Background information about the job or company (e.g., role context, company overview)

Kalobeyei Initiative for Better Life (KI4BLI) is a refugee-led nonprofit founded in 2018 to transform the lives of displaced and host communities in Kalobeyei, Kenya. Through education, livelihoods, and community development, we're building a future rooted in dignity, sustainability, and hope.

Responsibilities or duties

Strategic Program Leadership & Design

• Lead the development and refinement of KI4BLI’s program strategy in line with the organization’s vision, mission, and evolving context.
• Guide the design of high-quality, evidence-based, and scalable programs and projects.
• Ensure that cross-cutting themes (safeguarding, gender equality, inclusion, accountability, environmental sustainability) are integrated into all interventions.

Program Management, Quality & Learning

• Provide oversight and support to Program/Project Coordinators to ensure timely, effective, and compliant implementation.
• Establish and maintain program quality standards, tools, and operating procedures.
• Work closely with M&E to strengthen results frameworks, indicator tracking, and use of data for decision-making and adaptation.
• Promote a culture of learning, reflection, and continuous improvement, including documentation of lessons learned, case studies, and good practices.

Team Leadership & Capacity Strengthening

• Line-manage program leads and coordinators, providing regular coaching, performance management, and professional development support.
• Build the capacity of program teams in project cycle management, market systems approaches, protection-sensitive programming, and partnership management.
• Foster a collaborative, ethical, and inclusive team culture that centers refugee and host community leadership.

Partnerships, Representation & Resource Mobilization

• Represent KI4BLI in strategic coordination forums, consortia, and with key stakeholders (government, UN agencies, NGOs, private sector, and community structures).
• Strengthen partnerships that expand market access, livelihoods, and service delivery for refugees and host communities.
• Support resource mobilization through concept note and proposal development, donor engagement, and strategic positioning of KI4BLI’s program models.

Compliance, Risk Management & Safeguarding

• Ensure adherence to donor requirements, contractual obligations, and KI4BLI policies across all programs.
• Identify programmatic and operational risks and work with relevant teams to implement mitigation measures.
• Champion safeguarding, accountability, and ethical standards, ensuring safe, dignified, and rights-respecting programming.
• Perform any other duties as may be assigned by the organization.

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

Qualifications & Experience

• Master’s degree in Development Studies, Social Sciences, Business/Management, Humanitarian Affairs, or a related field; a Bachelor’s degree with strong relevant experience may be considered.
• At least 7–10 years of progressive experience in program management/leadership in humanitarian, development, or social enterprise settings, with at least 3 years in a senior management role.
• Proven experience in livelihoods, market systems, entrepreneurship, or self-reliance programming for refugees and/or host communities.
• Strong track record in program design, proposal development, donor compliance, and grant management (e.g. UN, bilateral, foundations).
• Demonstrated experience leading multi-disciplinary teams and managing complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives.
• Excellent strategic thinking, analytical, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to operate effectively in dynamic, resource-constrained environments.
• Strong communication, representation, and relationship-building skills with communities, partners, and donors.
• High integrity, accountability, and commitment to localization, community leadership, and Do No Harm principles.
• Experience working in refugee settings and/or the ASAL regions of Kenya is a strong asset.

• Lead the development and refinement of KI4BLI’s program strategy in line with the organization’s vision, mission, and evolving context.
• Guide the design of high-quality, evidence-based, and scalable programs and projects.
• Ensure that cross-cutting themes (safeguarding, gender equality, inclusion, accountability, environmental sustainability) are integrated into all interventions.
• Provide oversight and support to Program/Project Coordinators to ensure timely, effective, and compliant implementation.
• Establish and maintain program quality standards, tools, and operating procedures.
• Work closely with M&E to strengthen results frameworks, indicator tracking, and use of data for decision-making and adaptation.
• Promote a culture of learning, reflection, and continuous improvement, including documentation of lessons learned, case studies, and good practices.
• Line-manage program leads and coordinators, providing regular coaching, performance management, and professional development support.
• Build the capacity of program teams in project cycle management, market systems approaches, protection-sensitive programming, and partnership management.
• Foster a collaborative, ethical, and inclusive team culture that centers refugee and host community leadership.
• Represent KI4BLI in strategic coordination forums, consortia, and with key stakeholders (government, UN agencies, NGOs, private sector, and community structures).
• Strengthen partnerships that expand market access, livelihoods, and service delivery for refugees and host communities.
• Support resource mobilization through concept note and proposal development, donor engagement, and strategic positioning of KI4BLI’s program models.
• Ensure adherence to donor requirements, contractual obligations, and KI4BLI policies across all programs.
• Identify programmatic and operational risks and work with relevant teams to implement mitigation measures.
• Champion safeguarding, accountability, and ethical standards, ensuring safe, dignified, and rights-respecting programming.
• Perform any other duties as may be assigned by the organization.

• Strategic thinking
• Analytical skills
• Problem-solving skills
• Communication skills
• Representation skills
• Relationship-building skills
• Project cycle management
• Market systems approaches
• Protection-sensitive programming
• Partnership management
• Grant management
• Donor compliance
• Proposal development
• Team leadership
• Capacity strengthening
• Risk management
• Safeguarding
• Accountability
• Ethical standards

• Master’s degree in Development Studies, Social Sciences, Business/Management, Humanitarian Affairs, or a related field; a Bachelor’s degree with strong relevant experience may be considered.
• At least 7–10 years of progressive experience in program management/leadership in humanitarian, development, or social enterprise settings, with at least 3 years in a senior management role.
• Proven experience in livelihoods, market systems, entrepreneurship, or self-reliance programming for refugees and/or host communities.
• Strong track record in program design, proposal development, donor compliance, and grant management (e.g. UN, bilateral, foundations).
• Demonstrated experience leading multi-disciplinary teams and managing complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives.
• Excellent strategic thinking, analytical, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to operate effectively in dynamic, resource-constrained environments.
• Strong communication, representation, and relationship-building skills with communities, partners, and donors.
• High integrity, accountability, and commitment to localization, community leadership, and Do No Harm principles.
• Experience working in refugee settings and/or the ASAL regions of Kenya is a strong asset.