The British Council in Kenya is seeking an experienced professional to be part of an international team managing an established Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) fund – Strategic Partnerships for Higher Education Innovation and Reform (SPHEIR) – for higher education (HE) partnerships.
The purpose of the role is to manage four of the six SPHEIR partnerships within the Sub-Saharan Africa region and to be the principal point of contact for partner institutions and other stakeholders. The post holder, who will be based in Nairobi, will be expected to build effective working relationships with participating institutions, FCDO country offices, government agencies and other interested parties (e.g. regional HE networks, private sector companies, the donor community).
S/he will report directly to the Programme Manager in the UK, and will manage the programme’s relationship with four of its eight grantees, as well as supervising programme and financial monitoring in accordance with grant requirements.
Opportunities / Challenges
The specific role requires a high level of organization to independently manage multiple demands and deadlines, together with strong relationship building and analytical skills to navigate complex and fast-moving programmes. A high level of attention to detail is needed to manage SPHEIR partnerships effectively in line with the requirements of the programme’s grants. For the IAU project, the role will demand initiative to shape and oversee a new project.
SPHEIR represents an opportunity for the British Council to demonstrate effective fund management capability on a large-scale FCDO fund. Finances need to be managed effectively to meet targets.
The consortium delivering SPHEIR consists of a geographically dispersed team working within different organizational cultures, which needs to be managed carefully to deliver consistently to client standards.
The role offers the opportunity to work with a range of external partners and consultants and requires strong communication skills to build relationships remotely, including within the British Council.
The successful candidate will need to have the knowledge, confidence and experience to work at a senior level in academic, government, and international environments. S/he will need to be self-motivated and able to work independently whilst at the same time being an excellent team worker and communicator.
The job will require local, regional and international travel.
Requirements
Essential:
Undergraduate degree or equivalent work experience.
Demonstrated knowledge and experience of more than one aspect of Higher Education in the region, such as, but not limited to, public and private provision, curriculum development, regulatory frameworks, educational financing, quality assurance, research management, university governance, donor and private HE financing, student experience, professional development of staff (teaching and leadership/management); use of ICT in education, personal involvement in teaching, research or capacity building related to higher education.
Proven experience of managing projects, particularly client-funded projects.
Demonstrated knowledge and experience of project management, preferably related to higher education and/or grant programmes, ideally those involving a form of partnership.
Experience in the field of higher education in Africa through relevant activities including but not limited to, university teaching and/or academic administration, senior experience in a Ministry, agency or authority for higher education.
Role Specific Skills:
The successful candidate will have the ability to engage with and influence senior stakeholders within the Higher Education sector, government, the private sector and the international donor community to secure and maintain their interest and support.
Good presentation skills, including experience of public speaking in academic and non-academic contexts.
Excellent written and spoken English.
A high level of ICT skills for reporting, data analysis, and presentations (MS Office)
Desirable:
Experience of managing projects in the higher education sector.
Knowledge of higher education and development issues.
Demonstrated availability of personal networks relevant to SPHEIR.
