Job Opportunities at Palladium

Project Overview and Role

BACKGROUND

The Feed the Future Kenya Investment Mechanism (KIM) Program is a five-year project (2018 - 2023) that is one of USAID's "Market Systems Suite" projects that aims to increase agricultural production and reduce poverty and malnutrition in Kenya. The overall purpose of the KIM program is to create a sustainable, market-based ecosystem for finance and investment through mobilizing capital into the horticulture, dairy, livestock, and clean energy value chains (VCs), and facilitating an enabling environment conducive to investment. The focus is on strengthening Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) working in the following value chains: dairy, livestock, and horticulture (mango, passion fruit, avocado, banana, pineapple, sweet potato, and African leafy vegetables).

The KIM program will mobilize private capital into target VCs through innovative smart incentives and building partnerships with key actors that can deliver access to market, know-how, and technology to drive VC competitiveness. Concurrently, KIM will lead policy reform efforts focused on removing barriers inhibiting large-scale investment into the target sectors, therefore unlocking further finance. The two objectives of KIM will result in the project serving as an investment platform that mobilizes substantial capital from the public and private sectors and builds partnerships between stakeholders in the financial ecosystem, ultimately contributing to USAID's overall goal of fostering broad-based, sustained, and inclusive economic growth in Kenya.

The KIM project will focus on businesses located in, or doing business in, the following target counties: Homa Bay, Migori, Kisii, Kisumu, Siaya, Kakamega, Bungoma, Busia, Vihiga, Kitui, Makueni, Taita Taveta, Isiolo, Marsabit, Turkana, Garissa and Wajir counties.

OBJECTIVES

The KIM internship program offers recent graduates practical experience in business working environment and provide opportunity to build careers in financial sector. These positions are available in the KIM's office based in Nairobi and is open to Kenyan Citizens below the age of 35 years and seeking to fulfill the experience requirement for respective job needs. For qualified, motivated applicants, these positions offer exposure to virtually all facets of data compilation, verification, entry, analysis, interpretation and accounting to ensure that appropriate and accurate data is collected for operational and contractual purposes.

Duration of internship; - 3 months with possible extension of further 3 months subject to performance.
No of interns needed; 3

Responsibilities

• Effectively collect, compile, verify accuracy and sort data according to priorities and prepare source data for both operational and contractual obligations as guided by the Monitoring and Evaluation Manager,
• Review and verify data for deficiencies or errors, correct any incompatibilities if possible and check output,
• Enter data into database software and check to ensure the accuracy of the data that has been inputted,
• Respond to information requests from authorized members.

Other Engagement terms

• The Interns will agree to operate under the values and ethics of the Palladium development and consultancy Ltd.
• A certificate of participation/recommendation will be issued by the Palladium development and consultancy ltd upon successful completion of the program.

Requirements

The minimum requirement for this role includes:

• Completed a degree within the last 3 years from any of the following - Business administration, Commerce (Accounting & Finance), M&E, Banking, Statistics, CPA - K or related courses,
• Computer literacy and familiarity with various computer programs such as MS Office (experience with Microsoft excel required),
• High level of accuracy and attention to detail,
• Good communication presentation, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to travel across counties in Western and Northern region of Kenya,
• Willing to work full time with tight deliverables and deadlines.

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Project Overview
Health Policy Plus (HP+) is a USAID-funded awarded to Palladium on August 28, 2015 with a current end date of September 2022. HP+ has a mandate across global, country, and subnational levels to strengthen and advance health policy priorities in HIV, family planning and reproductive health (FP/RH), and maternal health. It aims to improve the enabling environment for equitable and sustainable health services, supplies, and delivery systems through policy development and implementation, with an emphasis on voluntary, rights-based health programs, and by strengthening in-country partners' capacity to navigate complex environments for effective policy design, implementation, and financing aligned to their priorities. We carry forward proven approaches to preserve achievements. These approaches inform how we manage programs and engage with stakeholders, and tools and techniques improve decision making and the achievement of predetermined goals.

In Kenya, HP+ is using multiple strategies to boost sustainable health financing and strengthen health systems management in Kenya and throughout the East Africa region. These include generating new evidence to inform decision making, catalyzing national dialogue, building country-level capacity, developing new policies and guidelines, and mobilizing domestic resources for HIV and family planning.

Position Summary
The Program Director for HP+ Kenya, based in Nairobi, is responsible for the overall technical and administrative management and implementation of the project in Kenya and will be the senior in-country project representative with overall responsibility for supervising project staff, and managing relations with partners and sub-contractors, both international and local, and achieving the set results. The Program Director will take a leadership role to coordinate program activities among a diverse group of stakeholders and beneficiaries.

The HP+ Kenya Program Director will report to the Deputy Project Director, Field Programs based in Washington DC and will work closely with government counterparts, the HP+ Kenya team, and HP+ headquarters-based staff.

Responsibilities

Project Management and Technical Leadership

• Leads and oversees the HP+ Kenya program working closely with the DC-based management team to ensure project compliance with client requirements, donor rules and regulations, and Palladium policies and systems;
• Serves as Palladium's representative for the project in-country, providing both technical leadership and management strategy for project implementation, ensuring activities are performed to a high professional standard, and all technical objectives are met;
• As the primary liaison to the client, builds productive working relationships through open communication with all project stakeholders including the client, field team, home office team, government counterparts, grantees, subcontractors, and other client implementing partners;
• Confers with USAID management on strategic issues to maximize impact and scale, minimize costs, and ensures both efficiency and sustainability in achieving project requirements;
• Works in partnership with the DC-based Country Activity Manager and Project Manager, engaging in frequent, routine communication so that the home office is aware of both progress and potential challenges, and solicits assistance and input as needed to ensure that performance meets or exceeds technical and financial contractual requirements;
• Oversees creation and implementation of workplan, project monitoring and evaluation activities, including regular monitoring and reporting against selected indicators;
• Oversees preparation of reports and other technical deliverables, including quarterly and annual reports, coordinating with the Washington DC team for properly reviewed financial data and technical inputs;

Risk Management

• Identifies, monitors and actively manages, mitigates, and resolves risks to project implementation;
• Works to anticipate changes in security or political environment that will affect project activities and propose adjustments that will still allow the project to achieve its objectives on time and on budget;

Administration

• Provides oversight of recruitment, onboarding, and management of all in-country staff, and assures implementation of Palladium's performance excellence model;
• Directly supervises one or more component leaders and/or senior technical and operations staff;
• Mentors and evaluates staff, communicating clear performance goals and standards, offering regular performance feedback and prompt resolution of problems, and time and opportunity to grow and develop in competency areas;
• Ensures required personnel policies are in place and followed, including annual performance reviews and compliance with required corporate training for all local Kenya HP+ staff;
• Ensures the appropriate implementation of accounting, personnel, IT, and operating procedures are consistent with Palladium and client policies as well as tailored to meet local needs; and
• Responsible for overall financial and administrative management in the field including overall spending, budget management, and compliance with Palladium policies.

Requirements

• Master's degree or higher in economics, public health, public policy, health systems, business administration, social sciences, or similar degree program is preferred but not required.
• 12+ years of experience in technical assistance at the national level on UHC, health financing, governance, health policy, using data for decision making, capacity development of public sector, sustainability, planning, and/or leadership. Strong preference for experience with health finance.
• Experience establishing and strengthening productive and collaborative relationships with government counterparts, local organizations, the private sector, and other donor organizations.
• Experience developing and applying systems management and monitoring tools and conducting assessments and analyses.
• Experience implementing programs and providing technical assistance at the national and county levels in Kenya or other countries in east Africa.