Strengthen Skills Training Ecosystems & Pathways in Kenya project (STEP)
POSITION TITLE
Program Manager
POSITION LOCATION
Nairobi, Kenya
REPORTS TO
Project Director
CONTRACT TERM
2 years
EXPECTED START DATE
November 2026
POSITION LEVEL
PRO 3
Background
WUSC is a Canadian global development organization working to catalyze positive education and economic outcomes for young people. We bring together and collaborate with a diverse network of partners (including students, volunteers, schools, governments, not-for-profits, and businesses) who share this mission. Together, we influence systems change and foster inclusive, youth-centered solutions that enable young people to thrive and belong. We work with all young people, with a focus on women and displaced populations. WUSC currently operates in 28 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as in Canada, with an annual budget of approximately CAD $65 million. Our global team includes over 100 staff in Canada and more than 250 staff internationally, implementing a diverse portfolio of development projects in collaboration with numerous multilateral and bilateral donors and philanthropic foundations.
Project Description
The Strengthen Skills Training Ecosystems & Pathways (STEP) project in Kenya is a seven-year initiative led by World University Service of Canada (WUSC), which supports economic development and youth employment initiatives globally. The ultimate outcome is improved economic well-being for displaced and host-community youth in Kenya. STEP will leverage Canadian expertise and market linkages to strengthen pathways to technical, vocational, and digital employment for refugees and host community youth in the Kakuma, Kalobeyei, and Dadaab displacement settings in Turkana and Garissa counties. The project design provides a uniquely Canadian approach to economic inclusion, connecting displacement-affected youth to employment and entrepreneurship opportunities in Kenyan, Canadian, and global markets. It will support over 10,000 young refugees and host community members to access quality market-oriented technical and vocational education and training (TVET), acquire in-demand technical, vocational, and digital skills, and access contextually relevant business incubation services and support. It places a critical focus on creating sustainable conditions for and delivering programs that link young people to meaningful work.
Role Purpose
The STEP Project Manager serves as the Field Implementation Lead, providing operational, technical, and managerial oversight across all field-based economic pathways and project outputs. Based in Nairobi and reporting directly to the STEP Project Director, the Project Manager bridges high-level strategic directives with camp-level transaction realities.
The incumbent brings deep expertise in private sector management and Market Systems Development (MSD) within refugee-hosting and thin-market settings. They are directly responsible for supervising field-based Economic Inclusion and Livelihood Officers in Kakuma and Dadaab and Operation Officers based in Nairobi. Through these teams, the Project Manager guides core local deliverers, including Refugee-Led Organizations (RLOs), Women’s Rights Organizations (WROs), Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs), and Host Community Organizations (HCOs/CBOs/NGOs), in executing all project activities, ensuring compliance with GAC Results-Based Management (RBM) standards, fiduciary rules, and GESI-ECC safeguarding frameworks.
Key Areas of Responsibility
- Field Implementation Leadership & MSD Facilitation (35%)
- Act as the operational engine for field implementation, translating the approved Annual Work Plan (AWP) into synchronized, quarterly execution plans across Kakuma, Kalobeyei, and Dadaab
- Leverage private sector management experience to build commercial relationships with lead private firms, aggregators, off-takers, BPO agencies, and financial service to expand market opportunities into refugee-hosting areas.
- Enforce the core MSD rule that market demand must precede skills training, cohort sizing, or capital disbursements. Validate employer vacancies, client task pipelines, and buyer contracts before approving intervention rounds.
- Oversee the execution of STEP’s Traction-Based Capital Sequencing Model. Ensure capital is deployed only after business diagnostics, customer testing, and 30 days of active record-keeping are verified.
2. Staff Supervision & Technical Capacity Building (20%)
- Supervise, mentor, and evaluate performance for the Economic Inclusion and Livelihood Officers stationed in Kakuma and Dadaab, and Operations Officer based in Nairobi.
- Support Project Director in chairing the monthly field-level Project Coordination Committee (PCC) meetings, harmonizing work plans, troubleshooting local logistical/infrastructure bottlenecks, and managing joint partner timesheets.
- Deliver continuous on-the-job coaching to field officers and local partners in systems thinking, transitioning staff mindsets from "direct service delivery" to "systemic market facilitation" using the Adopt-Adapt-Expand-Respond (AAER) framework.
3. Partner Management & Local Empowerment (20%)
- Provide direct technical guidance and oversight to core local implementing partners—specifically Solidarity Initiative for Refugees (SIR) and Turkana Pastoral Development Organization (TUPADO) in Kakuma/Kalobeyei and the Dadaab Collective (DC) and Rights Organization for Advocacy and Development (ROAD) in Dadaab—and affiliated CBOs, WROs, and OPDs.
- Operationalize WUSC’s localization strategy by strengthening the organizational, administrative, and technical capacities of RLOs, HCOs and private sector actors, ensuring they are equipped to sustain market-support functions after project facilitation concludes..
- Coordinate field operations with global implementing project partners, as well as institutional TVET institutions.
4. GESI, ECC & Safeguarding Integration (5%)
Working closely with GESI, Safeguarding and ECC advisors (focals);
- Ensure all field activities strictly adhere to Canada's Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP) and WUSC’s GESI framework, achieving a minimum target of 60% young women participants and meaningfully integrating youth with disabilities and SOGIEC.
- Oversee the integration of non-negotiable inclusion enablers into pathway budgets, including mobile childcare units near workspaces, safe commute options, and Universal Design accessibility tools.
- Enforce environmental screening (NEMA guidelines) and Occupational Health & Safety (OHS) audits across all vocational workshops, digital hubs, and apprentice-hosting businesses.
- Maintain confidential, accessible grievance redress mechanisms and survivor-centered referral channels for GBV, PSEA, and workplace harassment.
5. Governance, Financial Compliance & MERL (10%)
- Support the Project Director in organizing and preparing agenda packages for the annual Project Steering Committee (PSC) in Nairobi and the bi-annual field Project Advisory Committees (PACs) in Kakuma and Dadaab.
- Oversee field compliance with GAC eligible cost guidelines, enforcing dual-signature authorization paths for expenditures exceeding KES 100,000 (~$1,000 CAD), managing central asset tag registries, and verifying partner declarations.
- Collaborate with the MERL Officer to track Performance Measurement Framework (PMF) indicators disaggregated by sex, age, disability, and displacement status (SADD+) [Passages 3, 51, 544]. Measure success by transition-to-income, net monthly earnings (> $90 USD), and 12-month business survival rates, rather than simple training completion numbers.
6. Policy Advocacy & Administrative Unblocking (10%)
- Provide technical assistance to duty-bearers, specifically the Department of Refugee Services (DRS), to streamline the issuance of IDs, KRA PINs, and Class M work permits for refugees.
- Operationalize national inclusion frameworks, such as the Shirika Plan and the Refugees Act (2021), to transition youth from informal incentive work to formal, protected labor.
- Facilitate dialogue sessions with government and private sector actors to promote fair hiring practices and regulate inclusive apprenticeships.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS & COMPETENCIES
Education
- Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA), Economics, International Development, Commerce, Agribusiness, or a closely related field. (A Bachelor’s degree with 12+ years of relevant extraordinary experience will also be considered).
Professional Experience
- Minimum of 7 to 10 years of professional experience in corporate management, private enterprise development, supply-chain logistics, business incubation, or commercial financial services.
- Minimum of 5 years of hands-on experience designing and executing Market Systems Development (MSD) or Approach to Inclusive Market Systems (AIMS) programs, specifically focusing on market facilitation, crowd-in strategies, and actor ownership.
- Demonstrated track record of managing economic inclusion, TVET, or enterprise projects within refugee camps, ASAL regions, or thin-market settings in Kenya (specifically Turkana West / Kakuma / Kalobeyei or Garissa / Dadaab).
- Proven experience supervising multi-disciplinary technical teams and managing subcontracts with grassroots entities (RLOs, WROs, CBOs, NGOs).
Technical Knowledge & Skills
- Deep understanding of Kenya's Refugee Policy. Thorough working knowledge of the Refugees Act (2021), the Shirika Plan (2023–2027), KRA PIN/tax frameworks, Class M work permits, movement passes, and county integration plans (KISEDP & GISEDP).
- Strong commercial negotiation skills with the ability to articulate "the business case for refugee inclusion" to commercial CEOs, aggregators, and digital BPO platforms.
- Strong familiarity with Global Affairs Canada (GAC) policies, Results-Based Management (RBM), eligible cost guidelines, and Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP) priorities.
- Proficiency in encrypted data management platforms (KoboToolbox), visual mapping tools (Mural), and financial tracking software.
Languages & Personal Attributes
- Full professional fluency in English and Kiswahili (written and spoken) is required. Knowledge of Somali or Turkana is a distinct operational advantage.
- Strategic leadership, humble collaboration, cultural agility, high emotional intelligence, diplomatic negotiation skills, and uncompromised personal integrity.
WORK CONDITIONS & PHYSICAL DEMANDS
The role will be based in the WUSC Kenya Country Office in Nairobi. It requires willingness and ability to travel frequently (up to 40-50% time) to Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kalobeyei Settlement, and Dadaab Refugee Complex, working under remote, arid, and dusty ASAL field conditions.
Applications
WUSC's activities seek to balance inequities and create sustainable development around the globe; the work ethic of our staff, volunteers, representatives, and partners shall correspond to the values and mission of the organization. WUSC promotes responsibility, respect, honesty, and professional excellence, and we will not tolerate harassment, coercion, sexual exploitation, or abuse of any form.
Successful applicants will be required to undertake an enhanced criminal record check where appropriate.
Persons with disabilities who need accommodation in the application process, or those needing job postings in an alternative format, may e-mail a request to [email protected].
WUSC is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome and encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds and abilities. Accommodations are available upon request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process. Please note that only the candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.
