Program Manger for the Kenya Big Dreams Project At World Vision

World Vision is hiring a Program Manager to serve on our Children Protection and Education team.

At a Glance

Role: Program Manager

Location: Washington, D.C. USA or Federal Way, WA (near Seattle)

**Remote work not possible for this role long-term. Must be based or relocate to D.C. or Seattle

Reports to: Director of Children Protection and Education

Required experience: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience (eight years). In addition to education or education equivalent, requires a minimum of 3-5 years relevant professional experience. Work in international relief and development preferred. Direct experience managing large grants from US Government agencies, institutional foundations or major individuals preferred. Proven experience effectively managing large projects and successful resolution of implementation challenges. Demonstrated ability to facilitate multi-stakeholder engagement. Broad sector knowledge and/or field experience in one or more of the following areas of: Child Protection; Monitoring and Evaluation; Education; Economic Development; and/or Micro-finance.

Work Authorization: Must be authorized to work in the U.S.A. for any employer.

Travel: Up to 15% of the time, international and domestic

The Job

World Vision is looking for a Program Manager to manage a $30M dollar Private grant focused on child protection in Kenya to contribute to the International Programs Group’s program quality and reporting goals through the management of the Kenya Big Dream Projects. The role will support World Vision brand awareness and expertise in the Child Protection space and support ongoing fundraising efforts for Child Protection in both the public and private space. This individual will oversee project implementation, provide monitoring and evaluation of the project, closely monitor project’s budget, and ensure organizational compliance. It will be important to enact changes aligning to donor standards, develop tools, and provide capacity building for funded project

Your Responsibilities Will Include

Essential Functions

Keep Christ central in individual and corporate life. Actively participate in and contribute to the spiritual disciplines of the organization (Christian conduct, devotions, chapel, prayer, worship); incorporate WV Core Values into decisions within scope of role.

Lead or coordinate project start-up with the National Office, partner, and other key stakeholders. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Ensure all involved staff have copies of approved program design (narrative, log-frame, monitoring and evaluation plan, budget, and grant agreement) and that they understand World Vision and donor regulations, reporting and other requirements.
• Assist with recruiting and staffing/consulting needs.
• Support Field Office (FO) in meeting special donor requirements, such as the purchase of capital assets, donor calls, reporting and vision trips.
• Facilitate start-up workshop and any required training (e.g., donor requirements).
• Ensure clarity of roles and responsibilities for key staff to support successful project implementation.
• Ensure technical review of any baseline research methodologies and support both the Child Protection and Education Team Research and Learning Agenda as well as the Kenya Big Dream research agenda.
• Ensure that monitoring and evaluation system is set up (including reporting templates) and processes for developing detailed implementation plan and Indicator Tracking Table is completed. Ensure targets are set, monitored and reported on quarterly.
• Ensure that the reporting and evaluation process for the performance management of the program is developed.
• Communicate outcomes of start-up to the donor or director.
  Ensure that projects are managed effectively through appropriate, timely and detailed communication with appropriate internal teams and relevant stakeholders regarding major issues and successes related to the project. Coordinate with appropriate staff and leadership to encourage and facilitate the documentation of promising practices and lessons learned. On-going project implementation support includes, but is not limited to:
• Provide project management assistance to the field as needed.
• Ensure regular, positive, and productive communication with respective donor representatives, the field, and partners regarding the implementation of program activities.
• Ensure on time submission of high-quality reports.
• Monitor implementation and resource/fund utilization rates in conjunction with Finance.
• Assist the field in accessing appropriate technical assistance for successful implementation of activities.
• Monitor compliance and ensure WV responds professionally to all compliance and audit issues, follow-up on audit findings and evaluation recommendations.
• Ensure technical review of any evaluation terms of reference.
• Revise program documents as necessary and as requested and coordinate or complete approved amendments.
• Work with technical advisors in Child Protection, Education and Economic Empowerment to ensure strong technical alignment in all sectors
• Work with the Sr Finance Officer to ensure timely budget revisions and reporting
• Coordinate and/or submit cost and no-cost extensions.
• Coordinate with Regional Office (RO) technical staff on key updates and technical support requests.
• Showcase projects and data collected through internal and external fora as relevant.
• Work closely with the private funding and marketing team to develop donor facing materials to showcase the project and support in new resource acquisition.

Lead the Research and Learning agenda in consultation with the field, WV M&E team, Sr. Technical Advisor for Child Protection, and the external research institution.
Provide oversight and management of research reports and assessments produced as part of the Research and Learning agenda

• Showcase learnings at external events (donor facing and academic)
• Work closely with the private funding and marketing team to develop donor facing materials to showcase the project and support in new resource acquisition.
• Support donor engagement calls quarterly
• Support fundraising calls and fundraising events as needed
• Adhere to donor and project related MOUs
• Lead close-out process (includes final reports, evaluations and lessons learned). Ensure that evaluation outcomes and lessons learned are shared with and disseminated to all appropriate stakeholders.
• Conduct appropriate and useful field visits to assist the office, ensuring communication and coordination with appropriate staff members.
• Provide support to acquisition activities, including the pre-positioning for follow-on opportunities and review of proposal drafts in order to provide historical knowledge and content from program management experience.
• Work collaboratively with team members when assigned to work as a member of a team.

Perform other duties as assigned.

Maintain awareness of corporate goals, objectives, organizational announcements, and activities. Reference and follow organizational policies and procedures, seeking clarity as needed.

You Bring These Skills

Behavioral Competencies

• Planning and Organizing: Establishes a systematic course of action for self or others to ensure accomplishment of a specific objective. Determines priorities and allocates time and resources effectively.
• Balancing Multiple Priorities: Balances the needs and interests of various stakeholders and makes decisions involving competing goals, objectives and alternatives. Prioritizes tasks and redirects work effort in response to changes in priorities.
• Flexibility/Adaptability: Demonstrates ability to adapt to new ways of doing things; is willing to attempt new ways to solve problems and maximizes performance and opportunity in a constantly changing work environment.
• Cross-Cultural Sensitivity: Communicates and interacts effectively with people from other cultures, religions, and geographies; respects and adapts to other cultures and seeks opportunities to enhance relationships. Respects different denominations.
• Relationship Building: Easily establishes a professional rapport, growing and maintaining a network of contacts. Offers compromises as necessary to gain support and participation. Proactively contacts others, despite the risk of possible rejection.
• Problem Solving: Identifies and analyzes situations and/or issues, considers options, develops and decides on solutions, recommends and/or implements and monitors appropriate solutions.
• Teamwork: Promotes and generates cooperation and teamwork among internal and external contacts while working to achieve collective outcomes. Ensures consistent, ongoing communication with others.
• Results Orientation: Drives for quality results and success; demonstrates a sense of urgency in achieving goals; persists despite obstacles.
• Spiritual Leadership: Leads worship and Bible studies effectively and mentors others spiritually.

Technical Competencies

• Organizational Awareness: Understands business operations and the mission, work and priorities of the organization. Applies understanding of organization’s informal structure, culture and climate in achieving goals.
• Program Design and Implementation: Effectively design development and relief programs that transform communities in need. Understands how to acquire and integrate resources to support program design. Carries out the vision of ministry program.
• Sector Knowledge: Understand current methodologies and standards associated with Child Protection, Education and Economic Empowerment sectors and effectively applies knowledge in designing, monitoring and evaluating programs.
• Funding Mechanisms Knowledge: Understands diverse funding mechanisms (e.g., cost proposals, fixed-price grants, etc.), how they operate, and the requirements for each, and applies knowledge in developing budgets.
• Managing Resources: Identifies appropriate people, facilities, tools and materials, time constraints, vendors, etc. for accomplishing goals. Considers potential costs and benefits of resources prior to allocating them.
• Knowledge Management: Effectively organizes and manages information resources so that current, critical knowledge is retained and information can easily be disseminated. Develops feedback loops to ensure best practice information is captured.
• English Language Proficiency: The ability to speak, understand and write fluently in English.

Education and Experience

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience (eight years). Masters preferred. In addition to education or education equivalent, requires a minimum of 3-5 years relevant professional experience.

Where This Job Could Take Your Career

You’ll be part of World Vision USA as well as part of the larger World Vision International Partnership. Globally, we have over 34,000 staff working in nearly 100 countries (~1,000 staff with World Vision US). This role is unique in that it has both fundraising and program management components and is a flag ship project for World Vision and our work in Child Protection. The project could be expanded beyond 2028 and have an increased budget up to $100M potentially. The individual who takes on this role will have the unique opportunity to work directly with the field and travel to Kenya, market the project at external events and help raise funds as well as wear the traditional Program Manager hat. This experience is a great resume builder for future roles inside and outside World Vision.

About World Vision

We’re a global Christian humanitarian organization. We partner with children, families, and their communities to empower them as they reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. For over 70 years, World Vision has followed Jesus’ example to show unconditional love to the poor and oppressed. We serve every child regardless of faith.

Salary Range & Benefits

Your salary is important to you, so it’s important to us. Please share your salary expectations with us in the application process to get the conversation started. We also have a robust and comprehensive benefits package to round out our total compensation package. Click here to learn more.