Program Officer

*Kindly apply by sending cover letter and resume to info@creativeactioninstitute.org, with Program Officer in the subject line. Applications sent through easy apply will not be reviewed.

About Creative Action Institute

Creative Action Institute catalyzes community-driven solutions that advance gender equality and build a sustainable planet by developing transformational leaders, building powerful regional networks, and supporting grassroots advocacy globally. 

Creative Action Institute’s unique methodology is rooted in popular education, learner-centered, feminism, intersectional, and creative approaches and is infused with experiential, participatory and creative activities. We have equipped hundreds of teachers, community leaders, and youth to advance leadership development, gender equality, education, health, climate justice and bio-cultural diversity.

Creative Action Institute operates its own annual programs and is also a consultant to other like-minded organizations, providing services in curriculum development, toolkit development, and a variety of capacity building.

Responsibilities 

The Program Officer will collaborate with the Regional Director and our exisiting Program Officer to advance the team’s work in catalyzing community-driven solutions to promote gender equality and build a sustainable planet in East Africa. The Program Officer will work with the Regional Director to implement ongoing programming, including the Sauti ya Dada program, Creative Advocacy Practicums(CAPs), and the annual East Africa Girls Leadership Summit (EAGLS) within the scope and budget, as well as facilitate and participate in special projects as needed.

The Program Officer will play a key role in program operations and finance. In particular, the Program Officer will support the Regional Director in managing program budgets, making cash requisitions, disbursing funds for program implementation, paying vendors, expense reporting, etc. The Program Officer will also be responsible for supporting the Regional Director with resource mobilization and developing standard operating procedures.

The role will include, but not be limited to, the following areas of focus (percentages are approximate and will likely fluctuate): 

1. Program Implementation and Management (50%)

In collaboration with the other Program Officer:

• Identify new program partners and ensure a successful onboarding process for all the new partners.
• Compile and maintain new partners' databases in alignment with organization archiving systems for easy access.
• Plan and host mentors’ monthly roundtable 
• Manage and provide coaching to mentors to  design Creative Advocacy Practicums, coach local artists, and contextualize CAP materials. 
• Serve as a co-facilitator for training, summits, and events in the region as requested, such as the East Africa Girls Leadership Summit (EAGLS), Foundations of Mentorship and Facilitation, etc.
• Plan and coordinate logistics for training, summits, and any other organization events in East Africa
• Conduct site visits to support partners

2. Finance and Operations (30%)

• Supporting the Regional Director to develop and track the East Africa annual budget 
• Requisitioning project funds and disbursing to the program partners on time
• Procuring services align with the organization's procurement and finance procedures and pay service providers within the agreed timeline.
• Compiling and reviewing the partners' financial reports, ensuring all supporting documents are made available and archived on Harvest and Google Drive and discrepancies are noted, recorded, and tracked.
• Ensuring all files on the shared drive are organized and easy to find
• Researching prospective funding opportunities and working to develop proposals in collaboration with the Regional Director and global resource mobilization team.
• Drafting standard operating procedures, with guidance from the Regional Director, to support efficient and consistent operations in the region
• Develop partnership agreements

3. Special Projects (20%)

• Support the implementation of special projects and contract work as needed. This might include:
• participation in kick-off meetings and other client/partner calls,
• providing input on design of workshops, toolkits, etc., 
• facilitating content, 
• providing follow-up coaching, 
• participating in debriefs, reporting, etc.
• expense reporting

Education, Requirements, and Competencies 

Education and Requirements

• A university degree in a relevant subject with at least 3-5 years of experience in the philanthropic, non-profit, or social enterprise sectors in East Africa. 
• Passionate about working closely with adolescent girls and community-led organizations 
• A demonstrated understanding of adolescent girls and community-led organizations' needs and deep knowledge of the East African context and operating environment.
• English fluency required. Additional fluency in Kiswahili or Kinyarwanda is preferred. 
• Demonstrated ability to work remotely with minimal supervision
• Detail oriented, motivated, self-starter
• Must be able to travel regularly within East Africa and occasionally globally
• Highly skilled in Microsoft Office Suite (especially Word, Excel and Powerpoint) and G Suite

Program Implementation and Management Competencies

• Knowledge and previous use of program design, monitoring, and evaluation best practices
• Experience in providing training and coaching to partners and other audiences
• Excellent problem-solving and collaboration skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Strong creative facilitation skills

Finance and Operations Competencies

• Demonstrated ability to manage budgets, program finances, and expense reporting
• Ability to prospect potential funding opportunities and support in proposal development.
• Previous experience developing standard operating procedures.
• Demonstrated ability to keep meticulous financial records and manage cash inflows and outflows.
• Detail oriented and skilled at managing logistics. Previous experience managing international summits is a plus.

Salary and Benefits

Creative Action institute offers a competitive salary and benefits package, commensurate with experience.

How to Apply

We invite those with appropriate qualifications to send a cover letter and resume to info@creativeactioninstitute.org. Please use the subject line: Program Officer, East Africa. Applications submitted through easy apply will not be reviewed.

Shortlisted candidates will be contacted directly by the team using the email address provided in their resume.