Hub Director- East Africa

Who is Natural Justice?
Natural Justice is an African non-profit organization specializing in environmental justice. As a team of pioneering lawyers and legal experts, we specialize in human rights, climate law and environmental law to pursue social, climate and environmental justice. NJ has been working with communities, NGOs, and government agencies in Kenya since 2009. Natural Justice strives to enhance people’s collective rights and protect the sacred relationships indigenous peoples, and local communities have with nature. Our work is informed by the values, knowledge, and self-determination of the communities with whom we stand in solidarity. Through legal empowerment, research, policy influencing and litigation, and as part of coalitions and campaigns, we support communities to know the law, use the law and shape the law. Natural Justice has three main programs: the Affirming Rights Program, Defending Rights Program and Standing with Communities Program.

What we’re looking for
Natural Justice seeks a full-time Hub Director to manage the operations of the East Africa Hub, including providing leadership and oversight to the Hub’s key functions i.e., programmatic, financial and administrative.

Key Roles and Responsibilities
Under the guidance and supervision of the Executive Director, and in close liaison with the Chief Finance & Operations Officer (CFOO), the Hub Director shall perform the following duties:

Strategic Planning, Project Development and Work-Planning

• Provide effective leadership and support to the staff within the Hub including mentorship, coaching, team building, on-the-job training to enhance employee performance and other leadership interventions;
• Align of program strategy with country strategy and Natural Justice vision and mission;
• Develop hub program plans and provide oversight on their implementation in collaboration with the PDs and ED;
• Analyze, understand, update, and inform changing context in hub;
• Take country-lead in program strategy/direction for all program/progress meetings and facilitate transfer of information, successful approaches, experiences, lessons, and updates from projects across the region;
• Foster collaborations with other hubs.

Policy and Legal Reform

• Provide leadership in identifying and engaging with key policy issues and key collaborators;

• Maximize leverage of key partners in influencing policy and legal reforms in the hub.

  Research and M & E

• Guide the development, implementation and continual refinement of country’s M&E framework, tools, and methods, employing a collaborative approach to ensure that these address program needs, strengths and constraints;

• Provide overall leadership in the hub on research assignments and ensure they are aligned with program strategy and are implemented, and learnings shared.

Knowledge Management and Reporting

• Accountable to safe keeping of organizational information;
• Report on Hub program updates and progress to the ED and/or CFOO;
• Coordinate, participate and lead Hub monthly program and staff meetings.

Networking, Partnerships and Communications

• Represent Natural Justice in country and regional meetings;
• Overall leadership in relevant Natural Justice stakeholders and network organizations from Government, NGO, private and academics in the region;
• Place emphasis in raising and maintaining a high profile for Natural Justice in the Hub;
  Accountable for external communications for the hub;
• Provide oversight to the development and execution of the communications strategy in the Hub.

Finance and Administration

• Develop, approve, manage, and control country budgets in collaboration with the CFOO and ED.
• Support the development of partnership documents (MOUs, etc.)

Fundraising

• Develop and implement fundraising strategy for the hub with input from MT, PDs and the Communications manager; approved by MT;

• Develop and build funding relationships with donors located within the hub; regularly update donors on work progress and involve them in ongoing work;

• Regular updates on funders’ relations should be submitted to the funders as well as to the ED and CFOO;

• Ensure grant compliance for all projects in Kenya in line with donor requirements, ensure timely submission of reporting to key donors;

• Quality and timely submission of progress reports or final reports to funders in relation to grants;

• Funding contracts approved by executive;

• Provide accurate and timely information on program activities for reporting, compliance and fundraising purposes.

  Oversight

• Develop the organization by strengthening capacity (recruitment of human resources), building high performance teams, identifying, and promoting talent and managing performance; foster a positive culture approach across the teams, constantly seeking feedback and continual improvement with input from CFOO and ED;

• Provide input to Natural Justice’s policy documents and ensure human resource policy and procedures are in place and in line with best practice and Kenyan legislation;

• Encourage a team culture of learning, creativity and innovation;

• Funding contracts approved and signed by executive.

General

• Develop and maintain a very good knowledge of the role and policies of Natural Justice;
• Represent Natural Justice in a positive, professional, and effective manner;
• Seek opportunities for personal and professional development, particularly related to the specific areas of responsibility;
• Complete any other duties that may be related to the organization’s overall mandate

Requirements:

• Minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree in Law, Environmental sciences, Human Rights, International Relations, Social Sciences or related field from a recognized university.
• A post-graduate degree in law, political science or other relevant social science discipline is desirable.
• Knowledge of Kenya’s constitutional and administrative law, including human rights, land & environmental law.
• Minimum of 8 years relevant work experience in environmental and/or climate change law, including natural resource and/or land law, and administrative law or human rights litigation, 3 of which must be in senior leadership positions.
• Computer literacy- Understanding of data entry, basic computer skills and knowledge of databases.
• Excellent knowledge of spoken and written English and Kiswahili.
• Keen interest in and commitment to advancing the rights of marginalized communities, particularly in relation to their environments.
• Conviction in and commitment to constitutionalism and principles of environmental justice.
• Good legal research skills in law, policy and social issues.
• Experience in conducting fieldwork and working with marginalized communities.
• Experience communicating complex legal issues in an accessible way to communities.
• Experience relating research or project experiences to policy advocacy.
• Experience conducting primary and/or desktop research and preparing clear and analytical reports (with proof of published work).
• Experience writing applications and reporting to donors.
• Experience in program management, including budgeting, project planning, contract drafting, monitoring and evaluation, and reporting.
• Experience in managing and supervising teams.
• An understanding of and experience in the socio-political environment and civil society work in the region.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Citizen of Kenya or have authorization to work in Kenya.

Competencies
The desirable traits and attributes include:

• A person of high integrity that will model Natural Justice’s core values.
• Highly motivated, pro-active individual able to work under minimal supervision.
• Ability to prioritize, act on initiative and meet deadlines.
• Reliability and attention to detail.
• Ability to work with the team and to develop and maintain good relationships with community-based or other grassroots groups and partners.
• Demonstrated awareness of and sensitivity to the needs and concerns of individuals from diverse cultures, backgrounds and orientations.
• Professionalism, strong work ethic, and personal initiative (“a self-starter”).
• Critical and analytical thinking.
• Ability to mobilize communities.
• Ability to grasp quickly and accurately new and complex concepts.
• Ability to work under pressure and as part of a team.
• Ability to balance priorities and co-ordinate work effectively in order to meet deadlines and deal with high workloads.
• Willingness and ability to travel often, in Kenya and regionally as necessary.