Narek Manukyan

Experience

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  1in.am First News & Analyses

  Jun 2012 - Jun 2013

  Project Manager

  -Led the successful development of an English-language online news platform, overseeing a cross-functional team of five individuals. Achieved notable recognition by winning the prestigious UN Journalism Award in Armenia.

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  USAID

  Jun 2013 - Jun 2014

  Project Manager (Leadership Development Programs)

  -Led curriculum development, trainer recruitment, and training delivery for leadership programs catering to 120 executives from the IT, agriculture, hospitality, and pharmaceutical sectors. Achieved a remarkable 300% increase in course recommendations and actual paid subscriptions.-Supported the introduction of agile project management in the Armenian technology sector.

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  SFL - We Do Software !

  May 2014 - May 2015

  Agile Project Manager

  -Co-introduced agile project management in one of Armenia’s leading software development companies, an agile pioneer in the local technological sector (later acquired by DataArt), working on high-security software solutions. -Managed two cross-functional teams, ensuring the on-time delivery of high-security software solutions for governments and financial institutions. -Led business analysis and spearheaded successful business process improvement for Armenia's inaugural currency exchange digital platform, resulting in an impressive 150% increase in sales targets. Show less

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  Ayb Educational Foundation

  Feb 2015 - Oct 2018

  Chief of Staff (Director of Learning Programs)

  -Established and led the project management office orchestrating a team of 120 and simultaneously managing 5 high-impact projects. Led program development, project lifecycle management, and partnership-building with the University College London, the Armenian Government, and Cambridge Assessment International Education. -Coordinated budgeting and managed a USD 8 million program budget financed by the government. Oversaw procurement, operations, and vendor management, consistently obtaining independent unqualified financial and tax audit opinions.-Established instructional design and curriculum development processes across 12 subject domains developing an international high school qualification in collaboration with the University College London, the Armenian Government, and Cambridge Assessment International Education. Over 130 top international universities and 10 national Information centers for global qualifications and skills have recognized the qualification as equivalent to the U.S. AP and UK A-Levels qualifications. Show less

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  SmartGateVC

  Aug 2019 - Aug 2020

  GovTech Accelerator Project Manager

  -Led program development successfully establishing Armenia's inaugural GovTech Accelerator.-Implemented training needs analysis, tailored curriculum development, and training management for GovTech entrepreneurs from 9 countries spanning the EMEA and APAC regions.

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  Armenian Virtual College

  Feb 2020 - Jul 2020

  Interim Director of Education

  -Steered operations management, budget management, and business process improvement by introducing agile instructional design procedures, achieving a 50% reduction in learning program development times, a 50% cost saving, and a 40% increase in satisfaction measurements for distance education services to customers in over 60 countries.-Led a cross-functional team of 20 software and education specialists across three continents.

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  Asian Development Bank (ADB)

  Sept 2020 - Aug 2022

  Educational Consultant

  -Provided thought leadership on education research methods and data analysis resulting in the publication of 12 research reports that covered the national e-learning, assessment, school management, and preschool education systems. -Coordinated strategic partnership between the Government of Armenia and the Global Partnership for Education- the world's largest education fund.-Led stakeholder management involving 50+ Nonprofit Organizations/Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), businesses, and international development organizations. Achieved the country's first stakeholder endorsement of the education policy agenda by the Government to support the funding from the Global Partnership for Education. Show less

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  UNDP

  Jun 2021 - Jan 2024

  Project Manager (National Education to Employment System Innovation, L&D Programs)

  -Led a team of 3, simultaneously managed 7 high-impact projects, and elevated project fundraising, achieving a 50% budget increase in 5 months and 250% in 1.5 years, tripling the project impact. -Conceptualized and led strategic initiatives such as the drafting of Armenia’s National Employment Strategy, orchestrated partnership-building and government relations, and successfully secured project financing of USD 0.3 million from the national government. This marked a rare achievement in the 30-year history of UNDP's presence in Armenia. -Implemented training needs and labor data analysis, curriculum, and instructional design to develop, conduct, and evaluate learning programs in collaboration with more than 20 tech and non-tech companies for an annual budget of 400,000 USD. -Achieved education-to-employment success for 500 vulnerable women, digital and soft skills up-skilling of 3,000 early-career employees, conceptualized and launched two entrepreneurship development accelerators and a digital art curriculum in 6 vocational education institutions.-Co-designed an innovative national financing instrument for women's re-skilling and job placement. Co-organized a UNDP-UNICEF-UN WOMEN event at the UN HQ in New York to present the instrument. -Oversaw program management, operations management, large-scale procurement processes, contract management, vendor management, and risk management. Achieved successful project delivery with a measurable impact on over 5,000 beneficiaries. Show less

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  Leibniz-Institut für Bildungsmedien | Georg-Eckert-Institut

  Dec 2023 - Apr 2024

  Education Researcher

  -Content analysis of the Republic of Armenia's history education curricula and textbooks for the thematic report on "Economic crises in history teaching" by the Council of Europe's Observatory on History Teaching in Europe.