Senior Programme Officer – Climate Justice

Country: Kenya

Organization: ACT Alliance

Closing date: 24 Jul 2023

Duty station: Nairobi, Kenya, the candidate should have the right to live and work in Kenya
Contract type: fixed term contract
Duration: from hire until year-end 2024, to be extended depending on funds and performance
Worktime: 100% FTE
Target start date: between 1 August-1st September 2023
Reports to: Global Climate Justice Programme Manager
Languages required: English, French an asset

About ACT Alliance

ACT Alliance is one of the world’s largest coalition of churches and church-related organisations engaged in humanitarian, development and advocacy work. It consists of 149 members working together in over 120 countries, with headquarters in 73 countries, whose aim is to create a positive and sustainable change in the lives of poor and marginalised people regardless of their religion, politics, gender, sexual orientation, race or nationality in keeping with the highest international codes and standards. 64% of our members are headquartered in the Global South, 30% in the Global North, and 6% are Global members. For more details about the general work of ACT, please refer to http://www.actalliance.org.

Duties and responsibilities

• Supports the implementation of the ACT Alliance Africa Adaptation Advocacy project, its monitoring and reporting, under the guidance of the Global Climate Justice Programme Manager.


• Provides assistance and coordination of ACT national and regional forums on climate-related topics and programming.


• Assists coordination of regional Communities of Practice on Climate change.


• Supports the advocacy and engagement of ACT Alliance in the context of UN processes, such as the UNFCCC, and others as appropriate.


• This role will entail 10% travel.

Technical guidance, advice, and substantive leadership

• Support the undertaking of research, analysis, and evaluation of climate change intersections with social, economic, and humanitarian issues, and advise Global Climate Justice Programme Manager and team as appropriate.


• Help coordinate regional ACT Alliance’s climate change policy and advocacy work, campaigning, including policy briefs, position papers, information sharing, capacity building of members and forums, engaging with relevant international processes under the UNFCCC, and others as appropriate.


• Provide assistance and coordination of ACT Alliance regional climate structures.


• Provides assistance and coordination of ACT national and regional forums on climate-related topics and programming.

Project management

• Assist in overseeing and implementing the “Adaptation Advocacy project’’ including its activities and related internal and external communications monitoring and reporting, as well as supporting budget management of the project finances.


• Develop a draft workplan, standards for measuring progress and results, and determine the processes, tools, and methodologies to be used to ensure effective and efficient project implementation.


• Monitor the different steps and stages of project implementation and timely actions to ensure results are achieved.


• Plan and oversee the implementation of required project evaluation to address any design or implementation issues.


• Facilitate the preparation for meetings and other designated forums and follow up on all decisions taken to ensure implementation and/or timely action.


• Regularly monitor regional ACT climate projects and other initiatives.


• Contribute to the preparation and finalisation of ACT climate programme reports.

Knowledge and capacity building

• Support the various structures at regional and national levels, and work closely with ACT Alliance members and partners at regional and national level to help build ACT member and group capacities, and to facilitate increased collaboration and joint initiatives.


• Develop and disseminate knowledge products to strengthen Secretariat and forum capacity on issues of climate justice.


• Contribute to the climate justice module of the ACT Advocacy Academy.


• Competences and behaviours


• Committed to the values of the ACT Alliance and takes pride in delivering on agreed priorities according to the highest standards individually and as part of a global team.


• Proactively finds innovative and creative solutions, is efficient and reliable, adapts to change and uncertainty, is decisive and acts with integrity.


• Builds effective internal and external relationships, involves others when solving problems and treats others with consideration and respect in an alliance where faith is a key ingredient of people’s lives.


• Passion for building and developing core skills for the role and contributes knowledge outside of immediate own role.

Working relationships

• The candidate will be required to nurture and maintain relevant existing regional and national relationships.


• Internally, the Senior Programme Officer – Climate Justice will report to the Global Climate Justice Programme Manager, and collaborate closely with the advocacy, programmes and communications teams as well as the regional representatives.

Skills and experience

• At least 5 years’ experience in a project coordination, advocacy and/or campaigns role, including international experience in a network setting.


• Good understanding of global civil society working environment and multilateral processes within the UN with a particular focus on UNFCCC and the UN sustainable development and disaster risk reduction agenda.


• Strong knowledge about climate mitigation, adaptation and loss and damage.


• Experience in engaging with regional processes and governments including facilitating multi-stakeholder communications and dialogues.


• Experience working with the faith sector is desirable.


• Advanced degree in climate change and environment studies, development studies, international relations, or any other relevant discipline preferred. Demonstrable knowledge and experience will be accepted in lieu of an advanced degree.


• Ability to work in multi-cultural situations and/or multi-locational settings using a flexible, collaborative approach.


• Proven capacity to build and maintain trust among diverse groups towards consistent collaborative work.


• Highly organised, with strong project management skills.


• Demonstrated experience in developing and undertaking capacity-building initiatives.


• Ability to manage one’s own work and time within the context of multiple responsibilities and projects, and a demonstrated capacity to work under pressure to deadlines.


• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English. Good knowledge of French is an asset.

How to apply

ACT provides equitable compensation and pension packages and flexible working conditions. ACT also applies a non-discriminatory approach to recruitment and celebrates a diverse workforce. Interested and qualified candidates should send only their CV and a cover letter, in English and by email only, to recruitment@actalliance.org by 24/07/2023 (24.00 CET). Please put “[name of position]” in the subject line and name your documents: “Firstname lastname CV” and “Firstname lastname Cover letter”. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Please note that ACT adheres to the SCHR misconduct scheme https://www.schr.info/the-misconduct-disclosure-scheme. As part of reference checking, ACT will contact the current and former employer(s) of the preferred candidate, asking them to complete a Statement of Conduct form.