NGO Jobs in Kenya - Mercy Corps

Senior Operations Officer
Closing date: 18 Sep 2017
The Senior Operations Officer will liaise closely with Mercy Corps’ Procurement Administration and Logistics Management (PALM) team with regard to the full implementation of standard Mercy Corps policies and procedures. A heavy emphasis is placed on the training and supporting staff within the administration and logistics departments and in field offices. The Senior Operations Officer will oversee all administrative and logistics support functions for the Mercy Corps Kenya field offices.

The Senior Operations Officer will manage all administrative and logistics support functions for the Mercy Corps program in Kenya. The successful candidate is expected to travel 50% of his/her time to field offices and to program implementation sites to strengthen the skills of logistics and procurement staff and ensure compliance with Mercy Corps systems.

Requirements

·         A Bachelor’s Degree in Supply Chain Management discipline, business administration, public administration, commerce or related field or a Master degree is an added advantage.
·         Additional professional qualification and certification as a Certified Procurement and Supply Professional of Kenya (CPSP – K) or equivalent certification from a recognized institution is required;
·         Minimum of 5 years relevant experience in operational coordination and support functions with an international non-governmental organization or in the private sector;
·         Experience in overseeing procurement and logistics operations and systems;
·         Demonstrated experience in setting up and managing complex administration and operational systems;
·         Minimum of 2 years of experience leading teams in humanitarian assistance and development field;
·         Demonstrated understanding of complex emergencies, related security concerns, and appropriate responses to such emergencies;
·         Excellent negotiation, representation, skills and the ability to work comfortably with an ethnically diverse staff;
·         Excellent verbal and written communication, organizational, prioritization and computer skills in Microsoft Office applications are required;
·         Demonstrated attention to detail, ability to follow procedures, meet deadlines and work independently and cooperatively with team members.
·         Proven records of successful training and capacity building of staff;
·         Knowledge of Mercy Corps systems and procedures (particularly Mercy Corps procurement systems) is desirable;
·         Ability and willingness to travel to unstable areas of Kenya and operate comfortably in these areas.
Success Factors:
Ability to maintain high integrity in performing assigned responsibilities, excellent problem solving skills, and ability to act as intermediary between program and operations staff to ensure smooth process flow while maintaining a balance between program implementation and compliance with Mercy Corps and donor policies.

Chief of Party
Closing date: 15 Sep 2017
Mercy Corps implements high-quality, analytical development work in very difficult places. We have been operating in Kenya since 2008 and are presently implementing development programs across the Central, Rift Valley, North Western and Northern Eastern regions of Kenya.
Mercy Corps is implementing a Kenya Election Violence Prevention and Response Program (KEVP) that works to mitigate the risk of escalation of election-related violence in the lead up to, during, and immediately following the Kenyan elections.
KEVP will shore up ongoing efforts of Kenyan civil society organizations, including student organizations, youth bunges (parliaments) and the local private sector, religious groups, as well as current USG partners in Kisumu, Nakuru, Nandi, Nairobi and Uasin Gishu counties to ensure that youth and communities are able to remain resilient to political manipulation and ensure a peaceful election.
KEVP is working with these key stakeholders to create communications materials such as film to be used in workshop trainings and for public screenings. The program will establish and strengthen existing local networks, including the 2013 Champions for Peace networks in Kisumu and Nakuru, establish county level Early Warning Early Response (EWER) Hubs, and link them to Uwiano platform, leverage different players and networks to preempt political manipulation by providing administrative and logistical support to enable them to monitor risks, and develop actionable plans for prevention and response

Roles

Program Leadership
·         Provide strategic leadership and oversight for the program activities in cooperation with key project stakeholders, including political parties, religious leaders and groups, local non-governmental organizations, local government officials, community-based organizations, other international agencies on the ground, and key donors;
·         Oversee relevant program, finance and administrative staff to ensure systems are in compliance with donor and Mercy Corps policies and procedures;
·         Ensure program implementation is on time, target and budget, using effective M&E systems to reach desired impacts;
·         Create and maintain systems ensuring effective and transparent use of financial resources for timely and informative reporting in line with donor and Mercy Corps policies and procedures;
·         Increase staff capacity by ensuring high quality technical training on election violence prevention, conflict management and peacebuilding for Mercy Corps staff and local implementing partners, and provide ongoing coaching and mentoring;
·         Promote learning and knowledge management through documentation and knowledge sharing around best practices and lessons learned;
·         Ensure donor reporting is submitted on time and is of excellent quality.
Program Development
·         Lead efforts to pre-position the agency for additional opportunities to develop a robust portfolio of peacebuilding and conflict mitigation programs;
·         Lead assessments and program design for new opportunities that build off existing MC Kenya programs, in pursuit of integrated multi-sector programs addressing the root causes of conflict in the various contexts in Kenya.
Strategy and Vision
·         Work with the Country Director to develop a comprehensive strategy for peacebuilding and resilience and other development programs in Kenya, integrating agency best practices and building off the existing portfolio of programs in country;
·         Set direction by prioritizing and organizing actions & resources to achieve these objectives and contribute to country-wide strategy development;
·         Develop and organize activities to secure resources for programs and convince stakeholders to provide support;
·         Recognize opportunities for innovative action and create an environment where alternative viewpoints are welcomed.
Representation
·         Identify, build and manage collaborative partnerships with IESCs sub-grantees, donors, local governments and other stakeholders;
·         Communicate effectively to ensure overall project targets and donor obligations are met;
·         Maintain good working relationships with the donor, the host country government and county governments, local leaders, partner agencies, and other key stakeholders;
·         Document and disseminate lessons learned and best practices from MC Kenya’s conflict and peacebuilding portfolio to internal and external stakeholders, including at international conferences and similar forums;
·         Develop and maintain working relationships and coordinate with relevant international and local agencies active in the humanitarian response and protection sectors, including donors, other humanitarian and human rights organizations, local authorities and local partners, including representing Mercy Corps at local and national coordination meetings.
Team Management
·         Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence;
·         Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback via performance reviews;
·         Contribute to country team-building efforts, help team members identify problem solving options and ensure the integration of all team members into relevant decision-making processes;
·         Provide team members with information, tools and other resources to improve performance & reach objectives;
·         Supervise and regularly coordinate with project staff and support departments to ensure smooth planning, preparation, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation of program activities;
·         Provide overall leadership to a broad team of program staff implementing various peacebuilding and other
·         Mercy Corps development programs; ensuring synergy, sharing of best practices and resources.
Other
·         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;
·         Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

·         Master’s degree in conflict mitigation, social sciences, international relations or other relevant field preferred;
·         Minimum 8 years’ relevant professional experience implementing conflict management and peacebuilding programs, preferably in insecure or transitional environments;
·         Experience with election violence prevention programming is a plus;
·         Previous experience managing a portfolio of programs in insecure environments;
·         Experience in at least one of the following program areas: election violence prevention, protection/psychosocial, economic development, and/or natural resource management;
·         Knowledge of people-to-people peacebuilding programs and ‘Do No Harm’ principles;
·         Strong facilitation and consensus-building skills;
·         Experience managing national and international staff;
·         Familiarity and experience with USAID regulations preferred;
·         Demonstrated experience with new program development and design including leading the proposal development process;
·         Must be able to work independently while being a strong team player;
·         Fluency in both English and Swahili are required.
Success Factors:
The successful Chief of Party candidate will demonstrate the capacity to lead a multi-dimensional effort in a complex and fluid security/political environment.
S/he will employ excellent judgment, strong interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills, and be committed to the values and mission of Mercy Corps. S/he will take initiative, calculate risks and benefits of various courses of action, lead others to achieve to the highest level possible, and demonstrate solid decision–making while working in concert with diverse partners.
Mercy Corps Team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours when deployed to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and Mercy Corps’ policies, procedures and values at all time and in all in-country venues.
How to Apply
Interested candidates who meet the above required qualifications and experience should submit a Cover Letter and detailed Curriculum Vitae and three professional referees (including a recent supervisor) to
 ke-hrkenya@mercycorps.org on or before 15th September 2017.
The email subject line must clearly show the job title and location they are applying for.
Applications without an appropriate subject line will be automatically disqualified. Please do not attach any certificates.