Job Opportunity at Norwegian Refugee Council for a Livelihoods and Food Security (LFS) Core Competency Specialist, Kenya

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Position: Livelihoods & Food Security (LFS) Core Competency Specialist, Kenya

Grade: 9

Reports to: Head of Program

Supervision of: Technical supervision of LFS teams

Duty station: Nairobi

Travel: 40%

Project number: KEFM2112

Duration and type of contract: 1 year

All NRC employees are expected to work in accordance with the organization’s core values: dedication, innovation, inclusivity and accountability. These attitudes and believes shall guide our actions and relationships.

1. Role and Responsibilities

The purpose of the Livelihood and Food Security (LFS) Specialist position is technical development of the specific LFS, strategic direction and quality assurance, development of the country LFS strategy and quality control of programs with livelihoods and/or food security components. The LFS Specialist is responsible for mentoring, training and capacity building of staff on LFS technical issues and approaches.

The following is a brief description of the role.

Generic Responsibilities

  1. Develop LFS strategy and technical guidance that are aligned with regional and global strategies and priorities
  2. Contribute to fundraising, develop and revise funding proposal, budgets and donor reports
  3. Identify trends technical standards and donor priorities
  4. Follow up on compliance with contractual commitments within LFS, ensure high technical quality and synergies in project implementation
  5. Provide technical direction and project implementation support
  6. Ensure that key learnings are extracted from LFS implementation, and incorporate them in LFS and staff development processes
  7. Provide systematic training and build capacity of technical staff, in approaches including (but not limited to) cash-based interventions and market based programming
  8. Represent NRC in relevant forums/clusters, including with national authorities and donors
  9. Promote the rights of IDPs/returnees in line with the advocacy strategy
  10. Compliance with and adherence to NRC policies, guidance and procedures

Specific Responsibilities

  • Gather and analyze food security and livelihoods-related data from target or proposed target populations, as part of integrated or joint assessments, and use this in response analysis to develop contextually appropriate, technically sound new projects and programs and inform advocacy efforts.
  • Support the consideration and inclusion of market based programming within NRC Kenya Common Objectives, through development of guidance, SOP and interdepartmental engagement.
  • Support the implementation of Graduation projects, providing a technical role, developing the required tools, monitoring the results and coordinating with the external technical support received from Trickle Up.
  • Technical focal point for projects focusing on livelihood protection and promotion through environmentally sensitive and commercially viable skill-building and market linkages for refugees and host communities.
  • Technical focal point for projects supporting economic and financial inclusion for refugees and host communities in Kenya, including supporting the creation and/or growth of local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), savings groups/schemes, cooperatives or other relevant structures and systems.
  • Ensure that all LFS programs consider gender, environment, nutrition and protection in
  • Provide technical leadership in responding to emergencies, with a focus on Food Security responses and Livelihoods protection and promotion support in hard-to-reach areas.
  • Closely coordinate with all CCs and cross-thematic areas (including digital approach, gender, environmental and nutrition sensitive considerations) to maximize on integrated programming and promote durable solutions;
  • Ensure the relevant safe programming principles are embedded in all LFS activities.
  • Develop a fit-for-purpose system and tools for continuous quality improvement and learning in LFS programs, and proactively document and disseminate lessons learned.

Critical Interfaces

By interfaces, NRC means processes and projects that are interlinked with other departments/units or persons. Relevant interfaces for this position are:

  • Program development: Regional Advisers for LFS and Cash & Markets; other CC Specialists, Area Managers
  • Proposal development: Head of Program, CC Specialists, Area Managers, LFS and M&E teams, Grants unit
  • Quality control/ support: LFS and M&E teams
  • Capacity development: LFS and M&E teams
  • Program implementation: Program staff, Area Managers and Support staff

Scale and Scope of Position

Staff: Technical supervision of LFS teams (15 persons)

Stakeholders: Key external stakeholders the post has relationships with (ITC, ILO, UN agencies, INGOs, local NGOs, civil society, governmental bodies, Cash and Livelihood working group, technical partners.)

Budgets: 5 main projects, 2 million USD per year

Information: Intranet, supports systems

2. Competencies

Competencies are important in order for the employee and the organization to deliver desired results. They are relevant for all staff and are divided into the following three categories:

1. Professional Competencies

These are skills, knowledge and experience that are important for effective performance.

Generic professional competencies for this position:

  • Minimum 4 years of experience within technical expertise area in a humanitarian/ recovery context
  • Experience implementing Graduation and TVET projects
  • Knowledge and skills in market analysis, cash-based interventions and market based programs
  • Experience in external and internal coordination
  • Documented results related to the position’s responsibilities
  • Knowledge about own leadership skills/profile
  • Fluency in English, both written and verbal

Context/Specific Skills, Knowledge and Experience:

  • Knowledge of the humanitarian context in Kenya

2. Behavioral Competencies (max 6)

These are personal qualities that influence how successful people are in their job. NRC’s Competency Framework states 12 behavioral competencies, the following are essential for this position:

  • Strategic thinking
  • Empowering and building trust
  • Influencing
  • Initiate action and change
  • Analyzing
  • Managing performance and development

3. Performance Management

The employee will be accountable for the responsibilities and the competencies, in accordance with the NRC Performance Management Manual. The following documents will be used for performance reviews:

  • The Job Description
  • The Work and Development Plan
  • The Mid-term/End-of-trial Period Performance Review Template
  • The End-term Performance Review Template
  • The NRC Competency Framework

More information and application on: https://ekum.fa.em2.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_1001/job/3872

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