Program Director, G-United
G-United - Nairobi, Kenya
About G-United: G-United is a high-profile, national volunteer program initiated in Kenya by the Presidency, implemented through the Kenyan Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and supported by Evidence Action.
G-United - Nairobi, Kenya
About G-United: G-United is a high-profile, national volunteer program initiated in Kenya by the Presidency, implemented through the Kenyan Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and supported by Evidence Action.
Under this selective and prestigious
program, the government will recruit recent university graduates to serve as
volunteers in primary schools, where they will support remedial education and
serve as ‘education ambassadors’ in the surrounding community.
Volunteers will receive training, a
small stipend to cover living expenses, and career development opportunities as
a part of the experience.
This evidence-based program is
modeled on effective government-run programs that have successfully achieved
impact at scale in South Asia and West Africa.
Role and Responsibilities
Evidence Action seeks a dynamic, strategic leader who is passionate about using excellent people and program management skills to work collaboratively with the Government of Kenya to build an evidence-based nationwide program.
Role and Responsibilities
Evidence Action seeks a dynamic, strategic leader who is passionate about using excellent people and program management skills to work collaboratively with the Government of Kenya to build an evidence-based nationwide program.
The Director will lead the Evidence Action
team responsible for supporting the government in running, reviewing, testing
and growing the G-United Program. He/she will have an entrepreneurial spirit
while also being a seasoned professional with strong project management and
partnership skills.
This person will take over from an
Acting Program Director who has assisted in designing and launching the
program.
He/she will report to the Director of
the Africa Region and will be accountable to G-United’s Steering Committee,
which consists of senior Government of Kenya officials and other stakeholders
including the private sector and development partners.
Responsibilities will include:
1. Management and strategic direction
Responsibilities will include:
1. Management and strategic direction
- Strategic management: Lead program to maximize
opportunity for meaningful, measurable, and cost-effective impact at
scale;
- People management: Build and manage a
high-performing team across operations, policy, and technical expertise;
and
- Financial management: Responsibility for
program P&L, and the budgeting, oversight and leadership on financial
and administrative functions that entails
2. Partnership building
- Government of Kenya (GoK): Skilled at building
and maintaining collaborative relationships with senior government
officials at both the national and county level. As you will be supporting
a government program, your skills at relationship-building with senior
government officials will be of the utmost importance. In
particular, you will be working closely with officials from the Ministry
of Education, Science and Technology, Office of the Deputy President,
counties and sub-counties
- Private Sector and others: Success at pitching
the value proposition of the program to a wide range of stakeholders, from
potential corporate partners and NGOs to key stakeholders within the
education sector, including the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development
and Teachers Service Commission, to bi- lateral donors and foundations
3. Program Implementation including
field operations and technical integrity
- Ensure technical quality of the design and
implementation of the program: This will include
working with thought-leaders and implementers of similar
programs globally to incorporate best practice methods into the design and
delivery platform
- Collaborate with cross-cutting functions at
Evidence Action to build the necessary programmatic systems to ensure
quality delivery
- Ensure technical integrity
of the program: While one need
not be an education expert or statistician, one must appreciate
the value of evidence and ensure the incorporation of
educational outcome monitoring into program design and
implementation
- Balance strategic thinking with execution: You
will be rolling up your sleeves to build a program from the ground up, but
also need to incorporate long-term strategic thinking into program
management and implementation
Desired Skills and Experience
- Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree
preferred;
- Track record of inspiring and empowering teams
with the right level of structure and direction (at least 5 years of
senior management and leadership experience);
- Experience building a new social program and
comfort with ambiguity that a start-up mentality requires;
- Demonstrated project management capability and
love for developing a good GANTT chart;
- Experience working with government programs,
including collaborating with senior government officials at national and
sub-national levels;
- Experience working in East Africa with an
in-depth familiarity with the Kenyan context;
- High level of comfort with information
technology and using data for decision-making;
- A critical, analytical, and process-oriented
thinker with a willingness to form and adjust opinions and course-correct,
based on evidence and results;
- Inspired by the principles of G-United,
Evidence Action, and the potential to improve social cohesion, educational
outcomes, and youth employment;
- Track record of being a good steward of program
funding and responsibly managing resources; alignment with our philosophy
of building cost-effective program;
- A strong commitment to evidence-based practice
and policy in the development field;
- Enthusiasm for leading in a fast-moving
start-up environment;
- A sense of humor;
- Experience working in the education sector
desirable, but not required;
- Willingness to spend ~20% of the time in areas
of Kenya outside of Nairobi (at least initially); and
- An ability to interact effectively and
strategically with highest-level officials from government and the private
sector.
How to Apply
CLICK HERE to
apply online
