IPA Programme Manager Kisumu, Kenya

Safe Water Programme: Chlorine Dispenser Scale-Up

Position: Programme Manager, Kenya

Deadline to Apply: April 1, 2011 (applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis)

Start Date: April/May 2011

Reports To: Programme Director, Kenya

Work Station: IPAK Kisumu Office, Milimani

Travel: 25% to 50% of time based on project needs, within western Kenya and to Nairobi

Eligibility: Position open to local Kenyan hires only

The Safe Water Programme (SWP) at Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) seeks an Operations Manager to take a key leadership role in achieving our program’s medium-term goal—providing 5 million people with sustained access to safe water, which will prevent 2.3 million cases of child diarrhoea and avert over 2,200 child deaths each year.

SWP is a growing entrepreneurial group within IPA working to reduce the 1.6 million childhood deaths each year from diarrhea, a leading cause of child mortality in Kenya and globally. The programme is doing this by deploying Chlorine Dispensers—a simple, low-cost innovation proven to dramatically increase rates of household water treatment, which significantly reduces diarrhea and other waterborne disease.

Chlorine Dispensers have been recognized by a wide network of supporters, including the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Local Government, Lake Victoria North Water Services Board and major international foundations and implementers.

Kenya is SWP’s flagship programme, currently transitioning from the proof-of-concept stage to large-scale implementation with a team of about 25 staff in Kenya, serving 200,000 people by mid-year.

The Operations Manager will work with SWP’s management team to develop, implement and manage the general programme operations as they expand across western Kenya and grow our field team to 100+ members serving millions in the coming years. This will involve overseeing staff and systems which will grow to operate Chlorine Dispensers at over 30,000 water points.

For this position, we are seeking a strong manager with operations experience who is motivated by the opportunity to expand a program with proven impact, potential to improve the health of millions and save thousands of lives. All eligible candidates from the private, public and non-profit sectors who are interested in making a long-term commitment to a truly influential programme are encouraged to apply.

More information on Chlorine Dispensers can be found at: http://poverty-action.org/safewater

The following shows the responsibilities, qualifications, and expectations for the position.

Roles

External Relations

• Manage relationships with government partners, donors and potential donors, implementing partners, other NGOs and international institutions
• Represent SWP in policy-level forums, workshops, conferences and major public events at the local, provincial, national and possibly international levels
• Integrate input from partners into programme design and execution
• Author reports for consumption by major partners and other external stakeholders

Programme Design

• Design elements of field programmes, coordinating with operations team and external partners
• Ensure programme design is executed properly by interacting with operations staff and coordinating with implementing partners in government or other organisations
• Design and manage trainings targeted at partners and community members to ensure smooth implementation of programme activities

Programme Evaluation Reporting

• Work with the evaluation team to design programme evaluations based on key performance indicators specific to the programmes
• Author reports on evaluation of programme design

Staff Management

• Manage external relations and programme design support staff
• Set goals and objectives, manage activities, monitor and report on performance

Objectives (first 1-3 years)

• Provide leadership and management of all external relations management in Kenya and assist in representing the Kenya programme internationally
• Provide leadership and management of all programme design, working closely with external partners and the operations team (including ongoing operations and new programme initiatives)
• Design programmes that can be effectively implemented by SWP’s Operations Team
• Manage all field staff in their execution of project activities
• Assist in developing the skills and abilities of all staff members to facilitate the overall growth of the team

Goals (first 1-3 years)

• Develop productive working relationships with provincial and national officials in several ministries, local and national staff of NGOs working in child health and WASH
• Manage programme design for new small pilots, and for large scale implementation of thousands of new dispensers (1 million+ people served) , integrating pilot findings into large-scale project programme designs
• Develop advocates outside of IPA who will promote dispenser use in Kenya

Desired Background and Skills

• At least 5 years of significant programme, business, or sales development experience
• Bachelors and/or Masters degree in relevant field of study highly preferred (or significant equivalent on-the-job experience)
• Proven ability to develop productive working relationships with stakeholders at all levels (from senior management to implementation staff)
• Proven ability to communicate in public situations, understanding all stakeholder positions and communicating in such a way as to effectively convince other of the project’s opinions/positions
• Proven ability to set direction through strategic analytical thinking and decision making
• Effective delegator, able to highly leverage their time through an large staff
• Thorough understanding of financial management in relation to creating and managing budgets
• Advanced user of Microsoft office suite (Excel, Word, Power Point), and the internet
• Extremely strong written and spoken English and Kiswahili
• Clear understanding of and experience with SWP’s working environment in western Kenya

Expected Attitude

• Entrepreneurial Nature – SWP is still in its second year and employees are expected to pitch-in to drive programme growth with enthusiasm and flexibility
• Passionate about developing and serving a team of staff as they execute project activities
• Eagerness to develop personally/professionally, willingness to learn, develop new skills, and take on more responsibilities

To Apply

Applications can be submitted via email to ipak.water.jobs@poverty-action.org with the subject line “Programme Manager Application.”

Please attach the following documents:

• Cover letter explaining interest in the position and fit for the role
• CV/resume
• (Optional) A work sample—ideally, a report or similar business document that showcases writing ability

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted by email for an interview.

Applicants are encouraged to apply early, as applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

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