SNV Project Country Coordinator Job in Kenya

Project Country Coordinator

This is a National post Based in Kenya

SNV is a non-profit international development organization established in the Netherlands in 1965. 

For over 40 years, SNV has been at the forefront of development, helping to build local capacity and empower local families and communities to break the cycle of poverty. 

We are present on the ground in 36 developing countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Balkans and operate in Agriculture & Food Security, Renewable Energy, and Water, Sanitation & Hygiene.

Our 900 advisors in the field come from a variety of cultural and technical backgrounds, and over 60 per cent are nationals of the countries where we work.

Purpose

The Project Country Coordinator will provide in-country leadership for designing and managing a multi-layered project to improve smallholder farmer access to the structured market demand represented by Homegrown School Feeding (HGSF) programs.  

The Country Coordinator will be based in Kenya working under the supervision of SNV Kenya’s Head of Agriculture or his/her assignee, and in close coordination with the Project Manager based in Washington, DC. 

The project will be executed in as many as 15 districts in Kenya, and the Country Coordinator will be responsible for the delivery of results at the country level, working in coordination and supervising the participation of local SNV Advisors and other partners.  

This is a four-year project funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.   

Responsibilities

• Providing leadership for the implementation of SNV’s Procurement Governance in HGSF at the country level with responsibility for program implementation, including financial administration of project resources in coordination with SNV country financial officer. This will includes oversight and reporting on all activities taking place in the various districts where the project is executed, addressing four key objectives:

1. Improving the HGSF procurement process and strengthening the capacity of all actors to ensure that smallholder farmers have access to that market. 
2. Enhancing supply chain governance for these programs and introducing Inclusive Business practice when appropriate to meet these needs.
3. Developing effective and participatory mechanisms for increased accountability by and for the program’s stakeholders.
4. Ensuring effective monitoring and documentation of lessons learned for broad dissemination to increase the likelihood of replication/scaling-up of best practices.

• Building and managing a team of highly qualified professional SNV Advisors and partners based in the country to ensure effective program implementation, a strong team spirit that ensures coordination with the other two country programs (Ghana and Mali), productive working relationships with colleagues in Washington DC and in other SNV divisions, and with external donors and other stakeholders, especially the Partnership for Child Development (PCD) and other critical stakeholders such as World Food Program, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Agriculture.
• Developing and presenting to Project Manager yearly plans within proper timelines for execution of the project; monitoring the activities and impact at the country level. 
• Developing and overseeing effective and collaborative working relationships with other in-country project partners to ensure coordination at the local and national levels and successful delivery of project results.  
• Contracting of local partners and consultants as required by the country plan, in coordination with country finance officer and other relevant staff. 
• Establishing strong working relationships with national government, businesses, bilateral and multilateral actors, NGOs and academics in field of smallholder access to HGSF to ensure exposure and success of the project.
• Prepare and finalize the content for country-level periodic narrative and financial reports to the BMGF and SNV Head Office under the coordination of Project Manager (financial prepared by financial officer).
• Serve as SNV Advisor within area of competence (business development and Value chain development).
• Develop and propose activities among countries with other two country coordinators (For Mali & Ghana), to ensure benefits of networking. 
• Consolidate the experiences from the School feeding program to develop a food security Program within SNV Kenya.  This includes developing a concept paper articulating the future vision for the program.  Initiate market assessment and new resource mobilization for both short and long term interventions.

Candidate profile

The right candidate will have:

• University degree (Masters level in MBA, Rural Development, Agriculture) or equivalent with experience in a field relevant to SNV’s mission and programs and at least 7 years of work experience. 
• Demonstrated experience managing complex international programs and budgets that involve donors and partners, a strong team of advisors, a multifaceted set of activities, and a strong monitoring, learning and dissemination component.
• A collegial management style that emphasizes both achieving results and working with a highly skilled team of professional colleagues, and ability to enlist participation of other SNV experts as needed for the project.
• Independent professional with strong networking and partnership development capabilities.
• Strong proposal writing and other resource mobilization skills.
• Academic training and/or practical experience in agriculture and rural development and/or procurement governance, or business development is desired.
• Deep personal commitment to social and economic development that recognizes women and smallholder farmers as critical actors and beneficiaries.
• Thorough understanding of the principal issues facing rural and low-income communities in the region gained through experience in civil society, government, or private sector organizations.
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written (in English) for overseeing production of local dissemination presentations and periodic narrative reports.
• Networks and networking skills.

Contract Duration: 2 years (with a possibility of extension).

Desired start date: July 15, 2013

How to apply

 
Please send your application letter, CV together with names and email contacts of three referees to (att. Country HR Officer) before 5th July, 2013, by clicking Apply for this job.