Program Officer, Africa

Join us in our mission to power the potential of young people

Global Fund for Children (GFC) works to build a world where all children and youth are safe, strong, and valued. We partner with innovative, locally-led organisations, helping them deepen their impact and mobilize their capacity for social change. By pairing flexible funding with targeted capacity development support, we help our partners grow stronger and more responsive to challenges on the ground.

Since 1997, we have invested more than $44 million in over 700 organisations. Our work advances the rights of children and youth across four focus areas: education, gender equity, youth empowerment, and freedom from violence and exploitation.

We value courage, excellence, learning, partnership, and inclusion, as well as kindness and passion. Our partners’ visions for change inspire all we do. Feedback and learning drive us to do better, and we strive to be youth-centered.

The Role
We are looking for a Program Officer to help drive change by and for children and youth in the Africa. The Program Officer will support our 3-year 'Thriving through Play' initiative, which promotes children’s mental health and well-being through play-based interventions in refugee and host communities in Kenya and Uganda.

The Program Officer will play a pivotal role in advancing the initiative through a wide range of activities from selection of partners to building direct relationships with them; serving as a mentor, cheerleading and being an internal advocate; and helping connect them to resources to strengthen their capacity.

In addition to supporting partners, you will immerse yourself in thriving through play landscapes, making connections and sharing resources and opportunities to strengthen our partners and civil society’s engagement in positive change. You will also coordinate closely with GFC’s team, complementary initiatives and partner cohorts, particularly in Liberia and Sierra Leone.

What will you be doing?

Collaborate with the Africa program team to assist with grant-making and capacity development support for partner organizations in Kenya and Uganda. this involves scouting for grassroots organizations aligned with GFC's values and the initiative's goals
Build trust-based relationships with partners; serve as a mentor and advocate.
Connect partners to resources that strengthen their organizational capacity.
Organize events and creative spaces for partner engagement, both virtually and in person.
Coordinate the grant-making process and draft content for funder reports and blogs.
Contribute to project management and new proposals.
Document and communicate about partner work and research new investment areas.
Participate in the Programs team to develop new programming and strategies.
Communicate with regional teams and partners in English and Swahili, and with the global GFC team in English.
Coordinate the Thriving Through Play initiative to promote children's mental well-being in refugee and host communities.

About you
You enjoy building strong, trust-based relationships with diverse grassroots leaders and groups, particularly young leaders. You will balance your passion for creating for a more equitable world with mastering all the pieces of making a grant, from early planning to final reporting and reflection. You believe in the power of community leaders to drive change on their own terms yet are confident enough to be a critical friend and mentor when called for. You are conscious of the power that a funding organization holds and will actively strive to disrupt the power imbalance to foster more equitable spaces and relationships.

You live in Kenya or Uganda and are authorized to work in one of the two countries. This is a home-based role so candidates should have a suitable and conducive environment for working from home. GFC will help ensure that the successful candidate has a strong internet connection to enable frequent video conferencing. You are willing to travel approximately 40 % of your time to visit partners in the region and travel in other locations in Africa and internationally as needed.

Essential experience and skills

Passion and experience in children’s rights, psycho-social development, and/or children on the move in Africa
Project management
Knowledge of play-based interventions for children's well-being
Excellent written communication skills tailored for diverse audiences.
Experience with the logistical details of organizing convenings and gatherings
Experience in cross-cultural communication and understanding social diversity.
Full professional fluency in English and Swahili
Proficiency in standard technology, software, and web platforms used by small organizations.
At least an undergraduate degree in international development, project management, or a related field; a master's degree is preferred.
Minimum of two years of professional experience in grant-making operations, project management, or related fields.
Strong commitment to GFC's mission, values and vision

Desirable experience and skills

Fluency in French and/or other regional language in East Africa
Creative facilitation skills
Experience with participatory practices and/or community-led social change
Experience with Salesforce

What we offer you

Our team dreams big

We work together to build a world where all children and youth are safe, strong and valued.

GFC fosters a caring work environment that promotes collaboration, respect, and professional development. We set standards of excellence and quality in our work, firmly believing that children and youth deserve the best we can offer.

We believe that every person has equal rights, and we affirm the diversity that enriches our globalized world. In line with these core values, it is our policy to actively seek diverse candidates from a variety of backgrounds who are committed to Global Fund for Children’s mission.

Our values shape our vision, guide our daily decision making, and signal to the world what to expect when you encounter Global Fund for Children. We hold ourselves to these values to best serve our local partners and the children and youth they support. We attract talented people from all over the world because we believe deeply in living our values.

Salary- Monthly salary of $2200-$2500 USD equivalent, payable in local currency. May increase depending upon your professional experience

Working Location – The position will be located in Kenya or Uganda.

Benefits - We strive to build a culture that embraces care and wellbeing. Our global employee benefits include:

Paid time off, including vacation and sick leave
Opportunities for training and professional development

How do I apply?
If this sounds like you, we want to hear from you. You can read more about working at GFC here: https://globalfundforchildren.org/careers/

Instead of a traditional cover letter, please use our online application at https://global-fund-for-children.breezy.hr/p/50a3d71a35b5 to 1) upload your Resume or CV and 2) answer the following questions:

What is it about this role that makes it a good fit for you?
What's one of the most valuable lessons you've learned in your career? How would you apply it in this role?
Which one of GFC’s organizational values do you identify with the most and why?

The deadline for applications is Tuesday, December 31st at midnight UTC.