Summary
Description
Helen Keller Intl Job Announcement
Country Director, Kenya
(Nairobi, Kenya)
Guided by the remarkable legacy of its co-founder, Helen Keller, Helen Keller Intl partners with
communities that are striving to overcome longstanding cycles of poverty. By delivering the
essential building blocks of good health, sound nutrition, and clear vision, we help millions of
people create lasting change in their own lives. Working in 20 countries – across Africa, Asia,
Europe, and the United States – and together with a global community of supporters, we ensure every
person has the opportunity – as Helen did – to reach their true potential.
We are currently seeking a Country Director (CD) in Kenya to represent Helen Keller, develop new
programs, expand our programming and scale, and lead the country office and its programs in a
manner that reflects our mission and values and ensures technical excellence in the delivery of all
activities.
The CD provides strategic leadership and develops action plans that further the mission of Helen
Keller and are locally appropriate in the Kenya context. They have overall responsibility for
ensuring technical and operational excellence in the delivery of all activities in the country
office portfolio to achieve the objectives established in grants and strategic plans, and actively
working to expand funding for activities in line with Helen Keller’s mission and local needs.
This is an international recruitment and local nationals are strongly encouraged to apply. This
position is based in Nairobi with regular travel to project sites.
Country Program Overview
Since 2013, Helen Keller’s Kenya country program has been implemented to improve the health and
well-being of mothers, infants, and young children in Kenya, specifically focusing on delivering
life-saving health and nutrition interventions such as multiple micronutrient supplements to
pregnant women, promotion of early and exclusive breastfeeding, Vitamin A Supplementation, and
community-based treatment for acute malnutrition.
One of the program's main objectives is to advocate for gender-transformative approaches in the
healthcare sector. By doing so, the program aims to ensure that decentralized health services
become more responsive to the needs of their clients, especially women, young children, and
adolescents. Additionally, the program strives to improve the performance and enhance the long-term
resilience and sustainability of the healthcare system in Kenya.
The program's key strategy involves strengthening local capacity and implementing preventive care
strategies. This approach ensures that communities are equipped to
address their health needs and fosters positive behavior change towards health- seeking practices.
Currently, the program is supported by 26 dedicated Helen Keller staff members who work across six
counties in Kenya. Funding for the program is received from various sources, including Global
Affairs Canada, the Noorda Foundation, UNICEF, the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints,
and numerous philanthropic organizations worldwide.
Functional Relationships
The CD reports directly to the Regional Director for Eastern, Southern and Central Africa, and
leads the Country Management Team (CMT). They directly supervise a team of professional level
staff, work closely with colleagues at all levels of Helen Keller’s global management structure and
may be called upon to participate in global working groups or steering committees.
Helen Keller has a matrixed reporting structure. Regular communication and a spirit of teamwork
among colleagues, both hierarchically and laterally are essential to make this structure thrive.
Helen Keller’s programs require close relations with governments, partner universities and NGOs,
civil society organizations, private industry, donors, and UN agencies. The CD will represent Helen
Keller at relevant external meetings.
Key Responsibilities
Overall Management and Leadership
Provide strategic vision and direction for overall program design, implementation, and proposal
development; work closely with the country team to accomplish the strategic goals.
• Lead and oversee all aspects of the implementation of country programs and the management of
the country office.
• Represent Helen Keller in formal and informal meetings with government officials,
international donor agencies, and national technical advisory groups pertinent to Helen Keller
project activities.
• Identify opportunities and generate funding from international and bilateral agencies, and
donor agencies.
• Develop and nurture in-country donor relationships and identify potential partners to
participate in joint proposals.
• Lead and prepare concept papers and proposals and provide other information as needed for
submission to donors and others for fundraising and marketing purposes.
• Model collaboration for your matrixed team: effectively consult and inform colleagues to
maximize efficiency and knowledge sharing and integrate guidance and direction from subject matter
experts in your office and elsewhere in the global organization to maximize performance.
• Build a highly effective Country Management Team, recruiting, supervising, mentoring, and
evaluating staff, and engaging in frequent performance conversations with team members.
• Delegate authority, consult with, and guide staff to achieve goals and contribute to an
atmosphere conducive to professional growth and development.
• Ensure accountability to beneficiaries, partners, colleagues, and donors by providing ongoing
feedback in a context of mutual respect.
• As a senior leader in the organization, participate in global working groups, the recruitment
process of global colleagues and other activities, as requested.
Programmatic
Oversee and coordinate the program portfolio to ensure the highest level of project quality and
accountability, while fostering continuity through building local capacity.
• Provide technical input to the government, international donors, and technical advisory
groups pertinent to Helen Keller project activities.
• Ensure implementation of strong program monitoring, evaluation and learning functions.
• Oversee research design, methodology and dissemination of information needed to monitor and
evaluate project activities and/or advance programmatic and policy changes.
• Disseminate findings from Helen Keller projects that are of importance to decision-makers in
a position to fund or implement projects in Kenya and internationally.
• Keep the national partners and others informed about progress of the projects, plans for the
development of new programs/projects/activities and donor involvement in the overall program.
• Ensure safeguarding measures are integrated into program design and implementation at all
levels.
Operations and Finance
Provide oversight to finance and administrative services including procurement, property
management, human resources management, vehicle and facilities management, and staff safety and
security.
• Supervise all aspects of people management in the country office; including hiring and
managing staff, leading initiatives to develop staff capacity, and cultivating a positive culture
to promote team morale and retention.
• Work with global colleagues to manage the development and implementation of annual country
budgets.
• Authorize expenditures for grant or contract allocations and ensure compliance with
procedures required by grant or contract agreements.
• Ensure the accurate and timely submission of financial and narrative reports that comply with
grant or contract agreements and ensure compliance with all aspects of donor funding and Helen
Keller policies.
Required Qualifications and Competencies
▪ Minimum ten years of field experience in global/public health and/or nutrition programs
including demonstrated experience in program management, including design, implementation, and
evaluation, plus a minimum master’s degree in public health, nutrition, development or related
field, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
▪ Technical knowledge in an area related to Helen Keller’s mission and programs.
▪ Experience managing all aspects of program and operations management with demonstrated
experience and ability to:
o lead program development and management, and strategic planning;
o supervise key administrative, procurement, and logistics functions;
o supervise financial management, develop and create budgets monitor financial status, and hold
budget owners accountable;
o manage compliance with diverse donor requirements;
o integrate safeguarding measures;
o supervise safety and security in a challenging operating environment; and
o lead and manage people.
▪ Demonstrated ability to:
o undertake high-level representation and advocacy; and
o mobilize program funding including donor cultivation and write proposals.
▪ Experience working in Kenya, with Ministries, international and local NGOs, and donors based
locally, is a substantial asset.
▪ Familiarity with and experience promoting health systems strengthening and ensuring the
sustainability of program activities in developing contexts is strongly desired.
▪ Experience in designing and implementing workshops, seminars, surveys, monitoring systems, and
evaluations. Experience in research design, data analysis, and interpretation.
▪ Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including an ability to effectively lead a
team, communicate a vision, make timely and transparent decisions, and manage conflict.
▪ Very good oral and written English language skills, including the ability to quickly
synthesize complex technical and programmatic issues into concise communications.
▪ Well-established and practiced organizational and planning skills;
▪ Computer literate in use of word-processing, spreadsheet and statistical software.
▪ Collaborative, flexible and solution-oriented. An ability to maintain balance when under
stress.
▪ Ability and willingness to:
o flex work hours to accommodate multiple time zones, as needed.
o travel within Kenya and, periodically, internationally.
▪ Demonstrable respect for all persons regardless of religion, ethnicity, class or gender, with
a high comfort level working in a diverse environment with a demonstrated commitment to high
professional ethical standards.
▪ Personal commitment to Helen Keller’s mission and goals and the values embodied by our
namesake and co-founder: courage, integrity, rigor, and compassion.
The initial employment period is for two years with the possibility of renewal.
To Apply
Qualified candidates should submit a cover letter and resume to hki.recruitment@hki.org.
Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.
In the spirit of our founder and namesake, Helen Keller is dedicated
to building an inclusive workforce where diversity in all its forms is fully valued.
