Program Officer

Scope: SWITCH Kenya Green

Reports to: Program Manager

Level: Program Officer

Grade: 10,11

Countries: Kenya

Hours: 40

About Hivos

 Hivos is an international development organization guided by humanist values. Together with citizens and their organizations, we aim to contribute towards a just, inclusive and life-sustaining society where people have equal access to opportunities, rights and resources. We work in partnership with others in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Latin America on three impact areas: civic rights in a digital age; Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (GEDI), and Climate Justice. Our approach is solution-driven, and we build wider movements for change by amplifying and connecting voices.

About Switch Kenya Green:

Tujenge Pamoja: Advancing Kenya’s Circular Economy through MSMEs

The SWITCH Kenya Green Program builds on the strong foundation laid by SWITCH Africa Green (2020 – 2023), part of the SWITCH Global frameworks. The previous phase demonstrated that Kenya’s shift toward an inclusive green economy, rooted in sustainable consumption and production is not only possible but powerful.

Now, SWITCH Kenya Green is taking that momentum to the next level. Backed by a €5 million investment from the European Commission, the program adopts a bold, forward-looking approach to accelerate the country’s transition into a circular, inclusive and future-fit green economy.

The program will blend high level policy cooperation with direct support to businesses while placing emphasis to sustainability, access to finance, circular value chains and creation of meaningful green jobs.

This ambitious, sustainability-driven program will be delivered through a strategic consortium of five organizations: Hivos, KCB Foundation, the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA), SOMO, and United States International University–Africa (USIU-A). Together, the consortium brings a unique blend of expertise, networks, and on-the-ground capacity to drive systemic change.

The program will be implemented across 8 counties in Kenya, covering 2 regions;

• Nairobi Metropolitan: Nairobi, Kiambu, Nakuru, Machakos, Makueni
• Pwani Economic Bloc: Mombasa, Kilifi, Kwale

Guided by a clear Theory of Change (ToC) the program aims to equip and elevate MSMEs,

expand their access to financing, unlock opportunities within circular economy value chains, and ultimately contribute to reduced waste, increased green job opportunities and sustainable, inclusive economic growth for Kenya.

Job Context

Reporting to the Program Manager, the Program Officer will closely work in support of the program implementation. This role will overall support the PM in managing all activities, compliance and consortium/stakeholder communications, tracking workplans, quality progress reports, Implementation of Hivos activities; filing and documentation, partners programmatic support and a GESI tracking plan.

RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Program Implementation

• Contribute to planning and implementation of the Hivos plan of work, including supporting lobby, advocacy and policy influencing efforts at national and county levels.
• Support internal and external communications, including but not limited to publication of articles and blog posts, commissioning of relevant communications products and guiding the overall communications strategy with support from the communications officer.
• Support events logistics, campaign planning and routine tracking of related budgets and expenditures.

 2.Grant Making

• Support SWITCH Kenya Green grant management efforts by maintaining relationships with the program’s partners; including routine check-ins and timely follow-up on deliverables.
• Communicating deadlines, updates and other relevant information to the SWITCH Kenya Green partners.
• Supporting disbursement of funds; timely, quality, conclusive and well documented paperwork.
• Supporting partners in implementation efforts when requested.
• Support MEL processes, including data consolidation, quality checks and documentation of learnings.

3. Filing & Archiving

• Maintain organized, up-to-date digital program files in line with Hivos document management standards.
• Ensure all partner documentation (Contracts, Amendments, Reports, MEL tools, disbursements records) is all accurately filed and accessible for internal and donor audits.
• Track, label and archive incoming and outgoing correspondences, ensuring version control is consistently applied.
• Support the Program Manager and the Finance Officer in preparing documentation for audits, evaluations and internal/external compliance checks.
• Ensure all relevant documents are updated on shared drives and accessible to authorized team members.
• Support the Program as and when needed.
• Any other assigned duties.

REQUIREMENTS

This is a Kenya based program and priority will be extended to Kenyan candidates.

Academic Qualifications

• Bachelors’ degree in social sciences, development studies, public policy, environmental studies, project management or related field required.
• A masters degree in a relevant field is an added advantage.
• Additional certification in project management, MEL or grant management desirable.

Core Skills

• Minimum of four(4) to five(5) years of experience in program management, project coordination or a related role, preferably within an NGO or development context.
• Working knowledge of green/circular economy and MSME ecosystems.
• Strong project coordination and multitasking abilities.
• Solid writing, documentation and communication skills.
• Good command and knowledge of MS Office and basic project/MEL tools and systems.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to track budgets, deadline and deliverables.
• Understanding or grants, compliance and partner support.

Core Competencies

• Builds effective relationships with partners and stakeholders.
• High integrity, confidentiality, and attention to detail.
• Proactive, organized, and able to work independently.
• Results-driven with a solutions mindset.
• Comfortable working in a diverse, multicultural environment.
• Committed to gender equity, inclusion, and sustainability.

Hivos is an equal opportunity employer that values diversity, integrity, and inclusion. We welcome applications from all qualified individuals, especially those who bring perspectives from underrepresented groups.