About this role
Programme Officer - Youth Engagement
Apply by 9th September 2026
About Restless Development
Restless Development Uganda is an agency for youth-led change; we support the collective power of young leaders to create a better world. We make sure that young people’s voices are heard and that they have the power to mobilise action in their communities to respond to long-standing challenges. Across Karamoja, West Nile, Eastern and Central Uganda, we support young people to influence the decisions that affect their lives while strengthening the systems and institutions that enable them to realise their full potential. We also coordinate the Uganda Youth Collective, a national platform of over 600 youth-led organisations working together to amplify youth voices and influence policies through the National Youth Working Group. We are committed to creating an organisation that walks the talk on power shifting, using the power shifting checklist, both internally and externally.
Our approach to safeguarding:
Restless Development considers the welfare and protection of children, young people and vulnerable adults to be an organisational imperative with primacy over the success of programmes or strategic objectives. We recognise that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility and we expect all of our staff, young leaders and partners to ensure we protect the communities in which we operate from harm and abide by our Safeguarding Policy.
About our Youth Employment Work:
Restless Development is implementing an inspiring youth employment portfolio designed to improve the economic resilience and livelihoods of young people by expanding their access to dignified and fulfilling work, entrepreneurship opportunities and inclusive financial services. Working across 13 Districts in Karamoja sub region, Eastern, West Nile, Western Uganda, and in central region. Our approach places young people at the center of programme design and delivery while strengthening the local systems that support dignified and fulfilling work. Our work equips young women and men with market relevant technical, entrepreneurial, and financial capabilities while connecting them to employers, markets, business development services and affordable financial products. We work through youth-led organisations to create coordinated pathways that support young people to transition successfully into employment, self-employment and enterprise growth.
Beyond supporting individual young people, we invest in strengthening the capacity of youth-led organisations and youth-led enterprises to deliver high quality employment pathways, promote youth leadership, and influence policies and systems that shape youth economic opportunities.Through this integrated approach, we are building stronger inclusive employment eco-systems that enable young people, particularly young women, refugees and young people with disabilities to access dignified and fulfilling work
About the Role
The Programme Officer – Youth Engagement will lead the implementation of the youth-led approach across our employment and market systems portfolio by coordinating day to day youth engagement activities and ensuring young people are meaningfully involved. Working closely with the programme coordinator, the role will support the delivery of youth centered interventions that strengthen young people’s participation.
The Programme Officer will be responsible for facilitating youth engagement activities that strengthen the agency, voice, leadership and participation in pathways towards dignified and fulfilling work. The role will provide field level technical and coordination support to youth led organisations to strengthen youth participation, inclusive programming, youth feedback mechanisms and community driven solutions. He/she will support youth engagement activities across skilling, enterprise development, financial inclusion, employment pathways, while ensuring that young people’s lived experiences and aspirations inform programme decisions.
Job title: Programme Officer - Youth Engagement
Location: Kampala, Uganda
Salary: UGX. 47,084,760 Gross Per Annum
Preferred start date: October 2026
Length of contract: 2 years
Reports to: Programme Coordinator.
Expected travel: Fairly regular international and domestic travel
Key responsibilities
1. Programme Implementation and Youth Engagement.
• Lead the implementation of meaningful youth engagement approaches across the programme eco-system.
• Facilitate youth participation approaches that enable young people to influence programme design, implementation, monitoring and learning processes.
• Facilitate youth focused activities including trainings, mentorship and learning events
• Support the development of youth mobilization strategies ensuring inclusive participation of young women, refugees, and young people with disabilities.
• Work with youth-led organisations to create safe and inclusive spaces where young people can share experiences, priorities and solutions.
• Promote approaches that position young people as active contributors and decision makers rather than programme beneficiaries.
• Identify implementation risks and challenges and escalate them.
2. Support Youth Economic Pathways and Inclusion.
• Support implementation of youth engagement approaches across the full employment pathway, including mobilization, skilling, financial inclusion, enterprise support, mentorship and market linkage activities.
• Support participatory processes that enable young people to contribute to market assessments and identify relevant employment and enterprise opportunities.
• Ensure youth perspectives inform decisions around skills development, entrepreneurship support and transition pathways.
• Support inclusion approaches that address barriers faced by young women, refugees and young persons with disabilities.
3. Monitoring, Documentation and Learning
• Collect, compile and maintain accurate information on youth engagement activities, partner support, and programme outcomes.
• Support monitoring visits, field verification, participant tracking, and documentation of programme implementation.
• Capture youth stories, experiences, feedback and lesson emerging from implementation
• Lead preparation of activity reports, partner updates, case studies and learning products.
• Contribute to programme reflection processes and adaptive learning discussions.
4. Safeguarding and compliance.
• Uphold and apply Restless Development safeguarding, gender equality, diversity, and inclusion standards in all field activities.
• Identify and report safeguarding concerns in line with organisational reporting procedures.
• Ensure ethical engagement with young people and compliance with organisational policies during implementation.
Support creation of safe environments where young people can participate freely and confidently.
5.Cost-effective and transparent financial management
• Prepare and manage programme budgets and work plans
• Adhere to Restless Development Uganda financial policies in all aspects of work
• Support the finance & admin unit in the development of financial reports
• Provide accurate narrative reports of funds spent to allow prompt reporting
• Ensure timely requisitioning and accountability for activity funds as required
• Ensure value for money in all finance transactions
6. Others responsibilities
• Other duties as required, including occasional work on weekends for which time off in lieu (TOIL) can be taken.
About you
We are looking for people with the right competencies and skills for the role, and who demonstrate the personal qualities consistent with our values. Values and Culture
At Restless Development, we’re proud that the strength and integrity of our Values has been recognised by staff, young people, donors and others who we work with. Beyond this, we have a culture of recognising and celebrating both our Values and our global achievements with monthly Values Champions and an annual Values Day.
Restless Development is an Equal Opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sectors of the community. Restless Development will ensure that no applicant or staff member receives less favorable treatment on the grounds of gender, sexual orientation, marital status, social status, caste, race, ethnic origin, religious belief, age, HIV status, disability, or any other factor that cannot be shown to be relevant to performance.
Skills and Experience
• Bachelor’s degree in Development Studies, Social Sciences, Community Development, Youth Development, Education, or a related field.
• At least 2–3 years’ experience supporting implementation of youth-focused or community development programmes in Uganda.
• Experience in community mobilisation, facilitation, or field-based programme implementation.
• Basic experience in data collection, reporting, and documentation of programme activities.
• Good understanding of youth engagement, participation, and community development approaches.
• Strong facilitation and communication skills, particularly with young people and community groups.
• Ability to work in field settings and travel frequently to programme implementation areas.
• Basic understanding of safeguarding, gender equality, and inclusion principles.
• Good written and spoken English.
Desirable
• Experience working with Youth-Led Organisations (YLOs) or Community-Based Organisations (CBOs).
• Experience supporting donor-funded youth or livelihoods programmes.
• Familiarity with Uganda’s youth development and community systems.
• Basic skills in digital data collection tools (e.g., KoboToolbox, ODK, or similar).
Remuneration
We are proud to commit to a transparent global salary scale, ensuring a fair and comparable system of pay across all global locations.
Please note: This position is contingent upon the availability of funding.
To Apply
Please submit your CV and a cover letter that provides tangible examples of how your skills, knowledge and experience will support your ability to perform the key priorities outlined in the above job description (using no more than 750 words).
Click here to return to Restless Development’s website. UGX 47,084,760 Gross Per Annum