Operations Officer, Kenya

Fauna & Flora

At Fauna & Flora, our shared purpose is to protect the diversity of life on Earth, for the survival of the planet and its people. We work closely with local conservation partners around the world to save nature, together. We harness this collective expertise to inspire positive change globally.

Kenya Programme

Fauna & Flora has been championing wildlife conservation in Kenya in some shape or form since our foundation in 1903. A century later, we have opened an office in Nairobi and established a formal country programme, since when we have been supporting local partners to protect key habitats and species. In particular, we have played a crucial role in establishing a number of wildlife conservancies in northern Kenya that protect wildlife while also supporting sustainable local livelihoods. One of our most notable success stories has been the establishment and ongoing support of Ol Pejeta Conservancy. In 2003 Fauna & Flora, with the help of the Arcus Foundation, purchased a 364 km2 cattle ranch that forms part of a critical wildlife corridor at the foot of Mount Kenya. The ranch was converted into a wildlife conservancy and ownership was transferred from Fauna & Flora to a Kenyan non-profit entity in 2005 under a long-term management agreement. The project safeguards the conservancy’s wildlife, including East Africa’s largest black rhino population and the world’s last remaining northern white rhinos. It also provides a sanctuary for rescued chimpanzees and generates income through wildlife tourism, which is reinvested in conservation and community development.

Fauna & Flora has also been supporting the Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT) since its inception in 2004. This community-led organisation has developed a network of community conservancies across 44,000 km2 each of which is helping to transform people’s lives, secure peace and conserve natural resources. Beyond our terrestrial conservation programme, we are supporting the efforts of coastal communities in the south of Kenya to secure greater involvement in the management and husbandry of their marine resources.

The Opportunity

This is a truly exciting time to be joining Fauna & Flora’s Kenya Programme as it evolves and grows. Fauna & Flora is seeking an experienced Operations Officer to support the effective, transparent and legally compliant operations of the Fauna & Flora Kenya offices. The successful candidate will contribute significantly to the strengthening of internal systems and identifying how we can improve operational processes that enable Fauna & Flora programmes in Kenya to maintain an effective and dynamic team that delivers impactful conservation action.

This role will suit someone who has experience coordinating operational responsibilities in a fast-paced setting but is equally at home providing administrative support as they respond to a variety of operational needs such as logistics, ICT, human resources or administrative tasks.

The successful candidate will be organised and flexible, efficiently managing and prioritising a varying workload with a hands-on approach that they are willing to apply to all tasks. They’ll have strong administrative skills, excellent verbal and written communication skills and a keen eye for detail. Most importantly, they’ll be a team player willing to learn and bring a positive, enthusiastic attitude with a proactive, can-do approach.

Terms and Conditions

Start Date: As soon as possible

Duration of Contract: Permanent

Probation Period: 6 months

Gross Salary: USD 16,625 per annum

Location: Fauna & Flora Office in Nairobi, Kenya. With travel to domestic project sites as required.

Benefits: 25 working days’ annual leave entitlement plus national public holidays observed in Kenya

Hours of Work: This is a full-time position, working 40 hours per week Monday to Friday inclusive. These hours may vary depending on the requirements of the job in the field.

Job Description

Job Title: Operations Officer, Kenya

Reports to: Grants and Operations Manager, Kenya

Key working relationships: Kenya Programme Staff (Kenya), Africa Programme Staff (UK), Programme Manager (Operations & Compliance), Africa (UK)

Purpose:

Under the guidance of the Grants and Operations Manager, Kenya the Operations Officer will contribute significantly to the strengthening of internal systems and identifying how Fauna & Flora can improve operational processes. It will also coordinate and provide administrative support to a variety of operational functions across the organisation such as logistics, ICT, human resources or administrative tasks ensuring the smooth operations of the Fauna & Flora Kenya offices and wider programme.

Specific Duties:

Office Administration

• Proactively ensure that the Fauna & Flora Kenya office functions well and efficiently, managing relationships with suppliers and contractors and obtaining required quotations for the- purchasing of goods and services
• Develop and maintain a database of key suppliers and contractors
• Order stationary and other office supplies as required, proactively identifying needs before they arise; maintaining an inventory of office supplies for monitoring purposes.
• Act as the point of contact with the landlord and ensure the office is well maintained, including liaising with the landlord on cleaning, recycling and any maintenance issues
• Assist with coordinating and managing any office relocations
• Processing and distributing incoming post, managing the dispatch of the outgoing post with couriers, and managing our courier accounts
• Support the development of operational policies and procedures, and ensure these are kept up-to-date and communicated to all staff
• Ensure relevant health and safety requirements related to the Fauna & Flora Kenya office are in place and communicated to staff

Fund Management

• Keep a track of timesheet charges on all Fauna & Flora Kenya funds and ensure that staff time is fully charged in time for donor financial reporting
• Liaise with the Programme Manager (Operations and Compliance), Africa to ensure all timesheet trackers for Kenya programme staff are up to date and being followed

Legal and Insurance compliance

• Ensure that all relevant legal documents and insurances such as office insurance, rental agreements, business permits and vehicle insurance are in place, renewed in a timely manner and any relevant documents and appropriately filed.

Human Resources

• Provide administrative support to the recruitment of new team members including, but not limited to;
  • managing the recruitment folders
  • advertising the positions
  • preparing interview grids
  • arranging the logistics for interviews
  • facilitating feedback to candidates
  • reference checking
  • liaising with the UK HR team as necessary
• Support the onboarding of new starters, including facilitating the induction process and ensuring new starters complete the required courses on Mangrove
• Ensure the personnel documents are accurately and confidentially filed and in accordance with any data protection compliance requirements
• Support the processing of leavers, coordinating exit interviews and liaise with the UK ICT team as necessary, in adherence to Fauna & Flora’s policies and procedures
• Maintain key programmatic documentation such as team organograms and electronic staff contact details and distribution lists
• Support the development of Human Resource policies and procedures and related forms, and ensure these are kept up-to-date and communicated to all staff

ICT Support

• Support the UK ICT Team by updating the ICT equipment, arranging repairs and ICT supplies inventories when required
• Act as an ICT Focal Point for the office, liaising with the UK ICT Team to support when implementing and embedding new systems, processes and updates
• Maintain an organised and effective filing structure within the internal SharePoint sites where relevant
• Liaising with the UK ICT Team to ‘purchase genuine software’
• Facilitate data management, record keeping and use of cloud storage systems related to office administration

Logistics and Meeting Support

• Ensure local, national and international procurement practises are compliant with Fauna & Flora and donor regulations.
• Assist with the management of Fauna & Flora vehicles in line with Fauna & Flora policies and procedures; ensure appropriate allocation and safe use of vehicles, ensure servicing and maintenance schedules are adhered to
• Support the development and maintenance of any relevant office vehicle forms and templates
• Support with planning and running internal events and meetings, arrange venues, accommodation and refreshments for internal meetings if required
• Facilitate travel arrangements for internal events, meetings and field visits including obtaining quotes, making bookings and assisting with visa applications

Other

• Undertake any other duties commensurate with skills and experience as requested by the Grants and Operations Manager, Kenya
• Work as an active member of the Fauna & Flora Africa and Fauna & Flora Kenya team and attend Fauna & Flora Kenya team meetings

Person Specification

Skills

Essential

• Exceptional organisational skills and impeccable attention to detail
• Skills in developing and maintaining databases
• Strong prioritisation and time management skills

Desirable

• Basic cash handling skills within an organisational context

Knowledge and experience

Essential

• Undergraduate degree in a business-related field
• Minimum 3 years of experience in a similar operational role supporting multiple functions
• Experience in procurement of goods and services
• Previous experience in office administration including health and safety
• Experience providing logistical support in convening meetings and events
• Experience of working with suppliers and contractors
• Experience of arranging travel logistics
• Some experience of providing administrative Human Resources support
• Experience in effective information storage, documentation and retrieval of information
• Fluency in English and Swahili (spoken and written)
• Confident and proficient in the use of MS Office especially Excel

Desirable

• Experience working with an I/NGO
• Ability to carry out data management and update online data storage systems
• Understanding of international travel logistics
• Experience of coordinating an office move

Behavioural qualities

Essential

• Commitment to Fauna & Flora’s mission and values
• Ability to work under pressure and to deal with challenges in a calm, positive, proactive and constructive way
• Excellent people skills and enjoys working as a team to achieve results
• Ability to use initiative and drive things forward independently
• Flexible, with the ability to multi-task and prioritise to meet deadlines
• Ability to think creatively and be a strong problem-solver

Other

Essential

• Entitlement to live and work in Kenya (without employee sponsorship)
• Available to travel domestically when required

Fauna & Flora Values

Values underpin who we are and how we act. Just as values shape who we are as individuals, they define us as an organisation, creating the culture of success for which Fauna & Flora is renowned. Our people exemplify our shared values, which are interconnected and interdependent:

• We act with integrity
• We are collaborative
• We are committed
• We are inclusive, supportive & respectful
• We get things done