Christian Aid - Country Director Kenya

Country Director K enya June 20 22

About Christian Aid Christian Aid was registered in Kenya in 1997 and initially centred on rural development, capacity building, particularly of church-based development agencies, and support for their community development work. While our work has evolved since then to cover non-churchbased partners, which include working with private sector, research and academic institutions, our focus on communities remains unchanged. During this period the East Africa programme also actively contributed to Christian Aid’s global debt relief and trade justice campaigns.

CA Kenya recognises that the key to eliminating poverty lies in shifting deeply rooted, structural underlying causes of poverty which contribute to exclusion and vulnerability of particular groups in society. We understand that to achieve lasting solutions, poverty and power, and people’s ability to speak against injustice, must be tackled together. Thus, Poverty, Power and Prophetic voice are the three pillars of our understanding of how to address and eradicate poverty. They must be present across our portfolio of work at national level to ensure we are achieving sustainability as we stand together with our partners in delivering results.

For the period 2019-2023, the Kenya programme is focusing on the ultra-poor in rural and urban areas through four key thematic areas of health and nutrition, climate change and energy, humanitarian and resilience and inclusive markets. Key attention will be given to

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geographical areas that are remote and hardest to reach especially the arid and semi-arid areas of Kenya that bear the brunt of extreme poverty. To increase the depth of our work, the programme will focus on fewer counties in this strategic plan period. This will ensure that multiple workstream interventions are availed to the target population in these focus geographical areas.

Our programme priorities reflect past experience and the network of partners built up over the past 25 years and are designed to be mutually reinforcing so that e.g., an inclusive markets intervention may also integrate key climate resilience building work to protect the livelihood gains achieved through better access to markets.

Christian Aid Kenya has a range of partners well established in poor communities and its solid track records in engaging with faith-based networks and government on social and policy issues to influence change.

We have built with them strong partnerships based on trust and mutual accountability. Our respected and experienced staff continue to develop partners’ policy analysis and advocacy capacity. The grassroots presence of our partners ensures that they enjoy legitimacy and have developed expertise to work with communities offering speedy, timely and effective emergency responses that save lives and lessen human suffering.

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The Role

Role: Country Director Kenya Location: Nairobi Salary: Competitive Expected travel per annum: Up to 40 days

Role Purpose To provide strategic leadership to Christian Aid’s work in and on Kenya, ensuring that the country programme contributes significantly to ending poverty and inequality in alignment with the main drivers of poverty, funding environment and the Christian Aid Global Strategy.

To provide staff with a work environment in which they are well-managed, empowered, and motivated to volunteer their best effort towards realising Christian Aid’s strategy, goals and objectives in Kenya.

To ensure financial resilience and continuity of the programme and manage Christian Aid’s resources in ways that are accountable and demonstrate value for money and to take responsibility within a corporate framework and devolved unit for agreed annual plans, budgets, and defined delegation of authority.

To be the senior representative of Christian Aid in-country and to develop and promote the country programme profile internally and externally among key stakeholder groups and networks.

To contribute to the strategic direction of Christian Aid’s work in Africa, including as a member of the Divisional Management Group. To act as an ex officio member of the Christian Aid Kenya board with responsibilities to the board as outlined in the Christian Aid Kenya constitution.

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The Role

Key Outcomes •

Robust country programme strategy reviewed and refreshed in response to Kenya’s operational and funding context and within Christian Aid’s corporate strategic framework and

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Programme is delivered to high quality with and through a portfolio of carefully selected partners and encompassing development and humanitarian programming, policy advocacy, campaigns, and communications.

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A new programming approach developed for Kenya programme, which is line with country operational and funding context.

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Resource mobilisation strategy developed, resources mobilised in response to the programme strategy focus areas and new programming approach.

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Team structure strengthened, Staff recruited, managed, developed, empowered, and performing their objectives to a high standard.

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Christian Aid’s brand and reputation for transformational impact actively promoted and maintained through strong relationships with key stakeholders and networks.

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Diligence exercised in meeting all Christian Aid legal, HR, IT, financial and compliance requirements including responsibility for security management, safeguarding, asset management, and monthly and quarterly reporting.

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Compliance to the Africa Country Managers accountabilities framework.

To respond to ever changing demands within the environment, Christian Aid operates within an agile framework (both in workforce and operational) that requires from all employees, a high level of responsiveness and adaptiveness to processes and structures making flexibility and a project based working approach the norm. To sustain this system, managers may/will agree further details of specific tasks and duties as part of the performance agreement. Any reasonable duty may be assigned that is consistent with the nature of the job and its level of responsibility, and employees may be required to change the focus of their role from time to time.

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Role Context Christian Aid was registered in Kenya in 1997 and initially centred on rural development, capacity building, particularly of church-based development agencies, and support for their community development work. The Christian Aid Country Strategy for Kenya was approved in 2019 for four years and will come to an end in March 2023. Based on the current strategy, the programme will focus on the ultra-poor in rural and urban areas through four key thematic areas of health and nutrition, climate change and energy, humanitarian and resilience and inclusive markets. Key attention will be given to geographical areas that are remote and hardest to reach especially the arid and semi-arid areas of Kenya that bear the brunt of extreme poverty. To increase the depth of our work, the program focuses on fewer counties in this strategic plan period. This will ensure that multiple workstream interventions are availed to the target population in these focus geographical areas. The programme aims to partner and empower of the local implementing organisations to ensure their sustainability and continuous offering of services to the poor and marginalised communities.

The implementing partner organisations are drawn from the partnerships are drawn from the private sector, non-governmental organisations, public institutions, CSOs, faith-based networks, academic and research organisations. Special attention will be given to partners such as social enterprises. The basic principle in the use of the available resources is that the Country programme will implement approaches whereby donor funds have a triggering, thus temporary function, and are replaced by private and public investments. In addition, the programme seeks innovative ways to expand access to various propoor service delivery by both public and private sector and encourage markets to determine which products and channels are most effective.

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Role Requirements Relationships

Decision making

Analytical skills

External - Partner organisations, civil society networks, church and faith leaders, government bodies, donor organisations.

Budgetary/savings responsibility

Able to work comfortably with multiple priorities, complexities and stakeholders while considering longerterm horizons and managing risk.

Internal - Country Managers are members of the Divisional Management Group and line managed by a member of the Divisional Leadership Team in the Africa Division. Authority is delegated to the Country Manager as outlined in the Africa Division Programme Accountability Framework. The post-holder has responsibility to the Christian Aid Kenya Board as outlined in its constitution.

Country Managers are accountable for the efficient and effective use of resources: Responsibility for overall management of programme to ensure strategy and annual plan objectives are met through quality programmes and partnerships and a sustainable funding base. Responsibility for overall financial management, including budget setting, monitoring, and expenditure reporting for all sources of funding (restricted and unrestricted) Decision Making

Developing self and others Number of Direct reports: 5 Overall people management responsibility: 25 Overall responsibility for developing a well-functioning team. Provides effective line management and coaching support to direct reports. Delegates as necessary to ensure efficient team working.

The ability to make day-to-day decisions to manage and co-ordinate the administration, budget and operational smooth running in the country programme based on robust systems. Ensure content and accuracy of reports and identify training needs of relevant colleagues.

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n io t a c ifi c e p S n o s r e P Essential •

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The post holder must hold a minimum of a tertiary degree or equivalent; ideally in a field related to international development and/or a relevant certification in management.

8-10 years solid field-based experience including strategic resource mobilisation, managing large and complex multi-partner development programmes and donor-funded projects at a senior level.

A strong understanding of the key drivers of poverty and its eradication.

A first-hand understanding of the country within which this post is based and the funding context.

Experience working with cross-cultural teams.

Effective ability to prioritise workload and meet multiple demands.

Strong people management, performance management, and coaching skills.

Good networking and relationship-building skills.

Excellent oral and written communication skills.

Fluency in English required.

Post open to nationals with the right to live and work in Kenya.

Desirable • • •

Ideally, familiarity with issues around the development agenda and poverty eradication.

Management or business administration qualification. Interest in learning about organisational development more broadly.

Experience of working with organisations in Africa, including local civil society and church partners.

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How to Apply All correspondence, at this stage, should be via Oxford HR. To apply for this post, click on the “Apply” button on the job advert page, complete our online application form, and submit your CV and cover letter.

Please provide a CV and cover letter in two different documents, which should be prepared before applying as they will be considered in the application process.

Equality Statement Equality and diversity are at the core of Christian Aid values. Staff are expected to work collectively and individually to promote a constructive and sensitive approach to others from a variety of backgrounds, where the work of others is valued and respected.

Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

The cover letter should be no more than two pages long and explain why you are interested in this post and how your skills and experience make you a good fit.

The document should be saved in PDF in the following format: Your First Name-Your Last Name-Document Name-Date (mmyy) e.g., Pat-Jones-CV-062022-Christian Aid or Pat-Jones-CoverLetter-062022-Christian Aid.

Queries If you have any queries on any aspect of the appointment process, need additional information, or would like to have an informal discussion, please email at christian-aidkenya@oxfordhr.co.uk in the first instance.

Timeline Closing Date: Interviews:

Monday 15th August 2022 TBC

Selection process All candidates will receive an update regarding their application after the closing date. We advise candidates to add the role email to their safe senders list and regularly check their spam folder.

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About Oxford HR Oxford HR operates globally - mainly within the international development and charity sectors. We carry out retained executive search mandates at board and senior management levels. We also offer human resource and organisational development consultancy.

Oxford HR has many years of experience in search as well as an extensive network of international development, social sector, corporate, public sector, and academic contacts from across the world. We carry out comprehensive and often international searches designed to meet the specific needs of our client.

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