Programme Officer - Digital Futures Kenya at Sightsavers

About the role

• Sightsavers and Mastercard Foundation is partnering with Digital Futures, a bold initiative under the Foundation’s Young Africa Works strategy and Sightsavers’ mission to promote inclusive development. The programme aims to improve access to dignified and fulfilling work for young people with disabilities across Africa, with a strong focus on young women.
• Over five years, the programme will enrol 12,200 young people with disabilities, at least 70% of whom will be women and reach over 14,700 others through community engagement. By providing market-relevant digital, IT, and entrepreneurship training, seed funding, and systemic engagement with employers, policymakers, and representative organisations, the programme addresses barriers to inclusion in the digital economy and supports the development of inclusive ecosystems and workforce practices.
• The Programme Officer will play a crucial role implementing this programme in Kenya. To be successful in this role you will demonstrate exceptional project implementation within NGO / INGOs, social impact, skills development or youth empowerment in Kenya. You will confidently manage stakeholder and partner engagement and have good knowledge and experience of disability inclusion, gender equality principles and inclusive employment principles.
• Sightsavers is a Disability Confident Leader and qualified women and people with a disability are particularly encouraged to apply.

Key duties will include:

Programme Implementation and coordination 

• Support the development and execution of annual work plans, budgets, and activity schedule
• Coordinate implementation of digital, IT, and entrepreneurship training
• Facilitate partner engagement

Partnership Management

• Maintain regular communication with implementing partners to monitor progress and troubleshoot implementation challenges.
• Support capacity strengthening of partners on disability inclusion, safeguarding, MEAL requirements, and employment pathways.

Employer Engagement and Inclusive Employment Support

• Identify and pitch the programme to potential employers
• Link programme participants with potential employers for mentorships, internships and job opportunities

Compliance and Quality Assurance

• Support financial monitoring, ensuring expenditure aligns with approved budgets and financial policies.
• Promote disability‑inclusive and gender‑inclusive practices across all programme activities.
• Ensure safeguarding, child protection, and data protection standards are upheld by all partners and stakeholders.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning, and Reporting (MEAL)

• Collect, verify, and analyse programme data in line with MEAL frameworks and donor requirements.
• Conduct field visits, learner assessments, partner supervision, and follow-up on beneficiaries’ progress.

The Programme Officer role will involve a small amount of national travel, specifics of this can be discussed at interview.
Skills and Experience

Essential Skills, experience, knowledge and core behaviours:

• Experience in digital skills training programmes, entrepreneurship promotion, or labour market initiatives.
• Experience with skills training/development, internships, employer engagement, disability inclusion
• Knowledge of Kenyan policies related to disability inclusion, digital transformation, and youth employment.
• Experience supporting Business and Disability Networks or private sector engagement.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, manage and effectively function as a team member and respect diversity in a team.
• Bachelor’s degree in social sciences, ICT, Education, Development Studies, Disability Studies, Business, or related field.
• Demonstrable experience in project implementation within NGO, social impact, skills development, or youth employment programmes.
• Demonstrable working experience of disability inclusion, gender equality principles and inclusive employment principles.
• Experience of working closely with project partners
• Experience working with youth, TVET institutions, private sector employers, and/or OPDs.
• Strong coordination, communication, and partnership-building skills.
• Good analytical, reporting, and documentation abilities.
• Proficiency in digital tools and project management systems.

Qualifications and experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in social sciences, ICT, Education, Development Studies, Disability Studies, Business, or related field.
• Demonstrable experience in project implementation within NGO, social impact, skills development, or youth employment programmes.
• Demonstrable working experience of disability inclusion, gender equality principles and inclusive employment principles.
• Experience of working closely with project partners
• Experience working with youth, TVET institutions, private sector employers, and/or OPDs.
• Strong coordination, communication, and partnership-building skills.
• Good analytical, reporting, and documentation abilities.
• Proficiency in digital tools and project management systems.