Job Opportunities at British High Commission Nairobi

This job is located within the British High Commission’s Prosperity & Climate Team. The team leads for the UK in Kenya on key economic policy issues including trade, finance, infrastructure and urbanisation, climate diplomacy and the UK’s global commitments on environment and biodiversity.  The primary focus of the job holder is to coordinate the PACT programme in Kenya, acting a point of contact between the PACT team in London, PACT project implementing partners, and key Government, private sector and civil society stakeholders.  The job holder will provide policy expertise to influence and shape the planning, development and implementation of current and future UK PACT projects and inform strategy implementation and activity planning through insightful briefings and analysis on specific climate themes, trends, identifying new opportunities, highlighting risks and mitigation strategies and working closely with PACT grantees and the delivery partner.

The job holder will also be called upon to implement other climate projects supported by British government’s work in Kenya, including diplomatic and policy action to support delivery of outcomes from COP26 and COP27.  This will entail shaping and leading external engagement efforts and building key relationships across HMG, the Government of Kenya, and other international and national actors. This also includes oversight and design/delivery of events funded through the UK’s Climate Diplomacy Fund. This role will report to the Team’s Climate and Environment Adviser and will be expected to develop strong links with other colleagues across the Mission.

The role entails:

Programme implementation and delivery 

• Working within the Prosperity and Climate Team in the British High Commission and collaborating with the PACT team in London, act as policy and programme lead for the UK PACT programme in Kenya, focused on delivery and oversight. Ensure that the portfolio and activities remain focused on intended objectives and key results, and track indicators to ensure our activity is adding value.
• Provide policy expertise to support the planning, development and implementation of current and future UK PACT programmes through a clear understanding of the forest and energy landscapes in Kenya including the political economy, opportunities for nature-based solutions, REDD+, carbon markets and the country’s needs.
• Inform strategy implementation and activity planning through insightful briefings and analysis on specific climate themes, trends, identifying new opportunities, highlighting risks and mitigation strategies working closely with PACT grantees and delivery partner.
• Work with the UK PACT delivery partner to organise and manage calls for proposals and approval of projects for the UK PACT Kenya Country Programme.
• On an ongoing basis, oversee UK PACT’s forward work and activity plan in Kenya, ensuring it operates in a coordinated, integrated matter and delivers on UK objectives.
• Review progress of UK PACT projects and form strategic relationships with project beneficiaries to ensure ongoing relevance and impact of projects.
• Support demand scoping and market engagement events for relevant funding rounds.
• Identify potential UK PACT skill-share opportunities, where experts from the UK PACT roster of experts can help key institutions, and support and facilitate visits by experts on missions.
• Share outputs of UK PACT projects with Government of Kenya and other stakeholders to ensure sharing and uptake of recommendations.
• Collate all relevant learning and share with colleagues in UK and British High Commission. Use learning to inform and update future strategy.
• Provide support to other ICF programmes as needed, ensuring UK visibility, coherence and complementarity with other UK government programmes.

Stakeholder management 

• Proactively develop, manage and strengthen the High Commission’s network of climate contacts to identify capacity building and policy influencing opportunities.
• As required, represent the High Commission and UK Government as a credible interlocutor in climate related engagements.
• Ensure coordination between UK climate programmes and initiatives supported by other donor agencies, identifying opportunities for multilateral cooperation where possible.
• Proactively seek cross-team collaboration opportunities amongst High Commission teams to continue supporting a mainstreamed approach to climate change in bilateral programmes.
• Play an active part in the corporate life of the High Commission (including, as a member of the BHC Greening Committee).

Essential qualifications, skills and experience  

• Advanced university degree for instance in, Environmental Science, Climate, Natural Resource Management or related discipline;
• Strong experience and understanding of climate change programming with a focus on forest governance, nature based solutions and/or energy management;
• Minimum 7 years of experience working on climate change issues, for example working for/with national or regional government, international organisations or agencies, ideally with project/ programme management experience;
• Ability to demonstrate strong analytical and planning skills focused on achieving quality results;
• Strong interpersonal, communication and relationship skills with ability to work collaboratively with others;
• Be a flexible and creative problem-solver, able to develop innovative solutions to complex problems, coordinate coherent and compelling programmes and projects whilst delivering at pace;
• Excellent communication and presentation skills (fluency in written and verbal English) and ability to adjust to different audiences;
• Desirable qualifications, skills and experience  
• Experience developing/implementing REDD+ projects
• Knowledge of financial / budget management principles or previous financial management experience

Closing: 21, Feb 2023

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Main purpose of job:

The successful candidate will work within the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Counter Terrorism team. They will be responsible for effective management of the FCDO’s Counter Terrorism programmes in Kenya, with line management responsibility for two support officers. This role provides an opportunity to support a high profile UK foreign policy priority by helping to tackle terrorism in line with international human rights standards.

The successful candidate will be proactive and able to use their programme management skills to ensure effective implementation of a number of Counter Terrorism programmes. They will ensure the programmes and workstreams complement each other, are approved by UK government and have buy-in with Government of Kenya stakeholders. 

They will liaise with a wide range of colleagues across the Security and Justice sector within the British High Commission in Nairobi, UK Government Departments and the Kenyan security and justice sector to ensure programming remains relevant and, where necessary, adapt to emerging needs. 

This is a critical role for the UK’s Counter Terrorism (CT) delivery in Kenya. It will suit someone who is able to work independently. The successful applicant will have an interest in security issues, be comfortable working closely with Subject Matter Experts and be able to work in a fast-paced environment.

Roles and responsibilities:

• Lead the CT Programme Support Team in the implementation of sustainable CT programming in close consultation with the Kenya CT Lead, Subject Matter Experts and UK departments.
• Monitor and intervene as necessary to ensure programming is delivering the expected results, supporting the UK’s strategic goals and, if necessary, adapted in a timely manner.   
• Identify opportunities for new funding streams or where other international partners or organisations could  provide synergy to existing CT programming to maximise impact and enhance value for money.
• Develop strong working relationships with Government of Kenya stakeholders at an operational level to ensure buy-in and maximise activity effectiveness.
• Lead and implement processes to ensure project documentation is in compliance with FCDO procedures, including risk management and Monitoring and Evaluation strategies.  Manage commercial contractors and ensure the progamme team conduct commercial procurement processes in line with FCDO guidance.
• Monitor, manage and report on overall programme finances including ensuring accurate budgeting and forecasting, processing and receipting of invoices and good value for money overall.
• Build and maintain relationships with colleagues across the CT and Security and Justice sector within the mission.
• Lead on all programme reporting requirements, financial and programme progress, at quarterly and yearly intervals for the Programme Team in London and the Counter Terrorism Extremism Network.
• Line manage 1x A2 CT Programme Support Officer and 1x B3 CT Programme Manager, providing on-boarding support and day-to-day guidance.
• Active team member within the wider CT community taking on additional responsibilities as required (including policy support). Be an active member of the wider BHC, taking on wider corporate responsibilities.

Essential qualifications, skills and experience  

• Substantial project management/project cycle experience.
• Experience in managing international contracts/contractors.
• Ability to work productively with a diverse range stakeholders.
• Excellent IT skills with a working knowledge of Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel and Teams.
• Experience of budget management including forecasting and monitoring spend.
• Confidence and judgement to challenge and redesign programming as appropriate.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to set and meet deadlines in a fast paced environment.
• Ability to work independently and use initiative to solve problems.
• A flexible and proactive approach.
• Supervisory experience.
• Desirable qualifications, skills and experience  
• Previous experience working in the CT / security / justice sectors
• Previous experience in project management in East Africa.
• Previous experience in managing training programmes

Closing: 28, Feb 2023