Project Assistant Job in Nairobi, Kenya

Vacancy: Project Assistant

Project: Supporting Access to Justice for Children and Youth in East Africa (SAJCEA) Project 

Location: SAJCEA Project Support Office (PSO), Nairobi, Kenya

Supporting Access to Justice for Children and Youth in East Africa (SAJCEA) is a collaborative initiative between the Canadian Bar Association (CBA) and partners in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. 

The project will increase the safety and security of children and youth in the partner countries by improving their ability to seek and obtain remedies for infringements of their rights, improving legal services, public legal awareness and law reform on issues relating to the rights of children and youth. 

SAJCEA is funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada (DFATD). 


SAJCEA brings together past CBA partners, including the Law Society of Kenya, the Uganda Law Society, the Tanganyika Law Society, and the Zanzibar Law Society, with a broad range of legal sector stakeholders, including government departments and offices, judges, prosecutors and civil society organizations to advance access to justice for children and youth. 

We are now recruiting for the position of SAJCEA Project Assistant, to be based at the Project Support Office (PSO), located with the Law Society of Kenya in Nairobi, Kenya. 

The Project Assistant (PA) will work with the Regional Project Manager to provide project management support, including planning, monitoring, training, mentoring and reporting support to National Working Groups (NWGs) in each project country. 

This position shall be for a period of one year.

Responsibilities:

Under direction of the Regional Project Manager, the Project Assistant will:
  • Support and work of the NWGs and their secretariats to provide substantive and logistical support, as required
  • Assist the NWGs in the development, coordination and implementation of their initiatives, and substantive issues
  • Assist in logistical arrangements and the implementation of project activities: forums, trainings, workshops, etc. as necessary
  • Assist in monitoring social, cultural and economic issues in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania which may impact the project
  • Assist in maintaining effective contacts within key sector institutions and stakeholders
  • Provide logistical support to visiting Canadian technical resource personnel
  • Assist in the preparation and review of NWG workplans and narrative and financial reports
  • Assist in the preparation of communication materials to the CBA, project stakeholders, DFATD, the public, etc.
  • Assist with monitoring outcome of Project activities and advise on follow-up responses
  • Assist in preparation of a SAJCEA Regional Project Newsletter, and contribute to the project website
  • Assist the Regional Project Manager in any other duties, as assigned
Qualifications:

Minimum Education Requirements
  • A university degree in development studies, law or social sciences
Minimum Experience Requirements
  • A minimum of 3 years of professional experience demonstrating progressive responsibility  in assisting with management of donor-funded projects or programs
  • Relevant and substantial experience in project development, performance monitoring and reporting
  • Excellent organisational, analytical and interpersonal skills
Desirable Experience Requirements
  • Experience with donor-funded programs, program management and reporting 
  • Experience working and effecting change in an institutional context
  • Demonstrated knowledge and experience in access to justice issues or children’s issues
  • Experience working with legal sector institutions
  • Research experience
Skills, Knowledge and Abilities
  • Strong knowledge of the East Africa region required
  • Knowledge of gender equality and gender mainstreaming
  • Professional level oral and written English communication skills required
  • Knowledge of local languages an advantage
  • High level of professionalism and attention to detail
  • Diplomacy, tact, political acumen
  • Ability to work with and represent the Project with national partners
  • Understanding of personal computers and related software applications, in particular e-mail, word processing, database and spreadsheet software (MS Office)
  • Creativity, innovativeness and flexibility
  • Cultural sensitivity
  • Ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines
  • Availability for weekend meetings and flexible hours as necessary
  • Ability to travel to the programming countries (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda) if required.
Salary will be commensurate with experience. 

Relocation costs are not covered. 


Applicants must be legally able to work in Kenya.

To apply, please send a cover letter indicating how you meet the job requirements, a detailed CV and the names and contact information for three references to jobs.sajcea@gmail.com by 25th August 2015.

All applications must be submitted electronically.