PowerUp Program Officer Full Time NEW

Number of Vacancies: 1

Role Title: PowerUp Program Officer
Work Hours: Full time / 40hrs per week
Location: Nairobi Kenya
Team: Programmes
Reporting to: Programme Manager,InBusiness (Inclusive Business)
Organisation: Light for the World

About Light for the World

Light for the World sparks lasting change on disability rights and eye health. We believe in a world where people with eye conditions and disabilities can fully exercise their rights to health, education, work, and protection in emergencies. Over the last three decades, Light for the World has contributed to improving eye health systems and amplifying the voices of people with disabilities.

Our programmes include:

• Eye Health – preventing blindness and promoting eye health for all.
• Inclusive Education – ensuring children with disabilities receive quality, inclusive education.
• Inclusive Economic Empowerment – ensuring that barriers are removed for men and women with disabilities to access decent work.

In Kenya, Light for the World promotes the socioeconomic inclusion of people with disabilities. We focus on empowering people with disabilities by helping them build skills and access opportunities for growth. At the same time, we influence systemic changes to ensure people with disabilities thrive in inclusive environments. Our dual approach emphasizes on the empowerment of people with disabilities alongside broader social transformation.

Through our programmes, we create opportunities for inclusive business and employment. Our Inclusive Business approach equips entrepreneurs with the tools and networks they need to succeed in competitive markets, while advocating for a business environment that embraces diversity. We also partner with organisations and institutions to foster inclusive workplaces by addressing barriers such as a lack of accessibility, negative attitudes and policies.

2.0 Role Profile

Reporting to the InBusiness (Inclusive Business) Programme Manager, the main purpose of the position is to support and work with Business Development Service (BDS) providers in building the business capacity of the enterprises under our IKEA Foundation funded programme in the Electrical and Electronic Waste (E-Waste) management value chain.

3.0 Key responsibilities

3.1 Coordinating the programme activities

• Coordinate work plan and budget development for program implementation.
• Lead in the mobilization, selection, and onboarding of the entrepreneurs.
• Ensure quality and timely delivery of the business skills training according to the entrepreneur’s journey.
• Conduct coaching and follow-ups of the micro entrepreneurs by ensuring that entrepreneurs get access to loans and disburse matching grant-funding to those entrepreneurs who are selected.
• Together with the Business Development Service (BDS) providers, develop the training plans with applicable inclusive training methodologies that fit the needs of the entrepreneurs.
• Work closely with the gender and Disability Inclusion Advisor (DIA) to ensure activities around gender and disability inclusion are carried out according to plan.

3.2 Establishing market linkage opportunities for Entrepreneurs.

• Carry out landscape mapping in the county(s) of focus to identify potential clients, to ensure entrepreneurs get connected to buyers, suppliers, and other business partners through the project activities.
• Support, lobby, and advocacy support providers to strengthen activities of the local associations and networks of enterprises established by the project.

3.3 Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting

Ensure the programme indicators are aligned to programme’s M&E plan and track the programme progress through updating programme monitoring tool.

• Provide M&E information for the programme work plan, field reports, quarterly reports, donor reports or any other to the programme related reports in the agreed format and according to organizational deadlines.

3.4 People management

• Supporting BDS providers’ development through coaching, mentoring, growth plans, improvement recommendations and conducting relevant training courses.

4.0 Organizational Responsibilities

• Since the programme is implemented through a consortium, the programme officer will play an active role as a member of the consortium in liaison with the Inclusive Business Programme Manager.
• Act as an ambassador, promoting the programme and the work of InBusiness Programme in relevant forums. Network with key institutions relevant to InBusiness including Government, Organisations of persons with disabilities (OPDs) and other programme strategic partners.

5.0 Expertise and Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in social science or business or related fields. Bachelor’s degree in entrepreneurship or business development (Desirable)
• Knowledge of the SMEs sector in Kenya
• Minimum 3-year relevant work experience in SMEs
• Interacted with small and micro enterprises and most preferably those with disabilities.
• Project planning, management and implementation
• Business linkages experience
• Practical experience of economic models
• Negotiating and managing partner relationships
• A good mastery of English and Swahili languages (both verbal and written)
• Ability to guide and facilitate meetings.
• Affinity with use of social media platforms.
• Sensitive to working in a cross-cultural environment.
• Experience as a trainer or learning facilitator.