Head of Programmes Full Time NEW

Line Manager: Head of Delegation

Functional Link: Programs, Technical, Grant Management

Activity rate: 100%

Supervises

Line management (direct):

Projects Managers

Access to Justice Specialist

MEAL Manager

Grants and Partnerships Coordinator

Functional link:

Finance Coordinator

Logistics Manager

HR Manager

Regional technical advisors

Workplace-Nairobi

Overarching responsibilities “Main goals”

This is an exciting and varied role in a committed and creative team seeking to ensure all children access their rights in Kenya. It is the second most senior programme position for TdH in Kenya and is suited to someone with strong project design and fundraising, programme management, and MEAL skills. The role is well suited to candidates who can balance strategic thinking with attention to detail and quality assurance of an integrated multi-sector portfolio. You will work on refugee services in camp settings and systems strengthening for Kenya on our priority programme area, including: Health and nutrition, Access to Justice, Children and Youth on the move, and child rights in business.

You will be given a high level of responsibility and independence in a team culture that values creativity, innovation, well-being, and commitment to child rights. The role is suited to dynamic, creative, and committed candidates who want to take ownership of their work and team, bring new ideas, and focus on results and high-quality programmes.

The role works across programme implementation, programme design, programme quality, monitoring and evaluation, grant management, donor compliance, team management, and external representation.

The right candidate will be comfortable working across competing priorities and maintaining a positive working culture during challenging periods. The complexity of the portfolio requires a mature approach to management and leadership that recognizes our success is dependent on our people – our staff and relationships with those we serve.

We’re seeking a person that values collaboration, has a positive and respectful approach to team management and leadership, and values learning from both success and failure.

Travel to field sites will be 40% to Dadaab, Kakuma, Garissa, and Kiambu will be required.

Specific Responsibilities/Context of “tasks”

Project design and fundraising:

• Lead on the development of concepts and proposals within Tdh’s global strategic priorities: Health and nutrition, Access to Justice, Children and Youth on the move, and child rights in business.
• Source and build relationships with potential funding partners who fund projects in the areas Tdh seeks to make impact.
• Quality assurance lead on high quality proposals, budgets, and log-frames with well written and structured proposals that are aesthetically pleasing for corporate audiences.
• Accountable for all tools being updated accurately and on time for effective grant management – business development and donor compliance.

Portfolio management:

• Ensures all projects are on scope, time, and budget.
• Ensures all project management tools are current and updated every month.
• Leads monthly programme review meetings for delivery, quality, and planning across programme and support departments.
• Leads on ensuring child led approaches.
• Ensuring compliance with Tdh policies on PSEAH, safeguarding, and good practice.
• Produce analysis and reports for SMT for decision making purposes.
• Monitors and is accountable for quality standards of programmes.
• Acts as an intermediatory and focal point between regional technical advisors and field teams.
• Work closely with support services departments on prioritization for effective programme delivery.
• Lead on the programme quality framework and ensure log-frames are quality and relevant.
• Maintains detailed context, needs, and gaps analyses with recommendations for interventions needs to support vulnerable children.
• Ensure high quality reports for donors.

Strategy and Analysis

• Ensure implementation of programme elements of Tdh’s annual action plan.
• Identify needs and propose responses based on Tdh’s strengths and added value.
• Identify complementary partners and build relationships toward collaboration for amplified impact.
• Liaise with regional and HQ technical teams to ensure compliance with Tdh good practice.

Human Resources

• Supervise and coordinate Project Managers, Grants, MEAL, and technical staff.
• Support organizational structure design based on funding changes – expansion and contraction.
• Lead of recruitment of programme staff.
• Strengthen team capacity through training, coaching, monitoring and supervision.
• Ensure an empathic and compassionate approach to management, balanced with a delivery and results mentality.
• Foster a culture of togetherness and lead a culture focused on well-being and impact.

Representation

• Lead on identifying funding partners and building the relationships.
• Represent Tdh at key technical working groups.
• Identify and build partnerships for amplifying our impact.
• Hold regular meetings with relevant regional and headquarters technical teams.
• Stand in for the Country Director as requested.

Finance and logistics

• Lead on monthly financial analysis and planning of programmes.
• Participate in fundraising and donor negotiations – ready to take the lead with some donors.
• Monitor programme budgets and reprioritise as needs.
• Ensure policy compliance.
• Work with the logistics team on procurement plans for programmes and monitor implementation of the plans monthly to ensure programme delivery.
• Sign and track programme procurements within the HoP threshold.

Skills

This function requires possession of fundamental personal, social and leadership skills (CPSLs), technical and methodological skills (CTMs) and Managerial and strategic skills (CMSs)

You should be a creative, visionary, and organized leader with strong interpersonal skills and attention to detail. Empathy, calmness, and prioritization during busy periods are essential.

Critical experience:

• Proven experience in portfolio management and all aspects of project cycle management.
• Proven fundraising experience from evidence-based project design.
• Proven experience working in international organisations.
• Experience representing an organisation at external fora, including public speaking.
• Budget development and financial planning experience.
• Ability to develop sound logical frameworks based on international and organisation standards.
• Experience in procurement planning to support project delivery.
• Some experience in security management.
• Strong IT skills and interest in integrating AI into ways of working.

Skills and knowledge we’re looking for:

• Proven success in project design, proposal development, and securing funds.
• Strong knowledge of child rights, protection, health & nutrition, or migration.
• Ethical leadership and experience managing large teams and programmes.
• Experience in strategy implementation and development of programmatic approaches.
• Excellent writing skills and ability to write detailed briefs, policies, and guidance documents quickly and independently.
• Masterful command of Microsoft 365 and/or strong skills with learning new software.
• Experience and understand of AI and how to use it for analysis and reviewing documents.
• High-level writing skills for proposals, log-frames, and budgets.
• Ability to develop programme quality standards with technical input.
• Skill in synthesizing data for decision-making.
• Capacity to plan and prioritize workloads during high-pressure periods.
• Experience in multi-sector project design and implementation.
• Knowledge of humanitarian principles (e.g., Sphere standards).
• Experience in donor, authority, and partner representation.
• Experience supervising multicultural teams.
• Experience in emergency, protracted, and development contexts.
• Strong organizational skills, autonomy, initiative, and deadline commitment.
• Analytical and creative mindset focused on continuous learning.
• Results-driven approach.
• Confident public speaker, able to articulate key messages in forums and meetings.
• Interpersonal skills: integrity, a capacity to judge, diplomacy.
• A capacity to identify challenges, foresee risks and inform the management with substantive recommendations.
• Management of time and priorities; meeting deadlines.
• Curiosity for new areas of work and ability to think creatively.

Required conditions

**Training/Qualifications :**Master’s Degree in relevant social science

Experience

• A minimum of eight years of senior management and development experience in an NGO environment, including experience directing and implementing programs for children in Child protection, Health and Nutrition , Access to Justice, Migration, Child Rights.
• Robust experience of program cycle management including in emergencies and development projects.
• Substantial experience and knowledge of effective financial and budgetary control and managing grants from major institutional donors
• Proven experience in new business development, project design, and donor proposal design with corporate, foundations and institutional donors
• Proven experience in developing and managing monitoring, evaluation and learning systems
• 10 years in social impact work
• Knowledge of refugee affairs, child rights, protection.
• Experience with donor grants and budget control
• Experience in proposal development and resource mobilization
• Experience with government and academic stakeholders
• Experience in monitoring, evaluation and learning systems

Languages : English, Kiswahili

IT know-how: Masterful command of Microsoft 365 and interest/knowledge of using AI.

The goals for the coming period are to be filled in on the assessment interview form with the line supervisor and in concert with the functional leaders.

General Code of of Conduct and Tdh’s Risk Management Policies

Commits to complying with the General Code of Conduct and systematically reports any breach of the Code through the Tdh warning procedure: raises the awareness within the Foundation on violence and abuse and the rights that derive from them regarding children, community members and our own employees.

Commits to complying with the Risk Management Policies, including: Safeguard policies (the policy of Safeguarding Children, the Policy of Protecting against Exploitation and Sexual Abuse, the Guideline on Abusive Behavior at Work), the Safety/Security Policy and Anti-Fraud/Corruption Policies and the Prevention of Funding Criminal Acivities.

Commits to reducing the risk of abuse by developing an open and informed culture of management within the organization and in our work with children and the communities where we work.

Tdh’s organizational values

Our organizational values guide us in our operational and strategic choices and are the foundation of all decisions made by us. Those five values are incorporated into each process connected to the staff. All collaborators are assessed according to the organization’s values.

PARTICIPATION AND EMPOWERMENT

We promote and enhance participation and empowerment.

We create the space for active participation and embrace inputs from others.

We are sensitive about others’ needs to influence.

We share and delegate power and responsibilities.

PARTNERSHIP AND COLLABORATION

We trust the capacities of our key actors as primary responders and agents of change. We build on their strengths and on their needs.

We champion co-creation and value complementarity.

We appreciate other points of view and seek collectively for pragmatic and innovative solutions.

We manifest humility, respect, fairness and see others as equal partners.

INNOVATION AND LEARNING

We promote a culture of innovation.

We value curiosity, welcome new initiatives, and foster creativity.

We embrace voluntary learning and are ready for trial and error.

We foster knowledge sharing, learning and strive for sustainability.

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

We celebrate Diversity and Inclusion of people.

We genuinely commit to diversity and inclusion and see it as a wealth in all our activities.

We understand the cultural contexts and value differences.

We are truly committed to an equal treatment.

LEADERSHIP AND EXCELLENCE

We thrive to offer our best, we think ahead, and are ready and willing to go the extra mile for the well-being of children.

We provide quality programming and support. We are accountable and transparent. We use power responsibly.

We position ourselves through our expertise and savoir-faire.

We advocate for the rights of children whenever possible and seek actively opportunities to do so.

Tagged as: Kenya, Terre des Hommes