Democracy, Human and Civic Rights Programme Officer

About

The Democracy, Human and Civic Rights Programme Officer will lead day-to-day delivery, coordination and quality assurance of Oxfam Kenya’s democracy, human-rights and civic-space portfolio within the Accountable Governance Pillar. The role manages programme delivery, partnerships, grants and budgets, evidence, campaigns and policy influencing, and reports to donors and management. Applicants need a relevant bachelor’s degree, at least five years’ progressively responsible related experience, fluency in English and Kiswahili, and the stated technical, knowledge and competency requirements. Job grade: D Salary: According to Oxfam Kenya salary scale Terms of service: Fixed Term Duty station: Kenya - Nairobi Reference: INT11939

How to apply

Apply online through the official Oxfam Careers advert page. As part of your online application, upload your up to date CV and Cover Letter explaining your suitability against the essential criteria in the job profile.

Responsibilities

• Lead timely, effective and high-quality implementation of the assigned objective and projects in line with approved theories of change, results frameworks, work plans, budgets, partnership agreements, donor requirements and Oxfam policies.
• Translate the assigned programme and project description into detailed implementation, influencing, monitoring and learning plans with clear milestones, responsibilities, quality standards and partner deliverables.
• Monitor progress, outcome indicators, expenditure, commitments, risks, assumptions and safeguarding issues; initiate timely corrective action and adaptive management in a rapidly changing context.
• Prepare accurate, analytical and timely narrative, financial, management and donor reports, supported by evidence and demonstrating contribution to Oxfam Kenya’s strategy and outcomes.
• Exercise delegated budget oversight, including forecasting, expenditure tracking, value-for-money analysis and compliance with procurement, grant-management, anti-fraud and financial-control requirements.
• Coordinate with MEAL, Finance, Funding, Safeguarding, Communications, Campaigns and programme colleagues to ensure integrated delivery, data quality, accountability and systematic learning.
• Lead thematic risk scanning and maintain relevant programme and partner risk registers, including mitigation, escalation and business-continuity actions.
• Contribute to proposal development, donor engagement and resource mobilisation for co-financing and scale-up, and promote synergies across Oxfam portfolios.
• Coordinate civic-space monitoring, democratic participation, human-rights protection, digital/physical security, fact-checking, policy dialogue and strategic legal interventions, ensuring safe and inclusive participation.
• Broker, nurture and manage equitable relationships with implementing and strategic partners, coalitions, networks, movements, county and national institutions and other stakeholders, applying Oxfam’s local leadership and partnership principles.
• Support partners to deliver agreed results through joint planning, accompaniment, monitoring visits, technical support, work-plan and budget review, learning, risk management and timely reporting.
• Ensure partner compliance with agreements and Oxfam/donor requirements on finance, quality, safeguarding, Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA), anti-fraud, visibility, data protection and reporting, while promoting mutual accountability.
• Lead analysis and dissemination of timely reports, briefs, alerts, case studies and learning products on civic-space trends, democratic participation, human-rights violations and emerging legal, policy and digital issues.
• Commission and quality-assure research and power analysis, ensuring ethical evidence collection, secure information management, intersectional gender/disability analysis and participation of affected groups.
• Manage consultants, researchers, facilitators and other short-term personnel, including terms of reference, competitive selection, contracting, induction, technical supervision, safeguarding and quality assurance, in accordance with Oxfam policies.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in law, Human Rights, Political Science, Governance, Public Policy, International Relations, Development Studies, Social Sciences or a closely related field.
• A postgraduate qualification in Human Rights Law, Constitutional Law, Governance, Democracy, Peace and Conflict Studies, Public Policy or a related discipline is an advantage.
• Relevant training in civic-space monitoring, HRD protection, digital/physical security, strategic litigation, mediation, safeguarding, research ethics or project management is desirable.
• Ability to design and manage democracy, human-rights and civic-space programmes using theory of change, results-based management, adaptive management and participatory MEAL.
• Advanced policy and legal analysis, including interpretation of legislation, regulations, court decisions, institutional mandates and political developments into accessible policy asks.
• Strong security risk management for civic actors, including safe convening, protection planning, digital safety, data responsibility, consent, confidentiality and do no harm.
• Demonstrated advocacy, coalition strategy, campaign, public mobilisation, media engagement, strategic communication and influencing skills.
• Strong research, evidence synthesis and knowledge management, including commissioning and quality-assuring reports and briefs.
• Deep knowledge of Kenya’s Constitution and Bill of Rights, governance/justice architecture, devolution, electoral and political context, and national, regional and international human-rights frameworks.
• Fluency in written and spoken English and Kiswahili.
• At least five years’ progressively responsible experience designing, managing and delivering democracy, governance, human-rights, civic-space, access-to-justice, media-freedom or related programmes in a national/international NGO, civil-society, human-rights institution or comparable setting.
• Proven partner and coalition management and capacity strengthening with HRDs, social movements, women’s rights and youth-led actors and marginalised communities.
• Demonstrated research, policy/legal analysis, advocacy and campaigning with measurable policy, practice, accountability or participation outcomes.
• Experience managing grants, budgets, consultants and donor reporting and using MEAL, risk analysis and learning for adaptation.
• Self-Awareness: Ability to develop a high degree of self-awareness around own strengths and weaknesses and impact on others.