Deadline: Ongoing

Location: Nairobi, Kenya

The International Youth Foundation (IYF) is seeking a Technical Director who will provide technical oversight for an anticipated, USAID-funded, five-year, multi-million dollar project. The project aims to support evidence-based county-level models that empower youth, connecting them directly to social and economic opportunities that will improve their livelihoods and well-being.

The project will also form partnerships between US and Kenyan higher education institutions to develop their capacity to generate and use data to expand evidence-based and evidence-producing programmes, practices, and policies related to youth.

Responsibilities

• Provide overall technical oversight of the project, ensuring that all interventions are high quality and evidence-based so that the project achieves its goals and objectives
• Develop the programme’s overarching vision and work plan, in collaboration with the Chief of Party, project leadership, USAID, IYF/Baltimore staff, and key stakeholders (the Government of Kenya at national, provincial and local levels; higher education institutions; young people)
• In collaboration with project leadership, develop annual implementation plans consistent with programme goals and objectives
• Build the technical capacity of youth organisations, higher education institutions, and local government
• Develop and implement capacity strengthening plans
• Develop tools and guides to facilitate knowledge transfer
• Provide technical training and support
• Build and maintain relationships with the public sector, private sector, civil society, community-based organisations, local communities, local government, and donors
• Work with project leadership to support continuous programme learning and ensure integration of monitoring and evaluation data into management decision-making and policy advocacy
• Produce effective written reports and oral presentations on the programme, including preparing periodic reports, providing updates on challenges facing the programme, and articulating the programme’s success in meeting deliverables
• Represent IYF and overall project interests at local, national and regional meetings, workshops and conferences and promote the programme at the national level
• Supervise staff as assigned, including providing regular professional support and coaching to supervisees, assessing their performance and recommending improvements they can make to achieve their annual objectives and the project’s goal in general
• Perform other duties as requested

Requirements

• A graduate degree in a relevant field such as education, international development or nonprofit management
• Eight years of relevant experience in leading programmes focused on research, youth services, workforce development, livelihoods, and/or private sector development, with at least four of those in Kenya or countries similar to Kenya
• Demonstrated success working at the community level assessing challenges, creating and implementing solutions, and achieving measurable results in development projects
• Technical leadership experience on complex youth development programmes funded by USAID or other donors
• Experience cultivating relationships and collaborating with a variety of stakeholders including youth, government ministries and officials, NGOs and donors, evaluators, and community-based institutions, preferably in Kenya
• Demonstrated experience with facilitative and partnership approaches, to include youth, higher education institutions, government, and the private sector
• Significant experience in designing and facilitating interactive meetings and workshops
• Strong understanding of the Kenyan economic, educational, and youth contexts, with a network of relevant contacts in the country
• Experience developing and implementing effective capacity building methods
• Spoken and written fluency in English and Swahili (essential), fluency in other Kenyan languages (desirable)
• Excellent computer skills using MS Office products, including Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint

To apply and for more information, click here.

Photo source: The International Youth Foundation