Market Systems Program Manager at Inkomoko

ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY & RESPONSIBILITIES

To lead the design, implementation, and scale-up of Inkomoko’s market systems and market linkage strategies across Kenya, with a focus on creating inclusive economic opportunities for refugee and host communities. The Market Systems Program Manager will drive the development of frameworks and partnerships that strengthen market access for micro and small entrepreneurs, oversee a team of business advisors, and ensure that all interventions are aligned with systemic change principles. This role will be pivotal in fostering sustainable business growth through private sector engagement, cross-sector collaboration, and adaptive program management across diverse field locations

The objectives of this role include:

• Design an implementation strategy and frameworks for Market linkage activities to serve micro and small entrepreneurs in Kenya’s refugee-hosting States, Counties, and secondary cities
• Fully develop and operationalize program plans and to meet the needs of Inkomoko, our clients and partners.

Specific responsibilities include:

Program Management, Diagnostics and Strategy  (25% 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.
• Oversee the day-to-day coordination, implementation, and quality assurance of MSD activities. Monitor progress, manage risks, and ensure timely, results-driven delivery
• Collaborate with the training team to develop and deliver market-relevant capacity-building content that equips entrepreneurs with the skills and insights needed to engage competitively in value chains and adopt new market behaviors

Intervention Design and Portfolio Management (25% 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.
• Ensure all MSD initiatives are strategically aligned with organizational objectives and complementary programs within the client-facing Departments(Business Growth Services & Investment). 
• 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 (15 % 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.
• Actively participate in market linkage forums, sector platforms, and ecosystem convenings to remain informed of evolving market trends, influence stakeholder coordination, and identify crowding-in opportunities to scale impact.

Market linkage activities (25% of the time )

• 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. 
• Provide hands-on coaching in marketing, manage local teams and resources efficiently, and ensure clients are well-positioned to grow through strategic visibility and connections.

M&E and Adoptive management (5 % 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.
• 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.

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

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

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

• 7+ 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 
• Excellent team builders with demonstrated leadership and interpersonal skills, with the ability to train, supervise, evaluate, and give feedback to staff.
• 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
• Has a sound of understanding of challenges refugees and the local community face with regards to business growth.
• Highly analytical and organized
• Excellent creative and innovative thinking skills 
• Fluency in English and Swahili required.  Any other local language is a plus