Senior Project Manager NGO Job CfA, Nairobi, Kenya

About the Role:

You will join CfA as the central orchestrator for a portfolio of investment-stage projects and grantee support initiatives. You will provide end-to-end project management coordination and support, harmonising development timelines, overseeing tracking mechanisms, and leading management of workplans to ensure all activities, tasks, and deliverables are completed on time, within scope, and to required quality standards.

Your core responsibilities will span project oversight (developing and managing workplans, coordinating cross-team delivery, flagging conflicts and risks), stakeholder engagement (serving as the primary point of contact for partners and internal teams), and reporting (producing programmatic reports that meet donor and internal governance requirements). You will act as the central nervous system of the programme; sequencing work, directing traffic between teams, and proactively solving problems as they arise.

Responsibilities: 

Your daily responsibilities will include:

Project Oversight:

• Develop, track, and manage work plans for your team/projects.
• Coordinate cross-team delivery with counterparts to ensure delivery on projects under your management.
• Liaise and work with counterparts across teams to ensure the team you work with adheres to timelines and delivers on projects not under your management.
• Ensure all activities, tasks, and deliverables are completed on time, within scope, and to the required quality standards.
• Proactively identify and find solutions for issues as they arise.
• Escalate issues to the StratCo for input and guidance when required.
• Work with the finance team to ensure that budget allocations, particularly for fellowships, grants and events, are managed and spent within CfA and partner guidelines.
• Act as the central point of coordination across teams, directing traffic, sequencing work, and flagging conflicts, where multiple projects carry overlapping deadlines and timelines.
• Coordinate closely with the Portfolio Manager to align workplans, priorities, and reporting timelines across shared initiatives.

Stakeholder Management:

• Act as the main point of contact for partners and stakeholders, providing regular updates.
• Actively engage with stakeholders, including external partners and internal staff, keeping them updated with project progress and managing expectations.
• Assess any stakeholder concerns, raising them with relevant teams to find solutions.

Reporting:

• Manage the preparation of stakeholder reports necessary for compliance with partner obligations and for internal management tracking of strategic goals.
• In conjunction with your team, ensure that monitoring metrics defined in the project documentation are recorded.
• Ensure reports produced meet CfA and partner quality standards.
• Ensure timely internal reviews of reports to meet compliance protocols ahead of submissions.

Knowledge Growth:

• Stay up-to-date with developing project management techniques and methodologies.
• Ensure a continued, baseline understanding of the methods, tools and techniques of the team(s) you support.

Admin Duties:

• Maintain a document archival system and adhere to record-keeping protocols for all communiques, project management, editorial production, engagement campaigns, and events.
• Manage the preparation of stakeholder reports necessary for compliance with partner obligations, as well as for internal management tracking of strategic goals.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Requirements 

minimum requirements include:

• 4+ years of project management experience, preferably in development, civic tech, or social impact sectors
• Demonstrated experience managing complex multi-stakeholder initiatives with competing priorities and timelines
• Strong workplan development, tracking, and management skills
• Experience managing budgets and financial allocations across grants, fellowships, and organisational spend
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Proficiency with project management tools (Asana, Trello, Google Suite, or equivalent)
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail
• Ability to remain calm and solution-focused under pressure

Preferred: candidates who are able to demonstrate the following will have an advantage:

• Experience building and managing relationships with media institutions, governments, international organisations, educational institutions, relevant technology players, and other private and not-for-profit relevant stakeholders in the civic technology and media ecosystem.
• Experience managing multiple projects, partners and team members across multiple time zones and cultures
• Experience working with a variety of teams, such as software engineering teams, journalists, trainers and data analysts
• Deep understanding of and experience in the technology, media ecosystem and/or digital innovation space in Africa.

Language and Location Requirements:

• Location: Exceptional candidates from anywhere in Africa are encouraged to apply. Remote work is supported.
• Languages: English (fluency)
• Preferred but not required: French, Arabic and any other African languages.

How to Apply

Click here to apply