The Mau Forests Complex (MFC) in western Kenya covers more than 400,000 hectares and is ecologically and economically critical for Kenya and parts of East Africa. However, in the last 10-15 years, the forest area has been reduced by more than 25% and the rest is characterized by much degradation. IDH and its partners under the Initiative for Sustainable Landscapes (ISLA) aim to restore and conserve 60,000 hectares of the South Western Mau Forest by 2030 under the Stawisha Mau Charitable Trust, a trust registered in 2018 as a governance vehicle for joint work under ISLA. Please see more on SW Mau here.
To strengthen the Landscapes (ISLA) team in Kenya and Management of the Stawisha Mau Charitable Trust, IDH is recruiting a:
Position overview
The Manager will coordinate the activities of ISLA Kenya in the South-West Mau, as well as manage the Stawisha Mau Charitable Trust (SMCT). For these roles, the Senior Manager will liaise with the ISLA team in Kenya, the SMCT Trustees and Founders as well as the team supporting ISLA Kenya from IDH Headquarters in the Netherlands. The candidate will report to the Secretary of the SMCT and have the following responsibilities:
Key responsibilities
Responsible for translating the ISLA Kenya Action Plan and Strategy (on forest conservation, improvement of water flow and access, sustainable energy and alternative livelihoods) into field level projects that are co-fundable and deliver impact, under the SMCT. This includes:
Management of SMCT:
Play a key role in the development of the Strategic plan for SMCT and building its financial and operational capacity in collaboration with the Trustees, Founders and the IDH team.
Establish an administrative structure for SMCT, including a sustainable funding mechanism, governance and accountability framework, monitoring and evaluation system to assess the impact of SMCT’s interventions to the landscape
Project Management ISLA Kenya:
Lead overall project management including monitoring financial and field level progress
Being responsible for assessing and providing feedback on IPs’ proposals, workplans, KPIs
Main responsible for follow up and guidance on Implementing Partners’ (IP) implementation to reach agreed upon impact on ground.
Prepare financial and narrative reports for different donors and deliver them on time to IDH HQ.
Stakeholder Management
Lead stakeholder management and networking by facilitating a multi-stakeholder process that enhances program governance and partnerships towards joint interventions and co-funding for SMCT.
Gather learnings on stakeholder management by keeping an updated overview that maps the evolution of stakeholder engagement and commitment
Take and maintain a record of minutes of all stakeholder meetings including the Trustees and Board meetings
Team Coordination and Communication
Function as the liaison between SMCT and IDH
Lead the SMCT secretariat, including a Program Assistant, to carry out operational responsibilities
Support the development and implementation of SMCT communication materials including writing event/news articles, newsletter and annual reports
Requirements
Working and thinking at Master’s degree level, familiarity with sustainable land and water management
5-10 years (international) work experience multi-stakeholder sustainability program management
Experience with stakeholder management in an international environment- managing relations with external parties, such as customers, funders, contract partners
Proven hands-on experience with program management, financial administration, budgets and contracts
Experience with fundraising from both public and private local and international donors
Experience in employing several project management tools, a qualification in project management (IPMA, PMI, Agile, or other) is an advantage
Knowledge of sustainability, international trade, supply chains and smallholder farming issues in Africa and more specifically Kenya
Knowledge on local environmental and social sustainability issues in the Mau region and specifically South West Mau is an advantage
Proficiency in Microsoft Office, especially an excellent working knowledge of Word, Excel (preferably a super-user), and PowerPoint, while experience in Salesforce is an advantage
Excellent spoken and written communication skills in English and Swahili
Experience in managing a foundation or trust is an added advantage
Competencies
Excellent skills in stakeholder management
Good strategic reflection capabilities
Creative thinking skills
Outstanding analytical capabilities
Excellent presentation and communication skills, in writing and verbally;
Pro-active, service- and detail-oriented, analytical, structured and business minded
Highly flexible; able to take initiative and work independently
Ability to organize and prioritize work, multitask and meet strict timelines
Excellent team working skills
Terms and Conditions:
This position is based in Kericho and there will be some travel within Kenya. IDH offers a challenging position with opportunities for growth within an enthusiastic and passionate team. The successful applicant will be offered a one-year contract with competitive remuneration, but with the possibility to extend. Candidates are based in Kenya or should be eligible to obtain permission to work in Kenya.
For more information about this position, please contact Ms. Lisa Stahl (stahl@idhtrade.org)