PROGRAMME TECHNICAL ADVISOR - REF.NO: HEA PTA-01/2026 (1) POSITION

Hand in Hand Eastern Africa (HiH EA) is registered in Kenya as a Public Benefit Organization (PBO) with mandate to operate within the Eastern Africa region. It is a member of the Hand in Hand Global Network that comprises affiliated organizations that mutually pursue the shared goal of poverty alleviation while supporting poorer communities to create sustainable enterprises and jobs. The organization strives to work with the marginalized communities in the areas of economic and social empowerment using a participatory approach aimed at helping people fight poverty and vulnerability. 

The Hand in Hand enterprise and job creation approach is based on a philosophy of self-help, providing training, skills and support to enable poor people, particularly women and youth, to build and sustain independent, market-based, economic activities. To facilitate enterprise creation, HiH EA uses a 4-step enterprise model that entails seven training modules that starts with set-up or mobilizing self-help groups that act as savings groups, delivering enterprise skills through training, enhancing financial management as well as financial access and providing linkage to broader markets. HiH EA’s work is complemented by efforts in thematic areas that increase resilience to climate change, promote advocacy and human rights, and enhance gender mainstreaming, regenerative agriculture and circular economy among others.

Building on this work, HiH EA is implementing a 36-month pilot to strengthen producer organisations in the dairy and poultry value chains across seven Kenyan counties. The initiative supports cooperatives, CBOs and SHGs to strengthen their organisational capacity, governance and financial management, improve market and finance opportunities, advance women’s leadership and inclusion, and enhance collaboration, peer learning and advocacy within county ecosystems.

As such Hand in Hand Eastern Africa seeks to fill the below vacancy.

SUMMARY: PROGRAMME TECHNICAL ADVISOR JOB DESCRIPTION AND SPECIFICATIONS. REF.NO: HEA PTA-01/2026 (1) POSITION

To lead the technical implementation of the 36-month dairy and poultry producer organization pilot across seven Kenyan counties, translating programme design into effective field delivery. The role will build the capability of field teams, county officers and producer organizations to strengthen their institutional maturity, become finance and market ready, and deliver measurable improvements in member incomes and gender outcomes. 

Duties and responsibilities

Technical leadership and quality assurance

• Develop and oversee annual and quarterly work plans, ensuring alignment with programme tiers and components.
  
• Review and quality-assure Transition Action Plans and Producer Organisation (PO) recovery plans.
  
• Develop inception reports outlining approved work plans, caseloads and training schedules.
  

Financial management, governance and cooperative finance

• Support POs, cooperatives, Community-Based Organisations (CBOs) and Self-Help Groups (SHGs) to establish and operationalise effective financial management systems.
  
• Lead PO professionalisation initiatives, including strategic planning, governance strengthening, separation of board and management roles, and recruitment of qualified managers and accountants.
  
• Facilitate access to appropriate financial products and services through partnerships with banks, SACCOs, the Agricultural Finance Corporation (AFC) and Development Finance Institutions (DFIs).
  
• Support POs to strengthen statutory compliance, financial accountability and audit readiness.
  

Markets, aggregation, assets and incentives

• Commission and utilise buyer-side market assessments to inform the design of market interventions.
  
• Coordinate buyer mapping, aggregation planning and the development of group marketing contracts.
  
• Promote quality-based payment systems in dairy and input-quality management systems in poultry.
  
• Develop and appraise business cases for value addition, shared infrastructure and productive assets, providing recommendations to the Steering Committee.
  
• Design and monitor member loyalty and behaviour-change mechanisms to reduce side-selling and strengthen market participation.
  

Gender, youth and inclusion

• Mainstream gender equality and the four gender pillars across programme interventions, working with designated gender focal points.
  
• Integrate inclusion and succession considerations into all programme stage reviews.
  
• Ensure POs establish effective grievance mechanisms, codes of conduct and safeguarding policies.
  
• Assess youth enterprise viability and coordinate the design and implementation of youth enterprise pilots.
  

Capacity building of field teams and PO managers

• Design and deliver joint training and on-the-job coaching for trainers, field staff and PO managers.
  
• Provide technical coaching and field accompaniment throughout the pilot implementation cycle.
  
• Strengthen the capacity of field teams and POs to independently implement programme interventions.
  
• Develop and monitor implementation of a structured handover plan to ensure sustainability by month 30.
  

Partnerships, county platforms and advocacy

• Establish and maintain partnerships with county governments, development partners and other relevant stakeholders.
  
• Map and strengthen county-level linkages and advocate for county government co-investment in programme interventions.
  
• Facilitate structured peer learning between stronger and weaker POs within agreed competitive boundaries and oversee demonstration sites.
  
• Prepare advocacy briefs and support policy dialogue on business-environment constraints affecting POs and their members.
  

Monitoring, evaluation, learning and reporting

• Implement and monitor a results framework covering institutional maturity, commercial performance, behavioural change and gender-responsive indicators disaggregated by sex and age.
  
• Lead the programme learning agenda, assessing relationships between PO performance and member income, buyer preferences, member loyalty, direct payments, youth enterprise opportunities and linkage models.
  
• Prepare quarterly technical reports, annual reports on institutional maturity progression and learning briefs.
  
• Use monitoring data and learning findings to inform adaptive management, improve programme delivery and strengthen evidence-based decision-making.
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Qualifications and Competencies

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness, Cooperative Management, Finance, Rural Development or a related field.

Postgraduate training in Gender and Development or Monitoring and Evaluation, and CPA or cooperative auditing certification, are added advantages.

Experience

• At least 5 years’ experience in producer organisation or cooperative development in East Africa, including 2 years in a technical leadership or advisory role.
  
• Demonstrated experience in cooperative governance, financial management, access to finance, market linkages, agricultural value-chain development, gender mainstreaming and organisational capacity building.
  

Skills and Attributes

• Strong technical leadership, analytical, coaching, stakeholder engagement and partnership-building skills.
  
• Knowledge of monitoring and evaluation, gender mainstreaming and safeguarding.
  
• Excellent communication skills and fluency in written and spoken English and Kiswahili.
  
• Strong integrity, inclusivity and results orientation.
  
• Willingness to travel frequently across the seven pilot counties.

Application process 

Qualified and interested candidates should forward a cover letter and CV, citing the Position and Reference Number to HiH-EA via Brighter Monday on or before close of business by 2nd November 2026.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Website: http://handinhand-ea.org/ 

Inspiring Hope, Dignity and Choice

Disclaimer: Hand in Hand Eastern Africa is an equal opportunity employer and does not charge or accept any amount or security deposit from job seekers during the selection process or while inviting candidates for an interview.