Program Manager – Nawiri at The Boma Project

Position One (1) Position
Direct Reports to Kenya Director of Programs
Job titles of persons supervised Turkana County Graduation Advisor, Samburu County Nawiri Coordinator
Terms Contract (One Year) Renewable
Office Location Nairobi
1. Summary:
The BOMA Project is currently seeking qualified candidates for Program Manager position on the USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) 5-year Development Food Security Activity (DFSA) entitled Nawiri, in Samburu and Turkana counties.. BOMA works closely with consortium partners, county governments, and communities to implement this program which has, as its overarching goal, to sustainably reduce levels of persistent acute malnutrition in Kenya’s arid and semi-arid lands. The program is strongly based in the counties, with active engagement across communities, the private sector, and civil society, and also seeks to address gender inequalities and social dynamics as key drivers of food insecurity and malnutrition.

Within the program, The BOMA Project is adapting and implementing its graduation programming to contribute to Nawiri’s nutrition goals while building productive and diverse livelihoods in the target communities. BOMA staff deliver graduation programming directly in Samburu County with oversight from a BOMA Nawiri County Coordinator, while providing technical assistance to Mercy Corps to implement in Turkana County through a BOMA Graduation Advisor.

Under the supervision of the Director of Programs, the Nawiri Program Manager is responsible for driving performance and results to achieve project objectives on time, on scope, and on budget. S/he will lead the team to deliver timely project implementation, monitor project activities, oversee adaptive learning, and ensure quality. S/he will manage relationships with project partners, including Mercy Corps, the lead of the overall NAWIRI award. S/he will ensure sound financial management and contractual compliance. This position will be based in BOMA’s Nairobi office, with frequent travel to Turkana and Samburu Counties.

The ideal candidate is an experienced project manager with prior experience working with USAID or other bilateral donor. S/he is effective at project planning and management, managing employees, and relationships with partners and stakeholders in challenging environments and is passionate about women’s economic empowerment. Background in research, design, and/or implementation of integrated nutrition interventions is a big plus.
2. Responsibilities:
2.1 Project Management
2.1.1 Using appropriate project management tools to lead the planning and timely implementation of BOMA’S work within Nawiri, tracking and reviewing progress against targets throughout the project cycle.
2.1.2 Coordinate personnel across departments (technical, programming, monitoring, evaluation, and learning, and operations) involved in the implementation of Nawiri.
2.1.3 Lead annual work planning and budgeting, including BOMA’s inputs for the annual PREP (Pipeline and Resource Estimate Proposal) submission, making informed adjustments as required in coordination with the Director of Programs and the consortium partners.
2.1.4 Oversee management and maintenance of up-to-date documentation related to all project approvals, monitoring and implementation in both hard and soft copies.
2.2 Program Quality
2.2.1 Identify and document lessons learned, challenges, and risks keeping required project management tools updated, i.e. risk register, issue log, and regular after action reviews.
2.2.2 Identify technical support needs of BOMA and its partners, taking the lead in requesting for internal or external assistance by developing Scopes of Work and bringing in the required support.
2.2.3 Provide technical and/or operational guidance to team, informed by technical standards, best practice, donor guidelines, and ongoing research and learning.
2.2.4 Ensure the development and implement strong M&E systems using appropriate tools and resources to capture learning and evidence.
2.3 Partnership and Coordination
2.3.1 Manage relationships with Mercy Corps and other consortium partners, ensuring effective coordination both centrally and in the counties.
2.3.2 Represent BOMA at workshops, meetings, and other events with Nawiri partners, including government, and Humanitarian Assistance (BHA), where requested.
2.3.3 Supervise proper compliance with BOMA and Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) policies and procedures.
2.3.4 Represent BOMA at meetings with NAWIRI partners, including government, and Humanitarian Assistance (BHA), where requested.
2.4 Operations and Financial Oversight
2.4.1 Manage the use of resources and oversee internal control processes within the project.
2.4.2 Participate in recruitment and hiring of personnel where required.
2.4.3 With support from operations staff, oversee procurements, deliveries, and other logistical coordination for Nawiri activities.
2.5 Supervision
2.5.1 Continuously support the professional development of BOMA’s Nawiri team, especially direct reports, by providing adequate mentoring, clear orientation, feedback and learning opportunities.
2.5.2 Effectively manage talent, fulfill performance management responsibilities, and provide coaching to direct reports.
3 Minimum Qualifications:
3.1 Bachelor’s Degree in International Development, Economics, Business, Agricultural, Public Health, Nutrition, Rural Development or Social Sciences
3.2 At least five (5) years of demonstrated management experience in managing projects of a similar size.
3.3 Experience working in livelihood projects, integrated nutrition and food security, and/or gender and women’s economic empowerment programming highly preferred.
3.4 Knowledge of donor administrative, management, and reporting procedures and systems, along with project planning, budget and financial management, and supervision. USAID experience highly preferred.
3.5 Experience in Northern Kenya is required. Experience in Samburu and/or Turkana counties a plus.
3.6 Experience working and managing relationships and partnerships in a multi-partner consortium.
3.7 Experience participating in and/or facilitating Collaboration, Adaptation, and Learning (CLA) processes that inform program design and implementation.
3.8 Detail orientation, including strong organizational, analytical and quantitative skills.
3.9 Strong project management skills including the ability to anticipate demand and manage multiple tasks and projects while meeting tight deadlines. Project management qualification and/or certification such as PMD Pro, PRINCE 2, or PMP is a plus.
3.10 Ability to build consensus among diverse stakeholders, including government collaborators.
3.11 Demonstrated ability to oversee and develop high performing teams, including both direct reports and teams of colleagues and partners. Experience with remote management a plus.
3.12 Excellent oral and written skills in English. Fluency in Kiswahili required.
3.13 Demonstrated ability to be collaborative across projects, flexible and creative.
3.14 Excellent interpersonal and leadership skills.
3.15 Prior experience with remote management, including leadership of a team of highly successful staff working in multiple locations and/or field offices.
3.16 Excellent computer skills in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and internet.
3.17 Strong written communication skills, including well-written, well organized, and concise reports for internal and external audiences.
3.18 Strong presentation skills, including persuasive, clear summaries of complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences in the areas of livelihoods and nutrition.
3.19 Willingness to travel domestically up to 40% of the time, primarily in Samburu and Turkana counties.