Program Officer -Livelihoods (Baringo)

Guided by the remarkable legacy of its co-founder, Helen Keller, Helen Keller Intl partners with communities that are striving to overcome longstanding cycles of poverty. By delivering the essential building blocks of good health, sound nutrition, and clear vision, we help millions of people create lasting change in their own lives. Working in 20 countries – across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the United States – and together with a global community of supporters, we ensure every person has the opportunity – as Helen did – to reach their true potential. Project Overview - Riziki Thabiti Project Riziki Thabiti Project aims to strengthen sustainable livelihoods, enhance child development, and promote health and gender equity among vulnerable communities in Baringo County, Kenya. It focuses on addressing the interconnected challenges of food insecurity, climate vulnerability and limited access to education that leads to poor health outcomes particularly among women, children, and adolescents in marginalized areas in Tiaty East and Mogotio Sub Counties. Program Officer - Livelihoods will play a key role in supporting implementing and supporting initiatives aimed at strengthening sustainable and inclusive livelihood projects through homestead food production. The role focuses on improving food security, nutrition, livelihoods, and resilience. The project goal is to build resilient, self-reliant communities and improve long-term livelihood, health and nutrition outcomes for vulnerable populations in Baringo. The key interventions include: Supporting women farmer groups with installation of small-scale farm ponds for water harvesting to improve access to water for agriculture, provision of farm inputs (such as seeds), and agriculture technologies to boost productivity. Strengthening poultry keeping among the farmer groups, with an aim of diversifying income sources and improving household nutrition. Behaviour change communication to engage men on issues of health, nutrition, and shared caregiving responsibilities, in support of pregnant and lactating women and young children. Position: One (1) Program Officer- Livelihoods Where: Baringo County Level of responsibility: Reports to Senior Program Manager Objective of the Program Officer Position: Support the design, planning, execution, monitoring, and evaluation of all agriculture and livelihood activities related to sustainable food systems and impact within the Riziki Thabiti Project in Kenya. Provide technical support to Baringo County to ensure quality implementation of the Project. Monitor project progress, document achievements, capture best practices, and facilitate learning across project sites. Facilitate collaboration and coordination of the project at county level with government departments including departments of health, agriculture, water, social services and other relevant stakeholders to strengthen multi-sectoral collaboration. Specific Objectives Program implementation and technical support Support the planning, coordination, and implementation of livelihood interventions under the Riziki Thabiti Project, including homestead food production, small-scale water harvesting, poultry production, and climate-smart agriculture. Facilitate community-level engagement in sustainable agriculture, climate-resilient practices, and nutrition-sensitive food systems to improve household food security. Contribute to the development of detailed project work plans, ensuring that livelihood, nutrition, and gender-responsive activities are fully integrated. Provide continuous technical support to Baringo County teams to ensure high-quality implementation of livelihood and nutrition activities as per agreed work plans. Prepare timely and high-quality activity reports (monthly, quarterly, and semi-annual) to inform management and stakeholders. Review and monitor project budgets and track burn rates to support efficient resource utilization. Promote the integration of nutrition targeting women and children below five years of age into all livelihood initiatives to strengthen household dietary diversity and resilience. Assist in monitoring county-level resource utilization to ensure alignment with project work plans and budgets. Provide technical backstopping to county and community structures to ensure adherence to project standards and achievement of set targets. Monitoring and Evaluation Support the development and use of tools and systems that track progress and impact of food system, livelihood, and nutrition interventions. Collect, analyse, and report data related to agriculture, nutrition, gender, market systems, and household livelihoods. Document lessons learned, human interest stories, and success stories that demonstrate project impact. Plan and support periodic project data reviews, document key findings, and follow up with county teams to implement agreed recommendations. Contribute to the development of evidence-based reports that inform program quality improvements and strategic learning. Coordination, Advocacy and Partnership Act as the focal communication point for the project, ensuring effective collaboration and engagement with county and sub-county stakeholders. Participate actively in county-level coordination platforms relevant to agriculture, nutrition, water, gender, and livelihood resilience. Strengthen partnerships with government departments, community structures, NGOs, and private-sector actors to enhance project impact. Organize county-level inception, planning, review, and close-out meetings, ensuring effective information flow and stakeholder engagement. Advocate for increased prioritization of nutrition, gender equity, climate resilience, and integrated livelihoods in county planning processes. Enhance project visibility and lead communication efforts on behalf of Helen Keller International in Baringo County. Support initiatives that empower women and girls in nutrition-related activities. Others Identify funding opportunities and write grant proposals for research projects. Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in agriculture, nutrition, Agricultural Economics, Community Development, Environmental Science or related field. At least 5 years of progressive experience implementing livelihoods, food systems, climate-smart agriculture, or nutrition-sensitive agriculture programs, preferably in rural or arid/semi-arid contexts. Proven experience working with rural communities , smallholder farmers, women’s groups, and other marginalized populations. Knowledge of food systems approaches , including agroecology, climate-smart agriculture, value chains, water harvesting technologies, and household food production. Strong understanding of the linkage between food systems, nutrition, and public health , including familiarity with county and sub-county health structures. Experience supporting nutrition-sensitive and resilience-building initiatives at household and community levels. Demonstrated NGO experience working with community groups, government structures, and multi-sectoral stakeholders. Strong skills in community mobilization, training, and capacity strengthening for local structures and producer groups. Ability to work effectively in challenging environments, manage multiple priorities, and deliver results within tight timelines. Competencies Demonstrated experience in coordinating and managing food systems, livelihoods, and nutrition-sensitive projects , preferably in rural or ASAL settings. Strong ability to collect, analyse, and interpret data , and produce high-quality technical and narrative reports. Proven experience in developing donor proposals, work plans, budgets, and grant reporting. Ability to prioritize tasks effectively, m anage multiple assignments, and set clear, achievable objectives. Strong commitment to accountability, transparency, quality assurance, and adherence to project standards . Creative, proactive, open-minded, flexible, and committed to continuous learning. Excellent interpersonal, facilitation, partnership-building, and communication skills , with the ability to work effectively with diverse stakeholders.

How to apply Interested candidates to send their cover letter and a curriculum vitae as one document to [email protected] Please indicate the position on the subject line of the email. The deadline of application is Wednesday 31st December 2025 In the spirit of the extraordinary ability and vision of our founder, Helen Keller Intl fosters an environment of fairness and belonging for our workforce. Helen Keller Intl is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity for all employees and applicants for employment. NB: HELEN KELLER INTERNATIONAL • DOES NOT RECRUIT THROUGH A RECRUITMENT AGENCY; • DOES NOT CHARGE ANY FEES OF ANY KIND TO THE CANDIDATE; • DOES NOT REQUEST INFORMATION ABOUT CANDIDATES' BANK ACCOUNTS;