Technical Director

POSITION SUMMARY

The International Youth Foundation (IYF) is seeking a Technical Director who will provide technical oversight for an anticipated USAID-funded, five-year, multi-million dollar project that aims to support evidence-based and evidence-producing county-level models that empower youth and connect them directly to social and economic opportunities to improve their livelihoods and well-being. The project will enhance county-level youth-serving systems; form partnerships between US and Kenyan higher education institutions to develop their capacity to generate and use data to expand evidence-based and evidence-producing programs, practices, and policies related to youth; and use county-level models to strengthen systems to better engage youth and connect them to social and economic opportunities.

Kenyan nationals are strongly encouraged to apply. Hiring for this position will be contingent upon IYF securing funding from USAID for this activity and USAID’s approval of the candidate for this position.

RESPONSIBILITIES

· Provide overall technical oversight of the project, ensuring that all interventions are high quality and evidence-based so that the project achieves its goals and objectives.

· Develop the program's overarching vision and work-plan in collaboration with the Chief of Party, project leadership, USAID, IYF/Baltimore staff, and key stakeholders, including the Government of Kenya at national, provincial and local levels; higher education institutions; and young people.

· In collaboration with project leadership, develop annual implementation plans consistent with program goals and objectives.

· Build the technical capacity of youth organizations, higher education institutions, and local government. Develop and implement capacity strengthening plans. Develop tools and guides to facilitate knowledge transfer. Provide technical training and support.

· Build and maintain relationships with the public sector, private sector, civil society, community-based organizations, local communities, local government, and donors.

· Work with project leadership to support continuous program learning and ensure integration of monitoring and evaluation data into management decision-making and policy advocacy.

· Produce effective written reports and oral presentations on the program, including preparing periodic reports, providing updates on challenges facing the program, and articulating the program’s success in meeting deliverables.

· Represent IYF and overall project interests at local, national and regional meetings, workshops and conferences and promote the program at the national level.

· Supervise staff as assigned, including providing regular professional support and coaching to supervisees, assessing their performance and recommending improvements they can make to achieve their annual objectives and the project's goal in general.

· Perform other duties as requested.

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

· A graduate degree in a relevant field such as education, international development, and non-profit management.

· Eight years of relevant experience in leading programs focused on research, youth services, workforce development, livelihoods, and/or private sector development, with at least four of those in Kenya or countries similar to Kenya.

· Demonstrated success working at the community level assessing challenges, creating and implementing solutions, and achieving measurable results in development projects.

· Technical leadership experience on complex youth development programs funded by USAID or other donors.

· Experience cultivating relationships and collaborating with a variety of stakeholders including youth, government ministries and officials, NGOs and donors, evaluators, and community-based institutions, preferably in Kenya.

· Demonstrated experience with facilitative and partnership approaches, to include youth, higher education institutions, government, and the private sector. Significant experience in designing and facilitating interactive meetings and workshops.

· Strong understanding of the Kenyan economic, educational, and youth contexts, with a network of relevant contacts in the country.

· Experience developing and implementing effective capacity building methods.

· Spoken and written fluency in English and Swahili required; fluency in other Kenyan languages a plus.

· Excellent computer skills using MS Office products including Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint.

How to apply

TO APPLY

Please submit your CV in English via email to jobs@iyfnet.org with "Kenya – Technical Director" in the subject line.

To be eligible for this position, applicants must have the legal authority to work and reside in Kenya; this position is a local hire position in Kenya. Applications will be reviewed as received.

The International Youth Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer.