Project Manager – Using Renewable Energy to Transform Fishing Livelihoods Project (RE4Ice)

Summary

• Location: Homabay, Kenya
• Salary: Kshs.1,680,000 – 1,920,000 per annum, depending on experience
• Other benefits: Contribution to pension and health insurance
• Start: 1 st May 2024
• Contract: Two years fixed term contract
• Responsible to: Kenya Country Director

Purpose

1.2 billion people are still living in poverty, inequality is rising, and the world is failing to decarbonise quickly enough to avoid climate disaster. The world’s poorest people contributed little to climate change, yet they are most impacted, and least able to adapt. This is not fair. And it is not sustainable. At Renewable World we envision a sustainable and fairer world where clean energy is accessible to all – because with clean energy, both people and planet can thrive. By 2030, we aim to enable over 500,000 people living in poverty to transform their lives by improving their access to clean energy, empowering them to develop sustainable and resilient livelihoods, and mitigating the impact of climate change.

As the Project Manager you will oversee the Using Renewable Energy to Transform Fishing Livelihoods (RE4Ice) project implemented in Takawiri Island, Homabay County. The four-year project will establish a collaboration with a youth-led social enterprise to develop fisheries related infrastructure, initially focused on the provision of ice and purified water which will contribute to reduced post-harvest losses, and increased profit margin for artisan fishers. The project will adopt a market systems approach to strengthen the market-system surrounding fisheries. It will open the market for clean ice and water through the installation of a solar powered technology and strengthen access to supporting services (i.e., finance, mobile technology, research and development(R&D).

The project manager will provide oversight to the project for effective and efficient management and delivery of the project. He/she will coordinate filed level activities; leading on community and county level engagement as well as play a critical role as the main point of contact between RW and the implementing partner. The function will ensure excellence in implementation in terms of impact, reporting, and timeliness and stay abreast of donor compliances and requirements. The role works closely with the technical teams in Kenya, Nepal and the UK. The post-holder must possess sensitivity to ethnicity, gender and economic class and will, at all times, adhere to Renewable World’s Safeguarding Policy and Code of Conduct. The position is required to be based in Homabay County but also will require occasional travel within Kenya.

Responsibilities

Project Implementation (60%)

You will lead, manage and coordinate day to day planning, implementation, and management of project activities according to the project workplan, budget and log frame. You will:

• Have impact (outcomes and goal) as the focus and ensure that all staff and partners are considering progress towards these aims. Identify adjustments to the project in order to improve impact and agree these with senior RW staff and potentially donors.
• Ensure community engagement within the project and lead on specific community engagement and behaviour change activities.
• Ensure project compliance with all Government and Donor requirements.
• Monitor the external and internal context and consider adjustments of the project accordingly.
• Ensure activity plans are followed and monitor project expenditure against budget.
• Ensure project procurement is aligned with the RW procurement policy and procedures.
• Ensure that the project is gender sensitive and socially inclusive, to deliver transformative change for women, youth and the socially excluded.
• Lead on project risk management, flagging key issues to the senior leadership team.
• With the Global Technical Manager, efficiently coordinate and facilitate RW and partner staff in all aspects of the provision of the planned renewable energy technologies (RETs)

Partnership Management and Stakeholder Coordination (15%)

You will ensure partnerships are managed according to the contract, RW’s procedures and codes. And you will engage and build the profile with local and Country stakeholders. You will:

• Represent RW at local and County level, building supportive relationships.
• Carry out due diligence to select partners required for the project, and lead on the contracting.
• Ensure partners and stakeholders understand and support the project, including during the project inception phase as well as throughout implementation.
• Review and provide feedback to partners on the quality of their narrative and financial reports.
• Ensure contracted partners understand the project requirements and are following them, delivering activities on-time and on-budget and follow donor requirements.
• Ensure partners follow required both procurement and health & safety procedures.
• Ensure partners receive training on safeguarding and fraud mitigation and comply with RW’s Code of Conduct.
• Build the capacity of the partners in accordance with the partner capacity building plan.

Reporting and Project Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (15%)

Working with MEAL staff you will carry out MEAL activities and use the learning to inform and adapt the project. Quality reporting will be carried out according to the contract. You will:

• With the support of MEAL staff, ensure that all logframe indicators are regularly measured and results are used to consider adjustments needed to the project.
• Organise periodic project reviews with the community, stakeholders, and partners.
• Lead in the preparation and submission of timely project narrative and financial reports (quarterly, annual, mid-term and final) in RW and relevant donor standard formats.
• In collaboration with MEAL staff and partner staff, ensure evidence and learning is gathered and present this via impact papers and at external events.
• With the support of MEAL staff, set up and run a community feedback & response mechanism, adapting the project accordingly and giving a response to those raising issues.
• Ensure safeguarding of communities, by ensuring communities know what behaviour to expect from RW staff and how to report an incident.

Wider RW Programming Support (10%)

Support the wider work of RW in Kenya and globally, including using your technical / sectoral expertise. You will:

• Potentially contribute to the design of new projects by being involved in design processes as well as contributing new project ideas.
• Participate in meetings and events for RW staff across Kenya and globally.
• Contribute to business planning and tracking
• Depending on your technical / sectoral background, provide support to the Kenya RW team both for designing new projects and for effective implementation. And build relationships with relevant players (including private sector, NGOs and academic institutions).
• Represent RW in appropriate forums, including technical working groups.
• Represent RW’s values in a professional, honest, transparent, and positive way to build RW’s reputation and brand as an organisation committed to poverty reduction and collaboration.
• Have flexibility to respond to and be accountable for other business as it arises.

Person Specification

Knowledge, experience, skills, and competencies

Essential

• Have a relevant degree in social sciences, agriculture, or conservation, or in civil engineering.
• Have worked in community development for at least 5 years including significant hands-on experience of working in community-based projects.
• Good understanding of community engagement, including behaviour change approaches.
• Experience and knowledge of livelihoods or conservation programming.
• Experience of managing budgets, planning and overseeing activities and writing reports.
• Experience of engaging external stakeholders and working with partners.
• Proven experience in the usage of computer and office software packages (MS Office etc.)
• Able to communicate and write quality reports in English.

Desirable

• Knowledge of renewable energy programming.
• Line management experience

Attitude and approach

Essential

• Leadership skills, including guiding a team to work together to achieve objectives.
• Ability to work with other teams and functions and seek and accept guidance as needed.
• Experienced in, and passionate about, gender and inclusion in programming.
• Self-motivated and strong time management skills.
• Good communicator and confident to engage with partners and external stakeholders.
• Upholds organizational and ethical norms, values transparency and accountability, and treats all individuals with respect.
• Proactive in sharing learnings, adapting projects, and seeking help to address challenges