ChildFund is conducting a preliminary search for a Project Director to lead a proposed two-year, U.S. Government-funded project designed to protect vulnerable children, expand access to high-quality education technology (EdTech), strengthen digital safety and online protection, promote market-relevant skills development, and strengthen government systems to prevent child labor and online exploitation. The Project Director will provide strategic and operational leadership for the project, managing partnerships, supervising staff, overseeing high-quality implementation, including budget and compliance requirements, and serving as the primary liaison with government counterparts, private-sector partners, civil society organizations, and the donor.

Responsibilities or duties

• Provide overall leadership and technical direction for project implementation.
• Oversee achievement of project outcomes, milestones, and performance targets.
• Lead project startup, strategy validation exercises, work planning, implementation, adaptation, and closeout activities.
• Maintain project alignment with national government and donor priorities and requirements.
• Lead adaptive management processes, using monitoring data and stakeholder feedback to improve project effectiveness.
• Serve as principal representative and coordinate closely with the donor.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with government ministries and offices.
• Facilitate collaboration with private-sector technology companies, training providers, employers, and community organizations.
• Represent the project in national, regional, and international forums.
• Guide implementation of interventions that: Increase access to quality EdTech solutions for children at risk of child labor. Support digital literacy and technology-enabled learning. Connect youth to apprenticeships, vocational training, and market-relevant employment pathways. Strengthen online safety awareness, protocols, and reporting systems. Build government capacity to prevent online exploitation and enforce child labor laws. Ensure interventions are evidence-based, innovative, and responsive to contextual needs.
• Oversee sound management of the project budget.
• Ensure compliance with donor regulations, organizational policies, and applicable U.S. government requirements.
• Monitor expenditures, forecasts, pipelines, and financial performance.
• Review and approve project budgets, procurements, subawards, and consultant agreements.
• Ensure timely submission of financial, programmatic, and compliance reports.
• Provide oversight of project monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning systems.
• Oversee collection and analysis of high-quality performance data.
• Lead annual reviews of project performance, risk assessments, and learning activities.
• Support development of reports demonstrating project outcomes and impact.
• Promote evidence generation and use of data for decision-making and adaptive management.
• Recruit, supervise, mentor, and evaluate project staff and consultants.
• Foster a high-performing, inclusive, and accountable team culture.
• Ensure effective coordination between technical, operations, finance, grants, and M&E teams.
• Support staff capacity strengthening and professional development.
• Identify and mitigate operational, financial, reputational, and programmatic risks.
• Remain alert and responsive to any safeguarding risks, acquire relevant knowledge and skills which will enable you to promote strong safeguarding practices, understand the safeguarding policy and procedures, and conduct yourself in a manner consistent with the Safeguarding Policy.

Qualifications or requirements (e.g., education, skills)

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field such as education, social work, international development, or public policy is required; master’s degree preferred.
• At least 10 years of progressively responsible experience leading donor-funded international development, education, youth engagement, or child protection programs.
• At least 5 years in senior leadership roles managing complex, donor-funded projects, preferably in Kenya.
• Demonstrated experience with US government-funded projects. Experience with US DOL is a plus.
• Experience with government capacity strengthening.
• Experience advancing safeguarding, protection from sexual exploitation and abuse, survivor-centered approaches, ethical data practices, and accountability standards is preferred.
• Experience with digital equity, digital safety, and prevention of online exploitation and abuse of children is preferred.

Experience needed

10 years of progressively responsible experience leading donor-funded international development, education, youth engagement, or child protection programs. At least 5 years in senior leadership roles managing complex, donor-funded projects, preferably in Kenya.

Any other provided details (e.g., benefits, work environment, team info, or additional notes)

• Travel occasionally to Washington, DC.

• Provide overall leadership and technical direction for project implementation.
• Oversee achievement of project outcomes, milestones, and performance targets.
• Lead project startup, strategy validation exercises, work planning, implementation, adaptation, and closeout activities.
• Maintain project alignment with national government and donor priorities and requirements.
• Lead adaptive management processes, using monitoring data and stakeholder feedback to improve project effectiveness.
• Serve as principal representative and coordinate closely with the donor.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with government ministries and offices.
• Facilitate collaboration with private-sector technology companies, training providers, employers, and community organizations.
• Represent the project in national, regional, and international forums.
• Guide implementation of interventions that: Increase access to quality EdTech solutions for children at risk of child labor. Support digital literacy and technology-enabled learning. Connect youth to apprenticeships, vocational training, and market-relevant employment pathways. Strengthen online safety awareness, protocols, and reporting systems. Build government capacity to prevent online exploitation and enforce child labor laws. Ensure interventions are evidence-based, innovative, and responsive to contextual needs.
• Oversee sound management of the project budget.
• Ensure compliance with donor regulations, organizational policies, and applicable U.S. government requirements.
• Monitor expenditures, forecasts, pipelines, and financial performance.
• Review and approve project budgets, procurements, subawards, and consultant agreements.
• Ensure timely submission of financial, programmatic, and compliance reports.
• Provide oversight of project monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning systems.
• Oversee collection and analysis of high-quality performance data.
• Lead annual reviews of project performance, risk assessments, and learning activities.
• Support development of reports demonstrating project outcomes and impact.
• Promote evidence generation and use of data for decision-making and adaptive management.
• Recruit, supervise, mentor, and evaluate project staff and consultants.
• Foster a high-performing, inclusive, and accountable team culture.
• Ensure effective coordination between technical, operations, finance, grants, and M&E teams.
• Support staff capacity strengthening and professional development.
• Identify and mitigate operational, financial, reputational, and programmatic risks.
• Remain alert and responsive to any safeguarding risks, acquire relevant knowledge and skills which will enable you to promote strong safeguarding practices, understand the safeguarding policy and procedures, and conduct yourself in a manner consistent with the Safeguarding Policy.

• Strategic leadership
• Project management
• Partnership management
• Staff supervision
• Budget management
• Compliance management
• Stakeholder engagement
• Government liaison
• Technical oversight
• Monitoring and evaluation
• Team leadership
• Safeguarding practices
• Digital equity
• Digital safety
• Child protection
• Education technology (EdTech)
• Skills development
• Government capacity strengthening

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field such as education, social work, international development, or public policy is required; master’s degree preferred.
• At least 10 years of progressively responsible experience leading donor-funded international development, education, youth engagement, or child protection programs.
• At least 5 years in senior leadership roles managing complex, donor-funded projects, preferably in Kenya.
• Demonstrated experience with US government-funded projects. Experience with US DOL is a plus.
• Experience with government capacity strengthening.
• Experience advancing safeguarding, protection from sexual exploitation and abuse, survivor-centered approaches, ethical data practices, and accountability standards is preferred.
• Experience with digital equity, digital safety, and prevention of online exploitation and abuse of children is preferred.