Project Manager – Integrated County Energy Planning (INEP) Project Full Time

PRACTICAL ACTION

ABOUT US

We are an international development organisation putting ingenious ideas to work so people in poverty can change their world.

We help people find solutions to some of the world’s toughest problems. Challenges made worse by catastrophic climate change and persistent gender inequality. We work with communities to develop ingenious, lasting and locally owned solutions for agriculture, water and waste management, climate resilience and clean energy. And we share what works with others, so answers that start small can grow big.

We are committed to advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment through all our work. This includes programmes, knowledge sharing, advocacy, external communications, and our own organisational development. At a minimum, we ensure that all our work is gender sensitive, seeking gender transformative approaches as our overall ambition and in accordance with context.

We’re a global change-making group. The group consists of a UK registered charity with community projects in Africa, Asia and Latin America, an independent development publishing company and a technical consulting service. We combine these specialisms to multiply our impact and help shape a world that works better for everyone.

OUR AIMS

We help people find solutions to some of the world’s toughest problems, made worse by catastrophic climate change and persistent gender inequality. Our aims are to:

• Make agriculture work better for smallholder farmers, many of them women, so they can adapt to climate change and achieve a good standard of living
• Help more people harness the transformational effects of clean affordable energy and reduce avoidable deaths caused by smoke from indoor stoves and fires.
• Make cities in poorer countries cleaner, healthier places to live and work.
• Build disaster resilience into the lives of people threatened by hazards – reducing the risk of hazards and minimizing their impact on lives and livelihoods.

PRACTICAL ACTION IN KENYA

In Kenya, Practical Action has a long history of addressing systemic barriers that prevent people from accessing energy that transforms their lives, helping communities and government make cities healthier and safer, making agriculture and markets work better for small holder farmers and supporting communities and government to become more resilient.

We use a mix of programming with communities and consultancy services with shapers of policy and practice to achieve our aims in Kenya, with offices in Nairobi, Lodwar and Kisumu.

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Project Manager will lead the planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting of field activities to ensure effective delivery in line with project objectives. They will manage project budgets, coordinate with partners, governments, and stakeholders, and support integrated energy planning. The role includes overseeing compliance, risk management, and reporting, as well as supervising the project team and consultants. The manager will champion gender-responsive, inclusive, and ethical practices, while strengthening relationships with donors and partners. They will also contribute to strategic visibility, knowledge sharing, and learning to support a just and inclusive energy transition aligned with Practical Action’s values and goals.

SCOPE

Title: Project Manager – Integrated County Energy Planning (INEP)

Reporting to: Head of Progammes

Direct reports: Project Officer/s

Relationships:

Internal: Programme Delivery Teams, Impact & Influence Team, Business Development team, Communications team, Finance & Systems, People and Culture and Operations functions.

External: Strategic Partners relevant to PA strategies

Financial scope: Direct management of project budget

Location: Nairobi

Grade: 8

Travel requirements: Frequent

Position Status: Full-time

ACCOUNTABILITIES

Planning, monitoring, and reporting of the project field activities – 60%.

• Overseeing the effective implementation and delivery of project activities; ensuring quality delivery and performance in line with project objectives and the broader organizational strategies and in close coordination with project partners and other project staff.
• Serve as the budget holder for the project, manage and support delegated sub-budget holders for grants and individual contracts where applicable.
• Contribute to development of tools and methodologies for integrated energy planning.
• Work with the support team to ensure that the project activities are implemented in line with the grant agreement and work schedules in a timely manner and within the budget.
• Lead in the execution of work plans, budget plans, monitoring, evaluation and learning plans, communication plans, and documentation plans.
• Work closely with Impact and Influence team to ensure systematic and gender sensitive monitoring and evaluation and ensure findings are recorded and escalated to guide the continued successful implementation of the project and inform the development of new initiatives.
• Identify project risks, monitor, and update the risk register, as well as execute mitigation plans to minimize the effects of the identified risks.
• Take the lead role in project reporting, ensuring that timely project reports are prepared and shared as per donor requirements.

Coordination and communication-15%

• Coordinate with the national and county governments, partner’s team to deliver agreed technical outputs towards the preparation of the county energy plans, Organize meetings, workshops, and other information dissemination events with different stakeholders as appropriate.
• Coordinate the engagement between energy and nexus sectors for the achievement of integrated planning with energy as an enabler of other sectors.
• Contribute to awareness raising and influencing the public and private sector on the role of energy as an enabler and the need for effective community and private sector engagement during the energy planning process,
• Coordinate and collaborate with other relevant actors for mutual sharing and learning.

Managing Relationships – 10%

• Establish and strengthen key relationships with the donor, national and county governments, private sector, other implementing partners, community networks and other professional contacts outside the organization and explore opportunities for the development of synergies with other ongoing initiatives around a just and inclusive energy transition.
• Maintain relationship with County and National level stakeholders ensuring that transparency at all levels is maintained and project information is communicated to relevant stakeholders in a timely manner.
• Collaborate and contribute to networking with other PA programme partners for learning and adoption of innovative interventions to improve project delivery.

Lead People – 10%

• Supervise, manage and build a motivated project team of Project Officers and consultants to achieve their maximum productivity to ensure the project -outcomes are met.
• Proactively ensure the well-being of team members and ensure they are aware of policies to help manage insecure environments.

Sensitivity on Gender Equality and Social Inclusion:

Should have respectful beliefs regardless of their gender, age, sex, race, ethnic background, culture, different ability, nationality, religion, and marital status. Is sensitive and adaptable to gender and social inclusion and adopts inclusive practices. Responds and behaves appropriately in different situations.

Safeguarding

It is all staff’s shared responsibility and obligation to safeguard and protect populations with whom we work with, including vulnerable adults and children.

Practical Action believes that it is unacceptable for anyone to experience exploitation or abuse in any form, anywhere. All staff members undergo mandatory Safeguarding training and are expected to always commit/adhere to our Safeguarding Policy whilst working for or on behalf of Practical Action.

PERSON PROFILE

To be successful in the role, the ideal candidate should meet the following requirements:

Experience & Knowledge

• A Master’s degree (or equivalent experience) in Energy, Environmental Studies, Economics, policy, Engineering, Project Management, Development Studies, or a related field.
• Strong understanding of integrated energy planning, energy access, and its intersection with climate, agriculture, water, and other development sectors.
• Familiarity with gender-sensitive programming, safeguarding, and inclusive development approaches.
• Proficiency in project management tools, budget tracking, and report writing.
• Minimum 7 years of progressive experience in project management, preferably in the energy access, climate change, or development sectors.

Essential

• Proven experience in planning, implementing, and reporting on donor-funded projects (experience with UKPACT, FCDO, or similar donors is a strong asset).
• Experience in working with government agencies, development partners, and private sector actors at national and county levels.
• Demonstrated success in managing budgets, contracts, and grant compliance.
• Experience in team leadership, staff supervision, and working with multidisciplinary teams.
• Hands-on experience in monitoring, evaluation, learning (MEL), and risk management

Tagged as: Kenya, Practical Action