POLICY & RESEARCH MANAGER

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Kenya Private Sector Alliance is the apex body for private sector in Kenya. KEPSA brings together local and foreign business associations, federations, chambers of commerce, professional bodies, corporates including multinationals, large and medium-sized corporates, SMEs and start-ups from all sectors of the economy, representing over 1 million businesses locally and over 45million businesses globally through the membership of ICC-Kenya Chapter. We enable these businesses to speak with one voice when engaging Government, development partners and other stakeholders on cross-cutting policy issues affecting private sector development and we implement programs that ensure the social-economic development of the country including women and youth empowerment.
KEPSA serves as a federation of over 80 Associations and professional bodies. In the EAC region, KEPSA serves as the national focal point of the East African Business Council and engages closely with peer apex bodies in the EAC region to resolve any emerging business issues as well as to promote trade and investment.

JOB SUMMARY

About KEPSAThe Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) is the apex body for the private sector in Kenya. KEPSA brings together local and foreign business associations, federations, chambers of commerce, professional bodies that are sectoral umbrella bodies and individual sectoral business membership organizations, corporates, from multinationals to large and medium- sized companies, SMEs, and start-ups from all sectors of the economy, across all parts of the country. This gives KEPSA a reach of over 2 million businesses directly and indirectly. KEPSA also serves as the national focal point of the East Africa Business Council (EABC), the umbrella body of businesses in East Africa. It hosts the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Kenya Chapter, a member of the ICC with a reach of over 45 million businesses globally.Your DataIf you choose to apply for this position, you will be providing us with your Personal Data, which we will process for the purposes of selecting a candidate for the position only.We will keep the Personal Data you share with us as part of the application process for six months from the deadline for application, after which it will be deleted.Your Personal Data will be accessed only by our HR Staff managing the recruitment process, as well as the members of the selection panel.You have the right to:a) ask us for access to your Personal Data and for information about how we process it;b) to ask us to rectify the Personal Data we have on record for you;c) to ask us to delete your Personal Data or restrict its use; andd) to object to our processing of your Personal Data.To exercise these rights, please contact; hr@kepsa.or.keIf you have any concerns or complaints about how KEPSA processes your Personal Data, please submit them to hr@kepsa.or.ke

RESPONSIBILITIES

Position OverviewThe Policy and Research Manager plays a pivotal leadership role at KEPSA, driving effective public-private dialogue, impact tracking, and strategic communication between KEPSA members, government institutions, partners, and other stakeholders. The role is central to advancing policy reform, business competitiveness, and sustainable economic growth.The Manager provides strategic oversight and technical leadership to the Policy and Research Department, ensuring delivery of the National Business Agenda (NBA), development of an engagement blueprint for proactive dialogue, and execution of departmental workplans. This position requires a leader with strong analytical, advocacy, and stakeholder management skills, capable of translating research into actionable policy reforms and guiding KEPSA’s competitiveness agenda.Over the next decade, KEPSA aims to scale its collaboration with government, members, and partners to strengthen Kenya’s economy, enhance resilience to future shocks, and position businesses for global competitiveness. The Policy and Research pillar focuses on five competitiveness drivers; Cost of raw materials (imported and locally produced), Utilities, Logistics, Credit and Labour productivity with special emphasis is placed on digitization of services, effective management, and evidence-based advocacy.Key ResponsibilitiesA. Policy and Research Leadership & Process DesignLead the design, implementation, and facilitation of effective policy dialogue processes, tools, and forums.Coordinate Governing Council meetings and ensure timely execution of competitiveness-related decisions.Strengthen sustainability of KEPSA’s dialogue platforms through improved administration, transparency, inclusive participation, and results-oriented reporting.Oversee development and review of departmental and personnel workplans. Ensure active participation of KEPSA members in sector boards as the primary entry point to KEPSA’s policy work.B. Policy Advocacy and ReformDrive advocacy efforts to address bottlenecks and priorities identified in the National Business Agenda (NBA-4).Influence decision-makers at national and county levels to foster a competitive andenabling business environment. Establish and strengthen county and regional economic block dialogue platforms.Champion reforms in policy, legislation, and regulatory frameworks to promote entrepreneurship, investment, and economic growth.C. Research and Evidence-Based Decision-MakingCollaborate with the Policy and Thought-Leadership team to integrate research findings into KEPSA’s advocacy agenda.Translate evidence into actionable issue matrices for KEPSA’s dialogue platforms. Ensure KEPSA’s policy positions are grounded in robust data and global best practices.D. Capacity Building and Leadership DevelopmentStrengthen KEPSA Sector Boards to engage in meaningful and impactful dialogues.Conduct training, workshops, and awareness campaigns for Business Membership Organizations.Build the capacity of Policy and Research staff to enhance delivery and sector board management.E. Monitoring, Evaluation, and CommunicationEstablish robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to track effectiveness of policy initiatives.Develop clear metrics to measure success and attribute impact to KEPSA’s dialogue efforts.Provide timely communication to members, government, donors, and partners on outcomes and progress.Ensure transparency and accountability in reporting.F. Resource Mobilization and PartnershipsDevelop partnership proposals to support Policy and Research programs.Identify and engage development partners to transform KEPSA’s policy priorities into funded programs.Build and sustain networks with government, private sector, and partners to amplify KEPSA’s influence and impact.Qualifications and CompetenciesMasters Degree in Economics, Public Policy, Business Administration, or related field.Proven leadership experience in policy advocacy, research, and stakeholder engagement.Strong analytical skills with ability to translate research into actionable policy recommendations.Excellent communication, negotiation, and facilitation skills. Demonstrated ability to manage teams, oversee complex projects, and deliver measurable results.Experience in resource mobilization and partnership development. Commitment to KEPSA’s mission of advancing Kenya’s competitiveness and economic transformation.

REQUIRED SKILLS

Policy drafting and development, Decision making, Process development, Lobbying, advocacy, Leadership skills, Partnerships, Networking

REQUIRED EDUCATION

Post-graduate education