KickStart International Project Manager (Climate Resilience / Adaptation Innovations and Donor Funded Projects) Job in Kenya

KickStart International Inc.

Vacant Position: Project Manager – Climate Resilience / Adaptation Innovations and Donor Funded Projects (DFPs)
 

KickStart International prides itself in being an award-winning, global nonprofit social enterprise that develops and mass – markets low – cost irrigation solutions that are bought by thousands of small – holder farmers in developing countries and used to increase their income by up to a factor of ten, enabling them to lift themselves sustainably out of poverty. 

Job Purpose: The Project Manager – Climate Resilience / Adaptation Innovations and Donor Funded Projects (DFPs) is responsible for modeling and implementing concepts that enhance field

testing of product innovations that, articulate response to resilience / adaptation to climate change effects on small scale farmers’ efforts to increase food production, while ensuring that specific donor requirements are implemented in a timely manner. 

The designs/concepts should be fundable based on lessons leant in the Innovation Hub and can be commercialized and taken to scale. 

The position will carry out detailed statistical and conceptual analysis on the climate resilience/adaptation solution and activities on various designs, findings, costing in different settings. 

The position is responsible for generating the technical and narrative reports for Climate Resilience/Adaptation Innovations and Donor Funded Projects (DFPs). 

The position is responsible for proactively highlighting the effectiveness of other innovations within Donor Funded Projects (DFPs) especially on thematic areas which can quickly and cost effectively be passed on to the Partnership and Sales function of KickStart.

Scope of Role:
 

Reports to:  Country Director –Kenya

Staff directly reporting to this post: Field Officers

Works with: Cross-functional teams (Product development, Innovations, Financial Services, Donor-funded Projects (DFPs) and other Senior Managers.

Nature and Scope:
 

The incumbent will be responsible but not limited to:

• Take the lead in implementation of Donor-funded Projects (DFPs) Innovations deliverables outside sales numbers that enables wider range of smallholder farmers access MoneyMaker Pumps

1. Training the Field officers on the various deliverables as per Donor agreement


2. Keep a good tab on the progress made in a timely manner by various KPIs


3. Initiate partnership with whom specific deliverables can be tested and studied.

• Model and implement field test concepts for new and existing Climate Resilience/Adaptation product innovations and activities. This may include but not limited to, Water Harvesting, Water Catchments, Starter pump, Deep lift Solar pump, women & youth engagement, among others

Key Areas of Accountability:

• Work with the Product Innovation Development and Country Director to draw up concepts for Climate Resilience/Adaptation and activities in the Innovations Hub.


• Develop different variations of the solutions based on different geographies, culture and Agro Climatic Zones.


• Take lead in identifying suitable areas for testing the solutions


• Identify Partners with whom field tests will be conducted.


• Develop a training concept for artisans and entrepreneurs who are interested in taking up the solution to a commercial level and scale it up.


• Identify Partners who are promoting similar or related solution and develop a working relationship that aims at scaling up to their target farmers’ groups.


• Take the lead in tracking the Donor-funded Projects (DFPs) progress on the ground


• Develop training concepts and materials for the field officers based on different donor funded project need.


• Train the Field Officers on the delivery of the training to the farmers, farmers groups and partners staff.


• Identify suitable partners through whom the Donor-funded Projects (DFPs) dossier would be achieved and develop a working relationship with the same.


• Keep tab on the progress of each deliverable in the Donor-funded Projects (DFPs) dossier


• Maintain constant positive relationships with the partners to enable project delivery over time while seeking for opportunities for long term engagement.


• Contribute to the generation of concepts that are fundable from the lessons leant from Donor-funded Projects (DFPs) and other Innovations with critical innovative inputs that are attractive and cost effective in the way they are implemented and the end user outreach in numbers.


• Model and implement field tests concepts for new innovations in Donor-funded Projects (DFPs). In the medium term the new innovations will include but not limited to Water harvesting, Water Catchments, Starter pump, deep lift solar pump, Women outreach and Youth.


• Ensure that each product innovation has successfully been implemented, data collected, analyzed, lessons and challenges documented and timely communicated to all the players in a timely manner.


• Ensure that unforeseen outcomes/observations from Climate Resilient/Adaptation Innovations and activities, and Donor-funded Projects (DFPs) are immediately reported and either remedial/corrective measures or adaption of the same is put in place.

Key Performance Indicators:

• Number of Climate Resilient/Adaptation solutions generated


• Number of different variations of the solutions designed


• Field tests results and realistic appraisal of the solutions


• Partners engaged in the testing process 


• Number of farmers trained as per Donor-funded Projects (DFPs) Dossier


• Number of partners  on board for each of the Donor-funded Project (DFP) as per the dossier


• Regular donor reports as per donor agreement


• Analyzed statistical data on the findings clearly showing all the different aspects of the field tests and pilot tests at least every month.


• Critical detailed concept analysis report at least once every 2 months.


• Number of new concepts developed  as an output of the lessons learnt and encountered challenges in the Donor-funded Projects (DFPs)


• Quarterly reports generated and shared from each innovation and geographies

Principle Accountabilities:

• Designing of the Climate Resilience/Adaptation solutions  and activities


• Setting up tests on various innovations in the field


• Management of outputs of the Donor-funded Projects (DFPs) in the field, ensuring the innovations aspects of the project are undertaken.


• Training of the field officers on Donor-funded Projects (DFPs) deliverables


• Documentation of all outputs from the Donor-funded Projects (DFPs)


• Hosting of donors in respective projects


• Setting up of innovations field tests in the respective sites and gaining acceptance by the farmers/communities where testing is taking place


• Where necessary training the farmer/community on what to observe and record


• Where the development of the solution requires a partner, seeks out the right partner through who maximum results can be attained


• Obtain licenses where necessary for undertaking such an activity that may require such a document


• Piloting of the products after field tests have been completed

Reporting:

• Monthly and quarterly Donor-funded Projects (DFP) reports based on the Dossier agreement


• Monthly work plan per Donor-funded Project (DFP)and Innovation


• Monthly output and recommendation report on the findings, challenges, lessons leant and what need to be adjusted for each innovations


• Historical cycle of the product progress


• Documentation of case studies and pictures from Donor-funded Projects (DFPs) and Innovations

Qualifications and Experience

• Undergraduate degree required in a relevant field. Relevant Master’s degree will be an added advantage.


• Strong background and experience in Project Management.


• Excellent experience and proven skills in Cross Sector team management with a high sense and level of responsibility.


• Proven experience working in multi-donor funded projects


• At least 7 years working experience at a medium/senior level.


• At least 3 years driving experience


• Experience in team and Partner management


• Experience in training of field staff on various operational project aspects and series of deliverables


• Experience in working with sales and marketing teams of physical solutions and/or financial services targeted at poor investors

Skills and Behaviour

• Excellent interpersonal and communications skills – a complete team player.


• Exceptional planning, organizational, and leadership capabilities.


• Strong analytical skills and computer skills including Microsoft Excel, Ms Word and power point presentation.


• Ability to work in a dynamic and unstructured environment


• Fluency in both English and Swahili

If you feel you are the right candidate for this job, kindly email your one page Application Letter, together with your CV (maximum of 3 pages) to hr@kickstart.org quoting the position title on the subject line by COB 24th February, 2016

See www.KickStart.org for more information