Programme Officer - Politics, Stabilisation and Human Rights at Dynamic People Consulting (DPC)

Background

The Royal Danish Embassy in Nairobi is part of the Danish Foreign Service. The Embassy covers Kenya, Somalia, Eritrea and Seychelles. The Embassy is an ambitious, high-paced and dynamic workplace with approximately 60 employees. The Embassy’s work in Somalia is guided by the Danish Policy Paper for Somalia, the Danish Peace and Stabilisation Programme for the Horn of Africa and the Danish Country Programme for Somalia. For more information about the Embassy, see www.kenya.um.dk  and www.somalia.um.dk

The Embassy is seeking to recruit a proactive and analytical full-time programme officer with experience with development programming in the field of democratic governance and particularly in the field of human rights and general political analysis. We are looking for a team player with a positive personality, who is results-oriented, professional, a strong networker and with experience from and with Somalia and in particular in the field of human rights, including women’s and children rights.

You will be working in the Politics, Stabilisation and Human Rights Team together with 6 colleagues. The team is placed in the Somalia Unit of the Danish Embassy in Kenya. The main tasks of the Politics, Stabilisation and Human Rights Team is to monitor and report on the political, security situation in Somalia, contribute to formulating Danish policies and programmes in Somalia, implement Danish human rights engagement in Somalia including engagement related to children’s and women’s rights and to oversee and monitor the implementation of the Danish Peace and Stabilisation Programme for the Horn of Africa (PSP HOA).

As Programme Officer you will be responsible for the implementation, monitoring, administration and coordination of a number of Danish engagements in the field of human rights and protection under the Danish Somalia Country Programme (SCP). This encompasses working with the Danish development aid management systems, including the digital interfaces for financial management and management of the resulting framework. The Danish Somalia Country Programme spells out the Danish development priorities in Somalia and is structured around three thematic programmes of Governance/State-building; Economic and Private Sector Development and Protection/Human Rights. Your main task will be to work with partners to implement their respective engagements under the SCP in the field of women’s and child rights, including the Danish National Action Plan on UNSC Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. This includes engaging with partners on work plans, budgets, narrative and financial reports, updating internal MFA systems as well as linking their work to key Danish human rights priorities.

Your work will also include general political analysis and assisting the Political Counsellor in reporting on the political situation to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Denmark and preparing political meetings. Within this work, you will also contribute with strategic inputs to develop the Danish policy and support for human rights issues in Somalia. You are, overall, expected to show the flexibility required for optimal handling of tasks across the Somalia Unit at the Embassy and thus might be requested to take on other tasks if need be.

Reporting

The Programme Officer reports to the team leader in the Politics, Stabilisation and Human Rights team and will work closely with all 6 team members.

Main tasks and responsibilities

• Inputting to political analysis of the Team and assist the Political Counsellor with political reporting and preparation for political meetings
• Networking with local and international partners, analysts and experts.
• Project Management of engagements on human rights implemented in Somalia. This includes monitoring work plans and budgets, reviewing narrative and financial reports, reporting on results including in internal MFA systems, meetings with partners and coordination with national and international partners.
• Participate in relevant aid coordination working groups.
•  With the team ensuring a focus on the humanitarian-development-peace nexus.

Education and Desired Experience

• Master’s Degree (ideally in political science, peace, stabilisation and/or development studies, security studies or similar).
• 2-5 years working experience with programme/project and financial management of development programmes and experience of managing budgets, reporting and monitoring preferably using digital platforms. 
• 2-5 years of working experience in/on Somalia, knowledge of local and national dynamics and a strong network in Somalia.
• Strong skills within policy analysis and political fair.
• Working and/or academic experience within the field of democratic governance and human rights.
• Experience with working in teams including contributing to the work, engagements of the colleagues and the whole team and pro-actively contribute to the synergies between the different work streams in the Team and overall, in the Somalia Unit.

Skills, Knowledge and Attributes

• Openness and willingness to learn from others.
• A pro-active, positive, open-minded, and results-oriented attitude and approach to handling many different and sometimes complex assignments.
• A structured mindset and work habits and strong planning and coordination skills.
• A high sense of responsibility.
• Excellent command of English. Knowledge of Somali will be considered an advantage.
• Ability to foster and maintain networks.

 We offer

•  An exciting, inter-cultural and dynamic work environment with a wide range of diverse tasks and assignments. 
• Working independently with interesting and stimulating tasks under the supervision of the Team Leader.
• Great opportunities for further development of your professional and personal competences.
• A large degree of self-dependence.
• Travelling in and to Somalia.