Program Officer – Climate Change at Dorcas Aid International

Job Context

Dorcas recognizes that Kenya’s development agenda is susceptible to adverse effects of climate change which will have far reaching ramifications on the GDP, food security, natural resources, livelihoods, peace and stability. Consequently, Dorcas works to compliment national and county government efforts as outlined in the Kenyan Climate Change Legislation[1], Climate Change Action Plan, the updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), the Kenyan Green Economy Strategy and Implementation Plan (GESIP), amongst others. Dorcas's strategy on climate change is anchored in a locally led partnerships with communities; the government; civil society actors and the private sector; strengthening capacities of communities; investing in resilience programs; policy influencing and developing economic ventures that enhance communities’ resilience. We are looking for a motivated and skilled climate change professional with hands-on experience in designing climate change programs that bring tangible changes in communities, especially in areas of Nature Based Solutions and Enterprises, Climate Smart Agriculture, Climate and Gender Justice, Just Energy Transition, as well as Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Policy Influencing. The holder of this position must demonstrate experience in fundraising for climate change programs, building consortiums, working with multi-stakeholder partners, as well as collaborating with different organizations including county governments and the private sector.

Responsibilities

Program Implementation

• Provide technical support to DAI-K local partners in different counties to enable them effectively implement climate change programs.
• Contribute to learning and documentation of best practices and innovations in climate change.
• Prepare quality reports on climate change according to Dorcas and development partners reporting schedules.
• Coordinate the review and implementation of the overarching Dorcas Climate change strategy and policy.
• Support mainstreaming of climate change in Dorcas projects across various Counties.
• Keep abreast with climate change issues and support continuous assessment and mitigation of Dorcas programs to climate change risks.

Networking, Partnerships & Advocacy

• Develop partnerships with different organizations working in the climate change space including county governments, CSOs, knowledge centers and the private sector and position Dorcas among climate change actors in Kenya.
• Support internal and external communications in climate change – including but not limited to publication of articles and blog posts, commissioning of relevant communications products and guiding the overall communications strategy with support from other program leads.
• Represent Dorcas at various forums discussing climate change actions in Kenya, regionally and Internationally
• Participate and contribute to climate change policy influencing initiatives at both the county and national government levels.

Resource Mobilization

• Support DAI–K resource mobilization efforts by maintaining relationships with local and international partners
• Identify and map different funding opportunities both locally and internationally
• In partnership with other programs and the country director, establish an internal enabling environment that facilitates collaboration for fundraising (DAI – K one program approach to fundraising).
• Initiate and or support in the development of innovative proposals in climate change mitigation and adaptation

Requirements

• A minimum of a bachelor's degree in environment or related areas with 5 years’ working experience in climate change related programming. A graduate degree in relevant areas will be an added advantage.
• A proven track record of good knowledge and understanding of county, national, regional and international obligations, policies and regulations relating to climate change
• A good understanding of climate change negotiations and financial mechanisms
• Proven experience in project implementation and working in teams. Experience in working for a faith-based organization is an added advantage but not necessary.
• Strong report and proposal writing skills
• Demonstrable networks at national and county level in the field of climate change governance
• Experience working with diverse partners including development partners and other climate related groups is an added advantage.