Business Development and Youth Capacity Building (Bangladesh Nationals Only)

  • Volunteer, Long-term consulting assignment
  • Posted on 12 August 2025
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Job Description

Role Title: National Volunteer – Business Development and Youth Capacity Building

Country: Dhaka, Bangladesh (with field travel as required)

Duration: Till 31/03/2026, Possible extension till 31/03/2027

Role purpose: National Volunteer – BDS (Business Development Services) and Youth Capacity Building will play a key role in supporting youth-led platforms and building the capacity of young people, especially in relation to Business Development Services (BDS), life skills and civic engagement. The volunteer will work closely with community youth, local stakeholders and VSO partners to design, deliver and document initiatives that promote youth leadership, economic empowerment and inclusive participation in decisionmaking processes. This role will contribute to strengthening youth forums, promoting entrepreneurship, and enhancing the sustainability of youthdriven actions aligned with the objectives of the ACTIVE Extension Project.

Safeguarding level: Level 3: This post will have regular, direct and unsupervised access to children and vulnerable adults either face to face or online or the post will have supervisory responsibility for people who have direct unsupervised access to children or post will have accountability at organisational level to ensure safeguarding policy is in place and implemented at all levels. A criminal background check (Enhance DBS check for UK or equivalent highest level of Police check) will be obtained for post holder at this level prior to their start date.

Project background and contextual information: The ACTIVE Extension Project addresses systemic challenges of limited civic engagement, weak accountability in service delivery and the marginalization of youth, women and persons with disabilities in decision making. It adopts an integrated, intersectional approach across key thematic areas SRHR, climate resilience, livelihoods, DRR, child protection, system strengthening and safeguarding through practical, community-led interventions and inclusive governance mechanisms. Building on the foundation of ACTIVE Phase-1, the project will scale successful models such as National Youth Forums, MILE participatory learning and grassroots advocacy, while creating synergies with other VSO initiatives to enhance volunteer mobilization and policy influence. Implemented across all 64 districts of Bangladesh, it aims to strengthen community platforms and institutional responsiveness, reaching over 100,000 individuals and advancing inclusive, accountable and resilient public services.

Role outputs

  • Facilitate training sessions on life skills, leadership, and entrepreneurship while supporting the design and implementation of Business Development Services (BDS) tailored for young entrepreneurs, particularly girls and marginalized youth.
  • Mobilize and support youth-led structures (e.g. Youth Forums) through participatory planning, local coordination, and mentoring to promote youth voice, inclusion, and active participation in decision-making and community development.
  • Work collaboratively with local partners and stakeholders to deliver youth-centred activities that reflect safeguarding, gender equity, and inclusive development principles.
  • Track progress on youth action plans, innovation grants, and micro-projects; provide ongoing support; and manage documentation related to field activities, financial processes, and reporting requirements. Support National youth forum to implement planned activity at field level and manage documentation (Reporting, PDM, Bill Settlement)
  • Contribute to project learning and communications through documentation of success stories, case studies, and outcomes from youth-led initiatives, while supporting learning events and visibility activities.

Experience and skills required for this volunteer placement

  • Educational background in social sciences, youth development, business studies, education, or related fields.
  • Experience or strong interest in youth empowerment, entrepreneurship, civic engagement, training facilitation, or community mobilisation especially through grassroots advocacy or participatory approaches. Familiarity with BDS concepts, adolescent development, and community-based initiatives.
  • Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with youth, community members, and local stakeholders.
  • Understanding of safeguarding, protection, and inclusive volunteer engagement principles.
  • Strong commitment to VSO’s vision, mission, and core values including inclusion, equity, and volunteerism with an open-minded, respectful attitude and motivation to create lasting impact through community-based volunteering.
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office tools (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
  • Ability to travel to field locations and adapt to varied working environments.

Additional Information

Equal Opportunities: VSO promotes equal opportunities and values a diverse workforce.

VSO reserves the right to close this job early if we receive a sufficient number of applications.

Disclaimer: VSO is committed to a fair, transparent and merit-based recruitment. VSO does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Any such request in VSO’s name is fraudulent and should be disregarded. Please report suspicious requests to recruitment@vsoint.org

All volunteers have an allowance paid in local currency. The allowance meets reasonable living expenses in country, but will not be enough to send money home.

VSO works with some of the poorest communities in the world which means accommodation varies and will be basic.

Deadline for Applications: August 19, 2025 00:00:00

“While we try our best to keep our information updated, the closing date of the actual job source may be changed by the recruiter without prior notice. With this, please make sure to check the official job link when submitting your application. Thank you.”

About the Organization

VSO is an international development charity that works through volunteers. Our vision is a world without poverty in which people work together to fulfil their potential. We bring people together to share skills, creativity and learning to build a fairer world. VSO welcomes volunteers from an ever increasing range of countries, backgrounds and ages. National agencies in Canada, Kenya, the Netherlands and the Philippines recruit volunteers from many different countries worldwide and this international approach allows us to combine and learn from a rich variety of perspectives. Tackling Disadvantage at "Grass Roots" Level Ours is a very individual "people to people" approach to development. Instead of sending food or money, we send women and men from a wide range of professions who want the chance to make a real difference in the fight against poverty. These volunteers work in partnership with colleagues and communities to share skills and learning and jointly achieve change. But we have to be realistic in our expectations. We commit to long-term development goals and long-term partnerships and focus on sustainable development rather than the short-term relief of certain problems. VSO also works to address the structural inequalities and barriers that prevent people from exercising their rights. We use our experience and our supporter networks to work for changes in policy and practice - rich and poor countries - that reduce disadvantage. VSO is by far the largest independent volunteer-sending agency in the world. Since 1958, we have sent out more than 29,000 volunteers to work in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, the Pacific region and, more latterly, Eastern Europe in response to requests from our overseas partners. At the moment we have around 1,500 people working in placements in these regions. Shared Partnerships, Shared Benefits You only have to talk to VSO volunteers to realise that they gain from their experience, personally or professionally, as much as they contribute. Many will enthuse how fascinating it was to explore a different culture at first hand. Others will point to the friendships they have made. But many will also tell you how their professional talents have been stretched, and how they have learnt new skills that will significantly enhance their career prospects on their return home. If ever it was true that "you get out what you put in", VSO is proof positive. This experience makes volunteers passionate in challenging misconceptions about developing countries. In the current climate, it is more urgent than ever that we work to achieve a global community where people of all cultures are seen as equal, learn from each other and share a common sense of rights and responsibilities as global citizens. VSO builds on this experience and passion to support a range of global education activity. To find out more about volunteering with or supporting VSO visit our website at www.vso.org.uk

More information

VSOJD_National Volunteer - BDS and Youth Capacity Building--20250812073921.pdf
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