Youth Engagement Advisor

Democracy International (DI) is seeking a Youth Engagement Advisor for its EU-funded activity to strengthen sustainable, in-country capacities for effective conflict management and peace building in The Gambia. The position will be embedded in the Ministry of Justice’s Post-TRRC Unit
. The goal of this project is to empower young women and men as positive agents of change for peace in their communities and in the public arena by building youth skills and assets, creating opportunities for meaningful youth engagement in policy and politics, and supporting youth and government alike to navigate a complex social, cultural, and political environment. The period of performance for the project is from January 15, 2026 to July 15, 2028.

The Youth Engagement Advisor will be responsible for supporting the MOJ’s Post-TRRC Unit (PTU) to better engage youth in policy and decision making related to transitional justice, including supporting youth outreach efforts. The Advisor will oversee a cohort of youth fellows embedded in the PTU and various transitional justice bodies, including the Victims Reparations Commission and Special Accountability Mechanism. The Advisor will also support the MOJ and DI’s efforts to engage youth and youth-led organizations in peace and security issues around the country.

This position reports to both the MOJ’s Special Advisor for Transitional Justice and DI’s Project Manager based in The Gambia.

• Lead PTU youth engagement efforts on transitional justice and coordination with the Youth, Peace, and Security (YPS) National Action Plan, including civil society and other government ministries
• Oversee and manage youth fellows, including developing supporting on their selection and placement, work oversight, capacity building, and mentorship
• Support communication efforts of the PTU on key transitional justice and YPS issues
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with program partners, stakeholders, and other relevant actors to ensure that project activities are well-coordinated and aligned with broader strategic objectives.
• Provide technical, administrative, and operational expertise to youth program beneficiaries, including developing and delivering training, mentoring, and coordinating program delivery
• Maintain relationships with relevant stakeholders, including partners, other relevant civil society organizations, government bodies, and the EU.
• Develop regular reports and ongoing activity monitoring consistent with the requirements of DI’s Award and with internal reporting requirements.
• Represent MOJ and DI externally at meetings, workshops, and other events.

• Monthly reports covering progress, challenges, lessons learned, and next steps.
• Monitoring and evaluation data on MOJ youth engagement activities, including fellowships
• A final report covering progress, challenges, lessons learned, and collected MEL data over the life of program.

• Bachelor’s degree from a recognized university;
• At least 5 years of work experience in program management, organizational capacity building, and/or legal expertise, particularly on human rights, transitional justice, youth engagement or related topics;
• Substantial experience in youth empowerment/capacity building, youth, peace and security mainstreaming, leading youth teams, and/or strategy development/implementation support for youth-led organizations
• Demonstrated skills in planning, oversight, conflict management, and budgeting;
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to effectively coordinate with a wide range of stakeholders;
• Experience supporting human rights efforts in The Gambia is strongly preferred.
• Professional fluency in English (both spoken and written) required.

Interested applicants MUST submit a CV
. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and the position will be filled as soon as a qualified candidate is identified. DI will only contact candidates of interest.

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