Senior Programme Manager, Kenya

Background

Interpeace is an international organization for peacebuilding that supports locally led peacebuilding initiatives around the world. Interpeace tailors its approach to each society and ensures that the work is locally driven. Together with local partners and local teams, Interpeace jointly develops peacebuilding programmes and helps establish processes of change that connect local communities, civil society, government and the international community.

Interpeace has had a country programme in Kenya since 2015, starting in Mandera county, and then expanding to Wajir, Samburu, Turkana, West Pokot, Baringo and Elgeyo Marakwet. From 2022, the programme will further expand to Marsabit, Isiolo, Garissa and Laikipia. Interpeace has cultivated a peacebuilding approach adapted to the Kenyan context that has successfully ended hostilities and brought together communities that were separated by historic grievances. It is now working to reach new areas of intervention, solidify the peace gains and leverage peace dividends in targeted communities of Kenya. The Kenya country programme has four objectives.

Objective 1: To foster more equitable sharing of power and resources, particularly in conflict affected communities

Objective 2: To increase and sustain social cohesion among communities with persistent historical and present grievances¨

Objective 3: To increase communities’ resilience to the occurrence and effects of climate related migration and conflicts.

Objective 4: To improve trust and collaborative relations between security actors and the public in Kenya’s northern counties.

Position within the Organization

The Senior Programme Manager is a senior member of the Programme Management Unit which manages and implements Interpeace’s active and ongoing programmes around the world. The Senior Programme Manager reports to the Country Representative and liaises at a tactical level with colleagues at global operations, programme development and innovation, strategic partners and communication and policy, IPAT and learning.

The Senior Programme Manager is responsible for the implementation of Interpeace country programmes. This includes managing and developing the portfolio of a country programme and playing a critical role in fundraising in collaboration with programme management and programme development colleagues, working closely with finance colleagues to provide programmatic financial forecast and maintain oversight over expenditure within the project life cycle, providing strategic and managerial oversight to programme teams, working with colleagues from our policy and learning unit and strategic partnership and communication unit to effectively capture and communicate our programmatic achievements and contributing and maintaining Interpeace’s institutional relationships, including with government institutions, donors, CSOs and community leaders and members.

Purpose and General Overview

The Senior Programme Manager is responsible for the overall management and delivery of results by Interpeace programme and project teams in Kenya, including liaison with local partners and authorities at the operational level as required in order to enable Interpeace to implement its mandate. The Senior Programme Manager works under the strategic oversight of the Country Representative, and also works in close collaboration with the Senior Regional Representative and country teams in neighboring countries on cross-border programmes.

The Senior Programme Manager represents Interpeace and is responsible for the delivery of practical collaboration with local authorities, international and local organisations, networks and media. The Senior Programme Manager deputes for the Country Representative in representing Interpeace at senior leadership levels with national and local authorities and partners as required and is expected to make strategic decisions and to work both independently when necessary but also promote strong collaboration and motivation of country teams, ensuring strong synergy between the various units that are operational in country.

S/he is responsible in managing and supporting the programmatic activities implemented at the regional and national levels within pre-agreed programme budgets or funding allocations.

S/he will supervise the programme staff of the Kenya programme, promoting their professional effectiveness and growth as well as their welfare.

Duties and responsibilities

Strategic Engagement:

· Work closely with country representative to design, develop, implement, monitor and evolve the country strategy, in line with Interpeace overall strategy and the organisational change framework. This includes innovating existing programmes, developing and designing new ideas, building new strategic partnerships exploring work in new thematic and geographical areas, etc.

· Closely monitors political, security, economic and social dynamics likely to have an impact on peace and programming activities at the national and regional levels, and share them through regular exchanges and monthly notes with the Country Representative

· Build, maintain and strengthen relationships with partners, including CSO directors, senior staff of relevant governmental institution and local government actors and ensuring that strong collaboration leads to sustainable results.

· Lead semi-annual programmatic reviews to capture programmatic outcomes and impact and use this to adapt and strengthen our programming and to build strong support for our programming amongst partners, government department and donors.

· Work closely with the country representative to design, develop, implement, and monitor political engagement and communication strategies that maximizes visibility

· Maintain working relations with other programmes in the region and collaborate with other representatives and regional representatives to contribute to the establishment or cross-border and regional programmes.

Programme Management and Development

· Responsible for the day-to-day management of a country programme. This includes the management of multiple projects, ensuring that programme managers and senior project officers have the support they need to implement their projects, but also ensuring that there is a high levels of synergy between projects, including cross-border projects.

· Responsible for maintaining relations with donors to ensure that they are kept up to date on programmatic developments and that they support programmatic adaptations when necessary.

· Responsible for oversight over programme activities and outputs and ensuring that they completed and submitted on schedule and to the standards required.

· Maintains oversight over the production of quarterly, semi-annual and annual donor reports, both narrative and financial, ensuring that they are of high quality and meeting the required donor standards.

· Coordinates the country programme annual planning and budgeting processes as per organizational guidelines and local context

· Ensures that partners’ requests for fund transfers and activity implementation receive Interpeace’s feedback and timely follow-up

· Responsible for the financial health of the full country portfolio including cashflow.

· Collaborates with leadership of partners, both government and CSOs, to ensure that annual and quarterly budget projections are shared timely and in line with programme objectives, planned activities and available resource

· Contributes to the identification and development of opportunities to expand the programme within the country, in collaboration with the country programme team and implementing partners as well as the Programme Development Unit.

Management and institutional coherence

· Is accountable for effective implementation and compliance of programme activities in country in accordance with Interpeace Finance, Procurement, HR and other policies and procedures as required by grant or contract agreements

· Collaborates with finance officers to ensure close monitoring of budget expenditure rates and support the timely development and submission of budget revisions when necessary

· Ensures that partners follow Interpeace policies and procedures and donor regulations. This includes clearly communicating these and coordinating training, mentoring and capacity support when necessary.

Representation

· Supports the Country Representative in managing the political space and engaging national authorities. Deputes for the Country Representative when required, particularly in interacting personally with senior leaders of national and local authorities, including presidents, prime ministers, ministers of relevant line-ministries, general directors and heads of departments, political parties and civil society and business leaders.

· Represent Interpeace in donor meetings, roundtables and in forums and coordination platforms with humanitarian, development and peacebuilding organisations.

· Represent Interpeace at international conferences and during visits to donor capitals to ensure that Interpeace’s work in country is shared and promoted outside the country context.

· Manages and contributes to media engagement when required and in line with Interpeace communication policy

Management of personnel and resources

· Supervises and develops teams up to 20 staff.

· Creates an enabling work environment that fosters learning and innovation, where programme staff can achieve their potential, demonstrating gender-responsive and non-discriminatory behaviour and attitudes

· Provide strategic guidance, leadership and overarching management to programme and project managers/officers to ensure effective coordination and convergence across the overall country programme. This includes building a strong team spirit and collaboration across teams and projects to ensure synergy and to maximize the achievement of results.

· Provide strong support to programme managers, senior programme officers, project officers and project support officers to ensure that they have the necessary knowledge, skills and direction to implement our programmes.

· Coaches, monitors, evaluates and documents the individual performance of direct reports through a staff development lens

· Promotes professional development opportunities for programmatic staff, which includes on-the-job learning, mentoring but also supporting staff to participate in workshops and trainings that strengthen their capacity.

· Ensures that the security, safety and general welfare of the Interpeace staff and partners are protected and promoted, and professional development is advanced where possible.

Qualifications:

Education

· Advanced degree in international relations, political science, development, management, or relevant field

· PhD in a relevant field can be an added value.

Experience

· 10 years years of relevant experience in peacebuilding, political and/or developmental work with increasing management responsibility.

· Five years of relevant field experience desired.

· Experience in country and in the region desired

· Demonstrated effectiveness and substantial experience with short and long-term planning; financial, personnel and program management in cross-cultural, international organizations

· Demonstrated experience in conflict resolution/peacebuilding, advocacy, partnership management, proposal writing and programme management

Competencies

· Demonstrates effectiveness and strong experience with short and long-term planning; financial, personnel and program management.

· Advanced knowledge and experience of project cycle management including using project planning and management tools

· Knowledge of current thinking on peacebuilding issues and methods; and demonstrable ability to anticipate emerging needs and integrate them swiftly into priority programme setting

· Developed ability of raising the profile of an organization, strategically networking with government agencies, donors and other international agencies, and using the media to generate profile

· Proven ability to communicate, negotiate and work with high level executives and government officials.

· Ability to work in a multicultural environment successfully and to demonstrate gender responsive and non-discriminatory behavior and attitudes.

· Excellent ability to interact with people respectfully and with tact

· Strong writing and communications skills in English and Swahili is required. Knowledge of local language is an advantage.

Interpeace Competencies

· Excellent ability to interact with people respectfully and with tact

· Collaboration and Weaving

· Communication

· Drive for results

· Adaptability and Continuous Learning

· Respect for Diversity

Success factors

· Identifies with and is committed to Interpeace’s core values and working principles

· Commitment to inclusiveness

· An innovative, critical thinker with extensive problem-solving skills

· A strategic manager who is accountable, leads by example, mentors and empowers a team and works to create work-life balance

How to apply

How to apply

Qualified candidates are invited to submit their applications to recruitment-eca@interpeace.org on or before 21^st January 2022, 23:59 pm, Nairobi time. “Senior Programme Manager, Kenya” MUST BE included in the subject line of the application email to be considered. Early applications are encouraged, as CVs would be reviewed on rolling basis.**

The application must include:

· a complete curriculum vitae

· a letter of interest

· an acknowledgement letter, answering the following questions:

1. Have you ever been criminally convicted or subject to any criminal or administrative penalty by any competent authority? If yes, please specify:


2. Have you ever been terminated or separated (e.g. contract termination, dismissal, non-renewal) or subject to any disciplinary measure or sanction by your employer for fraud, harassment, sexual harassment, sexual exploitation or sexual abuse?


3. Have you ever resigned while under investigation or during disciplinary proceedings?

a) Confirming the following declaration of understanding:

I confirm the accuracy of the information provided, with the understanding that Interpeace will conduct reference checks to verify relevant information.

I understand that if any false or misleading information is provided in my application, or any material fact suppressed, I may not be employed, of if I am employed, I may be dismissed.

Interpeace values diversity among its staff and aims to achieve gender equality both through gender parity at all levels of the organisation and the promotion of a gender dimension in all its work. We welcome applications from women and men, and those with disabilities.

Please note that due to high volume of applications, ONLY short-listed candidates will be contacted.