Mercy Corps implements high-quality,
analytical development work in very difficult places. We have been operating in
Kenya since 2008 and currently implement development programs across the
Central, Rift Valley and Northern regions of Kenya.
Over the past 2 years, Mercy Corps
has been implementing the Girls Improving Resilience with Livestock (GIRL)
Program in West Pokot and Turkana (Kenya) and Karamoja (Uganda) regions. GIRL
aims to empower pastoralist girls in the West Pokot region to improve their
livelihoods and personal agency, as well as increase the food security and
adaptive capacity of their households and the resilience of their communities.
Mercy Corps is looking for a qualified Kenyan to fill the position of Program
Officer for the GIRL program.
He/she will be locally hired and
based in the Kapenguria area. He/she will be responsible for day-to-day field
work in implementation of activities, mobilization, formation and monitoring of
girls’ livelihoods/education cohorts.
Roles
·
Work closely with all the program
staff in implementation of the program;
·
Engage community members (community
representatives, teachers, religious leaders, government officials and
gatekeepers) to form an Advisory Committee to support and inform program
activities;
·
Organize community events to
sensitize communities on the GIRL program;
·
Assist in the creation of technical
curricula, basic education (numeracy & literacy) and financial literacy;
·
Recruit and train mentors to deliver
technical curricula to girls;
·
Identify and recruit girls in the
community to participate in livestock/producer groups;
·
Identify and engage local animal
health workers to provide training and technical assistance to
livestock/producer groups;
·
Monitor and track the success and
failures of livestock/producer groups;
·
Collect program data accurately and
forward to the office in a timely manner;
·
Support community mapping activities,
market assessments and base-line/end-line evaluation activities;
·
Prepare accurate and timely
monitoring and field reports and other project documentation as required;
·
Maintain proper program files;
·
Represent the organization in
meetings at the grass root level;
·
Conduct himself/herself both
professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy
Corps and to not jeopardize its humanitarian mission;
·
Perform any other duties as assigned
by his/her supervisor or representatives.
Qualifications
·
Minimum of 3 years experience working
with NGOs/CBO’s in civic engagement, livelihoods and education;
·
Degree in Community Development,
Economic Development or related field or diploma with over 3 years experience;
·
Commitment to working with adolescent
girls vulnerable groups in need, regardless of race, tribe, religion or gender;
·
Understanding of working with local
partners;
·
Good problem solving, written and
oral communication skills;
·
Strong written and spoken English;
·
Pokot language skills strongly
recommended;
·
Ability to work without constant
supervision and as part of a mixed team;
·
Good knowledge of MS Office software
such as Excel, Word, and Access;
The Program Manager will be a highly skilled, creative problem solver with
strong experience working in livelihoods with a focus on engaging marginalized
populations to join our team in Turkana office. S/he will participate in
strategy development and supervise the daily implementation of long-term
development programming under GIRL’s three objectives, focused on livelihood
development, girls’ empowerment and food security. The Program Manager will
also lead the Rural Entrepreneur Access Project (REAP) i.e. BOMA project women
poverty graduation model.
Roles
Program Management:
·
Lead the conceptualization,
implementation and continual improvement of dynamic, analysis-rooted
development interventions in Turkana County in collaboration with Lodwar-based
GIRL and REAP team;
·
Set an example as a thought leader in
the Lodwar office, continually encouraging staff to re-evaluate their
strategies, gather and incorporate tacit information, and adapt programming to
new learning and environmental conditions;
·
Recommend program priorities and
explore, evaluate and present new country opportunities that leverage impact
and/ or complement core activities;
·
Coordinate, manage and motivate the
GIRL and REAP Turkana program team, ensuring that they have clear
objectives/individual work plans as part of performance management) and receive
meaningful feedback on their performance;
·
Ensure an integrated approach to program
implementation in order to maximize resource utilization and synergy between
the staff and different MC programs.
Office Management:
·
Ensure proper logistics,
administration, human resources and transport needs of the program are
conducted within Mercy Corps policy and with the maximum benefit to the
program;
·
Manage the training of program staff
to ensure staff are of the quality and capacity to successfully implement
activities. Monitor and advise on staffing needs throughout the program. In
conjunction with the HR department, ensure evaluations and disciplinary
measures are made, as necessary according to Mercy Corps policy;
·
Exercise sound judgment to ensure
project expenses are reasonable, allocable and prudent. Ensure all project
funds are spent in accordance with donor rules and regulations. Work with the
GIRL Program Director to forecast expenditure surpluses and deficits to enable
adjustments to be made to the program in a timely fashion;
·
Oversee the program filing system and
ensure that information is organized according to the reporting and auditing
needs of the program. Ensure required levels of confidentiality;
·
Provide direct and ongoing
supervision and managerial support to all staff on the program;
·
Work closely with the country team’s
security focal point to develop and maintain systems that ensure the safety and
security of the team in all aspects of its work.
Monitoring and Evaluation:
·
Support the development and continual
revision of a dynamic, programme-wide monitoring and evaluation system linked
to program strategies, indicators, and information management tools, which
supports programme management, accountability and learning.
·
Coordinate data gathering and
management with all Lodwar-based program staff and take overall responsibility
for GIRL and REAP monitoring and evaluation in the Turkana office;
·
Ensure that team leaders are paying
sufficient attention to the continual gathering and digestion of operating
environment data and activity reports, and that teams are holding frequent
activity review sessions to continually re-examine the relevance and impact of
their programming;
·
Coordinate and share information with
the GIRL Program Director to ensure overall project targets and donor
obligations are being achieved. Advise both on suggested improvements and
necessities, as required;
·
Produce written reports on the
program activities capturing impacts related to all activities;
·
Conceptualize and implement new
mini-research efforts as opportunities arise;
·
Ensure close coordination and sharing
of information with other stakeholders such as other donors, other NGOs, and
local authorities.
External Representation and
Coordination:
·
Ensure establishment and maintenance
of relationships with communities, village councils and local government in
Turkana target areas;
·
Coordinate and share information and
findings with the GIRL Program Manager in Kapenguria and in Karamoja;
·
Support and coordinate visits from
regional and HQ based staff and external visitors, such as donors and media, in
collaboration with Program Coordinator;
·
Establish and maintain contact with
all key actors as relevant for program implementation –government ministries,
UN, NGOs, partners – and establish mechanisms for contacting local community
organizations and partners and other local NGOs/CBOs in line with key GIRL
areas of work.
Other:
·
Conduct himself/herself both
professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring positive recognition
to Mercy Corps and to not endanger mercy Corps’ humanitarian mission;
·
Other duties as assigned by your
supervisor.
Requirements
·
Master’s Degree in business, economic
development or other relevant field is preferred;
·
At least 5 years of relevant
experience with positions of progressively greater responsibilities;
·
Management and demonstrated success
building, managing and leading a team of professionals;
·
Strong writing, communication,
organization, prioritization and negotiating skills;
·
Excellent (English) verbal and
written communication skills with proven financial management skills;
·
Local language skills a plus;
·
Excellent quantitative skills
required. Financial accounting experience preferred;
·
Experience in building and
maintaining strong/productive relations with implementing and strategic partner
agencies is preferred. This includes coordinating with government authorities
and counterparts;
·
Experience working in conflict
environments is preferred;
·
Security management experience in
remote and insecure environments;
·
Strong computer literacy with a full
knowledge of office applications.
Success Factors
·
The successful candidate will possess
strong leadership skills, with the ability to maintain a broad perspective.
·
He/she will undertake innovative
approaches, be agile in the conceptualization of new program ideas, and will be
well versed in strategic thinking and planning.
·
The ability and desire to grow
individually and professionally in a difficult environment is important.
·
The successful candidate will have
the ability to live and work successfully in remote, insecure, and challenging
setting with limited resources.
·
An even temperament and good sense of
humor is a must.
·
Furthermore, appreciations of a
consultative, team approach to decision making and the ability to lead a team;
including an ability to work with limited supervision.
·
This position requires significant
travel in remote and possibly insecure environment.
·
The successful candidate will be
energized by solving problems and working with adolescent girls.
How to Apply
Interested candidates who meet the
above required qualifications and experience should submit a Cover Letter and
detailed Curriculum Vitae (CV) listing three professional references (including
a recent supervisor) to ke-hrkenya@mercycorps.org on or before
9th October, 2017.
The email subject line must clearly show
the job title and location they are applying for. Applications without an
appropriate subject heading will be automatically disqualified. Please do not
attach any certificates.
Only shortlisted candidates will be
contacted.
NB: We do not charge any fees at any
stage of the recruitment process