Established in 1915
with Helen Keller as a founding trustee, Helen Keller International (HKI) works
to save the sight and lives of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged.
Headquartered in New
York City, HKI currently conducts programs in 21 countries in Africa and Asia
as well as in the United States.
To accomplish its
work, HKI builds the capacity of local governmental, civil society and private
sector systems and infrastructure, and promotes the development of sustained,
large-scale programs that deliver effective preventative and curative services
for nutrition, control of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) and eye health
.
The hallmark of the
organization’s work is its proven effectiveness in developing, testing and
scaling-up health interventions, and integrating them within government and
community structures.
HKI is initiating
program activities in Kenya and intends to build the program incrementally from
the base of our strong partner network and experience in supporting response to
the 2011 crisis.
Functional Relationship
The Programs Manager reports to the Deputy Regional Director East, Central and Southern Africa for HKI.
Functional Relationship
The Programs Manager reports to the Deputy Regional Director East, Central and Southern Africa for HKI.
S/he serves as the
senior programs management specialist and is responsible for the overall
leadership, design, management and operations of HKI Kenya Programs.
He/she is the liaison
and first-line of contact with HKI Kenya’s key partners and stakeholders
including the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation Department of
Nutrition.
The Programs Manager
has the primary responsibility for determining overall project strategy,
design, goals, and objectives, in consultation with HKI’s partners and managing
the implementation of program deliverable.
Specific Responsibilities
Specific Responsibilities
- Provides
overall leadership, direction and guidance to HKI Kenya’s programs and
coordinates with HKI Kenya Office and partners in defining and
implementing all program activities to ensure achievement of outcomes and
impact.
- Serves
as HKI’s program and technical representative to partners, donors and
stakeholders in Kenya including the Ministry of Sanitation and Public
Health, Department of Nutrition, international and national NGOs, donors,
and UN agencies.
- Increases
support and provides strategic guidance for the use of nutrition best
practices by advocating to key partners and stakeholders, collaborating
with implementing partners and advancing country learning through
strategic knowledge management.
- Represents
HKI at established Nutrition, NTD control and Eye Care forums; networks
with key stakeholders within the Kenyan Ministry of Health and Sanitation,
the Department of Nutrition, National Eye Care, international
organizations, NGO’s, and Bi-lateral Donors to remain aware of key issues
and activities in nutrition and eye health;
- Provides
support to government partners to coordinate inputs and quality assurance
from all collaborators, ensuring transparency, strong communication, and
organizational and staff development.
- Identifies/creates
innovative programmatic opportunities and project designs aligned with
HKI’s Mission and Strategic Plan in Nutrition, NTD control and Eye Health-
Vitamin A Supplementation (VAS), Child-Health Days, Food-Fortification and
Mass Drug Administration (MDA) for NTD control.
- Ensures
that project designs and collaborations with partners/stakeholders comply
with agency over-arching themes – evidence-based/reasoned designs,
generates knowledge, uses integrated approaches to maximize impact,
quality and high potential to scale-up, strengthens capacity, and
advocates for sustained systematic change:
- Works
closely with the HKI regional and HQ-based nutrition, NTD, and eye health
staff to contribute/ develop concept papers, proposals and budgets for
donor funding or in response to donor requests for both Kenya-specific and
regional initiatives that include Kenya
- Ensures
the integrity and quality of project management process for the HKI/Kenya
project portfolio – design feasibility, measurable objectives and impact
indicators, implementation planning and management; maintains high
standards for project monitoring and evaluation, donor reporting, and
impact assessment;
- Contributes
to the writing of professional papers that supports HKI’s evidence-based
approach and advocacy initiatives: the strengthening relevant government
institutions in the implementation and monitoring of nutrition/eye health
initiatives at the central and district level;
- Actively
participates in HKI/Kenya strategic and annual planning and budgeting
process;
- Supervises
the performance of two direct reports and implements the HKI performance
management system for key reporting staff;
- Interfaces
with HKI/Kenya finance and operations managers to ensure the timely
provision of support services that support programmatic outputs;
Qualifications
- Master’s
Degree in management, nutrition, public health, social sciences,
international development communications or a related field.
- At
least 7 years’ experience in developing, leading, managing and implementing
large national projects, specifically with experience in two or more of
the following areas: management, nutrition, health policy, health systems
strengthening, behavior change communication, community development, food
security or agriculture.
- Broad
understanding of public health in particular in the area of nutrition;
knowledgeable about the relevant socioeconomic, institutional policy
issues that influence nutrition.
- Professional
experience interacting with the government, partners and other relevant
stakeholders;
- Effective
team leadership and management skills;
- Demonstrated
experience working in partnership with international donors and agencies
- Excellent
English written and oral communications skills;
- Effective
Grant-Writing skills;
- Strong
initiative and self-motivation with well-established and practiced
organizational and planning skills;
- Comfortable
working within participatory management environment, with a commitment to
a teamwork approach to work;
- Computer
Literate and Proficient in Microsoft Office including Microsoft Word,
Excel, and Outlook;
- Willingness
to travel within Kenya and occasionally to external meetings and forums
within the region/continent;
If you meet the above requirements, please send a detailed CV, Application letter stating clearly the position that you are applying for as the subject line, names and contacts of three references, a daytime telephone/ mobile contact to rkatana@hki.org by the close of business on 15th June 2012.