About the role
You will join our regional team which identifies new grantee partners, manages all aspects of our active partnership model with over 200 current grantee partners, and implements all our activities and programming across the region.
Besides handling work related to giving financial support to partners, you will drive initiatives to build community and promote partnership in learning and doing among SFF grantees. You will also play a key role in linking SFF grantees to opportunities to strengthen their capacity and grow their impact.
Your responsibilities will include
Program/Grants Management: (65%)
Support programmatic and administrative aspects of grant making throughout the year, including but not limited to review of applications, site visits, analysis of organizational health and effectiveness and giving written recommendations in a due diligence report.
Manage relationships with grantee partners in a way that keeps in account the typical power dynamics in the grantmaking industry, upholding integrity, mutual respect and humility in interactions with ongoing and potential grantee organizations.
Contribute to discussion and decisions in grantmaking calls.
Formally and informally stay updated on SFF partners’ work and outcomes.
Carry out activities to drive new applications of organizations in line with our criteria, especially for our growth countries. This includes attending and speaking at forums, seeking out referrals and positioning our brand in relevant ways.
Contribute to trend mapping and research on opportunities to expand our work and grow our impact.
Community Building: (15%)
Organize and play an active role in SFF’s community initiatives, including but not limited to office hours, in-country peer learning forums, training workshops, and networking events, pulling in other players who may add value to our community.
Organization Development: (10%)
Serve as an advisor to SFF grantee partners to assist them to improve their organizational health and performance objectives, based on candidate’s skills.
Work with service providers to design and execute trainings and other initiatives to meet SFF partners’ organizational needs.
Collect needs and concerns from partners to shape SFF learning & active partnership initiatives and direction.
Donor Engagement: (10%)
Cultivate and steward relationships with funders in East Africa to leverage support for SFF grantees and promote grantee-centric practices.
Who we are looking for
You are passionate about locally-driven development and excited about identifying and supporting visionaries that have bold ideas to positively transform their communities.
You are an East African citizen and preferably have experience working in multiple East African countries.
You have at least 4-5 years of experience working with nonprofit organizations or social enterprises in East Africa. Previous private sector experience with strong exposure to understanding organizations and communities will also be considered (in advisory, investment, project management, marketing etc).
Strong program management skills, with a proven track record to manage overall timelines, drive outcomes, improve existing concept and engage various stakeholders.
Strong ability to synthesize information from various sources and develop unique insights on an issue. You have a natural drive to understand a topic deeply and widely.
You understand realities of community development, balancing the macro view with the realities of driving change on the ground. You know the realities and needs of social sector organizations in a range of areas including programs, strategy and leadership.
Strong skills in managing relationships and partnerships with diverse individuals remotely and in-person.
You are a clear communicator and have strong writing skills.
You are bold and confident to share your opinions with a multicultural team and can tailor your approach to working with various colleagues.
You thrive in an unstructured environment, are at peace with ambiguity, and solve problems creatively and efficiently.
You have learned how to talk about your weaknesses and mistakes in the workplace and value honesty.
You love collaboration, and you naturally motivate yourself to deliver when working alone.
You have strong interest in developing yourself and your peers.
You easily navigate Microsoft Word, Excel, Google Drive, etc.
Other desirable skills include:
Launching and/or managing community initiatives (e.g event series, learning forums), tracking and interpreting community metrics.
Designing quality adult-learning experiences and resources.
Why work with us
Mission and Impact: We want to change the face of philanthropy while uplifting incredible local leaders (who we like to call rockstars). Every day we support local leaders changing the lives of communities and youth.
Career Development: We hire ambitious young people and support them to develop their skills and leadership potential. We support each other to grow and propel even further in their career trajectory.
Autonomy: We hire smart and talented people and let them lead the way. You will get a team of 11 behind you for support but will be given the autonomy (and responsibility!) to take control of your role and participate in strategic decisions in your department.
Work Hard, Play Hard: We put in the extra time and go the extra mile to support our partners. But we also love to laugh, have fun, and enjoy the camaraderie we’ve built amongst our team. We can find some levity even in tough situations.
Variety and Adventure: We support 200+ partners across 20+ African countries. Even if travel isn’t a large part of your role, you will get to experience new cultures, places, and exciting organizations across the continent.
Benefits: We believe in supporting the well-being of our employees, so we offer healthcare cover, flexible hours and performance-based incentives.
Other information
We are looking for an East African Community Citizen. You will work out of our Nairobi office with around 50% travel across East Africa. We will consider the Regional Program Officer being based in another East African capital if preferred.
Due to the nature of this work, working hours can extend in the evening and on the weekend from time to time. We will agree on a six-month probation period with learning and performance goals.
