The Freedom Fund is seeking to hire a Senior Program Manager- East Africa
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Reporting to: Managing Director, Programs
Full Time – 37.5 Hours per week
Start date: 1 March 2022
About the Freedom Fund
The Freedom Fund (www.freedomfund.org) is a leader in the global movement to end modern slavery. It:
• invests in those countries and sectors with the greatest incidence of slavery.
• analyses which interventions work best and shares that knowledge.
• brings together a community of activists committed to ending slavery and empowered by the knowledge of how best to do so.
• generates funding by demonstrating how effective interventions can protect those most at risk, and free those living in slavery.
The Freedom Fund now has programs in Thailand, Myanmar, Indonesia, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Ethiopia and Brazil. It currently supports and funds over 140 partners around the world.
About the position
The Freedom Fund is seeking a Senior Program Manager to oversee the expansion of its programs in East Africa. This is an exciting role for an ambitious leader and experienced technical expert with a background working in human rights and development, especially on issues such as child labor, gender, forced child marriage, FGM and community-based normative change. The initial priority for the role will be to launch the Fund’s first new program in the region outside Ethiopia, with a likely focus on forced child marriage in Kenya.
The Senior Program Manager will be responsible for identifying possible intervention strategies and locations, engaging with potential grassroots partners, inviting proposals from implementing NGOs, and recruiting a small team to manage the program. Following the inception phase, s/he will oversee efforts to measure the program’s impact, refine intervention strategies, and support research and learning on behalf of the wider anti-slavery sector. The Senior Program Manager will also work with the Freedom Fund’s Partnerships team to develop new programs in the East Africa region on issues such as exploitative child domestic work, child labor, and forced labor. The post will initially manage a small team of 2-3 staff, with the possibility of growing the team in future.
Responsibilities
• Oversee the development of a new East Africa ‘hotspot’ program, with a likely focus on forced child marriage in Kenya.
• Research and develop intervention strategy together with potential partners and external stakeholders and manage process of soliciting and funding proposals from grassroots NGOs.
• Recruit team of 2-3 staff to manage program.
• Monitor program strategy, impact and performance against objectives.
• Identify, commission and oversee relevant technical assistance and capacity enhancement for local grassroots partners.
• Engage with donors, peer organizations and experts on behalf of the Freedom Fund.
• Represent the Freedom Fund in Nairobi and explore options for registering a local office.
• Working with the Freedom Fund’s Research and Evaluation team, commission and manage program evaluations by independent research institutions and ensure that lessons are appropriately shared and acted upon.
• Ensure quality internal reporting and external communications about the Freedom Fund’s work.
• Work with the Freedom Fund’s Partnerships team to develop new opportunities, strategies and funding for programs tackling modern slavery in the East Africa region.
• Other tasks as required in support of Freedom Fund program objectives. Depending on the outcome of a current bid, the Senior Program Manager may also provide support to a program on exploitative child domestic work in Nigeria and Liberia.
Qualifications and experience
Essential
• At least ten years of experience managing human rights or development programs, with at least seven years working in the East Africa region
• Significant experience working with grassroots NGOs and community groups
• Experience working on modern slavery or related issues, including forced child marriage, child protection, forced labor, and exploitative child domestic work
• Experience designing program intervention strategies
• Experience preparing and managing budgets
• Demonstrated people leadership skills and line management experience
• Experience managing donor relationships and raising funding to support program priorities
• Right to work in Kenya
Desirable
• Advanced degree
• Grant-making experience
• Track record of advocating at a high level with government
• Experience of community based normative and behavior change campaigns
• Knowledge of languages other than English
Personal attributes
Essential
• Team player committed to the Freedom Fund’s values and passionate about human rights
• Highly developed networking skills, and ability to build relationships with a wide range of individuals from diverse backgrounds
• Ability to work independently, displaying strong initiative in solving day-to-day problems with limited direction
• Ability to motivate and support direct reports and build a high functioning team
• Outstanding oral and written communication skills in English; additional languages desirable
• Willingness and ability to travel extensively (estimated 25%, tbc)
Compensation
• US $89,000 – $94,000 per annum plus competitive benefits
Application procedure
Applications should be submitted in English and include a CV, cover letter (maximum one page) and contact details of two professional referees, one of which must be the applicant’s current / most recent line manager or current / most recent Head of HR.
Please send applications by email in PDF format to jobs@freedomfund.org, including ‘Senior Program Manager’ in the subject line before 9.00am GMT on Tuesday, 11 January 2022.
Please note that only candidates selected for further consideration will be contacted. No agencies please.
Applicants must be eligible to work in Kenya without sponsorship or relocation by the Freedom Fund. The Freedom Fund is an equal opportunities employer. In line with our values of respect, agility and excellence, we value the strength of a diverse workforce and encourage applications from people with disabilities, Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds, LGBT+ and from different socioeconomic backgrounds.
The Freedom Fund is committed to the importance of meaningful survivor inclusion and leadership. As such, particular consideration will be given to applicants with lived experience of trafficking and/or forms of modern slavery.
The Freedom Fund prioritizes Safeguarding. As part of our commitment to the protection of children and vulnerable people in our work, any offer of employment with the Freedom Fund will be subject to satisfactory pre-employment checks to ensure we recruit only those who are suitable to work with children and vulnerable persons. These checks include Disclosure and Barring Service and/or International Criminal Records Checks, satisfactory references, proof of eligibility to work in the national location of this role and checks against the Office of Foreign Assets Control data list (OFAC] which highlights any connections to terrorism or trafficking. Any offer of employment or consultancy with The Freedom Fund will only be made following both successful background checks being conducted on the applicant and upon receipt of satisfactory pre-employment checks by former employers. Such checks may be updated periodically during the course of the period of employment or consultancy. By submitting a formal application, you agree to the Freedom Fund carrying out these checks.
For more details: https://freedomfund.org/about/careers/
