End Date: November 19, 2024

About World Vision Kenya

World Vision is an international Christian relief, development and advocacy organisation working in almost 100 countries world-wide to create lasting change in the lives of children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice.

Digital and Innovations Specialist

The Role:

The Digital Innovations Specialist will drive the adoption and implementation of advanced digital technologies within the organization. This role focuses on identifying emerging technological trends and opportunities to enhance business processes and improve customer experiences. The specialist collaborates with cross-functional teams to design and execute digital transformation strategies, ensuring that the organization remains competitive in a rapidly evolving technological landscape. This includes leveraging data analytics, artificial intelligence, and other cutting-edge tools to streamline operations, boost efficiency, and foster a culture of innovation.

In addition to technological expertise, the Digital Innovations Specialist must possess strong project management and communication skills to effectively manage change and foster collaboration across various departments and sectors. S/he will play a crucial role in building the capacity of staff on new technologies, promoting a forward-thinking mindset, and ensuring that digital initiatives align with the organization’s overall goals and objectives.

The incumbent will be involved in all phases of the design, development, and implementation of technology solutions throughout the business case and development life cycle processes. The job holder will be expected to collaborate with other IT professionals to determine if solutions currently exist (internally or externally) or whether new solutions are feasible and determine how such solutions will impact existing work processes and systems.

Key Responsibilities:

Digital Innovation, Planning and Integration

Design and implement robust APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) to seamlessly integrate our systems with other relevant planforms.
Participates in short-term planning sessions with a customer to implement process improvement within an assigned area.
Develops and assists in the presentation of business cases through the capability management process.
Serves as the link between the business, third-party vendors, and the IT technical team.
Coordinates and ensure collaboration amongst the different Digital and Innovation teams across projects.
Partners with program staff to prioritize and support integration and evolution of Digital solutions in improving program implementation.
Collaborates with Procurement to ensure D4D purchases are in line with WVS standards and in compliance with donor requirements.
Contributes to the budget preparation for expenses related to relevant digital and innovation devices and software.

Business Requirements Documentation & Consulting

Assesses client needs utilizing a structured requirements process (gathering, analyzing, documenting, and managing changes) to assist in identifying business priorities and provide advice on options.
Analyzes customer’s operations to understand their strengths and weaknesses to determine opportunities for improvements.
Facilitate brainstorming and innovation sessions to cultivate a culture of creativity and collaboration across teams, driving innovative solutions within the organization Assists with the drafting of proposals for evaluation by appropriate users and managers.
Participate in identifying business needs and propose well-researched ideas (by maintaining up-to-date knowledge of technology products) for new or improved systems and solutions that assist in meeting World Vision objectives.
Liaise with vendor, the cloud systems administrator and coordinate existing and new software developments by providing SDLC technical recommendations and guidelines that will ensure their quality or adherence to World Vision corporate standards and tools; manage their reliability where hosted – Amazon AWS or other hosting environments; assure vendor LTAs and SLAs providing support to solutions currently hosted in these environments.
Negotiates agreements and commitments by facilitating communication between business unit(s) and IT from the initial requirements phase to final implementation phase of projects.
Create and maintain technical documentation for code, APIs, and system architecture.

Data Analysis, Protection & Processing Oversight

Leverage technical expertise in data models, database design, data mining, and segmentation techniques to inform decision-making and enhance digital services.
Develop data visualization dashboards for real-time performance monitoring.
Oversee and manage data protection compliance end-to-end, covering the entire information management cycle from data collection to secure data removal.
Collaborate closely with the WV Data Protection Officer to ensure compliance with data protection regulations and best practices.
Conduct regular audits and risk assessments to identify vulnerabilities and implement necessary safeguards.
Understand, monitor, and analyze various scripts provided by third-party vendors.
Proactively monitor data processing workflows for anomalies and implement corrective actions

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Training, Learning & Development

Lead the process of conducting a training needs assessment for digital solutions
Provides documentation, training, and guidance for digital and innovation clients
Establish training content (webinar/documents/video) and facilitates online and onsite training for all deployed digital solutions including the use of VR technology.
Assess and analyze Digital training needs. Provide capacity building (training, coaching, on-the-job support, etc.), remotely or on-site, to staff and partners in Digital and Innovation-related areas to ensure efficient and consistent adoption and use of Digital applications.
Provide technical inputs for proposal development
Support digital platforms operationalization.
Support the Response Innovation Lab with ecosystem mapping of innovations an updating digital tool
Support WV Somalia with digital platforms like the Capacity Solutions Platform to maintain the partner database

Digital Assets Management

Deploy, configure, and maintain Digital and innovation devices based on the WVS technology.
Evaluate user needs and system functionality to ensure that Digital devices meet required needs.
Oversee the IT assets management system.
Generate and distribute various reports, including compliance reports on current assets and their status;
Ensures all devices used in Digital and Innovation projects are well accounted for during the inception, tagged, and well documented within the IT Assets database.

Digital Solutions Technical Support

Front-End and back-end Development: Collaborate with UI/UX designers to implement user-friendly interfaces using JavaScript, CSS frameworks, Vue.js, and Nuxt.js.
Code Optimization: Identify and resolve performance bottlenecks and ensure code quality through code reviews and best practices.
Integrate third-party APIs and services as needed to enhance application functionality.
Write unit and integration tests to ensure the reliability and stability of applications.
Participates in the deployment of new or upgrade digital solution projects, including assisting co-workers and vendor partners.
Ensures timely and quality service delivery, technical support, and advice to user requests for Digital solutions and devices.
Collaborate with the WV Karen Cloud Services Administrator to ensure the health, security, and efficiency of the cloud environment.

Essential:

Bachelor’s degree or in Computer Science, Information Systems, Innovation Management or another related field.
4-5 years of relevant technical or business work experience or innovation management.
Proven experience as a Full Stack Developer, with expertise in MongoDB, NoSQL, Express JS, Node.js, JavaScript, CSS frameworks, Vue.js, and Nuxt.js.
Strong knowledge of web development principles and best practices, including experience with version control systems (e.g., Git) and agile methodologies.
Experience with version control systems (e.g., Git). Familiarity with agile development methodologies.
Experience in developing applications for use in Health and Humanitarian settings including EMR, data collection
Working knowledge of business operations and systems requirements processes
Excellent communication skills with ability to engage and coherently communicate with internal and external stakeholders. Effective in written and verbal communication in English
Demonstrate depth of Business Enterprise Knowledge
Deep understanding of technology innovations (e.g. mobile apps, blockchain, artificial intelligence, coding)
Proven track record in driving projects – effectively delivering impactful elements of projects in a fast-moving environment, ideally for new businesses, new business models, startups
Proven track record in digital product development including successful design, implementation, and scaling of innovative digital solutions especially in a fragile context
Able to generate new and original solutions to complex problems and to use human-centered design and systems thinking methodologies for problem-solving.
Proficiency in process automation tools (Power Automate, Uipath, Zapier)
Proficiency in database technologies e.g. MySQL, PostgreSQL, RDBMS and data analytics tools (Power BI, Tableau)
Ability to effectively drive business, culture, and technology change in a dynamic and complex operating environment.
Ability to relate the technical issue to a largely non-technical audience
Technical certification in one or more IT disciplines or technology. E.g. Certified Business Analyst, Data Analytics

Program Manager – SomRep

The Role:

The Program Manager for the SomReP Program will work alongside the Chief of Party to facilitate planning, coordination and management of the donor funded Program “Strengthening livelihoods and self-reliance to prevent displacement” to deliver on-time, on-target and to quality standards for purpose specific interventions. The Program Manager will maintain oversight of the detailed implementing plan, coordinating layering, sequencing and integration of technical approaches into the implementation plans of consortium members and implementing partners. He/she will backstop SomReP Technical Advisors and Regional Program Coordinators to support consortium and implementing partners to pro-actively identify and address- and if need be- elevate challenges to consortium leadership. He/she will facilitate SomReP technical unit teams to plan and implement technical support, assessment, data-gathering and monitoring field trips and trainings for government, consortium members and implementing partners. The Program Manager will liaise with SomReP North and South RPCs and implementing partners in Somaliland, Puntland, Jubaland and South West States for trip planning, government engagement, security issues, organize cross-learning and share planning. In close partnership with the Chief of Party, the position-holder will oversee the technical unit’s procurement planning process, including coordinating actions between the technical unit and WVCore, consortium members to develop scopes-of-work, advertise and recruit consultants, cash agents and other services and inputs the program will need to deliver quality programming.
The Program Manager will serve as the focal point for Enterprise Risk Management for the Program, working alongside technical unit, consortium members and implementing partners to proactively identify risk at program, sector and intervention levels, establish control, report incidents of aid diversion or near-misses and support investigations. He/she will work through partner Program/operational focal points to monitoring consortium member and implementing partners’ delivery of detailed implementation plans, support SomReP finance and M&E teams to mobilize financial reports and partner reports in a timely manner. He/she will develop and manage a database of graduation cohorts, coordinating with SomReP technical advisors to track performance and identify other Program/programs in the Program target locations where they could be linked to receive additional support. Oversee consortium member and partners’ performance improvement plans, mobilizing SomReP, World Vision local and global resources to strengthen their organizational and technical capacity to deliver graduation programming.
The Program Manager will liaise with key government stakeholders at federal and member-state levels to coordinate consortium activities. He/she will participate in cluster coordination mechanisms, map basic service providers in coordination with SomReP technical advisors and facilitate program-supported groups to link to financial-inclusion, social-cohesion actors in targeted areas. The role will identify and document key House Holds and cohort-level achievements and challenges for learning and marketing purposes, developing mini-reports, media content (Facebook, LinkedIn and X posts), learning products to raise awareness of the program and enable program iteration and improvements.

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Key Responsibilities:

On-time, on-target, sequenced, layered and integrated interventions;

On-time, on-target, sequenced, layered and integrated interventions:
Will manage the program’s detailed implementation plan template, updating it to align with program progress;
Will manage the program’s procurement plan, mobilizing Partners and SomReP technical unit and other stakeholders to develop and track cashflows, achieve milestones, procure goods and services to deliver quality and timely interventions;
Coordinate SomReP technical unit teams to plan and provide detailed variance explanations for key deliverables;
Working with SomReP technical unit and consortium members support effective planning to integrate, sequence and layer technical supports to implementing partners;
Support North and South RPCs to help consortium and implementing partners deliver project interventions in a timely manner by monitoring DIP implementation, pro-actively identifying challenges, problem-solving and elevating issues;
Liaise with RPCs, World Vision Core and partners in project target areas for the planning and implementation of program deliverables, coordinating technical unit logistical, procurement, and other support-needs to World Vision departments;
Promote a culture of communication, coordination and collaboration, demonstrating pro-active information-sharing, continuous follow-up via various mediums and building personal relationships;
Establish and maintain communication/coordination platforms via routine meetings, WhatApp, etc. to support information-sharing, track performance for key deliverables coordination purposes;
Focal point with World Vision Security Coordinator, ensuring consortium members have access to security information to inform program planning; protocols are in place to support staff and recipients of assistance safety (e.g. during Vulnerability Based Targeting) and linkages to government and police forces to address challenges.

Accountable and Quality programming delivered and reported;

Accountable and Quality programming delivered and reported
In partnership with SomReP MEAL, develop reporting plan and mentor/support consortium members and partners to mobilize data on-time and to-specification;
Support EMERGE Area Program Managers and MEAL teams and to develop joint monitoring schedules with implementing partners, track implementation and elevate challenges to consortium leadership;
Mentor implementing partner focal points to identify and document successes and challenges at HH and cohort levels;
Lead for Enterprise Risk Management, supporting whole consortium to pro-actively identify program, sector and intervention-level risk and establish controls, report incidents of aid diversion and near-misses and support investigations.
Lead consortium member and implementing partners’ capacity building efforts, linking with World Vision Partnering Specialist, co-creating capacity building, mobilizing local, regional and global expertise to build capacity, and coordinating formal training processes.
In partnership with SomReP/World Vision Communications team, develop communications plans and support identification of stories and coordination with consortium members and implementing partners;
Cultivate an atmosphere of trust for the creation and delivery of high quality, effective and accountable programming.

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External Engagement, Coordination and Influence;

Lead donor project engagement with government by liaising with RPCs/World Vision Core teams to develop joint strategies to manage relations, and actively support technical unit and consortium members to resolve challenges.
Participate in, contribute to and lead UN and government coordination mechanism at federal member state level (e.g. Camp Management Coordination Unit);
Participate in, contribute to federal-level working groups to share learning and identify best-practices and develop networks for advocacy and influence;
Serve as focal point with program’s primary government agency Engage other donor-funded and other relevant projects in target areas to establish linkages and explore collaborations;

Team Leadership;

Part of the SomReP Technical Unit with matric reporting.
Co-create performance management framework for matrix team members (SomReP Finance and M&E team), set team and individual priorities, monitor performance- take remedial action as required;
Work with Chief of Party to address performance issues with partners and take remedial actions as required;

Essential:

A bachelor’s degree in a relevant academic area—e.g., a social science discipline or related a concentration.
A minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in international development in gender, youth and marginalized group issues;
Experience of leading and working with large and diverse teams.
Previous experience with large DANIDA, SIDA, EU, SDC, USAID grants including Multi-Sector programming is preferred;
Familiarity with local cultural practices, social networks, and gender and age dynamics
Excellent organizational, analytical, and oral and written communication skills (in English)
Demonstrated ability to deliver results and meet all donor deliverables.
Strong English communication skills, particularly advanced writing skills
Ability to build relationships cross-culturally.
Ability to multi-task
Strong workshop facilitation skills
Strong networking skills
Demonstrated communication, creative problem solving, and management skills.
Strong writing and oral presentation skills
Must be fluent in English.
Professional licenses, as required in the field and by the donor.
Formal training in project management would be an added advantage
Good business-oriented verbal, visual, and written communication skills.
Proficiency in MS Office with the use of IT facilities for information-sharing, database management, and report writing.
Demonstrated ability to build collaborative relationships and network with a wide range of stakeholders to facilitate mutually satisfactory outcomes.
Strong analytical, managerial, leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.
Positive collaboration and facilitation skills, along with leadership of large and diverse teams.
Proven experience in proposal writing and project reporting.
Experience working with migrant communities and in an urban context.
Experience in managing inter-agency consortiums is preferred.