Action Africa Help International (AAH-I) is an African-led, regional organisation, working in East and Southern Africa to improve the quality of life in livelihood challenged communities. AAH-I has country programmes in Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Uganda, and Zambia.It brings over 20 years’ experience working with communities in conflict and post-conflict situations, including refugees, internally displaced people and host communities.
More recently, it has expanded its activities to work with other marginalised communities, including pastoralist communities and communities in urban slums.
With the current growth in AAH-I and to facilitate the implementation of our 2014-2018 strategy, we wish to recruit for the following positions in January 2015:
1. Job Title: Executive Assistant
Reports to: Executive Director, AAH-I
Staff reporting to this post: None
Liaises with: Country Directors, Finance & Administration Director, Program Director, Communication Manager, Partnership Manager, HR manager, Internal Auditor.
Duty Station: AAH-I Nairobi
Job Summary: We are looking for an exceptional mid-career Executive Assistant. The purpose of this position is to provide executive support to the AAH-I Executive Director and the leadership team in interactions with internal and external audiences.
This includes managing the day-to-day operations of the Executive Director’s office in an efficient and effective manner.
Core Responsibilities:
Organizing and maintaining the Executive Director’s diary and making appointments;
Prioritizing emails and incoming papers/correspondence and if necessary determine appropriate delegation/action;
Coordination, organization and facilitation of Board meetings and other stakeholders;
Writing Board meeting minutes and following up on action points arising therefrom;
Writing minutes of AAH-I’ Senior Management Team meetings;
Carrying out research and presenting findings for the Executive Director upon his/her request;
Producing documents, briefing papers, reports and presentations;
Monitoring and follow-up of processes, projects and activities related to work packages assigned to the Executive Director;
Preparation of Executive Director’s travel and accommodation arrangements;
Preparation of Executive Director’s travel expense reports;
Filing of paper and electronic documents;
Delegating work to others in the manager’s absence as directed by the ED;
Carrying out specific projects as requested by the Executive Director;
Ensuring presentation of timely internal office reporting to the Executive Director;
Provide support to members of AAH-I as required.
In addition to the responsibilities outlined in section III above, the Executive Assistant will upon instruction by the Executive Director perform ad hoc activities which are either by their nature related to his / her normal duties or evolve from operational requirements.Professional Qualifications:
Degree in Business, Administration or Management;
5 years of proven work experience in a similar position in a fast paced, demanding environment.Skills and Competencies:
The ideal candidate should combine a unique blend of exceptional organizational, analytical, communication and interpersonal skills.
They should possess an energetic disposition along with the ability to prioritize multiple tasks and take initiative regularly.
They should be rigorous, pragmatic and on-the-ground solution focused with the necessary academic acumen for the required follow-through work.
Discretion, confidentiality and diplomacy;
Excellent written and oral communication in English
Ability to communicate effectively at various levels within the organization.
Strong organizational skills; ability to prioritize work and meet deadlines;
Excellent interpersonal skills;
Ability to integrate into a multi-cultural environment;
Display sound judgment;
Ability to work with minimal direction, take initiative;
Ability to accomplish multiple tasks and prioritize work; efficient;
Very good computer application and presentation development skills, including experience with Outlook, MS Word, PowerPoint and Excel;Personal Attributes:
Detail-oriented, proactive professional and problem solver;
Mature, dependable self-starter who follows through on tasks;
Cheerful team player, comfortable in an international, multi-cultural, and ever-changing environment.
Ability to work strategically and cooperatively in a team environment with all levels of professional, technical and administrative staff
Sound judgment, maturity, and sense of urgency with the ability to be decisive and thoughtful
Highly credible, collaborative, professional and resourceful style
Extremely trustworthy with the ability to handle confidential matters and sensitive information
Executive presence, demonstrating comfort speaking internally/externally on behalf of the ED
Smart, strategic, diplomatic and proactive; working in a fast-paced, high-performance culture
Exceptional attention to detail and high quality deliverable outputs
Exceptional organisation skills with good time management and resourcefulness
Ability to multi-task in a fast paced environment and to remain graceful under pressure
Excellent interpersonal skills and a high degree of professionalism
Excellent problem solving and analytical ability in cross-functional multi-cultural environment
Exceptional written communication skills and with experience in writing compelling messages to external stakeholders; enthusiasm to communicate clearly, confidently, and precisely
A start-up personality; entrepreneurial, ambitious, independent, systematic attention to detail, structured thinker, goal-oriented, flexible and able to deal well with setbacks;2. Job Title: Corporate Communication Officer
Department / Section: Communication , AAH-I
Reports to: Communication Manager
Staff reporting to this post: None
Liaises with: Communication Officer, Partnership Manager, Partnership Officer, M & E Manager
Duty Station: AAH-I, Nairobi
Job Summary: The Corporate Communications Officer will contribute to building AAH-I’s corporate image through effective public relations among external constituents and will play a key role in strengthening relationships with media across AAH-I’s spheres of influence and ensure development of key partnerships with media outlets.
The incumbent will support in the production of high quality content for multimedia communication materials aimed for an array of internal and external audiences to ensure the wide dissemination of AAH-I’s work and achievement of its vision and mission.
Responsibilities
1. Media and Public Relations
Contribute to designing an AAH-I media strategy to develop support and engagement with local, regional and global media to highlight AAH-I’s work
Build capacity of project teams and other spokespersons at AAH-I to engage with media and identify opportunities and new story angles and come up with creative ways to generate media interest
Maintain relationships and partnerships with journalists, media outlets and respond to media enquiries
Produce high quality materials including press releases, opinion pieces, news reactions, photos, video and multimedia content and ensure materials are properly signed off
Organise trips for media, donors and other high-level visitors and partners
Manage risk and brand reputation to ensure that media work benefits rather than harms AAH-I’s strategic objectives and does not endanger staff, programmes, partners and the communities we work with
Participate in developing and delivering training for AAH-I staff on media and communications skills
Monitor and evaluate the impact of media projects and provide regular reporting2. Writing and Production
Research, write and edit a variety of publications including newsletters, annual reports, blogs, speeches, report summaries, case studies and human interest stories for a wide range of audiences including donors, supporters, the private sector, policy makers, and the general public, at global, regional and national levels
Support country teams and programme staff to ensure production of high quality communications products through writing and editing tasks
Work with outsourced professionals to produce photos, videos and creative design concepts for AAH-I’s communications collateral
Make available content on social media, online platforms and mobile technology, and supporting country teams to develop and maximise their use of digital and multimedia technology
Generate high-quality content for use by the partnerships team for marketing purposes
Assist to produce communication products (newsletters, videos, talks etc) to enhance internal communications by meeting the information needs of AAH-I staff and increasing their understanding of the vision and mandate of the organisation
Develop guidelines and standards for producing communications content and ensure its being followedProfessional Qualifications
A first degree in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism or related field; a
Master’s degree will be an added advantage
At least five (5) years of post-qualification, increasingly responsible work experience in communication, writing and content creation, public relations and media relations
Excellent written and spoken English and the ability to communicate complicated and technical issues in a concise and clear way, to a wide range of target audiences
Demonstrable skills and experience in writing strategic and consistent messaging, editing, proof-reading and writing engaging copy
Networking, interpersonal, analytical and organizational skills coupled with resourcefulness, initiative and maturity of judgment
Excellent knowledge of essential computer applications
Ability to manage time effectively, excellent at multi-tasking, able to focus and fulfil a range of undertakings
Innovative and finder of creative and new ways of communicating messages to diverse audiences
Demonstrable knowledge of working with digital media and mastery of social media as a tool for rallying development/social support
Experience of working in regional media, communications or public relations roles
Excellent analytical and critical thinking skills, including ability to find, absorb, analyse and prioritise information from many different sources
Valuable and receptive team-player, able and willing to travel frequently to support AAH-I’s country-level staff
Excellent inter-personal skills and ability to work in multi-national, multi-cultural teamsSkills & Competence
Personal contacts/networks with regional and global media
Experience working in a development or humanitarian context and working on programmes funded by international donor agencies
Experience in news media work including generating press materials, organising media events, responding to media enquiries and good dealings with journalists especially in East Africa.
Deep and hands-on knowledge of working with social media with regular professional use to serve the organisation’s interests and to garner support for it
Knowledge of publishing software especially the Adobe Creative Suite applications
Experience in handling photography and video work and good judgment of quality productions
Experience with managing a content management system3. Job Title: Partnerships Officer (Technical) Department / Section:Partnerships, AAH-I
Reports to: Partnerships Manager
Staff reporting to this post: None
Liaises with: Partnership Officer (1), Country Project Managers, M & E Manager, Corporate Communication Officer
Duty Station: AAH-I, Nairobi, Kenya
Job Summary: The Partnerships Officer (Technical) will play a key role in securing the resources AAH-I needs to deliver its vision, mission and Strategic Plan and will have a particular focus on strengthening the written and technical component of grant and tender applications, and associated donor research.
S/he will support the development of key partnerships and oversee editing of key RM products such as staff and consultant CVs, track record, and (in liaison with the Communications team) country capability statements etc.
Core Responsibilities
1. Partnership Development
Support mapping of development partners, including private, public and NGO partners
Support research into identified partners (donor and implementing partners)
Support/attend visits to donor agencies, other clients and collaborating institutions
Support management of key organisational partnerships.2. Resource Mobilisation
Identify new opportunities and maintain an up-to-date Pursuit List
Support Country Programmes to document and share new project ideas with a focus on Theory of Change and Results Chain
Work with the M&E Manager to ensure that evidence and learning from existing projects is fed into the new project design
Work with the Partnerships Officer (Finance) to ensure that there is a clear production plan and schedule for each concept note/proposal
Work with the Partnerships Manager and Partnerships Officer (Finance) to build capacity of country programmes in RM and to implement AAH-I’s RM guidelines and procedures
Work with the Partnerships Team and Country team to ensure that the technical proposal is logical and consistent with the financial proposal and donor guidelines.
Help to research and test new approaches to fundraising within AAH-I3. Other
Deputise for the Partnerships Manager as requested
Represent AAH-I at relevant meetings and events
Any other business as indicated by the Partnerships Manager.
Essential Qualifications, Skills and Experience
Bachelor degree in an relevant area (such as international development, public health, livelihoods or social development)
Demonstrable experience in project design
Excellent written (and spoken) English
Ability to present complex written information clearly and succinctly
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Packages – Microsoft Word, Excel and Power Point
Demonstrable ability to meet deadlines
Excellent desk research (e.g. review of internet and publication based information) and presentation skills
Excellent interpersonal skills
A “finisher” - demonstrated ability to work independently and to deliver a work to agreed timeline and quality standards.Professional Qualifications
Masters degree in a relevant area (such as international development, public health, social development or livelihoods)
3 years practical experience in project implementation and managementSkills & Competencies
Experience in developing and/or managing project budgets
Ability to write copy for fundraising – online and print materials
Personal networks in the international development sector
Experience with other types of fundraising (i.e. not proposal based)
Experience related to knowledge management and learning and/or marketing and communications.
Demonstrable experience as part of a team on a winning proposal. INGO experience4. Job Title: Agriculture Project Officer, AAH Kenya
Department / Section: Livelihoods
Reports to: Livelihoods Co-ordinator
Staff reporting to this post: Incentive Workers
Technical Dotted-Line link to: Co-operatives Finance Officer
Liaises with: Project Manager, Program Officer, Finance Officer, UNHCR and other Partners on ground
Duty Station: Kakuma Refugee Camp, AAH-Kenya
Purpose of the Role: To give oversight for all agricultural livelihoods activities and provide advisory services on design and implementation of the UNHCR/AAHI Livelihood Programme.
In close cooperation with the Livelihoods Co-ordinator, the Agriculture Project Officer will be responsible for facilitating, organizing and supporting program activities including capacity building, relationship building, partnership and regular monitoring and evaluation.
Duties & Responsibilities
Be the matter expert, ensuring that agricultural interventions are effective, productive and profitable for the target PoC.
Be responsible for hiring the services of a water expert, who will advise and support the PoC involved in agriculture to sustainably harvest, store and use water for their irrigation activities.
Ensure that the agriculture activities are scaled up and run as a business, thereby providing profits for the target PoC.
Be responsible for identification of knowledge, attitude and practice gaps among target PoC and ensure a capacity building program is implemented to build PoC capacity to use modern farming methods.
Ensure that a pilot greenhouse is developed and used to train identified PoC on modern agriculture practices.
Support the PoC to manage and run the greenhouse under a Cooperative, ensuring that the greenhouse is profitable and sustainably managed.
Assist in ensuring that the livelihoods interventions are effective in terms of creating self-reliance in the PoC mind set and that activities undertaken are profitable and sustainable in the life of PoC.
Keep the Livelihoods Co-ordinator (LC) informed on progress of the various initiatives, monitoring their progress and ensuring that they remain relevant and appreciated by the beneficiaries.
Be directly involved in the implementation of proposed initiatives.a) Assist in proper collection, storage and dissemination of data on PoC economic activities, clearly identifying gaps and instituting interventions to fill the gaps in PoC knowledge, attitude and practice in livelihoods and self-reliance.
b) Assist in developing and supervising the implementation of a capacity building program to meet the identified PoC gaps.
Expected Outcomes
Conceptualization, innovation, planning and management of the livelihood project as well as the transfer of knowledge and skills.
Guide and supervise Incentive Workers in identifying training needs and providing on the job training.
Prepare the necessary reports as per UNHCR guidelines and handle reporting requirement in a timely manner.
Work closely with the Livelihoods Co-ordinator and the Cooperatives Project officer on material and strategies to support the programme.
Provide information and support to the Incentive Workers.
Monthly work (action) plans for the program, ensuring objectives and targets are achieved.
Support the Livelihood Program staff in the development of project documentation including marketing materials such as success stories, case studies, human interest pieces, and the like that can effectively represent the project to external audiences
Provide technical assistance to the PoC and Program staff regarding project management practices, organizational management, financial accountability, Monitoring & Evaluation practices, or thematic topics related to agricultural livelihoods
Monitor activities of the PoC, communicating project progress to appropriate Program staff
Support the lively hood team in preparing reporting (weekly, monthly, quarterly & annual) materials
Work with Livelihood program team to develop and manage a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation plan
Perform any other functions deemed necessary or as delegated by the supervisor in order to meet the level of services in the organizationMinimum Personal Specifications
Minimum Professional Qualifications Required
University degree preferrably in Agricultural Economics, Agro-Enterprise, Rural Development, or a closely related field.Minimum Relevant Experience Required
Minimum of three years’ work experience in development programs, with a heavy focus on rural, community-based programming and agriculture.
Demonstrated capacities to establish and maintain strong, collaborative working relationships with donors, government officials, local organizations, communities and other stakeholders
Demonstrated strengths in relationship management; able to work with diverse groups of people in multicultural, team-oriented environment;
Skilled in influencing and obtaining cooperation of individuals;Desirable Skills
UNHCR Field experience.
Knowledge and exposure to the social and cultural values of the region concerned.
Proficiency in local language(s).
Strong cross-cultural skills and experience working with people from different ethnic/cultural backgrounds
Proven ability to multi-task and meet deadlines
Proven ability to develop proposals and write reports meeting donor requirementsAdditional Skills & Competences
Communicational skills (written and spoken)
Organisational and managerial skills
ICT speciality (email, Spread-sheets, MS-word, Databases, job-related software, etc.)
Team-work and participation
Level of self-supervision and ability to take initiative
Degree of accuracy and attention to detail
Technical side of the job (numeracy, report-writing, critical thinking, leadership, etc.)
INGO experience and understanding of humanitarian sector
Commitment to and understanding of AAH-I’s vision, mission, and values.5. Livelihood Coordinator
Department / Section: Livelihoods, AAH Kenya
Reports to: Kakuma Project Manager
Staff reporting to this post: Agriculture Project Officer and Co-operatives Project Officer
Technical Dotted-Line link to: Project Finance Officer
Liaises with: UNHCR and other Partners on ground
Duty Station: Kakuma Refugee Camp, AAH Kenya
Purpose of the Role: To build the capacity of AAHI livelihood project staff by providing technical advice.
S/He will be responsible to ensure that the approaches used during implementation are accurate and effective, conforming to the global best practice while staying relevant to the context of the project.
Duties & Responsibilities
To provide advice regarding Livelihood programme issues and enhance program strategy & policy development and compliance so that AAHI and UNHCR mission and vision is enhanced.
Be directly involved in the implementation of proposed initiatives.
Keep the Program Manager (PM) informed on progress of the various initiatives, monitoring their progress and ensuring that they remain relevant and appreciated by the beneficiaries.
Be responsible for ensuring that the livelihoods interventions are effective in terms of creating self-reliance in the PoC mind set and that activities undertaken are profitable and sustainable in the life of PoC.
Ensure that the social economic and skills of new PoC are captured in basic PoC data.
Ensure that new PoC receive life skills and financial literacy induction process that prepares them for self-reliance during their stay in the camp.
Plan for a target number of PoC to receive relevant training to deepen their involvement in livelihood activities in the camp.
Be responsible for proper collection, storage and dissemination of data on PoC economic activities, clearly identifying gaps and instituting interventions to fill the gaps in PoC knowledge, attitude and practice in livelihoods and self-reliance.
Develop and supervise the implementation of a capacity building program to meet the identified PoC gaps.
Ensure that UNHCR and other partners stay informed about progress and ensure continued support and buy-in from all stakeholders if any changes are envisaged.
The Livelihoods coordinator will supervise, liaise closely with and ensure effectiveness of the officer in charge of agriculture and cooperative development to ensure that all their activities are coordinated and in sync with each other to ensure alignment with the overall goal of the project.
As experts in their field, the livelihoods coordinator will ensure that the two officers have the space and freedom to operate and that they keep to the agreed targets over the project period.Expected Outcomes
Conceptualization, innovation, planning and management of the livelihood project as well as the transfer of knowledge and skills.
Guide and supervise community mobilisers identifying training needs and providing on the job training.
Prepare the necessary reports as per UNHCR guidelines and handle reporting requirement in a timely manner.
Formulation, development and planning of programme goals and objectives of the Livelihoods Program.
Work closely with the Agriculture Project Officer and the Cooperatives Project officer on material and strategies to support the programme.
Provide information and support to the Livelihood community mobilisers
Monthly work (action) plans for the program, ensuring objectives and targets are achieved.
To promote communication between all the stakeholders in order to encourage the sharing of information and continual development and improvement of the Livelihoods service i.e. promoting professional learning and development as well as seeking to encourage a unity of vision and purpose among the PoCs
To provide input to proposals and reporting that relates to Livelihoods as and when requested by the Project Manager and the Kenya Country Program Director Offer of advice and support to Livelihoods program in line with the vision and mission of AAHI and UNHCR.
Perform any other functions deemed necessary or as delegated by the supervisor in order to meet the level of services in the organizationPersonal Specifications Professional Qualifications Required
University degree preferred in Agricultural Economics, Agro-Enterprise, Rural Development, Business Administration, or a closely related field.Relevant Experience Required
Possess proven practical knowledge of the program development cycle and design and management qualities.
Demonstrated strengths in relationship management; able to work with diverse groups of people in multicultural, team-oriented environment;
Skilled in influencing and obtaining cooperation of individuals;
Able to manage relationships to achieve results.Desirable Skills
UNHCR Field experience.
Knowledge and exposure to the social and cultural values of the region concerned.
Proficiency in local language(s).
Skilled in influencing and obtaining cooperation of individuals not under supervisory control; able to manage long-distance relationships to achieve resultsAdditional Skills & Competences
Communicational skills (written and spoken)
Organisational and managerial skills
ICT speciality (email, Spread-sheets, MS-word, Databases, job-related software, etc.)
Team-work and participation
Level of self-supervision and ability to take initiative
Degree of accuracy and attention to detail
Technical side of the job (numeracy, report-writing, critical thinking, leadership, etc.)
INGO experience and understanding of humanitarian sector
Commitment to and understanding of AAH-I’s vision, mission, and values.Application Instructions
Interested candidates should email application letters and CVs (with 3 referees) addressed to recruitke@actionafricahelp.org to be received by Monday, 5th January, 2015 at 5:00 pm.
The email Subject Line must show the job title of the position applied for.
AAH-I is an equal-opportunity employer.
Only those selected for the interviews will be contacted.
