East Africa: Jobs at Twaweza

Twaweza, meaning "we can make it happen" in Swahili, is a newly established ten-year initiative that seeks to enable people in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda to improve their quality of life through a bold, citizen-centered approach to information access and public accountability. Twaweza's core purpose is to enable millions of ordinary citizens in East Africa to:

• exercise agency – i.e. express views and take initiative to improve their situation and hold government to account; and
• access basic services of better quality, and exercise greater control over resources that have a bearing on services.

Twaweza is funded by a multi-donor group and hosted by Hivos. The Initiative's main office will be in Dar es Salaam with sub-offices in Kampala and Nairobi.
Its budget for the first 5 years is US$ 68 million. We are looking for unusually creative, capable and committed people for the following posts:

Program Manager/Chief Executive Officer (Dar es Salaam)

The job: Reporting to the Head of Twaweza, you will manage Twaweza's programs and operations, including grant-making, with quality, depth, rigor and innovation. You will develop powerful partnerships; inspire and support staff; manage workplans and budgets; incorporate lessons learned and undertake quality assurance; and oversee the office.

Qualifications: You have a strong affinity with the Twaweza concept, a strong analytical mind, at least a masters' degree, 7 years' relevant working experience, and a keen understanding of socio-political dynamics in (East) Africa. You are a superb manager who can get things done on time, with demonstrable capabilities in program, personnel and financial management, including grantmaking.
You have excellent communication skills in English (and Swahili, or willingness to learn).

Learning & Communications Manager (Dar es Salaam)

The job: Reporting to the Head of Twaweza, you will develop and foster a culture of monitoring, learning and innovation within Twaweza and among its partners. You will manage monitoring and evaluation and liaise with the independent entity appointed to measure impact. You will coordinate Twaweza's mentor and student placements. You will document and communicate key lessons in a way that stimulates broad learning and debate.

Qualifications: You are conceptually strong and a compelling and powerful communicator, with excellent writing skills in English (and Swahili, or willing to learn). You have at least a masters' degree and 5 years working experience. You have research experience and are good at monitoring and evaluation of complex social change processes. You are a good facilitator who asks interesting questions that stimulate thoughtful learning and debate. You are well organized and can meet deadlines.

Country Coordinators (2 posts, Dar es Salaam and Nairobi)

The job: Reporting to the Program Manager/CEO, you will be responsible for initiating and cultivating Twaweza's programs and partnerships in your country that can engage millions of citizens, consistent with Twaweza's citizen agency concept. You will prepare and monitor country workplans and budgets; incorporate lessons learned and undertake quality assurance; and oversee country office.

Qualifications: You are a national of your country. You have a strong affinity with the Twaweza concept, a powerful analytical mind, and at least a first degree (masters' preferred). You are a good networker and manager with ability to get things done with quality on time. You will have excellent communication skills in English and Swahili.

An initial 2-3 year contract will be offered to successful candidates. Remuneration is competitive with international levels. For more information on Twaweza, Hivos and the full job descriptions visit www.hivos.nl/twaweza or alternatively contact Rakesh Rajani, Head of Twaweza at [email protected] or Allert van den Ham, Hivos Director of Programs at [email protected]

Applicants should send a CV, two samples of your writing (in English or Swahili), and a cover letter explaining why you want this job to: Hivos Bureau IZ, Raamweg 16, 2596 HL Den Haag, Netherlands or via e-mail to [email protected] with reference code 'vacTwaweza'. Applications are requested within 3 weeks of this advert; thereafter positions will remain open until filled.