Programme Officer Job in Nairobi, Kenya

Hivos East Africa is seeking

qualified candidates for the position of:
 

Vacancy Name: Programme Officer – Open Source Seed Systems (OSSS) Programme
 

Hivos is an international development organization that seeks new solutions to

persistent and emerging global issues. With smart projects in the right places,

we oppose discrimination, inequality, abuse of power and the unsustainable use

of our planet’s resources. 

Our primary focus is achieving

structural change and impacting lives.  

We do this through cooperating with

innovative businesses, citizens, governments, and development organizations

across four continents.

With long standing experience in

development programs, the East Africa Regional Office is looking to fill the

position of a Programme Officer for the Open Source Seed Systems programme,

situated within the Green Foods and Productive Landscapes domain. 

The programme’s key focus is on:

building a viable business case for OSSS; creating alliances through joint

research, learning and disseminating evidence-based and innovative policies and

practices; accelerating and scaling through advocacy and lobbying. 
 

Overview of the position: The Programme Officer OSSS works under the

supervision of the Programme Manager, Green Foods and Productive Landscapes and

hierarchically reports to the Regional Director. 

She/He will provide strategic

guidance and technical support for the OSSS program and work closely with

partners and key actors in the programme. 

The successful applicant will also

provide additional support to programmes within the green food and productive

landscapes domain. 

The candidate will work closely with

program staff in the Hivos regional office and in the Head Office. 

The position is based in Nairobi with

regular travel in the region and may involve some international travel.

Specific roles and responsibilities

• Provide technical direction and strategic
  
  advice to ensure that the OSSS programme activities are designed and
  
  implemented in line with the agreed work plan and programme documents.



• Identify and track emerging funding
  
  opportunities under open seed systems through the institutional funding
  
  strategy and in alignment with the strategic plan of Hivos.


• Manage contracts, service providers, partners,
  
  and donor expectations through prudent planning and providing technical,
  
  logistical, and administrative guidance as and when needed.


• Develop and establish OSSS knowledge sharing
  
  platforms at national and regional levels, provide technical guidance on
  
  content and the organization of the platforms, and sell Hivos’ open seed
  
  agenda in the platforms.


• Be the lead person in engaging actors
  
  constructively around policy and advocacy, developing policy briefs, and
  
  addressing policy issues around OSSS through constant engagement with
  
  relevant actors, clear plans, and concrete actions.


• Contribute to relevant policy debates and
  
  discussions to ensure the open source seed programme has increasing policy
  
  influence and organize policy groups to support the programme’s policy
  
  agenda.


• Lead in the development of training curriculum
  
  train partners and relevant stakeholders on policy, advocacy, and
  
  governance issues around open seed systems.


• Training of OSSS Trainers on entrepreneurship,
  
  market linkages, gender mainstreaming and climate change as and when
  
  required.


• Collect and analyse data to inform programme
  
  progress and decision making as well as to report successes and lessons to
  
  a wider audience through various print and electronic media.


• Support and provide technical guidance in the
  
  generation of reports, briefs, factsheets, articles, and position papers
  
  on open seeds and crosscutting themes such as climate change and gender in
  
  the context of the program.


• Create and support active linkages with Hivos’
  
  programmes related to food and policy advocacy in East Africa and globally
  
  to learn and exchange best practices.


• Develop and manage the programme’s monitoring
  
  and evaluation system through active consultation with Hivos’ M&E
  
  Specialist.


• Work with the finance and green food staff to
  
  ensure financial information, monitoring and evaluation systems for the
  
  program are up to date, variances are identified and recommendations for
  
  action made.


• Contribute to other programme support roles
  
  within Hivos’ green foods and productive landscapes team as and when
  
  required to by the Program Manager or the Regional Director.

• MSc. in Agriculture, Environment, Community
  
  Development or Development Economics, or a related discipline


• At least 5 years of relevant experience in
  
  open seed systems or seed programmes in East Africa.


• Good research and analytical skills.


• Experience in producing high quality project
  
  reports, training manuals and publications.


• Ability to work effectively in multi-regional
  
  teams and partners with members drawn from a diverse range of
  
  nationalities, cultures and scientific disciplines.


• Ability to work under pressure, often to tight
  
  deadlines without compromising the quality of deliverables.


• Ability to prioritize tasks and able to work
  
  with little or no supervision.


• Strong English language skills, both written
  
  and spoken.


• Job requires frequent  travel , often to
  
  rural areas in East Africa.


• High level of personal integrity and
  
  accountability.


• Demonstrated Kenyan and East African donor
  
  networks

How to Apply

If you meet the requirements of the position, please send a cover letter (your

cover letter should state your current and expected salary) and CV to

eastafricajobs@hivos.org on or before 4th March 2016. 

Only shortlisted candidates will be

shortlisted. 

This position will be reviewed on a

rolling basis, and will be closed when a suitable candidate has been

identified.