Chief Operations Officer
Location – Nairobi, Kenya
Salary - $22,100 pa (155,000 ksh pm), basic medical insurance, work permit (if required), $70 per month travel allowance
Answers to – Xavier Project Executive Director
Profile
Xavier Project is an international NGO working Kenya and Uganda. We aim to provide opportunities to refugees living in urban areas in Kenya and Uganda who are otherwise excluded from the means to live a fulfilled and dignified existence so that they will be able to take back control of their lives and make a positive change whether to their new communities or to their country of origin. Xavier Project is primarily an education focused NGO, and while we have media and livelihoods programmes educational interventions make up the core of our activities within these programmes.
Xavier Project is registered as a local NGO in Uganda, an international NGO in Kenya and a company and charity in UK. All operations are in Kenya and Uganda, but a majority of funds are raised in UK. We have a three way partnership agreement between the branches of Xavier Project and one executive team primarily based in the Xavier Project headquarters in Nairobi. Xavier Project currently employs 20 permanent staff and has an annual income of $250,000 which has been increasing by 50% every year since its founding in 2008.
Background
Urban refugees in East Africa face unique challenges. Culturally, it is difficult to assimilate into their new communities as they can be victims of xenophobia and can struggle from language differences. They cannot easily find jobs in a saturated and often nepotistic job market. There are administrative barriers to economic sustainability such as the challenge of obtaining work permits, and the rejection of foreign qualifications from employers and institutions. At present many refugees in Nairobi or Kampala do not have access to quality, relevant education delivered in a safe environment and their opportunities in education lag behind those of their local counterparts. In both Kampala and Nairobi there are over 10,000 refugee children who are not in formal education, amounting to around 50% in Nairobi and 60% in Kampala. 80% of those in formal education are not happy with the quality of the education they are receiving.
Added to this, most urban refugees are hoping to be resettled in developed countries, yet they know very little about the resettlement process, and their chances of being resettled. Less that 5% of urban refugees are resettled in any given year. Many refugees believe that the more vulnerable they are, or appear to be, the more likely their chances are of being resettled.
The pursuit of resettlement combined with the unique challenges faced by refugees leads to a negative attitude by refugees towards integration into their new community. This has a corrosive impact on the whole community. However, there are positive opportunities for refugees to take up in Kampala and Nairobi, whether offered by the government, NGO agencies or refugee run grass-roots organisations. Given their chances of resettlement it makes sense for refugees to make the most of the opportunities available to them in their host countries, such as education, livelihoods and vocational prospects offered by agencies. What is more, a more positive attitude and better communication among the refugee population should lead to vital innovation from refugees themselves. Tamuka media programme is educating refugees on the opportunities available to them and enabling them to communicate with each other and the wider world. Among other ambitions, the education programme is enabling refugees to receive an education that is more relevant to their challenges and their ambitions. Meanwhile, our livelihoods programme is enabling refugees to access affordable loans and learn the business skills they need to grow their careers.
Job Description and Expectations
Xavier Project is looking for a chief operations officer who will manage a country director in Kampala, an education director, a livelihoods director, Tamuka director, the communications officer and an office co-ordinator in Nairobi. The COO will strive to increase the impact of the all our programmes so that our work can be as efficient and effective as possible while achieving the best possible results for the refugee community. He or she will supervise the monitoring of each programme, and the compiling of regular reports which will evaluate impact and set targets for improvements. The COO will take responsibility for ensuring that the current Xavier Project staff members keep the refugee community at the focus of all their work, enjoy their work to the full and learn skills that will be valuable to them now and in their future careers. The COO will work alongside the CEO Edmund Page in moulding the vision of Xavier Project and planning effective strategies and projects which will contribute to this vision. As a member of the Xavier Project executive committee, when necessary the COO will be expected to offer advice and support to areas of Xavier Project beyond the scope of their day to day responsibilities.
Requirements
Essential:
· Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline
· Experience in managing people/teams
· At least 5 years’ experience in either project management, communications, field work, fundraising or advocacy, ideally in the NGO or education sector
· Excellent communication skills in English (both written and oral)
· Good knowledge of MS Office and web content management systems
· Ability to work sensitively with refugee population or demonstrated experience working with marginalised communities
· Excellent organisational skills
· Experience in managing budgets
· Willing to travel within Kenya and three or four times per year to Uganda
Desired:
· Master’s degree in a relevant discipline
· Competent in Kiswahili
· Experience in managing people from various backgrounds
· Experience working in a tough environment with vulnerable people
· Knowledge of the Kenyan or Ugandan education sector
· Demonstrated success in fundraising
· Experience in writing reports and strategies
· Experience in government and private sector engagement
· Strong understanding of the challenges faced by urban refugees
Expectations of Xavier Project
The Xavier Project staff is a small and tight community and a strong support network is offered to all members. We are diverse and relatively young crowd representing seven nationalities. Xavier Project is committed to ensuring that all staff members enjoy their work and gain valuable experience and skills that will enhance their impact now and in the future, whether with Xavier Project or not. As such as we run regular staff capacity building programmes and encourage all staff members to pursue opportunities which will help them to grow individually. This job is coming about as a division of two roles previously performed by the CEO Edmund Page, who now intends to focus on fundraising, building partnerships between Xavier Project and other institutions and generally promoting the work of Xavier Project. However, the CEO intends to support the COO in their work as a manager to an appropriate level and continue engaging with the day to day running of all programmes in both Nairobi and Kampala.
For more information on what we do please visit www.xavierproject.org and www.tamuka.org
Xavier Project is an equal opportunity employer and therefore does not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, origin, sex, sexual orientation or disability.
How to apply:
To apply, please send your CV and a cover letter highlighting how you fulfil the job requirements to Edmund Page at e.page@xavierproject.org. Please also include the names and contact details of two referees
