Programme Support Officer at icipe - International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology

Overall Purpose of the Job

• To provide strategic coordination and leadership for stakeholder engagement and implementation within the Vector Atlas (VA) project. The role focuses on strengthening partnerships, facilitating effective use of VA outputs by national and regional stakeholders, and ensuring that evidence generated through the project is translated into practical, decision-relevant application through structured engagement and capacity-building activities.

Specific duties

Stakeholder Engagement & Partnerships:

• Co-lead the coordination and delivery of VA2 Workstream 3 (Engagement) in close collaboration with the VA Engagement Officer, ensuring achievement of agreed engagement outputs and milestones.
• Coordinate strategic engagement with National Malaria Control Programmes (NMCPs), technical partners, donors, and regional collaborators to support uptake of VA outputs.
• Coordinate the designing and delivery of structured engagement activities (e.g. workshops, technical meetings, advisory group sessions) to promote uptake of VA outputs.
• Act as a central coordination point for synthesising stakeholder feedback and translating it into actionable inputs for project adaptation and prioritisation.
• Track implementation progress and help identify and address potential risks or delays.
• Identify and lead the coordination of cross-sectoral engagements where relevant to integrated vector management objectives.

Capacity Building & Knowledge Translation:

• Coordinate implementation of capacity-building activities under VA, including workshops, training sessions, and technical exchanges.
• Oversee monitoring of participation, engagement quality, and outcomes of capacity-building initiatives, in collaboration with the VA Engagement Officer and technical leads.
• Guide development of engagement and knowledge translation materials (briefs, presentations, summaries) to support effective interpretation and application of VA outputs by decision-makers.
• Facilitate linkages between technical experts and decision-makers to strengthen the interpretation and application of project outputs.

Reporting & External Representation:

• Facilitate the synthesis of implementation progress, stakeholder engagement outcomes, and lessons learned in preparation of donor and internal reports
• Facilitate alignment of VA engagement activities with those of closely related programmes (e.g. MAP Dar and other stakeholders) through coordinated planning and messaging.
• Represent the Vector Atlas project in engagement-focused coordination and planning discussions, ensuring continuity of relationships and follow-up on agreed actions

Stakeholder Alignment & Strategic Coordination

• Provide strategic coordination to ensure stakeholder engagement activities under VA2 are aligned with approved workplans, engagement objectives, and donor expectations
• Monitor progress against VA2 engagement-related outputs (including partner onboarding, workshops, and collaborative activities), identifying emerging risks to stakeholder participation or uptake and advising on mitigation strategies.
• Facilitate alignment across technical teams and partners to ensure stakeholder engagement activities are coherent, timely, and responsive to programme priorities.
• Maintain oversight of engagement-related documentation, reporting inputs, and communications to ensure consistency, clarity, and strategic relevance.

Requirements/ qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a science related course or its equivalent.
• A Masters degree in a related field will be an added advantage.
• Additional certification or training in Project Management.
• At least 2 years’ experience in project or programme management support, preferably within an international research or development organization.
• Experience working with multi-partner projects and coordinating cross-functional activities.
• Excellent organizational skills, attention to detail, time management, ability to multitask, define and set priorities, and problem solve.
• Effective communication and writing skills taking notes and report writing.
• Experience in facilitating teamwork and collaboration with partners at all levels.
• Strong ability to anticipate and plan ahead, and take personal initiative, work both independently and as a team member, and collaborate and coordinate with others.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work under pressure.