Program Director

Guided by the remarkable legacy of its co-founder, Helen Keller, Helen Keller Intl partners with communities that are striving to overcome longstanding cycles of poverty. By delivering the essential building blocks of good health, sound nutrition, and clear vision, we help millions of people create lasting change in their own lives. Working in 20 countries – across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the United States – and together with a global community of supporters, we ensure every person has the opportunity – as Helen did – to reach their true potential.

Country Program Overview

Since 2013, Helen Keller’s Kenya country program has been implemented to improve the health and well-being of mothers, infants, and young children in Kenya, specifically focusing on delivering life-saving health and nutrition interventions such as multiple micronutrient supplements to pregnant women, promotion of early and exclusive breastfeeding, Vitamin A Supplementation, and community-based treatment for acute malnutrition.

One of the program’s main objectives is to advocate gender-transformative approaches in the healthcare sector. By doing so, the program aims to ensure that decentralized health services become more responsive to the needs of their clients, especially women, young children, and adolescents. Additionally, the program strives to improve the performance and enhance the long-term resilience and sustainability of the healthcare system in Kenya.

The program’s key strategy involves strengthening local capacity and implementing preventive care strategies. This approach ensures that communities are equipped to address their health needs and foster positive behavior change towards health- seeking practices.

Currently, the program is supported by 45 dedicated Helen Keller staff members who work across 5 counties in Kenya. Funding for the program is received from various sources, including Global Affairs Canada, the Noorda Foundation, UNICEF, the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints, and numerous philanthropic organizations worldwide.

Scope of the Position

The Program Director will play a pivotal role in providing strategic leadership to all Helen Keller Intl programs in Kenya. He/She will be responsible for planning, developing, executing, monitoring, and reporting on program activities. This role ensures high-quality program delivery, compliance with donor regulations and organizational standards, and the overall enhancement of programs and initiatives in alignment with the organization’s mission and goals. The Program Director will also oversee technical strategy, team management, and stakeholder engagement across all Helen Keller International Kenya programs.

As a key member of the Kenya Country Leadership and Management Team, the Program Director plays a pivotal role in shaping the organization’s programmatic strategic vision. He/She will provide leadership in business development and program design and represent Helen Keller Intl in technical and operational engagements at various levels. The Program Director is responsible for cultivating strong relationships with government agencies, donors, international NGOs, and the private sector. They will drive programmatic impact, foster innovation, and ensure sustainability across all programs. Reporting directly to the Country Director, the Program Director also serves as Acting Country Director in their absence and provides supervisory leadership to Program Managers and the Monitoring and Evaluation Manager.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic Planning & Program Design

• Lead the strategic direction of Helen Keller Kenya’s programs, including the development and implementation of the annual country program plan, aligned with Helen Keller International’s global goals.
• Oversee the design of innovative, evidence-based programs that are responsive to community needs and emerging trends.
• Ensure all program designs integrate cross-cutting themes such as equity, inclusion, and sustainability.
• Engage key stakeholders to shape strategic programmatic priorities and ensure relevance and alignment with national development agendas.
• Explore opportunities for collaboration and partnerships to enhance program reach and impact.

2. Program Implementation & Quality Assurance

• Ensure the effective and timely implementation of all programs, maintaining high technical standards and compliance with internal and donor guidelines.
• Promote excellence through adherence to established technical norms and international best practices.
• Oversee program operations, ensuring alignment with organizational policies, national laws, and donor regulations.
• Lead risk management and due diligence efforts to safeguard program integrity and impact.
• Support a culture of accountability and results-based management across the team.

3. Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEAL)

• Oversee the development and execution of robust MEAL systems to track program performance and impact.
• Promote the use of data for decision-making, adaptive management, and continuous program improvement.
• Foster innovation and knowledge sharing across projects and teams to enhance program effectiveness.

4. Business Development

• Identify and pursue new funding opportunities that align with the organization’s mission and strategic priorities.
• Provide leadership in the program design for BD proposals and engaging with country program leads and other relevant departments.
• Provide technical leadership and input during proposal development to ensure high-quality, competitive submissions.
• Cultivate and strengthen relationships with existing partners, while actively identifying new opportunities for collaboration and resource mobilization

5. Team Leadership & Capacity Building

• Provide direct supervision to Program Managers and the M&E Manager, ensuring clarity of roles, performance expectations, and professional growth.
• Develop teams through mentorship and build the capacity of program staff to foster a high-performing, motivated team and build a culture of high performance.
• Promote effective collaboration between programmatic and operational teams to ensure integrated and cohesive delivery.
• Provide leadership in building cross country effectiveness and efficiency and making operational and strategic linkages with global functions.

6. External Relations & Representation

• Represent Helen Keller Intl at high-level meetings, donor forums, conferences, and sectoral events.
• Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with government agencies, donors, NGOs, and private sector partners.
• Advocate for Helen Keller Intl’s mission and strategic priorities within national and international networks to enhance visibility and influence.

Qualification, Experience, Competencies and Knowledge:

• Master’s degree from an accredited university

• A Ph.D. in public health or related fields is an asset.

• Minimum of 10 years relevant experience at senior management level and 8 years of program management experience

• Experience with public health programs and liaising with appropriate government structures (MoH, regulatory bodies) is an asset.

• Comprehensive knowledge of donor-funded programs, regulations, and requirements.

• Prior experience and success in a similar or larger role within international donor-funded projects.

• Demonstrate leadership and management abilities.

• Familiarity with USG regulations and administrative procedures in the implementation of donor-assisted projects.

• Proven record of aligning diverse, multi-level teams with project mission and vision.

• Track record of strong commitment to sharing knowledge, documenting experiences, supporting creative initiatives, and sharing credit. Demonstrated ability to build and maintain relationships with senior-level colleagues, particularly interacting productively, proactively, and comfortably with government agencies, NGOs, private sector groups and donor organizations.

• Demonstrated strategic agility, diplomacy, conflict management, team building, written and oral communication, and negotiation skills

• Excellent planning, management, and organizational skills

• Demonstrated ability to work both independently and within a team

• Demonstrated strategic planning and visioning skills

• Ability to assess priorities and manage a variety of activities with attention to detail

• Excellent interpersonal skills and supervisory skills and ability to interact professionally with donors, project stakeholders, in-country collaborators, and staff at all levels of the organization

• Skilled in organizing resources and establishing priorities

• Possess an outstanding professional reputation

• Excellent cross-cultural communication and active listening skills. Solid understanding of USG, other donor regulations, and administrative procedures in the implementation of donor-assisted projects required

• Fluency in English and the dominant languages of; fluency in French language is an added advantage

• Managing through Systems, Peer Relationships, Political Savvy

• Very clear and systematic thinking that demonstrates strong judgment and problem-solving competencies

• Excellent strategic thinking and leadership abilities

• Excellent ability to exercise a high degree of independence to ensure program delivery and explore new areas of activities**.**