NGO Job in Kenya 2012

Primary Location: Nairobi, Kenya

Position Status: Full-time,

Current Employee: N/A

Program / Department Summary:

Mercy Corps works amid disasters, conflicts, chronic poverty and instability to unleash the potential of people who can win against impossible odds. Since 1979, Mercy Corps has provided $1 billion in assistance to people in 82 nations.

Supported by headquarters offices in North America, Europe, and Asia, the agency's unified global programs employ 3,500 staff worldwide and reach 9 million people in more than 40 countries. Over the last five years, more than 90 percent of the agency's resources have been allocated directly to programs that help people in need.

Mercy Corps is currently running a 3-year program under USAID Kenya Yes Youth Can initiative, covering six regions in Kenya; Western, Nyanza, Rift Valley, Central, Nairobi and Coast. Third among the four key objectives of this program is to establish a new network through youth participation, democracy and leadership.

This program aims to empower Kenyan youth to constructively engage in civic matters that touch on youth welfare and livelihoods. For Kenyan youth to effectively engage in this there is need for comprehensive coaching into leadership and civic engagement approaches. It is for this reason that the Yes Youth Can! Program is seeking to recruit a qualified Manager for our leadership portfolio for youth.

General Position Summary:

The Leadership Program Manager will be responsible for overseeing realization of the third objective under Yes Youth Can as stated above. This position will provide direct and overall management of all programmatic and technical efforts into realization of this objective.

The position will work closely with government partners, civil society and youth think tank under establishment. This position is critical to ensuring real time and practical skills and competence is passed on to the youth in appropriate manners that guarantee positive impact in behavior change.

Essential Job Functions:

• Provide specific over sight of Object three within the YYC program; responsible for day to day programmatic management, quality and timings of deliverables, coordination and alignment of the objective with the over all YYC strategy.
• Assess the over all progress of objective three so far and develop a strategy to take it forward.
• Develop tools and use them to support youth identified programs that promote leadership, youth advocacy, engagement, networking and over all good governance.
• Facilitate the process of establishing a democratically elected National Bunge association and its sustenance.
• Use the new youth network identified opportunities to achieve inter ethnic integration among youth.
• Work with the Technology Advisor on the establishment of technology platform for easy, faster and effective communication among mass youth groups and individuals.
• Provide over all management of sub grantees, consultants and subcontractors related to objective three.
• Provide timely report on the project as per the reporting matrix for the project.
• Facilitate experience sharing and promotion of best practices among youth and document these for sharing with donor and MC
• Monitor quality, cost and timeliness of performance of all work performed against the set targets and deliverables stated in the YYC work plan for objective three.
• Supervise YYCN staff as assigned or hired under Objective 3.

Specific deliverable:

• Design and incorporate leadership guide for village, county and national youth leaders.
• Develop toolkit on youth leadership, advocacy campaigns, and other activities as defined by the youth leaders themselves. Using the Mercy Corps Good Governance Guide and other global best practice as references.
• Work with youth leaders on developing county and national action plans.
• Prepare guide map for youth leaders for the role of board governance over YYCN, the Trust, and the YYCN affiliated financial institution.
• Map out a comprehensive engagement strategy and develop tools for the youth to engage with county and nationally elected youth leaders, YYCN at senior levels, with youth stakeholders, including but not limited to: national and local governments, financial institutions, NGOs, government-entities, businesses, and even proper dialogue with politicians.

Organizational Learning

As part of Mercy Corps’ agency-wide Organizational Learning Initiative, all team members are responsible for spending 5% of their work time in formal and/or non-formal professional learning activities.

Accountability to Beneficiaries

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts towards accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Supervisory Responsibility: TBD

Accountability:

Reports Directly To: Chief of Party

Works Directly With: Team

Knowledge and Experience:

University degree in Political Science, Education, Public Administration, Public Policy or other relevant field preferred.

Relevant professional experience managing youth programs in East Africa

Good understanding of the Kenyan youth context (culture, leadership etc)

Familiar with various youth leadership model and training within Kenya and other parts of the world

Experience engaging with Kenyan media

Relevant development program management experience; preferred 3 years working at PM level or equivalent leadership position

Experience working with donors/host governments on development programs; preference given to candidates with prior USAID grant management experience

Demonstrated ability to effectively manage a diverse team of employees, preference for candidates managing both expatriate and local staff.

Kiswahili, Kenyan Sheng and English language fluency required.

Success Factors:

The successful Program Manager will have strong interpersonal skills and demonstrate an ability to create and maintain effective working relationships with program partners.

S/he will be able to productively work as a member of an overall project and country team and as an individual.

S/he will have a commitment to staff and organizational learning and development and be skilled in engaging, motivating, and encouraging staff to bring creative solutions to development issues, identify opportunities for increased impact and pursue project objectives.

The successful Program Manager will also be able to prioritize and multi-task for the timely completion of tasks.

Living /Environmental Conditions:

The position is based in Nairobi with extensive travel to project sites throughout the country

Mercy Corps Team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting.

Staff are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

Interested candidates who meet the above required qualifications and experience should submit on or before Jan 30th Jan 2012 at 4.00 p.m. a cover letter, detailed Curriculum Vitae (CV) listing three professional references (including a recent supervisor) to hrkenya@ke.mercycorps.org

Applicants must clearly indicate on the email subject “Application for the position of "Leadership Program Manager”.

Applications without this subject heading will be disqualified. Please do not attach any certificates.

Potential candidates will be interviewed as applications are received. Inasmuch, earlier submissions stand a greater chance of being selected.

Only qualified short-listed candidates will be contacted