Vacancies at Helen Keller International

• As we continue to grow and impact lives, we are seeking a dynamic and visionary Vice President of People & Culture to elevate employee performance and enhance overall career development and wellbeing. The Vice President of People & Culture will be a key leader in our organization, responsible for the workforce development and systems that deliver value for staff and our programs. This role is pivotal in enhancing the employee experience, developing talent management pathways, and promoting an inclusive, diverse, and empowering work environment.
• The Vice President will lead and guide others to strengthen our commitment to equity and inclusion and build organizational systems that promote learning, uplift our staff and develop our cadre of leaders. The Vice President will also build organizational alignment, processes, and capabilities to support all people functions of the organization. They create and drive our comprehensive plan to achieve strong People & Culture objectives and manage a team to evolve our human resource functions, celebrate our talent and nurture a caring, fun place to work. The Vice President, together with other leaders, will also build organization-wide commitment to employee engagement and a high-performing culture.

Functional Relationships

• The Vice President will report to the President & CEO at the start of their tenure and will work with the Executive Leadership Team as a consultant and advisor to design our organization of the future.
• The Vice-President will partner with the Executive Leadership Team to align People and Culture strategies with organizational goals and collaborate with country leaders to ensure that our global approach to the employee experience positions Helen Keller as a leader among international non-profits. They will be a key advisor to the CEO on people matters and maintain strong relationships across the organization, including with staff overseeing internal audit, safety and security and safeguarding.
• The Vice President will lead and mentor a dedicated team of HR professionals, fostering a culture of excellence and mutual support. They will build and maintain relationships with external experts in human resources to stay informed about best practices and innovations.
• The Vice President will work across the organization to create and nurture a people-centered culture where Helen Keller's commitment to the values of rigor, compassion, integrity and courage are integrated into all aspects of organizational operations. They will engage with the People & Culture Committee of the Board of Trustees to ensure oversight and governance of human resource functions, workforce planning and our organizational approach to the employee experience and the future of work.

Demonstrated experience and a successful track record of:

• Leading human resource planning, budgeting and workforce development; O leading and driving successful organizational change; evolving performance management approaches to align with strategic planning and competency-based frameworks; and leading teams to execute fundamental human resources functions.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively articulate decision points using relevant frameworks and data analysis
• A commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and experience implementing these concepts in a living, adapting organization.
• Ability to work effectively across cultures and with diverse groups as evidenced by excellent listening and communication skills, balanced and reasoned approaches to problems, ability to inspire trust and confidence, respect and understanding of backgrounds and cultures, and flexibility and openness to differing points of view.
• Knowledge of and experience in implementing change management initiatives using industry best practice to build trust and understanding among employees.
• The ability to make decisions in a dynamic environment, with an appreciation for how future needs may affect those decisions: a willingness to iterate a strategy and approach, with the ability to recognize the need to course-correct as necessary. Demonstrated understanding of the synergy between the programmatic, operational, and financial components of development initiatives.
• Knowledge of employee relations and a track record of supporting and evolving the full employee experience.
• Strong project management and communication skills with a track record of deploying them to execute organizational design and human resource strategy. Demonstrated ability to undertake high-level representation, including ability to make effective and persuasive speeches and presentations in English on complex topics to top management, public groups, and/or boards of directors.
• Excellent oral and written English required. Ability to read, analyze and interpret complex documents and to summarize information succinctly - both verbally and in writing-using an engaging style. French language skills are a strong advantage. Well-established and practiced organizational and planning skills.
• Lived experience working and living in the contexts where Helen Keller works strongly preferred.
• An ability to work in challenging and changing environments, to find solutions to emerging challenges, and maintain balance when under stress.
• Collaborative, flexible and solution oriented.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the application of information technology required to fulfill the job duties, such as HR Systems including Applicant Tracking Systems, Performance Management Systems, Learning & Development Systems and HRIS/payroll systems.
• Experience with the use of Artificial Intelligence applications to support human resources administration preferred.
• Ability and willingness to flex work hours to accommodate multiple time zones, as needed.

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The CD reports directly to the Regional Director for Eastern, Southern and Central Africa, and leads the Country Management Team (CMT). They directly supervise a team of professional level staff, work closely with colleagues at all levels of Helen Keller's global management structure and may be called upon to participate in global working groups or steering committees.
Key Responsibilities
Overall Management and Leadership

• Provide strategic vision and direction for overall program design, implementation, and proposal development; work closely with the country team to accomplish the strategic goals.
• Lead and oversee all aspects of the implementation of country programs and the management of the country office.
• Represent Helen Keller in formal and informal meetings with government officials, international donor agencies, and national technical advisory groups pertinent to Helen Keller project activities.
• Identify opportunities and generate funding from international and bilateral agencies, and donor agencies.
• Develop and nurture in-country donor relationships and identify potential partners to participate in joint proposals.
• Lead and prepare concept papers and proposals and provide other information as needed for submission to donors and others for fundraising and marketing purposes.
• Model collaboration for your matrixed team: effectively consult and inform colleagues to maximize efficiency and knowledge sharing and integrate guidance and direction from subject matter experts in your office and elsewhere in the global organization to maximize performance.
• Build a highly effective Country Management Team, recruiting, supervising, mentoring, and evaluating staff, and engaging in frequent performance conversations with team members.
• Delegate authority, consult with, and guide staff to achieve goals and contribute to an atmosphere conducive to professional growth and development.
• Ensure accountability to beneficiaries, partners, colleagues, and donors by providing ongoing feedback in a context of mutual respect.
• As a senior leader in the organization, participate in global working groups, the recruitment process of global colleagues and other activities, as requested.

Programmatic

• Oversee and coordinate the program portfolio to ensure the highest level of project quality and accountability, while fostering continuity through building local capacity. Provide technical input to the government, international donors, and technical advisory groups pertinent to Helen Keller project activities.
• Ensure implementation of strong program monitoring, evaluation and learning functions.
• Oversee research design, methodology and dissemination of information needed to monitor and evaluate project activities and/or advance programmatic and policy changes.
• Disseminate findings from Helen Keller projects that are of importance to decision-makers in a position to fund or implement projects in Kenya and internationally.
• Keep the national partners and others informed about progress of the projects, plans for the development of new programs/projects/activities and donor involvement in the overall program.
• Ensure safeguarding measures are integrated into program design and implementation at all levels.

Operations and Finance

• Provide oversight to finance and administrative services including procurement, property management, human resources management, vehicle and facilities management, and staff safety and security.
• Supervise all aspects of people management in the country office; including hiring and managing staff, leading initiatives to develop staff capacity, and cultivating a positive culture to promote team morale and retention.
• Work with global colleagues to manage the development and implementation of annual country budgets.
• Authorize expenditures for grant or contract allocations and ensure compliance with procedures required by grant or contract agreements. Ensure the accurate and timely submission of financial and narrative reports that comply with grant or contract agreements and ensure compliance with all aspects of donor funding and Helen Keller policies.

Required Qualifications and Competencies

• Minimum ten years of field experience in global/public health and/or nutrition programs including demonstrated  experience in program management, including design, implementation, and evaluation, plus a minimum master's degree in public health, nutrition, development or related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Technical knowledge in an area related to Helen Keller's mission and programs.