Mary’s Meals Programme Delivery Lead Career Opportunity in Turkana County, Kenya

Mary’s Meals (MM) seeks applications are invited from suitably qualified and experienced candidates for the below post:

Position Title: Programme Delivery Lead – Turkana County

(1 Post)

Mary’s Meals (MM) is a global movement supported by people from all walks of life and we are focused on one goal – that every child receives a nutritious daily meal in a place of education.

We continue to change the lives of over 2 million children who today will receive Mary’s Meals. We offer more than just a job; we offer the opportunity to support our global movement in a dynamic and inclusive environment with a real focus on personal development.

Mary’s Meals Kenya (MMK) operates a Primary School Feeding and Early Childhood Development programme in Kenya.

Some of our core values are, Confidence in the innate goodness of people, Respecting the dignity of every human being and family life and good stewardship of resources entrusted to us.

In addition to these values, safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults is at the heart of how we work. We desire that all who are part of Mary’s Meals should embed these values, safeguarding and acceptable behaviours that include Simplicity, Service and Stewardship”.

We are delighted to be recruiting for a talented Programme Delivery Lead to join our team in Lodwar, Turkana County.

Reporting to the Head of Programmes, the Programme Delivery Lead will provide strategic leadership to the programme Delivery team and will be an active member of the Global Delivery Forum.

The Programme Delivery Lead is responsible for the implementation of the School Feeding Delivery Model (SFDM), data quality assurance and, in close relationship with the Programme Development Lead, will provide key inputs and innovative ideas on how to continuously improve our delivery model.

The post is key to the successful implementation of the school feeding programme in country and will have regular interaction and strategic alignment with key personnel in the MMI Programme Delivery & Operations and Development team and will lead the field based and quality assurance team in support to the Head of Programmes.

Key duties & responsibilities for the role include:

  • Work in a highly effective and collaborative manner with our global programme delivery and operations staff to support the Head of Programmes in the following key areas:

Programmatic Excellence

  • Lead on the implementation of the SFDM, policies, procedures and tools, continuous
    improvement, and operational excellence
  • Ensure the school feeding programme operations are delivered efficiently and effectively in line with the SFDM
  • Lead on planning and managing school feeding expansions activities
  • Lead on monitoring and evaluate data across all key areas of the programme delivery in collaboration with Programme Development and in line with the global MEL Strategy
  • Proactively contribute to programmatic planning, risk management and reporting
  • Ensure an ongoing strong communication with Programme Development Team is maintained and delivered so that all stakeholders are well informed on relevant programmatic information
  • Ensure robust collaboration with Operations Team in terms of fleet usage, food ordering and deliveries
  • Lead on continually building staff capability to deliver effective programmes through a structured and detailed learning and development approach

Quality Assurance

  • Continually review and refine system and process in collaboration with MMI Programme Delivery and Operations Team
  • Define and implement detailed programme delivery reports and dashboards for various management levels, ensuring regular monitoring and clear actions, learnings and recommendations are identified and acted upon
  • Provide support and technical advice on the implementation of Mary’s Meals’ SFDM and the Global MEL Strategy together with the Development Team
  • Provide support and technical advice to the audit and risk function

Working with others

  • Effectively engage key stakeholders and to contribute strongly on the development and implementation of delivery and monitoring processes
  • Ensure robust implementation and continual improvement of SFDM tools that lead to enhanced effectiveness and efficiency of our feeding programmes
  • Ensure strong, ongoing training and coaching for all stakeholders of Programme Delivery, in close collaboration with our MMI Programme Delivery and Operations Team
  • Regularly benchmark other relevant organisations for best practices and emerging opportunities for optimising effectiveness and efficiency of our programme delivery
  • Facilitate information sharing across MMK and our global programmes through the Programme Delivery Forum

Other

  • Coordinate responses to external audits conducted by MMI Risk & Assurance, liaising with MMI Programme Delivery and Operations and Programme Development as required
  • Develop a high-performing, innovative, resilient, and sustainable delivery team through constant coaching, mentoring and role modelling

Any other duty as assigned from time to time.

The role will require to travel to locations in which Mary’s Meals programmes operate

Qualifications, Skills, and Experience

Essential

  • Strong commitment to Mary’s Meals vision, mission, and values
  • Bachelor’s degree (e.g., social sciences, business administration, logistics) or demonstrable significant experience in a similar role, with at least 5 years relevant post qualification experience
  • Proven experience of strong leadership of a function, and in coaching and developing high performing teams and individuals
  • Strategic thinker, with experience of developing and delivering strategy in a complex environment
  • Proven ability to identify and drive to a goal, and focused on delivering objectives while consistently demonstrating our values
  • Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with ability to establish effective working relationships at all levels
  • Experience of monitoring, evaluating, learning, and reporting against agreed strategy and plans
  • Strong analytical skills and effective financial management experience
  • Strong cultural sensitivity, with an ability to work well with a wide range of people in many different contexts
  • Strong experience of liaising with community groups and governments

Desirable

  • A postgraduate degree in a relevant subject
  • Experience of international development, knowledge of the place of school feeding, and working in international environments and teams
  • Experience working in emergencies

Application Process

Applications stating expected salary and CV (including contacts for three referees) should be e-mailed to jobs.kenya@marysmeals.org indicating the position title and applicant’s name in the subject line.

All attached files should be saved under the applicant’s name.

Deadline for receipt of applications is 12th October 2022 at 16:30 hours.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted via official Mary’s Meals email address.

Mary’s Meals is committed to the safety and protection of children and vulnerable adults.

We ensure that in our work we do not perpetuate or reinforce systematic or structural abuse and discrimination of children and vulnerable adults.

Pre-employment checks will be commenced for all roles in compliance with Mary’s Meals International Safeguarding Children and Adults policy.

Mary’s Meals never asks candidates to pay any money or pay for tests at any stage of the interview process.

We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender, gender identity or expression.

We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer.