Natural Justice Program Manager Jobs in Kenya

Natural Justice Program Manager Jobs in Kenya

Who is Natural Justice?

Natural Justice is an organization rooted in the struggles of communities in Africa. As a team of pioneering lawyers and legal experts, we specialize in human rights, climate law and environmental law to pursue social, climate and environmental justice.

Natural Justice has been working with communities, NGOs, and government agencies in Kenya since 2009. Natural Justice strives to enhance people’s collective rights and protect the sacred relationships indigenous peoples, and local communities have with nature. Our work is informed by the values, knowledge, and self-determination of the communities with whom we stand in solidarity.

Through legal empowerment, research, policy influencing and litigation, and as part of coalitions and campaigns, we support communities to know the law, use the law and shape the law. Natural Justice has three main programs: the Affirming Rights Program, Defending Rights Program and Standing with Communities Program.

What we’re looking for

Natural Justice seeks a full-time program manager to implement and further develop the work of the Defending Rights program in the East Africa Hub.

Working under the guidance of the Hub Director and working closely with the Head of the Defending Rights and Litigation Program, the Program Manager will engage in strategic advocacy, including environmental and climate litigation, secure partnership development for movement building and advocacy, support community legal empowerment approaches, provide technical and legal advice to local communities affected by extractive, infrastructure, and other large-scale projects, and develop key participatory action research documents on community, public and trust land and other environmental decision-making processes, laws and policies.

The successful candidate will be based in Nairobi, with frequent local travel and occasional regional and international travel and will be expected to begin work as soon as possible.

Key Roles and Responsibilities - Program Manager, Defending Rights

Strategic planning, project development and work planning

Work with the Hub Director and the Head of the Defending Rights and Litigation Program to develop the organization’s overall program strategy

Under the guidance of the Hub Director and the Head of the Defending Rights and Litigation Program develop a litigation strategy for the hub, including supporting and building environmental and climate litigation cases with partner communities

Under the guidance of the Hub Director, develop and supervise the implementation of the Defending Rights program of work in the hub, including its projects, deliverables, and annual plans, ensuring their alignment with Natural Justice’s overall program strategy

Technical Advice

Provide technical and legal advice to partners, affected communities and other relevant stakeholders

Lead and assist with drafting legal documents (letters, drafting of pleadings etc) to advance strategic litigation on behalf of Natural Justice and/or with key partners within the environmental, climate, indigenous and local peoples, and land justice focus areas

Provide comments and training on laws, policies and processes that impact communities’ rights and access to land and the environment

Respond to inquiries from partners and relevant stakeholders

Deliver presentations, organize and conduct workshops/meetings

Policy and Legal Reform

Identify and engage with key policy issues and key collaborators

Provide comments and make submissions on relevant law and policy

Develop and implement a strategic advocacy policy for Defending Rights

Legal Empowerment

With the other Hub Program Managers, oversee the paralegal projects and provide direct advice and assistance

Develop, improve and deliver community training on laws and legal empowerment methodologies

With the Hub Director and Program Managers, supervise legal fellows working and provide direct guidance

Link litigation

to advocacy campaigns

Research and MEAL

With the research team, develop the program’s research, monitoring, evaluation and learning tools

Write collaborative research reports, concept documents, academic papers, and organizational reports.

Work with Natural Justice’s Defending Rights team to lead strategy planning and progress meetings, and facilitate updates and learnings from across the region

Partnerships, Networks and Communication

Identify, build and maintain networks and/or partnerships with relevant stakeholders from government, civil society groups, community-based organizations, the private sector and academia
Support the development of partnership documents (MOUs, etc.) where relevant

In coordination with the communications team, write articles, comments, statements, articles, blogs and reports relevant to the program for public distribution, including on the Natural Justice website, social media, legal media, etc

Contribute to the communications and campaign strategies and outputs of the Hub

Finance and Administration

Manage the financial, administrative and procurement processes of the projects within the program

Manage individual budgets from funders and provide financial guidance to junior staff.

Oversight, Fundraising and Reporting

Provide oversight and support to the Hub’s program team, fellows, CELOs (Community Environmental Legal Officers), and paralegals concerning program activities and deliverables

Assist the Hub Director and the Head of the Defending Rights and Litigation Program to identify funding sources, prepare grant applications, and develop and manage relationships with funders

Qualifications and Experience:

Bachelor of Laws degree with at least five years of demonstrated work expertise in environmental and/or climate change law, including natural resource and/or land law, and administrative law

A post-graduate degree in law, political science or other relevant social science discipline is desirable

Understanding of and proficiency in Kenyan and regional legal systems and institutional arrangements.

Experience in environmental, climate or human rights litigation

Experience in conducting fieldwork and working with marginalized communities

Experience communicating complex legal issues in an accessible way to communities

Experience relating research or project experiences to policy advocacy

Experience conducting primary and/or desktop research and preparing clear and analytical reports (with proof of published work)

Experience writing applications and reporting to donors

Experience in program management, including budgeting, project planning, contract drafting, monitoring and evaluation

Experience in managing and supervising teams

An understanding of and experience in the socio-political environment and civil society work in the region

Excellent oral and written communication skills

Fluency in English and Kiswahili

Citizen of Kenya or authorized to work in Kenya

Personal Profile:

Demonstrated experience advocating for environmental and/or social justice

Highly motivated, pro-active individual able to work under minimal supervision

Ability to prioritize, act on initiative and meet deadlines

Ability to think critically and problem solve

Reliability and attention to detail

Ability to travel frequently

Ability to work with the team and to develop and maintain good relationships with community-based or other grassroots groups and partners

Demonstrated awareness of and sensitivity to the needs and concerns of individuals from diverse cultures, backgrounds and orientations.

How to Apply

Applications should be submitted via email to admin.nbo@naturaljustice.orgwith ‘Application for the position of Program Manager – Defending Rights’ in the subject line.

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