable to the Officer by that employer so as to maintain the pensionable status of the Officer in the substantive employment.

APPLICATIONS

Applications in English Language with full curriculum vitae details, including the email addresses of three (3) referees (at least two of whom must be familiar with the applicant’s work), should be addressed to:

Adviser

Human Resource Management

Caribbean Community Secretariat 

Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana

The deadline for the submission of applications is Friday, 20 March 2026.