Policy & Partnerships Coordinator Job in Kenya - Uthabiti Africa

Job Description

Policy and Regulatory Reform

  • Lead the Legal, Policy and Regulatory Reforms workstream, coordinating work planning engagement with external and internal partners at national, county and regional level
  • Lead the review of existing policies and regulations at national and county level
  • Stay abreast of developments in the childcare and childcare-related policy at national and county level and ensure Uthabiti’s leadership in providing guidance to the sector
  • Manage the coordination of key stakeholders at national level – particularly the Council of Governors; National Council for Children’s Services, National Gender and Equality Commission; Ministry of Education and Ministry of Gender
  • Influence and partner with senior leaders to define County and national policy strategy aligned with Uthabiti Africa strategic plan

  • Be abreast of regional, national and international events relating to childcare and women’s economic development.
  • Measure the effectiveness of policy work/initiatives; define and lead change to meet objectives
  • Effectively collaborate with the Communications and Development teams to enable and facilitate Uthabiti positioning across its core areas of focus and increase engagement of stakeholders through the strategic use of diverse media platforms
  • Serve as ambassador of Uthabiti Africa mission and policy and advocacy priorities etc.)

Children and Women’s Rights

  • Lead Advocacy work on the rights of female childcare workers
  • Support the generation of evidence through the development and implementation of broad-based support programmes for caregivers and children
  • Lead advocacy work on caregiver rights

Stakeholder Engagement

  • Support the building of the Collaborative Action for Childcare collective, including the Policy TWG
  • In coordination with the CEO, COO and other managers, build relationships with organizations and other stakeholders in the childcare sector whose work aligns closely with the work of Uthabiti
  • Support with troubleshooting and advice the CEO, COO and PM on potential challenges and responsibilities.
  • Represent Uthabiti in stakeholder meetings, helping to ensure visibility for the organization key conversations
  • Ensure coordination and teamwork between different workstreams, seamlessly participating in community as well as policy conversations.
  • Maintain an up-to-date stakeholder engagement list and regularly conduct a ‘state of stakeholder engagement’ exercise and support the CEO, COO and other managers to anticipate challenges
  • Support the CEO in maintaining key strategic relationships between Uthabiti Africa, the Early Childhood Network for Kenya, AfECN, ECDAN and others – and play an intermediary responsibility on matters joint programming and stakeholder mobilization

Learning, and Collaboration

  • Initiate and facilitate learning networks that accelerate peer-to-peer learning approaches, document and share knowledge between stakeholders to help strengthen early childhood care and education in Kenya.
  • Oversee the implementation of the communications, research and learning functions and ensure case studies, reports and other documents are produced from time to time.
  • Leverage the research and learning generated through our work to support technical innovation and strengthen programme quality
  • Input into organisation-wide strategies, reporting, thought leadership, team management and innovation promotion processes.
  • Conduct and document research for evidence on new engagements with stakeholders
  • Oversee the development of learning products including Issue Papers, Policy Papers, newsletters and annual reports in close consultation with the CEO and senior management.

Programme Development Support & Fundraising

  • Participate actively in the development of new programmes for Uthabiti Africa, including concept notes and proposals in consultation with the senior management for fundraising to support Uthabiti’s initiatives
  • Identify new opportunities for expansion including potentially at local (with county governments and regional level).
  • Represent Uthabiti in existing and potential donor meetings
  • Assist in conducting training and capacity building for Early Childhood Care, Education and Development service providers

Management

  • Provide performance management, professional development, and supervisory support to other
  • Work closely with the CEO and Directors to coordinate the dissemination of key technical materials and the organization of essential workshops or in-service training
  • Perform any other duties that may be assigned from time to time

Person Specifications

Essential Skills

  • Minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree in Law or Social Sciences. A practicing lawyer is preferred
  • A Post-Graduate Diploma in Law if the primary degree is not in Law.
  • Experience in policy advocacy particularly focused on women’s rights or child rights.
  • Experience in designing Women’s Economic Empowerment initiatives.
  • At least 3-5years’ experience in Policy Advocacy
  • Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills.
  • Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities.
  • Demonstrated ability to build and maintain effective partnerships.

Ideal Skills

  • Passionate about improving the lives of children and caregivers.
  • Self-motivated, proactive, and able to work independently.
  • Cultural sensitivity and ability to navigate diverse environments.

How To Apply

Interested candidates should submit their resume, a 1-2 page cover letter outlining how you meet person specifications and a 2-3 page CV and contact details for three professional references to hr@uthabitiafrica.org