Pathfinder Coordinator At Jesuit Refugee Service

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Experience 5-10

JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title: Pathfinder Coordinator – Nairobi & Kakuma

Reporting to: Project Director Nairobi or Kakuma

Start Date: March

Description

The Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) is an international Catholic organization with a mission to accompany, serve, and advocate for the rights of refugees and other forcibly displaced persons. Founded in 1980, JRS operates in over 56 countries worldwide, delivering programs that support education, livelihoods, psychosocial support, and emergency assistance, with a strong emphasis on empowering individuals and fostering self-reliance. This involves ensuring that refugees are afforded their full rights while in exile and during repatriation as guaranteed by the 1951 Geneva Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and working to strengthen the protection afforded to internally displaced persons (IDPs). It extends to lobbying for and promoting international human rights legislation, either through participation in international campaigns and coalitions or through membership of international fora, such as the UN Economic and Social Committee (ECOSOC).

In Kenya, JRS has been at the forefront of addressing the needs of refugees and vulnerable host communities for over three decades. The organization works in education, livelihoods, psychosocial support, and advocacy, guided by principles of compassion, inclusivity, and social justice. JRS Kenya’s programs are rooted in creating opportunities that enable refugees and host communities to rebuild their lives with dignity, focusing on education and skills development as pathways to resilience and independence.

The Pathfinder Coordinator role aligns with JRS’s commitment to transformative education and sustainable livelihoods. By integrating market-responsive vocational training, tertiary/higher education, and livelihood initiatives, this position ensures that JRS’s beneficiaries in Kakuma and Nairobi are equipped to thrive in an ever-changing world. It is an opportunity to lead innovative, impactful programs that reflect JRS’s core values of accompaniment, service, and advocacy

Operational Context/Role

The Pathfinder Coordinator leads the vocational skills training, tertiary/higher education programs, and market-responsive livelihood initiatives in Kakuma and Nairobi. The role ensures that all projects follow the Project Cycle Management (PCM) framework, from design to evaluation, and align with market trends and emerging employment opportunities. Additionally, the role integrates livelihood projects (e.g., Smart Farm, Mikono Shop, food production) with education and training initiatives, ensuring beneficiaries are prepared for internship, job placement, and entrepreneurship opportunities.

Reporting to the Project Director in Nairobi/Kakuma, the Pathfinder coordinator will be based in Nairobi with frequent travel to Kakuma office. This is a fixed term contract typefor One (1) Year with possibility for extension subject to availability of funds and individual performance.

Child Safeguarding and PSEA commitments

JRS has zero tolerance towards all forms of sexual exploitation and abuse and takes seriously all concerns and complaints about sexual exploitation and abuse against children and vulnerable adults by JRS personnel. JRS is committed to Safeguard children and vulnerable adults and has policies which outline the expected behaviour, code of conduct and responsibility of all persons acting on behalf of JRS (Staff, consultants, volunteers, interns, Pastoral team, and other representatives). All staff working for JRS are expected to abide by these policies and guideline.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

This is a senior Management position for a professional with leadership and administrative skills and experience with a focus to solutions

Project Cycle Management (PCM):

Design: Lead needs assessments and develop project proposals that are market-aligned, inclusive, and gender-sensitive.
Planning: Create detailed project work plans, budgets, and resource allocation frameworks for vocational and tertiary education initiatives.
Implementation: Ensure timely and high-quality delivery of project activities, adhering to PCM principles.

Monitoring and Evaluation:

Develop and implement tools to track progress and outcomes for education and livelihood projects.
Use evidence-based insights to adapt and improve project delivery.
Closure and Reporting: Prepare comprehensive reports for donors and internal stakeholders, documenting achievements, challenges, and lessons learned.

Research and Market Analysis:

Conduct labor market assessments to identify trends, skill gaps, and employment opportunities in Kakuma, Nairobi, and beyond.
Ensure all vocational and tertiary programs are informed by current and future market needs, making them demand-driven and impactful.
Develop partnerships with employers, training institutions, and industry experts to ensure relevance and job readiness of graduates.

Tertiary and Digital Education Integration:

Oversee the SNHU online degree program, ensuring students receive necessary academic and career support.
Link tertiary students and digital learners to internships, job placements, and entrepreneurship opportunities through partnerships with private sector actors and NGOs.
Promote digital inclusion by expanding access to technology and digital literacy for underserved groups.

Livelihood and Skills Development:

Supervise the implementation of livelihood projects, including Smart Farm, Mikono Shop, and food production, ensuring integration with vocational training.
Design vocational skills programs that include entrepreneurship training, soft skills development, and alignment with market needs.
Strengthen the livelihood-to-employment pipeline by connecting training graduates to economic opportunities.

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL):

Develop and implement MEL frameworks to track project performance and ensure accountability.
Conduct post-training evaluations to assess the impact of education and livelihood initiatives on employment and income generation.
Document and disseminate best practices to inform future programming.

Collaboration and Stakeholder Engagement:

Work closely with the Programme Manager and Project Directors to align activities with broader organizational strategies.
Build and maintain partnerships with employers, academic institutions, local businesses, and donors to enhance the impact and sustainability of projects.
Represent JRS in external forums to advocate for market-responsive education and livelihood programs for refugees and host communities.

Team Leadership and Capacity Building:

Provide technical support and mentorship to project staff, enhancing their skills in PCM, market analysis, and MEL practices.
Foster a culture of collaboration and innovation within the team to adapt programs to changing contexts and opportunities.

Person Specification – Essential Requirements

Qualification

A degree in Education, Development Studies, Business Administration, or a related field (Master’s degree preferred).
At least 5 years of experience in Project Cycle Management (PCM), including design, planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of projects.
Proven expertise in market research, livelihood programming, and linking education to employment opportunities.
Strong understanding of tertiary education and digital inclusion programs, including online learning platforms like SNHU.
Experience in managing vocational training programs and livelihood initiatives, with a focus on practical, market-aligned outcomes.
Excellent skills in stakeholder engagement, report writing, and team leadership.
Proficiency in using MEL tools and frameworks for tracking progress and informing decision-making.
Familiarity with gender-sensitive programming, youth empowerment, and refugee contexts.

Skills

Excellent interpersonal, listening and communication skills.
Ability to positively influence others and successfully reconcile differences.
A self-starter with a strong results orientation and with high levels of integrity, credibility, and dependability.
An energetic team player who can effectively collaborate, and who can stand alone when necessary.
Passionate about advocacy for the rights and needs of people with special needs.
Ability to work in international settings and with various departments to implement successful approaches to psychosocial matters.
Demonstrated ability to work and deliver under pressure and tight deadlines.

Other Qualities

Demonstrates integrity by modelling JRS’ values and ethical standards and acts in accordance with the JRS code of conduct.
Advocates and promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of JRS.
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.
A positive team player who can effectively collaborate, and who can stand alone when necessary.
Treats all people fairly without favouritism.

Core Values

Commitment to JRS mission, vision and values, and the ability to convey with enthusiasm JRS’s role in accompanying and serving forcibly displaced people and in advocating for their right to protection and a life in dignity.
High integrity, honesty, and confidentiality; ability to deal tactfully and discreetly with situations, people, and information.
Acceptance of diversity and inclusion.
Willingness to work in flexible, sub-optimal, stressful, and unstable environments.

JRS Commitment:

JRS is committed to creating an inclusive and equitable work environment. We prohibit discrimination against any candidate or employee based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, marital status, or any other legally protected status. All hiring decisions are based on merit, qualifications, and organizational needs, and we are dedicated to fair treatment in all stages of recruitment and employment. We welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds to enrich our organization with their unique perspectives and experiences

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