Project Manager

• At least 7 years
• The applicants should have experience in the following business area(s): NGO

• Masters

• At least 7 years
• The applicants should have experience in the following business area(s): NGO

• Age At most 55 years

Qualifications and Competencies

• Minimum 7 years of progressive experience in project management, preferably in governance, freedom of expression, youth development or media-related projects.
• Proven experience in managing multi-stakeholder projects funded by international donors.
• Proven experience in policy-level intervention, evidence based advocacy or institutional collaboration related to media governance and civic engagement.
• Demonstrated understanding of youth empowerment, civil society strengthening and participatory communication.
• Strong leadership, coordination and team management skills.
• Excellent analytical, communication and report writing skills in English and Bangla.
• Demonstrated commitment to gender equality, inclusivity and ethical standards.
• Ability to travel frequently to project locations.

Job Context

WAVE Foundation is seeking qualified and suitable candidates for its “Loud and Clear: Empowering Youth Voices 2.0” project, implemented in partnership with DW Akademie and co-funded by European Union (EU) and German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The project is implemented under WAVE Foundation’s Community Development and Youth Empowerment Program and aims to empower youth, CSO and regional media to exercise freedom of expression in promoting civic engagement and inclusive dialogue across Bangladesh.

The project aims to connect grassroots youth voices full of fresh ideas with top experts who have the power to steer sustainable systemic change but are disconnected from youth and grassroots voices. To enable Civil Society to contribute to inclusive and diverse policy-making processes and strengthen democracy in Bangladesh as actors of good governance and development in their own rights, several initiatives are planned. The project interventions include10 bootcamps on Media and Information Literacy (MIL), Digital Safety and Constructive Dialogue, 10 regional Idea Labs for digital content production, policy-making training tailored to community contexts and needs, 10 regional and national policy roundtables involving journalists, policymakers, and influencers, a research paper exploring youth perspectives on freedom of expression in the media and digital spaces, and a stakeholder summit. The project is being implemented across five regions of Bangladesh -Rajshahi, Khulna, Chattogram, Barishal, and Sylhet with policy events also taking place in Dhaka. The implementation period runs from November 2025 to February 2028.

Established in 1990, WAVE Foundation (www.wavefoundationbd.org) is a Civil Society Organization committed to its vision of building “A Just and Prosperous Society.” Since its inception, the organization has been implementing a wide range of activities to promote socio-economic development for poor and marginalized communities. WAVE also advocates for universal human rights and good governance through issue-based campaigns. DW Akademie is Deutsche Welle's center for international media development, journalism training and knowledge transfer. Its projects strengthen the human right to freedom of expression and unhindered access to information. DW Akademie empowers people worldwide to make independent decisions based on reliable facts and constructive dialogue and are active in 60 developing countries and emerging economies.

Position Summary

The position requires a dynamic and experienced leader capable of managing a multidisciplinary team and ensuring timely and high-quality project delivery. The Project Manager will lead the overall implementation and coordination of the project in line with WAVE Foundation’s objectives and donor guidelines. S/he will be responsible for strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, supervision of project staff, monitoring progress, ensuring quality reporting and maintaining strong communication with DW Akademie, partner CSOs, universities, youth, journalists and relevant stakeholders. The position requires proven capacity to manage youth and media-focused initiatives, particularly those related to freedom of expression, civic engagement, and media governance. S/he will also facilitate policy-level dialogues and advocacy to strengthen enabling environments for inclusive and independent media in Bangladesh.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee all aspects of project planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting.

• Coordinate and supervise the project team and provide technical and strategic guidance.

• Ensure effective collaboration among CSOs and University Clubs youth groups, journalists, Policy influencers and Actors, Academia, media partners and government institutions.

• Maintain regular communication with DW Akademie, ensuring compliance with donor and organizational requirements.

• Facilitate the design and organization of major events such as youth bootcamps, idea labs, Policy dialogues and stakeholder summits.

• Support in designing project proposal based on the selected ideas developed by the youth of CSOs and University Clubs from different regions and support to mentoring during implementation.  

• Oversee research, advocacy, and communication activities to promote freedom of expression and civic engagement.

• Prepare periodic narrative reports and ensure proper documentation of results and lessons learned.

• Ensure financial and administrative compliance, documentation and timely reporting to WAVE and DW Akademie.

• Monitor project progress, identify challenges and provide strategic inputs to improve performance.

• Ensure adherence to WAVE Foundation’s policies on finance, safeguarding, gender and code of conduct.

• Facilitate collaboration and learning among partners and stakeholders to promote youth leadership and civic participation.

• Oversee communication, visibility, and knowledge management activities in coordination with team.

• Engage with government and media actors to support policy-level interventions that advance media governance and youth participation.

• Represent the project in coordination meetings, workshops, and public events at national and regional levels.

• Salary BDT 100,000-110,040/month (other benefits as per project provisions and organizational policy)