Save the Children UK Livelihoods Manager (Dadaab), Livelihoods Officer (Dadaab) and Human Resources Officer (Wajir South) Jobs in Kenya

Save the Children UK is a leading international child rights organization, fighting to improve the lives of children in the UK and 50 countries around the world.

Together with children, we are helping to build a better world for present and future generations by making a reality of children’s rights.

Save the Children UK in Kenya works in the North Eastern Province (Dadaab, Wajir and Mandera) with Programmes in Child Protection, Nutrition, Livelihoods and Health.

We are seeking qualified candidates to fill the following positions:

1. Food Security and Livelihoods Manager – Dadaab
( 4 months contract )

Job Purpose

The position is responsible for the implementation and reporting of the Fresh Food Voucher project. The individual will provide technical expertise on the food security and livelihood situation in the field office to ensure proposal development, reporting and technical representation of SCUK. He/she will be line managed by the Area Manager.
Key Responsibilities
1. Team Management

• Design and start-up project implementation procedures and systems, especially the vouchers for fresh food project. Recruit your team and train them to those systems and procedures.
• Ensure that the project is implemented according to high standards of quality, transparency and accountability.
• Ensure proper mentoring and capacity building of your staff to achieve projects objectives.
• Supervise the recruitment of your staff.
• Manage FS&L staff performance as per SCUK procedures.
• Ensure team building and coordination of activities of your different staff.
• Ensure that FFV activities are planned according to needs and resources, and follow-up planned activities.
• Ensure that the security of your team is considered at all time. Be especially proactive in terms of security procedures during tensed periods and during cash payments.

2. Coordination

• Engage your team in constructive planning with other technical departments to ensure an integrated approach where possible.
• Coordinate with support team and other technical teams to ensure a proper management of resources (weekly planning for cars, cash forecasts, and budget follow-up).
• Ensure that FFV project is fully integrated in SC UK overall strategy and when possible linked with other departments’ projects.
• Link with your line managers to ensure proper implementation, and ensure timely communication of any relevant issue regarding security, HR, implementation, budget or donor reporting.

3. Monitoring and Reporting

• Design a scientifically sound monitoring system to enable a proper measurement of your projects.
• Ensure that your activities are properly monitored and documented to ensure transparency and accountability.
• Ensure that indicators are collected and reported against during monthly reports.
• Ensure that your monthly reporting reflects planning and achievements against planning, as well as project progress based on agreed performance indicators.
• Provide quality and on-time donor reports.
• Ensure a relevant monitoring of the food security and livelihood situation in your areas of interventions, if necessary through a formal monitoring system.
• Provide technical expertise and analysis on the food security and livelihood situation in your area of intervention. Lead and coordinate any FS&L assessment in your area of intervention to ensure quality data and reporting.

4. Representation

• Play an active role in the Food Security & Livelihoods meetings at district, province and national level and actively coordinate with government agencies, and other key livelihood stakeholders at provincial and district level.
• Initiate and develop a livelihood network at provincial and national level, ensuring that Save the Children UK is represented at key technical discussions.

5. Strategy

• Identify areas for Hunger Reduction programming.
• Provide technical expertise and knowledge of field context to support SC UK strategy for the Post Election Violence affected areas.
• Provide, in coordination with your line managers, the necessary support for proposal development.

Personal Specification
Essential

• University Degree in Agriculture/ livestock production or socio-economic development related fields
• Post-Graduated degree in social science, economics, geography or other discipline relevant to urban/rural livelihoods.
• Substantial relevant experience with at least five (5) years at senior management level.
• Demonstrated experience of cash transfer projects.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex operations in an emergency or development context.
• Demonstrated experience in managing partnerships with UN / INGOs and government
• Demonstrate experience in disaster response and livelihoods work
• Good understanding of livelihoods concepts and issues in development context
• Good communication skills and good command of both written and spoken English and Kiswahili.
• Knowledge of language e.g. Somali.
• Excellent proposal development and written skills.
• Very strong representational skills.
• Skills related to participatory research methods, computer literacy, and financial management.
• Excellent skills in monitoring implementation of programme activities.
• Ability to work as team leader and part of teams (multi-cultural, multi-disciplinary and inter-agency).
• Ability and willingness to travel extensively to the field, under sometimes difficult and occasionally insecure circumstances.
• Very self-motivated and proactive.
• Commitment to Save the Children’s Child Protection Policy.

Desirable

• Previous experience working with pastoral communities, especially in the Horn of Africa.
• Experience of cash transfer projects.

2. Food Security and Livelihoods Officer – Dadaab
( 4 months contract )

Job Purpose

The post of Food Security & Livelihoods Officer is responsible for the implementation of Save the Children’s Food Security voucher programme within the field office. The incumbent will provide technical support, capacity building and manage local staff to ensure high quality standards of project implementation.
Key Responsibilities

1. Team Management: The Food Security Officer will manage the team of field monitors, and especially:

• Identify capacity gaps and provide capacity building and technical support when relevant to the team of field monitors.
• Make regular and extensive field visits to all project areas to plan, implement, supervise and monitor project implementation activities.
• Ensure proper activity planning and monitor activities implementation according to planning.
• Ensure coordination with finance, HR and logistic department, especially proper and timely communication of cash and logistics needs for your activities and team.
• Ensure the performance management of the Food Security monitors according to SCUK standards.
• Ensure regular coordination and planning meetings with the team.

2. Reporting

• Prepare and submit sound and timely project progress, distributions and project monitoring reports for all components of the SCUK food security and livelihoods interventions under his/her responsibility.

3. Project quality

• Ensure that planning of activities is realistic.
• Monitor team’s activities through field visit and monitoring reports, and ensure that implementation results and process are matching high quality standards.
• Ensure respect of project milestones, timely report to line manager any delays and propose solutions.
• Ensure that project performance indicators are collected regularly, documented and reported against target achievements.
• Ensure that the implementation process considers cross-cutting issues child welfare, gender equity, community participation and acceptance.
• Ensure that all activities are properly documented to ensure accountability at all stages.
• Ensure community mobilization, targeting, identification and registration of beneficiaries is conducted according to set criteria’s and objectives with in the planned project time frame.

4. Monitoring/Assessments: The FS officer supports the provision of data for analysis and project monitoring, needs assessments and future projects design in partnership with the M&E officer.

• Participate in need assessments, market analysis, and regular monitoring of the food security and livelihoods in your area of operation.
• Support in project documentation and lessons learned analysis.
• Assist in identification of new areas of intervention and developing new proposals for future program intervention.
• Ensure household surveys, post distribution monitoring are carried out by the camp team.
• Develop a monitoring and evaluation monthly plan for staff to follow and implement.

5. Representation

• Establish and maintain good working relationships with the relevant government line ministries and departments at district and division levels, with national and international NGO’s, UN agencies, community based leaders, community structures.
• Ensure smooth and transparent flow of information from and to the local communities.
• Participate in staff and camp level meetings and workshops related to Food Security / Livelihoods, nutrition, resettlement and economic recovery issues as requested by the line manager

6. Other duties

• Assist in other relevant duties as identified and assigned by the Food Security and Livelihood Programme Manager.
• Comply with all relevant Save the Children UK policies and procedures with respect to child protection, code of conduct, health and safety, security, equal opportunities and other relevant policies.

Person Specification
Essential:

• University Degree in Agriculture/ livestock production or development related fields.
• At least two (2) years experience of working in Food Security/ Livelihood projects preferably with National or International NGO’s.
• Experience in assessment methodologies (PRA, RRA), organizing and implementation of seed fairs and vouchers, livestock re-stocking and cash for work activities.
• Proven planning, report writing, monitoring and management skills.
• Excellent communication skills with fluency in written and spoken English and Kiswahili.
• Knowledge of the local language e.g. Somali.
• Good IT skills including the use of word excel and database software.
• Ability and willingness to make frequent field visits to the project areas.
• Demonstrable ability to adapt to changing program priorities and emergency priorities that may arise.
• Strong self starter, able to take initiatives.

Desirable:

• Experience and skills in project planning and financial reporting
• Experience in designing and facilitating training and mentoring of staff
• Experience of working in livelihood projects, cash for work, seed and livestock fairs and community based targeting.

3. Human Resources Officer – Wajir South
( 8 months contract )

Job Purpose

The incumbent will coordinate and manage all human resources requirements for Save the Children (UK) – Wajir South Area office and implement national policies in accordance with Save the Children (UK) policies and practices.

Key accountabilities

• Supervise closely Wajir South staff leave status i.e. annual leave, sick leave, compassionate leave, paternity/maternity, TOIL and R&R , ensuring regular updating of the leave database and status report sent out to line managers, track leave in coordination with the HR Manager in Nairobi and advice accordingly.
• Prepare local employment contracts for Wajir staff upon appointment and maintain an effective contract planning mechanism, ensuring staff are issued with extension letter where required and liaise with the HR Manager.
• Manage Wajir staff employment contracts records; liaise with the HR Manager to ensure timely renewal.
• Facilitate and Administer staff medical insurance, ensuring employee insurance eligibility list is current.
• Line management of field support staff.
• Update and maintain SCUK Wajir staff contact list and organizational chart and send to HR Manager in Nairobi on a regular basis.
• Assist in the development of induction plans and processes for Wajir South staff; ensure that staff are aware of policies and best practices relating to their employment. Follow up induction evaluation procedures for monitoring the effectiveness of the induction processes and feedback to line managers and HR Manager.
• Monitor staff movements between field offices together with the Field thematic managers and Admin Assistant in charge of travel arrangements and advise NBO accordingly
• Support the field office manager in providing HR advice and assistance with Local recruitment, selection and training, ensuring the correct processes are followed.
• Provide support to supervisors and staff on objective setting, performance review and drawing performance development plan therefore ensuring that it is happening in a timely and effective way.

Person Specification
Essential

• A Degree in Human Resources Management or Social Sciences from a recognized University and Diploma in Human Resources.
• At least two year’s relevant experience in HR/Admin within a busy organisation
• Knowledge of current Kenya employment legislation
• Good communication and interpersonal skills
• Good people management and reporting skills
• Proficiency in working with computers particularly spreadsheets and word processing
• Excellent report writing and investigative skills.
• Experience of working within a team and team building.
• Ability to work within a multi-cultural setting.

Desirable

• NGO experience
• Basic financial skills especially in budgeting.

If you meet the above requirements, please send your detailed CV together with a cover letter and current contacts of three referees including immediate supervisor addressed to:

Head of Human Resources,
Save the Children UK, Kenya Programme
email: jobskenya@scuk.or.ke

not later than 26th April, 2011.

Quote the job title on the subject line.

Only short listed candidates will be contacted.

Save the Children (UK) recruitment and selection procedures reflect our commitment to equal employment opportunities and the protection of children from abuse.