Program Associate at East Africa Market Development Associates (EAMDA)

Key Responsibilities

Program Implementation and Field Execution

• Support day-to-day implementation of programs.
• Assist in designing and executing interventions: from youth trainings and business clinics to exposure visits, coaching frameworks, and partner convenings.
• Manage field logistics, maintain implementation trackers, follow up with regional teams, and support quality assurance of deliverables.
• Monitor progress against timelines, budgets, and targets, and flag issues early.

Research, Analysis, and Strategy Development

• Conduct qualitative and quantitative research (e.g., stakeholder interviews, cooperative landscape mapping, MSME diagnostics).
• Analyze market and field data to identify trends, risks, and opportunities.
• Draft strategic and technical documents: concept notes, pitch decks, donor reports, and internal memos.
• Contribute to solution design, you won’t just support others’ ideas; you’ll shape them.

Client and Partner Engagement

• Coordinate with program partners (e.g., implementing NGOs, SACCOs, private sector actors) to align on priorities and timelines.
• Participate in external meetings, take minutes, follow up on action items, and occasionally represent the program to donors or institutional partners.
• Help plan, organize, and deliver stakeholder-facing events.

Organizational and Operational Support

• Manage internal workflows: documentation, communications, scheduling, procurement follow-up, and contracting support.
• Contribute to building internal knowledge systems and learning tools.
• Pitch in wherever needed, whether helping with a MEL framework draft or planning a youth hackathon.

What We're Looking For

You’ll thrive in this role if you’re the kind of person who:

• Takes initiative and gets energy from solving problems before being asked.
• Can move from a strategy call to a boda boda ride in the field without missing a beat.
• Is as comfortable reading a budget as they are speaking to youth groups or pitching a project idea.
• Wants mentorship but doesn’t wait to be handheld.
• Has opinions, and can back them up with thinking
• Knows how to be “professional,” but is not afraid to be fun, warm, and human.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (Agriculture, Economics, Development, Business, Policy, etc.)
• 5-7 years of experience in a role involving program delivery, consulting, research, youth development, or economic inclusion.
• Demonstrated ability to organize complex projects and manage time independently.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills.
• Comfort with ambiguity and ability to adapt quickly.