Chief of Party – Yes Youth Can

Primary Location: Nairobi, Kenya

Program/ Department Summary:

The Yes Youth Can initiative is an upcoming USAID program that focuses on building youth-owned, youth-led and youth-managed institutional arrangements and capabilities at both national and county levels.

The Yes Youth Can Program has five objectives:

1. increase economic prospects for youth through skills development and access to finance to create: economically viable microenterprises; self-reliant community level economic development projects, and; employment opportunities
   
2. improve youth voice in local, regional, and national policy dialogue through enhanced advocacy capabilities and inter-ethnic dialogue
   
3. expand youth access to essential services that are more youth-friendly
4. establish new institutional arrangements that can leverage public and private resources through youth-managed organizations; and
   
5. create a new approach to empower youth through youth-owned, youth-led and youth-managed actions.

Mercy Corps Kenya has been responding to the violence in Kenya following disputed presidential elections in December 2007 through the Local Empowerment for Peace (LEAP) program in Rift Valley province.

LEAP is working with communities especially affected by the violence to build the capacity local level Peace Committees and stimulate dialogue on the underlying causes of conflict. The project has a strong Youth focus through cash-fork programming for at-risk beneficiaries and longer-term income generation activities for youth-led microenterprises.

The sister program, LEAP Sport is supporting more than 3,000 inter-ethnic sports teams with training in teamwork, cooperation, reconciliation, and non-violent conflict resolution.

General Position Summary:

The Chief of Party (COP) – “Yes Youth Can” is a senior level position with Mercy Corps Kenya. S/he will be responsible for providing program guidance, oversight, and management of an upcoming USAID-funded project whose overall objective is to support recovery and development in areas that experienced post-election violence or are at risk to experience election-related violence in the future.

This will be accomplished through building the capacity of youth, youth groups and youth-serving organizations to engage with each other, with markets, government and communities, and pursue their legitimate needs and interests more effectively while promoting inter-ethnic understanding and tolerance.

Given the multifaceted character of the circumstances Kenyan youth face, the activities contemplated to support youth development must be integrated, multi-sectoral and mutually reinforcing.

The COP of Yes Youth Can will directly manage project staff and will work closely with them to ensure high quality and the timely implementation of activities.

The level of oversight will require traveling to field sites, representation, and coordination with project partners and external stakeholders, such as local and international NGOs, CBOs, business groups, and local and central government authorities.

The successful candidate will be expected to lead the development of creative new programming for youth and reconciliation drawing on best practices from other countries and programs with a focus on building local capacities. Additionally, strong emphasis will be placed on the provision of mentoring leadership and advice to project staff.

Essential Job Functions:

• Lead the overall design, management, and reporting to the donor on all components related to the project;
• Provide technical oversight in establishing a youth-owned, youth-led and youth-managed fund that can support local solutions for community economic development while it grows in value.
• Promote economically viable youth enterprises with new finance products and methodologies, as well as development of new skills to facilitate livelihood development and employment.
• Network youth, youth groups, and youth-serving organizations and strengthen their linkages with all relevant development actors so that their undertakings are both economically and politically self-sustainable, and promote ethnic tolerance.
• Support broader based youth policy development to create a more enabling environment for youth enterprises, youth employment and youth civic engagement.
• Management and mentorship of local program staff and other partners, gradually transferring skills and capacities;
• Representation and coordination with donor, local governance institutions, local partners, private sector, and other project stakeholders;
• Regular reporting to the Mercy Corps Country Director and donor on program progress, ensuring that required deliverables are met in a timely fashion;
• Engage and develop joint initiatives with government, community leaders, NGOs, private sector and other stakeholders, providing heightened exposure and maximizing impact of the project;
• Work with project staff on an ongoing basis to ensure smooth planning, preparation, implementation and joint monitoring and evaluation of program activities and achievements towards project goals.

Organizational Learning

As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve - we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

Accountability to Beneficiaries

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts towards accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Supervisory Responsibility: Overall supervision of the Yes Youth Can program team including expatriate and national staff; and local and international sub-grantees.

Accountability:

Reports Directly To: Mercy Corps Kenya Country Director

Works Directly With: Deputy Chief of Party, Yes Youth Can Rift Valley and Central province CoP (program I), Operations/Finance Staff

Knowledge and Experience:

• MA/S or equivalent in management, international development, business, finance or related field required.
• Successful record of accomplishments in establishing and/or managing a large investment fund that provides direct grants, loans through financial intermediaries, and technical assistance ranging from $5,000 to $100,000, preferably to youth groups and youth organizations. Managing Director level experience preferred.
• Experience with applying a robust business model to expand a fund’s resource base and attract financial support and strategic partnerships from a variety of development partners and the government.
• Minimum ten years experience in finance, , as well as a strong background in institution-building and management required. .
• Minimum of 10 years experience in international development; Kenya experience highly preferred.;
• 5 years of field management experience.
• COP or senior-level leadership required of a $20 million or more sized donor-funded project.;
• Technical expertise in youth self-employment and youth enterprises development Technical expertise in decentralized public administration and planning.
• Experience managing youth, conflict/reconciliation, job skills/employment and/or civic education programs.;
• Experience with USAID rules, regulations and requirements.
• History of working effectively and respectfully with host government, NGOs, contractors and other partners.;
• Ability to effectively convey programmatic goals, enlist partnerships, and work with a range of program and external stakeholders.;

Success Factors:

• Innovative, decisive and inclusive leadership approach
• Demonstrated experience with involving youth in transparent decision making, leadership, and management processes.
• Creative and insightful as regards programming for youth and reconciliation
• Excellent communication and team-building techniques
• Proven experience managing and building capacity of diverse teams (expatriate and national)
• Cultural knowledge, sensitivity and respect
• Commitment to oversee project for its duration

Living /Environmental Conditions:

The position is based in Nairobi, Kenya. Nairobi is an accompanied post for spouse and children. Nairobi is a major metropolitan center with world class healthcare and excellent education options.

Mercy Corps provides expatriate staff with a housing allowance that covers rent, utilities, and security for comfortable accommodations in safe areas of the city. Telephone and internet access is available and there are dozens of excellent restaurants along with easy transport links to the rest of Africa and Europe.

Mercy Corps Team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. Staff are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

How to apply

If you meet the above requirements, are able to take up a position based in Nairobi and are strongly motivated for working with Mercy Corps to youth empowerment in Kenya, please e-mail your application letter, concise CV, listing three (3) references (including a recent employer) with their e-mail or phone contacts to: hr@ke.mercycorps.org

Deadline for receiving applications will be 4:00 pm 12 April 2011.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.