Country Director at Helen Keller International

Scope of the Position

The CD provides leadership and develops action plans that further the mission of Helen Keller and meet the evolving conditions in Kenya. S/he has overall responsibility for ensuring technical and operational excellence in the delivery of all activities to achieve the objectives established in grants and strategic plans and representing Helen Keller to disseminate findings and secure and expand funding for project activities in Kenya. This position is based in Nairobi with regular travel to project sites required.

Specific Responsibilities

Overall Management and Leadership

• Provide leadership and direction for overall program design and implementation, and proposal development.
• Build a highly effective CMT, recruiting, supervising, mentoring, and evaluating staff, and engaging in frequent performance conversations with team members.
• Work closely with the CMT to manage the office and accomplish country office goals in alignment with the organizational mission.
• Model collaboration for your matrixed team: effectively consult and inform colleagues to maximize efficiency and knowledge sharing and integrate guidance and direction from subject matter experts in your office and elsewhere in the global organization to maximize performance.
• Delegate authority, consult with, and guide staff to achieve goals and contribute to an atmosphere conducive to professional growth and development.
• Ensure accountability to clients, partners, colleagues, and donors by providing ongoing feedback in a context of mutual respect.
• Ensure Country Office is following Helen Keller policies and procedures, staff completed mandatory training, including annual refreshers.
• Represent Helen Keller in formal and informal meetings with government officials, international donor agencies, and national technical advisory groups pertinent to our project activities.
• Collaborate with Business Development Unit to identify opportunities and generate funding from international and bilateral agencies and donor agencies.
• Develop and nurture in-country donor relationships and identify potential partners to participate in joint proposals.
• Lead and prepare concept papers and proposals and provide other information as needed for submission to donors and others for fundraising and marketing purposes.
• As a senior leader in the organization, participate in global working groups, the recruitment process of global colleagues and other activities, as requested.

Programmatic

• Oversee and coordinate the program portfolio to ensure the highest level of project quality and accountability, while fostering continuity through building local capacity.
• Provide technical input to the government, international donors, and technical advisory groups pertinent to project activities.
• Ensure implementation of strong program monitoring, evaluation, and learning functions.
• Oversee research design, methodology, and dissemination of information needed to monitor and evaluate project activities and/or advance programmatic and policy changes.
• Disseminate findings from Helen Keller projects that are of importance to decision- makers in a position to fund or implement projects in Kenya and internationally.
• Keep the national partners and others informed about the progress of the projects, plans for the development of new programs/projects/activities and donor involvement in the overall program.

Financial and Administrative

• Provide oversight to finance and administrative services including procurement, property management, human resources management, vehicle and facilities management, and staff safety and security.
• Work with global colleagues to manage the development and implementation of annual country budgets.
• Authorize expenditures for grant or contract allocations and ensure compliance with procedures required by grant or contract agreements.
• Ensure the accurate and timely submission of financial and narrative reports that comply with grant or contract agreements and ensure compliance with all aspects of donor funding and Helen Keller policies.

Qualifications

• Minimum ten years of field experience in managing global health or nutrition programs, including demonstrated experience in program development, implementation, and evaluation, plus a minimum master’s degree in public health, nutrition, international development or a related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Demonstrated experience and skills in leadership, staff management, program development and management, strategic planning, monitoring and evaluation and public speaking.
• Technical knowledge in at least one area related to Helen Keller’s mission and programs.
• Experience in designing and implementing workshops, seminars, surveys, monitoring systems, and evaluations plus research design, data analysis, and interpretation.
• Proven experience ensuring the sustainability of program activities is essential.
• Familiarity with and experience promoting health systems strengthening in developing contexts is strongly desired.
• Demonstrated ability to undertake high-level representation and advocacy.
• Experience working in Kenya and/or elsewhere in East Africa, with Ministries, international and local NGOs, and donors based locally, is a substantial asset.
• Demonstrated capacity to mobilize program funding including donor cultivation and grants writing.
• Knowledge and experience managing compliance to diverse donors (USAID, DFID, GAC, etc.).
• Demonstrated ability to supervise key administrative, procurement, logistics and financial functions, including developing and creating budgets and monitoring financial status.
• Experience with staff security and safety issues is desirable.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including an ability to effectively lead a team, communicate a vision, make timely and transparent decisions, and manage conflict.
• Collaborative, flexible and solution-oriented. An ability to maintain balance when under stress.
• Very good oral and written English language skills, including the ability to quickly synthesize complex technical and programmatic issues into concise communications.
• Well established and practiced organizational and planning skills.
• Computer literate in use of word-processing, spreadsheet and statistical software; experience in data analysis and interpretation is highly desirable.
• Demonstrable respect for all persons regardless of religion, ethnicity, class or gender, with a high comfort level working in a diverse environment with a demonstrated commitment to high professional ethical standards.