Overall Purpose/Broad Function:
To lead the management of relations with the Government of Kenya and with other key local stakeholders, the work of the country team in developing, mobilizing resources for, managing, monitoring and reporting on NI-supported programs in Kenya, and to manage NI’s country operations including ongoing compliance with legal and financial regulations in the country.
He/she ensures that the programs of NI Kenya are aligned effectively with both the priorities of the Government of Kenya and with NI’s priorities.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
External Relations
Collaboration: lead the external representation of NI at external meetings and on the process of building, maintaining and strengthening relationships with key stakeholders (including National and County Government, private sector, donors, NGOs, academia and communities), and seek opportunities for collaboration.
Profiling: to enhance the profile of NI and its work in Kenya, in the region and globally.
Positioning: to position NI with stakeholders as a key actor in nutrition and public health, including representation of NI on national (and as needed at international) conferences/fora and playing an active role on national level task forces and alliances.
Influencing: to engage in policy advocacy both directly and/or in partnership with others so as to influence Government policies and investments by partners and donors.
Coordinating: to ensure that NI programming activities are harmonized with those of others and facilitate government leadership and ownership in line with the Paris Principles.
Opportunities: to identify opportunities for NI to leverage and mobilize additional resources to expand NI’s work.
Stewarding: to ensure that staff of donors to NI (who are based in Kenya are kept well informed of progress on NI programs, and are appropriately recognized for their support.
Planning and Program Development
Lead the country team in:
maintaining a thorough knowledge of the local landscape in terms of unmet national needs and opportunities for NI to have impact
generating new ideas, initiatives and strategies to achieve additional impact
Specifically in:
Landscape analyses: consulting with key stakeholders, documenting needs, trends, relevant new developments and opportunities, and sharing knowledge with country, regional and HQ colleagues.
Negotiating NI’s role: consulting with key stakeholders to define NI’s scope of work, and general arrangements for steering and oversight of planned programming activities.
Innovation: encouraging innovation and entrepreneurial thinking in program development.
Planning: developing and proposing costed country strategic, implementation, and annual operational plans which are informed by, and responsive to, needs and opportunities in the local landscape.
Budgeting and Targets: propose country budgets and results targets on the basis of the costed plans.
Documentation: ensure that all planned and expected programming activities, costs and results with timelines are recorded and maintained up to date in NI’s systems (contracts database; BOARD; SharePoint etc.
Program Management
Oversee the management of grant funded programming activities in Kenya: so as to achieve agreed results, program quality and disbursement targets within agreed timelines.
In close consultation with relevant staff (including subject matter experts or other advisors) in Regional and HQ Office, lead, guide and oversee the work of the country team in:
Developing enabling agreements: consulting with key stakeholders and collaborating partners to agree management arrangements for planned programming activities, including drafting Memoranda of Understanding or other documents that clarify the relative roles and expectations of NI and of other partners.
Developing specifications for goods and services: drafting the scope of work, terms of reference and terms and conditions for invitations (including RFPs; RFQs etc.) to vendors (individuals, institutions or suppliers) to submit proposals to NI to provide goods and/or services needed for NI programming activities and for delivering required results.
Identification of resources: identifying potential vendors with the capability and capacity to offer required goods and services.
Procurement and selection: overseeing and managing the process of procurement and selection of vendors in compliance with NI’s Policies and Procedures, and in close consultation with collaborating partners.
Negotiating agreements: negotiating agreement TORs and terms with vendors.
Briefing and inception: ensuring that all vendors are appropriately briefed and that they clearly understand their specifications/TOR, reporting requirements, activities, process, deliverables, milestones and standards.
Performance management: monitoring the performance of vendors against agreements and negotiating corrective actions by vendors as needed to ensure that deliverables, milestones and standards are met; assessing value for money obtained from vendors.
Program Monitoring and Reporting: monitoring progress of activities against annual operating plans, and against results and disbursement targets; accounting for variances and taking action to correct them; preparing draft reports to donors or other stakeholders.
Program Coordination and Steering: convening or participating in program progress review meetings with Government and other key stakeholders; advocating for corrective actions by key stakeholders; proposing and/or negotiating adjustments to project plans and budgets as a result of steering decisions.
Financial Management:
Financial resources: In close consultation with the Regional Finance Director, that the financial resources in the Kenya country office cost centre are properly managed in line with NI’s Delegation of Authorities and within overall approved budgets as well as Lead, guide and oversee the work of the country team in:
Costing: preparing reliable costings for programming activities.
Budgeting: developing reliable project and activity budgets based on programming costs.
Financial management and tracking: managing all aspects of the contracts database, including maintaining and regularly updating expenditure forecasts for programming activities in the contracts database; setting and updating milestones etc.
Variance analysis: accounting for variances and developing plans to correct them.
Value for money: reviewing (and as needed reporting on) the value obtained from expenditures.
Human Resource Management:
Performance Management: In close consultation with the Regional and HQ Office, provide vision and leadership for MI staff and consultants, ensure the effective performance management of NI staff and consultants in line with NI procedures and local legislation.
Specifically, this includes but is not limited to the following in relation to country team members:
Developing job descriptions: in line with NI norms and standards.
Approving work plans: in line with annual operational plans.
Approving targets and expectations: in line with country results and disbursement targets and other deliverables and standards.
Performance Assessment Reviews: conduct at least one annual review with each staff member who is managed directly by this position; and ensuring that each staff is appraised and provided with mentoring to help them improve performance.
Fostering Learning: encourage, and help create opportunities for, staff to continue to develop professionally.
Team building: establish work environment and culture that fosters team work.
General operating environment
Office space: Ensure that the NI office space and environment is appropriate for the number of NI staff in the Kenya Office; work within established parameters to ensure that NI office space meets country standards for a safe work environment.
IT Systems: In liaison with Regional IT Officer, ensure country IT systems are functional and effectively supporting country operations.
Safety and security: In liaison with the Regional Director and Global Security Focal Point, ensure safety and security procedures at the country office are in place and functioning.
Supervisory Responsibilities:
Direct supervision of Deputy Country Director, Finance Officer, Communications Officer
Education/Professional Designations/Experience:
Master’s degree from a recognized university in management, international development, public health, nutrition or related area.
Additional post graduate certification in project or general management desirable.
Certificate in research and/or monitoring and evaluation an added advantage.
Experience
At least 10 years’ experience in management of programs in public health or a related field essential, including managing finances and human resources, in progressively more leadership levels.
At least 5 years’ experience in networking at a high level with international partners and country government, desirable.
At least 3 years’ experience of working in Kenya, the sub-Saharan Africa region and internationally.
Previous experience highly desirable as a Country Manager or Director or equivalent role in scope and responsibility for an international organization/NGO.
Language Skills
Fluent in English
Travel Requirements
Based in Nairobi, the position travels 30% of the time in country and internationally
Other Specific Skill Requirements:
Effective leadership and management skills
Ability to build positive working relationships with government officials, other multi-lateral bodies and donor representatives
Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills
Strong consultative and negotiation skills
