JOB CONTEXT:

The Unlocking Opportunities project is a three-year project that aims to advance inclusive economic empowerment for youth with disabilities, with a strong focus on young women. Through a twin-track approach, personalised support and systemic inclusion, the program equips youth with skills, resources, and opportunities to engage meaningfully in the economy as entrepreneurs and employees. It further promotes innovation in areas such as assistive technology and digital accessibility, while working with both public and private sector actors to mainstream disability inclusion across key sectors, including agriculture, digital economy, and the creative industry.

The Project Officer reports to the Project Manager and plays a frontline role in the direct implementation of the Unlocking Opportunity Project with participants. She/He is responsible for supporting the coherence between project strategy and day-to-day execution at the field level, ensuring that planned activities are implemented effectively, inclusively, and in line with approved workplans. The Project Officer contributes to the quality and impact of the project by coordinating activities within assigned hubs, supporting partner organisations during implementation, and applying agreed monitoring and control mechanisms. She/He supports the coordination of project activities with partner organisations, contributing to joint planning, routine progress tracking, data collection, and compliance with HI and donor requirements. The Project Officer plays a key role in maintaining strong working relationships with partners and stakeholders at the local level, following up on activity implementation, timelines, and deliverables. The role includes day-to-day supervision of activities within assigned locations, supporting field teams and partner staff, consolidating activity-level reports and data for submission to the Project Manager, identifying and escalating risks or implementation challenges, and promoting collaboration and learning across hubs. The Project Officer represents the project at operational-level meetings and forums as delegated, and ensures that project activities effectively reach young people with disabilities, particularly girls and women, in line with the project’s objectives.

YOUR MISSION:

Mission 1: Operational Implementation

Responsibility 1: Contribute to project planning and implementation in line with the existing frameworks

Contributing to planning and preparing activities, tools and the associated resources, and implementing the action plan in conjunction with the support services and the technical unit.
Ensuring that activities are implemented and that resources are correctly allocated as authorised by the Project Manager
Ensuring regular reporting of activities, and contributing to the internal and external reporting as requested by the Project Manager.
Contributing to identifying areas of the project in which adjustments are required and putting forward adaptations to the Project Manager.
Responsibility 2: Contribute to project monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning

Contributing to project monitoring, specifically activity progress indicators and the expected outcomes.
Contributing to project evaluations at the request of the project manager, and ensuring that project evaluation recommendations are followed.
Contributing to project learning
Responsibility 3: Ensure project data management

Ensuring that the appropriate data collection and management tools are in place and are used correctly on the project, in line with global standards.
Collecting and compiling project-related data in the relevant database.
Responsibility 4: Contribute to the coordination of project teams

As authorised by the Project Manager, facilitate coordination meetings between the project teams and the support services located in the area when necessary.
Responsibility 5: Contribute to external project communication

Contribute to HI’s external influence by taking part in networks, when required.
Mission 2: Emergency Preparedness and Response

Contribute to the programme’s emergency preparedness initiatives, and in an emergency situation, adapt his/her working arrangements to contribute to an effective humanitarian
YOUR PROFILE :

Educational background and experience

Bachelor's Degree in a Social Science, Community Development, Sociology or any related discipline or a Diploma with at least 5 years of working experience.
Knowledge and practical skills on the project management cycle, economic development, business development, and services will be an added advantage
At least 4 years’ experience working in community development with a background in livelihood/economic development in a humanitarian context.
Experience working with persons with disabilities is an added advantage
Experience in Government stakeholder engagement
TOT certificate will be an added advantage.
Specific Frameworks

Knowledge on UNCRPD Article 27 (Work and employment promote opportunities for self-employment, entrepreneurship, the development of cooperatives and starting one’s own business)
Sustainable development goals, SDG 8 (Decent work and economic growth).
Computer Skills

Solid knowledge of MS Office suite.
Language skills

English and Kiswahili

If you feel you are the right candidate for this position, kindly send your application along with an up-to-date CV by email. The email subject line should be marked: “ Unlocking Opportunities Project Officer, Kenya ”. Please do not send your academic and other testimonials they will be requested at a later stage.