Background

RELON-Kenya exists to unite the refugee-led organisations (RLOs) in Kenya so as to link them with opportunities, ideas and funding, as well as provide a platform for the RLOs to network amongst each other and other key potential partners/stakeholders (at national, regional and global levels).

Job Purpose

The senior programs officer is responsible for providing strategic and operational leadership in the planning, coordination, implementation, and monitoring and reporting of RELON-Kenya programs and projects. The Position ensures that programs are implemented effectively, in accordance with approved plans, budgets, donor requirements, and organizational policies while strengthening program quality, accountability, partnerships and organizational learning.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational oversight of RELON-Kenya programs and projects, ensuring effective implementation in line with organizational strategy, program objectives and approved work plans.
• Lead the development, review and implementation of program work plans, activity plans, budgets and program delivery schedules in collaboration with relevant staff and management.
• Coordinate the implementation of programmes across RELON-Kenya’s programme areas and ensure effective collaboration between programme staff, technical teams, field teams and support departments.
• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to Programme Officers, and other programme staff to promote quality programme delivery and achievement of organisational objectives.
• Monitor programme implementation against approved work plans, budgets, targets, outputs and outcomes, identify implementation challenges and provide timely recommendations for corrective action.
• Ensure that programme activities are implemented in accordance with donor agreements, approved proposals, organisational policies, relevant laws and applicable programme standards.
• Coordinate the preparation, review and timely submission of high-quality donor, management and programme reports, ensuring accuracy, consistency and alignment with approved programme objectives and indicators.
• Work closely with the Finance Department to monitor programme expenditure, budget utilisation and financial performance, and ensure that programme activities remain within approved budgets.
• Support the development of concept notes, proposals, budgets, logframes, theories of change and other programme development documents for new and existing funding opportunities.
• Coordinate programme monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning activities, ensuring that programme data is collected, documented, analysed and used to improve programme quality and decision-making.
• Ensure meaningful participation of refugees, refugee-led organisations and other communities served by RELON-Kenya in programme design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
• Leading the resource mobilization, through fundraising for programs sustainability and developing a fundraising strategy for the organization.

Qualifications and Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Development Studies, International Development, Social Sciences, Project Management, International Relations, Community Development, Law or a related field. A master’s degree in a relevant field is an added advantage.
• At least five (5) years of progressive professional experience in programme management, programme coordination, project implementation or a related field, preferably within the humanitarian, refugee, development or civil society sector.
• At least two (2) years of experience in a senior programme coordination, supervisory or management role.
• Proven experience in managing and coordinating donor-funded programmes, including programme planning, implementation, monitoring, reporting and compliance.
• Proven experience in developing programme work plans, budgets, proposals, reports, logical frameworks and other programme management documents.
• Demonstrated experience working with refugees, refugee-led organisations, community-based organisations or other vulnerable and marginalised communities.
• Good understanding of programme management principles, project cycle management, monitoring and evaluation, accountability and results-based programming.
• Demonstrated experience in donor compliance and understanding of donor requirements, grant agreements, reporting requirements and programme deliverables.
• Experience in coordinating multi-stakeholder programmes and working effectively with government institutions, UN agencies, donors, NGOs, CSOs and community organisations.
• Strong analytical, organisational and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage multiple programmes, priorities and deadlines.
• Excellent report writing, documentation and communication skills, with the ability to prepare high-quality programme reports and communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders.
• Knowledge and understanding of safeguarding, protection, gender, disability inclusion, accountability to affected populations and other relevant humanitarian and development principles.

• Provide strategic and operational oversight of RELON-Kenya programs and projects, ensuring effective implementation in line with organizational strategy, program objectives and approved work plans.
• Lead the development, review and implementation of program work plans, activity plans, budgets and program delivery schedules in collaboration with relevant staff and management.
• Coordinate the implementation of programmes across RELON-Kenya’s programme areas and ensure effective collaboration between programme staff, technical teams, field teams and support departments.
• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to Programme Officers, and other programme staff to promote quality programme delivery and achievement of organisational objectives.
• Monitor programme implementation against approved work plans, budgets, targets, outputs and outcomes, identify implementation challenges and provide timely recommendations for corrective action.
• Ensure that programme activities are implemented in accordance with donor agreements, approved proposals, organisational policies, relevant laws and applicable programme standards.
• Coordinate the preparation, review and timely submission of high-quality donor, management and programme reports, ensuring accuracy, consistency and alignment with approved programme objectives and indicators.
• Work closely with the Finance Department to monitor programme expenditure, budget utilisation and financial performance, and ensure that programme activities remain within approved budgets.
• Support the development of concept notes, proposals, budgets, logframes, theories of change and other programme development documents for new and existing funding opportunities.
• Coordinate programme monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning activities, ensuring that programme data is collected, documented, analysed and used to improve programme quality and decision-making.
• Ensure meaningful participation of refugees, refugee-led organisations and other communities served by RELON-Kenya in programme design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
• Leading the resource mobilization, through fundraising for programs sustainability and developing a fundraising strategy for the organization.

• Programme management
• Programme coordination
• Project implementation
• Donor-funded programmes management
• Programme planning
• Programme monitoring
• Programme reporting
• Compliance
• Work plan development
• Budget development
• Proposal development
• Report writing
• Logical framework development
• Working with refugees
• Working with refugee-led organisations
• Working with community-based organisations
• Working with vulnerable communities
• Programme management principles
• Project cycle management
• Monitoring and evaluation
• Accountability
• Results-based programming
• Donor compliance
• Grant agreement understanding
• Reporting requirements understanding
• Programme deliverables understanding
• Multi-stakeholder coordination
• Working with government institutions
• Working with UN agencies
• Working with donors
• Working with NGOs
• Working with CSOs
• Working with community organisations
• Analytical skills
• Organizational skills
• Problem-solving skills
• Managing multiple programmes
• Managing priorities
• Managing deadlines
• Documentation skills
• Communication skills
• Safeguarding knowledge
• Protection knowledge
• Gender inclusion knowledge
• Disability inclusion knowledge
• Accountability to affected populations knowledge

• Bachelor's degree in Development Studies, International Development, Social Sciences, Project Management, International Relations, Community Development, Law or a related field.
• Master’s degree in a relevant field is an added advantage.
• At least five (5) years of progressive professional experience in programme management, programme coordination, project implementation or a related field, preferably within the humanitarian, refugee, development or civil society sector.
• At least two (2) years of experience in a senior programme coordination, supervisory or management role.
• Proven experience in managing and coordinating donor-funded programmes, including programme planning, implementation, monitoring, reporting and compliance.
• Proven experience in developing programme work plans, budgets, proposals, reports, logical frameworks and other programme management documents.
• Demonstrated experience working with refugees, refugee-led organisations, community-based organisations or other vulnerable and marginalised communities.
• Good understanding of programme management principles, project cycle management, monitoring and evaluation, accountability and results-based programming.
• Demonstrated experience in donor compliance and understanding of donor requirements, grant agreements, reporting requirements and programme deliverables.
• Experience in coordinating multi-stakeholder programmes and working effectively with government institutions, UN agencies, donors, NGOs, CSOs and community organisations.
• Strong analytical, organisational and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage multiple programmes, priorities and deadlines.
• Excellent report writing, documentation and communication skills, with the ability to prepare high-quality programme reports and communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders.
• Knowledge and understanding of safeguarding, protection, gender, disability inclusion, accountability to affected populations and other relevant humanitarian and development principles.