Wanted: Early- to mid- career (3-5+ years experience) professional with ability to enhance and improve upon organizational capacity building efforts to support the growth of a driven and ambitious international social enterprise
Employer Industry: Social Enterprise/International Development/Forestry
Functional Industry: Business Administration, Human Capital, Marketing, Communications
Employer: KOMAZA
Position: Organizational Development Associate
Commitment: 1 year minimum, 2+ years preferred
Location: Kilifi, Kenya
Comp/Benefits: Modest, provides for a comfortable standard of living in Kilifi, Kenya
Application Deadline: Open until filled
Start Date: As soon as available
Overview
KOMAZA is an award-winning non-profit social enterprise working to end rural poverty by developing economic opportunities for smallholder farmers living in Africa’s infertile and drought-prone regions.
Founded in 2006 and based in Kenya, the organization's innovative grassroots model dramatically boosts household income and wealth for rural families by equipping them with resources, knowledge and market linkages to produce high-value trees on their previous degraded land. Working through a village-based extension network, KOMAZA reduces start-up costs and barriers to market entry by providing poor farmers with crop inputs and tools on credit, ongoing training and support, as well as complete vertically integrated value chain services and market access opportunities. Learn more at www.komaza.org.
The Role
The Organizational Development Associate is a generalist who will support a variety of initiatives within the organization. The ideal candidate possesses a unique blend of analytical, communication, and interpersonal skills; an energetic disposition; and a strong personal mission statement of advancing economic development in a sustainable way. Approximately 50% of your time will be spent on enhancing our internal human capital strategies and management capacity, while 50% of your time will be spent on supporting and augmenting our external relations efforts. You will closely with our Kenyan and international managers in the Kilifi office, as well as our US office.
Internal Organizational Development Efforts:
- HRIS/Admin. Systems: Help the organization implement and improve upon the scalability of its existing HR and Administrative systems; support the development of HR systems and tools for easy replicability across KOMAZA rural cells
- Recruiting: Facilitate discussions around the staffing strategy and manage the recruitment and on-boarding of international staff
- Professional Development: Assist the HR manager in rolling out professional development trainings for our field staff and farmers
- Performance Management: Assist the HR manager in preparing and rolling out performance management processes and tools
- Knowledge Management: Enhance the current knowledge management system and ensure that historical knowledge is transmitted and built upon by current staff
- Internal Communications: Facilitate initiatives for implementing internal organizational communications within and between the office and field
- Process/Program Improvement: Assess current HR/Admin processes and programs for further improvements
External Relations:
- Proposal Support: Support the development of KOMAZA proposals and other pursuits
- External Communications: Prepare and manage communications with donors and other external stakeholders
- External Relations: Work with management to further develop strategy around managing external relations and support enhancing KOMAZA’s brand
- Donor Management: Manage donor relationships, including associated administrative tasks
- Liaising with US Office: Liaise with the US office as needed to support the growth of KOMAZA
Field Component: This role, while based in the Kilifi town office, requires the Associate to go out into the field when assessing areas for process and program improvements in the field. Field visits may involve long, dirty and uncomfortable bus/motorcycle rides; basic rustic facilities; and visits in areas far from any infrastructure (stores, electricity, paved roads).
Qualifications
- Relevant Work Experience and Educational Background
- 3-5+ years of professional work experience in business administration, human capital, marketing, and/or communications
- Record of high achieving academic background in related areas
- Management experience strongly preferred
- Independent Manager: Excellent at managing multiple projects and deadlines, prioritizing tasks and managing relationships with stakeholders throughout; evidence of a strong project management background a plus
- Relationship Manager: Capable and enthusiastic of working with multiple personalities across the organization, from field workers, to Kenyan office staff, to international staff, to the CEO; all coming from a variety of backgrounds and experiences
- Initiative and Analytical Vitality: Excellent ability to identify, assess, analyze, and solve problems. This is needed when considering program and process improvements. Should be able to understand the big picture as well as drill down into the details to understand the specific steps needed to solve a problem or implement a solution.
- Results Oriented: Humble approach to service and team work, undertaking what is needed to achieve desired results. This includes being detail oriented in planning and execution of programs and initiatives.
- Natural Communicator and Strong Writer: Enthusiastic about communicating clearly, confidently, and precisely. The ideal candidate thrives off of making him/herself understood in an engaging and pleasant way. This is important for training efforts, for communication efforts, and for overall organizational culture and morale.
- Patience and a Sense of Humor: Please see the FAQs on the KOMAZA recruiting website for a more detailed description of important “fit” criteria
- Organizational Compatibility: Committed to working for a mission-driven organization but fully-aligned with goal of building a rigorous, international-caliber social business
- Software: Complete comfort in MS office applications. Ability to prepare and format professional-looking documents for external consumption.
- Preferred:
Administrative management experience
Work/volunteer experience in development
Kiswahili
Serious interest in living abroad
Knowledge and experience with salesforce.com
Benefits
- Work with an award-winning, pioneering social enterprise, supporting its organizational development efforts during a very pivotal time in the organization’s growth.
- High level of professional growth opportunities within the organization
- Small living stipend that provides for a comfortable, but modest standard of living in Kenya – w hile compensation starts low, there is very high growth potential for strong performers
- Live in Kilifi, an idyllic under-the-radar beach town along Kenya’s tropical coast
- Provisions for basic necessities, including one roundtrip plane ticket, a work permit (if applicable), and health insurance coverage
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