Land Officer Job in Nakuru Kenya - Bridge International Academies

About Bridge International Academies

Bridge International Academies is a startup company revolutionizing education across Africa with a truly unique business model. The company has launched a large-scale franchise-like network of ultra low-cost for-profit private primary schools across Africa.

Our schools profitably deliver high-quality education for less than $4 per child per month, enabling local school managers to operate their school businesses profitably, while creating a highly successful business at the central level. We now have 25 schools in Kenya, and plan to rapidly scale the company to serve more than 1 million students.

About this position

We are seeking a full-time Land Officer, who will be a vital member of the land team in the company’s push to find plots of land suitable for schools inside low income areas.

A central part of our operations includes the identification, verification, negotiation and purchase of plots of land for our schools inside the low income areas.

These plots sometimes have clouded title histories because of their locations, but through our land identification and procurement process we establish a secure position -- understanding the previous ownership and other potential competing claims as well as getting guarantees for the appropriate government agencies.

To make these determinations and the actual purchase, the process may involve negotiations with members of the community, village elders, local government administration, and the council. The process will conclude with documentation around all the negotiations with key stake holders and a sales contract with the owners of the land.

More specifically:

The Land Officer will form the link between the field and the office, checking on plots of land found by the team of property scouts, verifying their suitability to build a school, verifying the ownership of the plot, dealing with youths, elders and government officials to ensure a clean and efficient purchasing process.

The Land Officer will report back to the Head of the Land Department, offering verbal and written reports on plots, their ownership and the research undertaken to ensure the company has the security to purchase the plot.

The Land Officer will focus on certain elements of the land acquisition and the community and administration negotiations processes.

These include:

Meeting and dealing with land agents and vendorsMeeting and dealing with community members and government officialsRecognising potential conflict surrounding land and land purchases, often including tribal issuesHolding community meetings and barazas, where you represent Bridge International AcademiesWriting briefing notesInvestigating conflicting land ownership claimsEstablishing and utilizing contacts at various government agencies to find clear information on land ownershipBeing able to locate and explain plot positions on a variety of mapping interfacesThis position will be in the field away from the office. You must be able to demonstrate an ability to work unsupervised And moreThis is a very hands-on job, with the Land Officer in the field about 80% of the time.

About You

You are knowledgeable of informal settlements and how land transactions proceed in these areasYou are comfortable in negotiating situations, including land purchasesYou have experience in the field negotiating land purchasesExperience in working in very poor communities is a real plusExperience in dealing with sensitive issues regarding landYou are not afraid of getting your hands dirtyYou function well in a fast-paced informal environment where constant change is the norm and the bar for quality is set highYou are comfortable with numbers and mapsYou are comfortable using hand held GPS units or other GIS technologyOur team has a passionate belief that basic primary education is critical to the development of every child, family, community and nation.

We believe that it is possible to address this critical need for poor families through new and innovative approaches leveraging the private sector, and that by providing low-cost but high-quality primary education, we will give millions of children the opportunity to accomplish their dreams. We are looking for someone who wants to join us in this rewarding task.

Requirements:

1-3 years experience in land, community negotiations or related experienceFluent written and spoken Kiswahili and English, with at least two local languagesDriven, disciplined and self-motivatedExcellent verbal and written communication skillsMust be a team player and open to new approaches and ideasStrong personality with proven negotiating skillsAbility to organize, prioritize, and manage multiple tasksBasic computer and internet skills