Current Opportunities at Natural Justice

• Natural Justice seeks a full-time Program Manager to implement and further develop the work of the Standing With Communities (SWC) program in the East Africa Hub. Working under the guidance of the Hub Director and working closely with the Head of Program, Program Manager- Defending Rights and Program Manager- Affirming Rights Programs, the Program Manager will implement NJ’s legal empowerment methodology, provide technical and legal advice to local communities affected by extractive, infrastructure, and other large-scale projects, secure partnership development for movement building and advocacy, and develop key participatory action research documents on community, public and trust land and other environmental decision-making processes, laws and policies. The successful candidate will be based in Nairobi, with frequent local travel and occasional regional and international travel and will be expected to begin work as soon as possible.

Key Roles and Responsibilities

Under the guidance and supervision of the Hub Director, the Program Manager shall perform the following duties:

Leadership

• Provide effective leadership to the staff within the SWC program including mentorship, coaching, team building, on-the-job training to enhance employee performance and other leadership interventions.
• Provide oversight and support to the SWC program on matters concerning program activities and deliverables.
• Strategic planning, project development and work planning
• Work with the Hub Director to develop the hub’s overall program strategy.
• Develop and supervise the implementation of the SWC program of work in the hub, including its projects, deliverables, and annual plans, ensuring their alignment with Natural Justice’s overall program strategy.
• Develop an advocacy strategy to support the hub’s environmental and climate litigation cases with partner communities (Litigation+)

Technical Advice & Legal Empowerment

• Provide technical and legal advice to partners, affected communities and other relevant stakeholders.
• Provide comments and training on laws, policies and processes that impact communities’ rights and access to land and the environment.
• Support the drafting of legal documents (letters, drafting of pleadings etc) to advance strategic litigation on behalf of Natural Justice and/or with key partners within the environmental, climate, indigenous and local peoples, and land justice focus areas.
• Deliver presentations, organize and conduct workshops/meetings for the program.
• Oversee the CELO projects and provide direct advice and assistance.
• Develop, improve and deliver community training on laws and legal empowerment methodologies.
• Develop advocacy campaigns to support litigation.

Policy and Legal Reform

• Identify and engage with key policy issues and key collaborators.
• Provide comments and make submissions on relevant law and policy.
• Develop and implement a strategic advocacy policy for the program.

Research and MEAL

• Support the research team to develop the program’s research, monitoring, evaluation and learning tools.
• Write collaborative research reports, concept documents, academic papers, and organizational reports.
• Work with the research team to lead strategy planning and progress meetings and facilitate updates and learnings from across the region.

Partnerships, Networks and Communication

• Identify, build and maintain networks and/or partnerships with relevant stakeholders from government, civil society groups, community-based organizations, the private sector and academia.
• Support the development of partnership documents (MOUs, etc.) where relevant.
• In coordination with the communications team, write articles, comments, statements, articles, blogs and reports relevant to the program for public distribution, including on the Natural Justice Website, social media, legal media, etc.
• Contribute to the communications and campaign strategies and outputs of the Hub.

Finance, Administration and Fundraising

• Manage the financial, administrative and procurement processes of the projects within the program.
• Manage individual budgets from funders and provide financial guidance to junior staff.
• Assist the Hub Director to identify funding sources, prepare grant applications, and develop and manage relationships with funders.

Qualifications & Experience

• Minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree in Law, Environmental sciences, Human Rights, International Relations, Social Sciences or related field from a recognized university.
• A post-graduate degree in law, political science or other relevant social science discipline is desirable.
• Knowledge of Kenya’s constitutional and administrative law, including human rights, land & environmental law.
• Minimum of 5 years relevant work experience in environmental and/or climate change law, including natural resource and/or land law, and administrative law or human rights litigation.
• Computer literacy- Understanding of data entry, basic computer skills and knowledge of databases.
• Excellent knowledge of spoken and written English and Kiswahili.
• Keen interest in and commitment to advancing the rights of marginalized communities, particularly in relation to their environments.
• Conviction in and commitment to constitutionalism and principles of environmental justice.
• Good legal research skills in law, policy and social issues.
• Experience in conducting fieldwork and working with marginalized communities.
• Experience communicating complex legal issues in an accessible way to communities.
• Experience relating research or project experiences to policy advocacy.
• Experience conducting primary and/or desktop research and preparing clear and analytical reports (with proof of published work).
• Experience writing applications and reporting to donors.
• Experience in program management, including budgeting, project planning, contract drafting, monitoring and evaluation, and reporting.
• Experience in managing and supervising teams.
• An understanding of and experience in the socio-political environment and civil society work in the region.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Citizen of Kenya or have authorization to work in Kenya.

Competencies

The desirable traits and attributes include:

• A person of high integrity that will model Natural Justice’s core values.
• Highly motivated, pro-active individual able to work under minimal supervision.
• Ability to prioritize, act on initiative and meet deadlines.
• Reliability and attention to detail.
• Ability to work with the team and to develop and maintain good relationships with community-based or other grassroots groups and partners.
• Demonstrated awareness of and sensitivity to the needs and concerns of individuals from diverse cultures, backgrounds and orientations.
• Professionalism, strong work ethic, and personal initiative (“a self-starter”)
• Critical and analytical thinking.
• Ability to mobilize communities.
• Ability to grasp quickly and accurately new and complex concepts.
• Ability to work under pressure and as part of a team.
• Ability to balance priorities and co-ordinate work effectively in order to meet deadlines and deal with high workloads.
• Willingness and ability to travel often, in Kenya and regionally as necessary.

Should you match these qualifications, please submit your application via e-mail to recruit@platinumadvisory.co.ke with ‘Application for the position of Program Manager – Standing with Communities’ as the subject line. Applications must include: a cover letter that indicates your understanding of environmental justice and why it is important in Kenya and why you feel you are the best candidate. A detailed CV with three references of people you have worked with, at least one of whom supervised you. Do not attach your testimonials or certificates.

go to method of application »

• The CELO will work with community members to collect and submit evidence of environmental impacts, facilitate discussions with relevant government institutions and liaise and collaborate with local civil society groups. The successful candidate will join a team of Community Environmental Legal Officers and will implement the projects in Lamu area of the Coastal Region. They will also work very closely with the Natural Justice Program Team based in Nairobi.

Duties and Responsibilities

The CELO shall perform the following duties:

• Implement and manage the work of Natural Justice in Lamu County.
• Engage in constitutional and environmental policy research, advocacy and support local communities affected by climate change and large-scale extractives, infrastructure and other projects, by providing legal advice, and by supporting legal empowerment approaches in the respective county.
• Provide high quality legal advice and support to communities that Natural Justice works with and its partners.
• Give legal support and advice to environmental defenders and communities.
• Undertake legal research, write submissions and provide opinions on environmental and climate justice issues.
• Contribute to the overall Natural Justice program and strategy.
• Form and maintain good working relationships with all key partners including communities, government entities and donors.
• Collaborate with Natural Justice staff in the East Africa Hub in implementation of projects.

Qualifications

• Minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree in Law, Environmental sciences, Human Rights, International Relations, Social Sciences or related field from a recognized university.
• 4 years relevant work experience in the legal environment, capacity development, coalition building, policy, social, or other public interest field in lieu of the aforementioned Bachelor’s degree.
• Knowledge of Kenya’s constitutional and administrative law, including human rights, land & environmental law.
• Excellent knowledge of spoken and written English and Kiswahili.
• Keen interest in and commitment to advancing the rights of marginalized communities, particularly in relation to their environments.
• Computer literacy- Understanding of data entry, basic computer skills and knowledge of databases.
• Conviction in and commitment to constitutionalism and principles of environmental justice.
• Good legal research skills in law, policy and social issues.
• Be a citizen of Kenya or have authorization to work in Kenya.

Competencies

The desirable traits and attributes include:

• A person of high integrity that will model Natural Justice’s core values.
• Highly motivated, pro-active individual able to work under minimal supervision
• Ability to prioritize, act on initiative and meet deadlines
• Ability to think critically and problem solve
• Reliability and attention to detail
• Ability to work with the team and to develop and maintain good relationships with community-based or other grassroots groups and partners
• Demonstrated awareness of and sensitivity to the needs and concerns of individuals from diverse cultures, backgrounds and orientations.
• Professionalism, strong work ethic, and personal initiative (“a self-starter”).
• Critical and analytical thinking.
• Ability to mobilize communities.
• Ability to grasp quickly and accurately new and complex concepts.
• Ability to work under pressure and as part of a team.
• Ability to balance priorities and co-ordinate work effectively in order to meet deadlines and deal with high workloads.
• Willingness and ability to travel often, in Kenya and regionally as necessary.

How to apply

• Should you match these requirements, please submit your application via e-mail to recruit@platinumadvisory.co.ke with ‘CELO- Lamu County as the subject line on or before 31 December 2023. Applications must include: a cover letter that indicates your understanding of environmental justice and why it is important in Kenya and why you feel you are the best candidate; a detailed CV with three references of people you have worked with, at least one of whom supervised you. Do not attach your testimonials or certificates.

go to method of application »

• The CELO will work with community members to collect and submit evidence of environmental impacts, facilitate discussions with relevant government institutions and liaise and collaborate with local civil society groups. The successful candidate will join a team of Community Environmental Legal Officers and will implement the projects in Kwale and Mombasa areas of the Coastal Regions. They will also work very closely with the Natural Justice Program Team based in Nairobi.

Duties & Responsibilities

The CELO shall perform the following duties:

• Implement and manage the work of Natural Justice in Kwale and Mombasa.
• Engage in constitutional and environmental policy research, advocacy and support local communities affected by climate change and large-scale extractives, infrastructure and other projects, by providing legal advice, and by supporting legal empowerment approaches in the respective counties.
• Provide high quality paralegal advice and support to the communities with whom Natural Justice and its partners work.
• Give paralegal support and advice to environmental defenders and communities.
• Undertake legal research, and support communities in writing submissions to government agencies
• Contribute to the overall Natural Justice program and strategy.
• Form and maintain good working relationships with all key partners including communities, government entities and donors.
• Collaborate with Natural Justice staff in the East Africa Hub in implementation of projects.

Qualifications

• Minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree in Law, Environmental sciences, Human Rights, International Relations, Social Sciences or related field from a recognized university.
• 4 years relevant work experience in the legal environment, capacity development, coalition building, policy, social, or other public interest field in lieu of the aforementioned Bachelor’s degree.
• Knowledge of Kenya’s constitutional and administrative law, including human rights, land & environmental law.
• Excellent knowledge of spoken and written English and Kiswahili.
• Keen interest in and commitment to advancing the rights of marginalized communities, particularly in relation to their environments.
• Computer literacy- Understanding of data entry, basic computer skills and knowledge of databases.
• Conviction in and commitment to constitutionalism and principles of environmental justice.
• Good legal research skills in law, policy and social issues.
• Be a citizen of Kenya or have authorization to work in Kenya.

Competencies

The desirable traits and attributes include:

• A person of high integrity that will model Natural Justice’s core values.
• Highly motivated, pro-active individual able to work under minimal supervision
• Ability to prioritize, act on initiative and meet deadlines
• Ability to think critically and problem solve
• Reliability and attention to detail
• Ability to work with the team and to develop and maintain good relationships with community-based or other grassroots groups and partners
• Demonstrated awareness of and sensitivity to the needs and concerns of individuals from diverse cultures, backgrounds and orientations.
• Professionalism, strong work ethic, and personal initiative (“a self-starter”).
• Critical and analytical thinking.
• Ability to mobilize communities.
• Ability to grasp quickly and accurately new and complex concepts.
• Ability to work under pressure and as part of a team.
• Ability to balance priorities and co-ordinate work effectively in order to meet deadlines and deal with high workloads.
• Willingness and ability to travel often, in Kenya and regionally as necessary.

How to apply

Should you match these requirements, please submit your application via e-mail to recruit@platinumadvisory.co.ke with ‘CELO-Kwale, Mombasa as the subject line on or before 31 December 2023. Applications must include: a cover letter that indicates your understanding of environmental justice and why it is important in Kenya and why you feel you are the best candidate; a detailed CV with three references of people you have worked with, at least one of whom supervised you. Do not attach your testimonials or certificates.

go to method of application »

What we’re looking for

Natural Justice seeks a full-time program manager to implement and further develop the work of the Defending Rights program in the East Africa Hub. Working under the guidance of the Hub Director and working closely with the Head of the Defending Rights and Litigation Program, the Program Manager will engage in strategic advocacy, including environmental and climate litigation, secure partnership development for movement building and advocacy, support community legal empowerment approaches, provide technical and legal advice to local communities affected by extractive, infrastructure, and other large-scale projects, and support the development and implementation of key participatory action research documents on community, public and trust land and other environmental decision-making processes, laws and policies. The successful candidate will be based in Nairobi, with frequent local travel and occasional regional and international travel and will be expected to begin work as soon as possible.

Key Roles and Responsibilities

Under the guidance and supervision of the Hub Director, and working closely with the Head of the Defending Rights and Litigation Program, the Program Manager shall perform the following duties:

Leadership

• Provide effective leadership to the staff within the program including mentorship, coaching, team building, on-the-job training to enhance employee performance and other leadership interventions.
• Provide oversight and support to the program on matters concerning program activities and deliverables.
• Strategic planning, project development and work planning
• Work with the Hub Director and the Head of the Defending Rights and Litigation Program to develop the organization’s overall program strategy.
• Develop a litigation strategy for the hub, including supporting and building environmental and climate litigation cases with partner communities.
• Develop and supervise the implementation of the Defending Rights program of work in the hub, including its projects, deliverables, and annual plans, ensuring their alignment with Natural Justice’s overall program strategy.

Technical Advice

• Provide technical and legal advice to partners, affected communities and other relevant stakeholders.
• Lead and assist with drafting legal documents (letters, drafting of pleadings etc.) to advance strategic litigation on behalf of Natural Justice and/or with key partners within the environmental, climate, indigenous and local peoples, and land justice focus areas.
• Support community training on laws, policies and processes that impact communities’ rights and access to land and the environment.
• Respond to inquiries from partners and relevant stakeholders.
• Deliver presentations, organize and conduct workshops/meetings.

Policy and Legal Reform

• Identify and engage with key policy issues and key collaborators.
• Provide comments and make submissions on relevant law and policy.
• Develop and implement a strategic advocacy policy for Defending Rights

Legal Empowerment

• With the other Hub Program Managers, oversee the paralegal projects and provide direct advice and assistance.
• Develop, improve and deliver community training on laws and legal empowerment methodologies.
• Link litigation to advocacy campaigns

Research and MERL

• With the research team, develop the program’s research, monitoring, evaluation and learning tools.
• Write collaborative research reports, concept documents, academic papers, and organizational reports.
• Work with Natural Justice’s Defending Rights team to lead strategy planning and progress meetings and facilitate updates and learnings from across the region.

Partnerships, Networks and Communication

• Identify, build and maintain networks and/or partnerships with relevant stakeholders from government, civil society groups, community-based organizations, the private sector and academia.
• Support the development of partnership documents (MOUs, etc.) where relevant.
• In coordination with the communications team, write articles, comments, statements, articles, blogs and reports relevant to the program for public distribution, including on the Natural Justice website, social media, legal media, etc.
• Contribute to the communications and campaign strategies and outputs of the Hub.

Finance and Administration, Fundraising and Reporting

• Manage the financial, administrative and procurement processes of the projects within the program.
• Manage individual budgets from funders and provide financial guidance to junior staff.
• Assist the Hub Director to identify funding sources, prepare grant applications, and develop and manage relationships with funders.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree in Law, Environmental sciences, Human Rights, International Relations, Social Sciences or related field from a recognized university.
• A post-graduate degree in law, political science or other relevant social science discipline is desirable.
• Knowledge of Kenya’s constitutional and administrative law, including human rights, land & environmental law.
• Minimum of 5 years relevant work experience in environmental and/or climate change law, including natural resource and/or land law, and administrative law or human rights litigation.
• Understanding of and proficiency in Kenyan and regional legal systems and institutional arrangements.
• Computer literacy- Understanding of data entry, basic computer skills and knowledge of databases.
• Excellent knowledge of spoken and written English and Kiswahili.
• Keen interest in and commitment to advancing the rights of marginalized communities, particularly in relation to their environments.
• Conviction in and commitment to constitutionalism and principles of environmental justice.
• Good legal research skills in law, policy and social issues.
• Experience in conducting fieldwork and working with marginalized communities.
• Experience communicating complex legal issues in an accessible way to communities.
• Experience relating research or project experiences to policy advocacy.
• Experience conducting primary and/or desktop research and preparing clear and analytical reports (with proof of published work).
• Experience writing applications and reporting to donors.
• Experience in program management, including budgeting, project planning, contract drafting, monitoring and evaluation, and reporting.
• Experience in managing and supervising teams.
• An understanding of and experience in the socio-political environment and civil society work in the region.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Citizen of Kenya or authorized to work in Kenya.

Competencies

The desirable traits and attributes include:

• A person of high integrity that will model Natural Justice’s core values.
• Highly motivated, pro-active individual able to work under minimal supervision.
• Ability to prioritize, act on initiative and meet deadlines.
• Ability to think critically and problem solve.
• Reliability and attention to detail.
• Ability to work with the team and to develop and maintain good relationships with community-based or other grassroots groups and partners.
• Demonstrated awareness of and sensitivity to the needs and concerns of individuals from diverse cultures, backgrounds and orientations.
• Professionalism, strong work ethic, and personal initiative (“a self-starter”).
• Critical and analytical thinking.
• Ability to mobilize communities.
• Ability to grasp quickly and accurately new and complex concepts.
• Ability to work under pressure and as part of a team.
• Ability to balance priorities and co-ordinate work effectively in order to meet deadlines and deal with high workloads.
• Willingness and ability to travel often in Kenya and regionally as necessary.

How to apply

• Should you match these qualifications, please submit your application via e-mail to recruit@platinumadvisory.co.ke with ‘Application for the position of Program Manager – Defending Human Rights as the subject line as the subject line. Applications must include: a cover letter that indicates your understanding of environmental justice and why it is important in Kenya and why you feel you are the best candidate. A detailed CV with three references of people you have worked with, at least one of whom supervised you. Do not attach your testimonials or certificates.