Country Director, Kenya at Precision Development (PxD)

Responsibilities

These will evolve as the role develops. The key initial areas are below.

Strategy & Program Leadership: 

• Set the strategic direction for PxD in Kenya, in line with organizational strategy, and contribute to and execute PxD’s research and program vision
• Direct the implementation of existing projects and the design of new services, with input from the wider PxD team
• Oversee all Kenya projects and scoping studies, including implementation plans and monitoring
• Own the country budget
• Support the development and use of research methods, monitoring and evaluation tools, and program management systems
• Work with research affiliates to keep programs grounded in evidence and contributing to PxD’s learning

Team Leadership & Operations: 

• Lead the Kenya team: set priorities across projects, run regular team meetings, and foster a culture aligned with PxD’s values
• Supervise and develop direct reports and build overall team capacity
• Oversee in-country finance personnel, working with the CFO and finance team to ensure sound financial management
• Oversee and support the Program Management Unit (PMU), working with the PMU Lead, to ensure its work fits Kenya program priorities and government partnerships
• Work with the Operations team and local legal counsel to ensure compliance with Kenyan law and local policies
• Act as the link between the wider PxD team and the Kenya team, ensuring compliance with PxD policies and supporting reporting to internal and external stakeholders

Partnerships & Fundraising: 

• Lead PxD’s outreach to and relationships with county and national governments
• Build and manage relationships with technology providers, agribusinesses and other private businesses, development organizations, NGOs, service providers, implementation partners and donors
• Oversee business development, fundraising and donor management, and lead the development of mid- and long-term financial sustainability for PxD Kenya
• Support policy dissemination and partnership development in other African countries, as needed

Organizational Contribution: 

• Contribute to organizational strategy and leadership, fundraising and development, communications, events, and institutional learning
• Take on other work as directed by the CEO and/or Africa Regional Director to help PxD Kenya grow and succeed

What You’ll Bring: 

Qualifications and experience:

• Master’s degree in economics, agricultural economics, public policy, or a closely related field
• 10+ years of experience leading large programs, including managing managers or senior staff
• Experience living and working in Kenya
• Strategic leadership experience, with the ability to translate organizational strategy into country-level plans
• Experience owning a country or program budget and overseeing finance staff, working with a central finance team
• Experience with project planning, risk management, and monitoring and evaluation tools and program management systems
• Track record in fundraising and business development, including managing donors and large grants and building mid- to long-term financial sustainability

Leadership and people management:

• A demonstrated ability to retain top talent, build staff capacity, and address performance issues promptly
• Experience fostering a values-led team culture and working effectively with a wider team based outside Kenya

Partnerships and stakeholder engagement:

• A strong track record of building and managing relationships with government partners, private sector and technology partners, and other stakeholders, and of getting things done within complex bureaucracies
• Ability to coordinate effectively with cross-functional teams, donors, government agencies, and researchers at all levels
• Familiarity with Kenya’s legal and regulatory environment, and experience working with legal counsel to ensure compliance

Research and evidence:

• Familiarity with RCTs and rigorous research methods, and the ability to translate evidence into practical program decisions

Skills and working style:

• A clear, confident communicator with strong written and spoken English and advanced presentation skills
• Comfort working in a fast-paced, resource-constrained nonprofit or social-impact setting, managing multiple projects to tight timelines
• Ability to travel within Kenya and internationally

Desirable:

• Experience developing research projects, preferably quantitative
• Experience working with public sector enterprises and NGOs in Kenya
• Knowledge of agricultural economics