SUNY Kenya Senior Programme Officer Job Vacancy

In partnership with the Kenya Parliament, the State University of New York’s Center for International Development (SUNY - Kenya) is implementing a Parliamentary Strengthening Project in Kenya to provide capacity building support to the Kenya Parliament. 

The Project is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the British Department for International Development (DFID). 

SUNY Kenya seeks qualified candidates for a Senior Programme Officer.

The successful applicant for this position, to be based in the Nairobi SUNY Kenya office, will be hired as a contract employee by the United States International University (USIU) and will report to the Senior Legislative Advisor, SUNY Kenya.

Functions and Requirements of the Position:

Under the direction of the Senior Legislative Advisor, the job holder will help to develop, implement and monitor technical program activities. 

Such activities may include, but are not limited to, training seminars, workshops and preparation of technical reports for the staff and Members of Parliament. 

The job holder will also support and monitor the performance of Programme technical consultants

The job holder will establish good working relationships with the Members and staff of Parliament, Government of Kenya officers, and civil society organization (CSO) representatives. 

The job holder must understand and support the partnership methodology of the Programme. 

The job holder must be a team player who is comfortable working with Programme staff, professional associates and clients of all ranks

The job holder will work closely with the Senior Legislative Advisor to ensure timely delivery of programme activities, including meeting short-notice needs of Committees of the Parliament. Therefore, the job holder must have management experience and have demonstrated the requisite temperament and judgement needed to support the programmes team of SUNY Kenya

Desired Qualifications:

Kenyan citizen with at least five years’ experience interacting with Members of Parliament and government officials, including those in high office. 

Ability to deal fairly and evenly with all political parties and factions in Kenyan politics, and a reputation  for doing so

Advanced degree and professional training in desired substantive area(s) -- politics, economics, or law

Relevant professional experience including: 

a) program development, implementation, and monitoring (with USAID, DFID or partner organizations a plus), and

b) organizing and leading training seminars and workshops.

Superior understanding of and ability to communicate clearly the activities of the Parliament and issues of Kenyan politics to Programme staff members, local and international consultants, representatives of international partner organizations, and others.

Excellent oral and written communication skills (English and Kiswahili), with experience and demonstrated competence in public speaking. Ability to work under minimum supervision and perform under pressure, e.g. to prepare written reports and public presentations on short notice

Application

Interested applicants are requested to send a one-page cover letter summarizing interest in, and qualifications for, the position together with a brief CV. 

Applications should be sent by email to suny@sunykenya.org addressed to The Chief of Party, Parliamentary Strengthening Project, SUNY Kenya. 

The closing time for applications is 1600 hours on November 22, 2013. 

Following application reviews, only short-listed candidates will be notified.

Canvassing will lead to automatic disqualification.