Market Systems Development Senior Associate - Kakuma at Inkomoko

Specific responsibilities include:

Program Management, Diagnostics and Strategy  (20% of the time)

• Lead rigorous market systems diagnostics and value chain assessments in priority sectors—including livestock, solar energy, finance, logistics, agriculture, textiles, FMCG, and manufacturing—to uncover systemic constraints, incentive structures, and leverage points for inclusive, sustainable change.
• Map and engage a diverse range of market actors—including producers, buyers, service providers, and policy influencers—to strengthen core and supporting market functions and foster well-functioning market linkage systems. Maintain a database of enterprises and identify those with high potential to crowd in and scale inclusive practices.

Intervention Design and implementation (30% of the time)

• Co-design and facilitate catalytic, market-driven interventions that address systemic constraints and root causes of market underperformance. Interventions should be facilitative, reinforcing existing market functions and incentivizing local actors to lead and sustain change.
• Solicit , formally and informally potential partnerships through the development of TORS, Call for applications and Partnership requests to onboard different private and public sector actors to design and implement interventions
• Use adaptive management principles to adjust interventions based on ongoing market analysis, stakeholder feedback, and learning.
• Promote inclusive business models that create value for marginalized market actors, including refugees and host communities. Facilitate the crowding-in of market actors by demonstrating commercially viable solutions, ensuring interventions are scalable, cost-effective, and anchored in market incentives rather than direct service delivery.

Partnerships & External Relations (25 % of the time)

• Facilitate and maintain strategic relationships with private sector actors to co-create and support inclusive market opportunities for clients. Support the design and implementation of market-facing activities, such as exhibitions, buyer-seller forums, and trade events, that enhance clients’ visibility and access to end markets.
• Engage proactively with start-ups and SMEs to identify systemic barriers to growth, co-develop pathways for upscaling.
• Cultivate a robust network of private sector firms, producer organizations, and relevant development partners—particularly those engaged in agriculture, livestock, retail, and industrial productivity—to foster collaboration and alignment across the market system.
• Develop MoUs, grant agreements, or technical assistance packages with partners based in negotiations and alignment with the 
• Facilitate co-creation of business models or behavior changes that address market constraints.
• Manage and nurture ongoing partnerships — acting as a trusted advisor rather than a service provider.

M&E and Adoptive management (10 % of the time)

• Lead the use of technology-enabled tools to systematically collect, record, and manage entrepreneur and market actor data to support evidence-based service delivery and adaptive programming.
• Write intervention plans, concept notes, learning briefs, and success stories. Share learnings internally (within the MSD team) and externally (with partners, other programs, or donors)
• Maintain clear and concise intervention logs and updates for internal and donor reporting.
• Oversee the development and use of tools to monitor market actor behavior change, such as the adoption of inclusive business models, investment in support services, and improved market relationships.
• Design and maintain intervention-specific results chains and systemic change frameworks, clearly articulating the linkages between program activities, outputs, outcomes, and intended market system shifts.
• Co-design and implement robust M&E frameworks, including both quantitative and qualitative indicators, to track changes in market systems, particularly in areas such as actor behavior, crowding-in, and inclusion of marginalized groups.
• Ensure high standards of data quality, consistency, and security across all interventions, supporting accurate analysis and real-time decision-making.

Market linkage activities (10% of the time )

• Support in the design and execute market linkage services like buyer engagement, tender distributions, buyer and supplier connections, etc, to enable clients to expand their businesses 
• Work with consulting business advisors and Investment officers to identify clients suitable for market linkage opportunities.
• Provide recruitment and training support, as needed. 
• Lead market linkage initiatives by sharing key learnings internally, coordinating with business development and investment teams to identify high-potential clients, and supporting them in accessing and utilizing market opportunities. 

Management & Administration (5% of the time )

• Contribute to the development of annual objectives, strategies, and work plans for BGS, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities and MSD principles.
• Lead administrative planning for intervention roll-out, including budgeting, procurement requests, and compliance with internal financial and operational procedures.
• Manage project resources effectively, ensuring responsible use of funds, timely reporting on expenditures, and adherence to donor and organizational guidelines.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date documentation of project activities, partner communications, contracts, and operational tools in line with data management standards.
• Supervise or coordinate with support staff (e.g., finance, admin, logistics) to ensure seamless implementation of field activities and operational support across locations.
• Participate in internal coordination meetings, contribute to reporting cycles, and provide updates on progress, risks, and administrative needs

Requirements

CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS

We are looking for candidates who have previously held Market Systems and project management roles , access to finance interventions ,with demonstrated success, and who align with our company values.

• 5+ years of demonstrated success in program management of complex projects, Market systems programs. 
• Master’s degree preferred, or Bachelor’s degree in Project Management, Business administration, value chain management or related field 
• Experience with designing and implementing projects with a market-systems approach and/or to create market linkages in Kenya  
• Experience working with micro and small businesses as well as overall market dynamics, financial markets and Financial inclusion
• Has a sound of understanding of challenges refugees and the local community face with regards to business growth.
• Highly analytical and organize
• Excellent creative and innovative thinking skills 
• Fluency in English and Swahili required.  Any other local language is a plus