Director – REAP Consortium at International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)

• Job Type Full Time
• Qualification PhD/Fellowship
• Experience 15 years
• Location Nairobi
• Job Field Agriculture / Agro-Allied , Strategic and Top Management
• Lead REAP as an integrated program across countries and partners, accountable for delivery against its approved theory of change, results framework, targets, budgets, timelines and partnership commitments.
• Oversee annual and multi-year workplans, ensuring that country plans are realistic, sequenced and adequately resourced, and that milestones and partner commitments are actively managed.
• Ensure that country coordination, staffing and delivery arrangements are fit for program scale, and resolve significant implementation constraints.
• Hold overall accountability for credible program results and provide the authority and institutional support needed to implement the approved MEL Plan, ensuring robust measurement systems, data quality assurance, evaluation and learning processes.
• Ensure credible measurement of youth in work, progression towards dignified and fulfilling work, enterprise performance, market development, inclusion and systems-level outcomes.
• Use country, partner and workstream evidence to guide strategic reviews, cross-country learning and timely changes to delivery models, staffing, partner roles, intervention packages and resource use, including identifying ineffective approaches early and adapting, replacing or discontinuing them.
• Implement adjustments within delegated authority and obtain the required governance or donor approvals before making changes beyond that authority. Ensure all changes remain aligned with approved program objectives and commitments.
• Ensure that implementation evidence is used to actively guide REAP’s delivery model, staffing arrangements, partner structures and intervention packages.
• Lead timely adaptation where evidence shows that country delivery arrangements, partner roles, workstream structures, intervention packages or resource allocations need to change.
• Distinguish between adaptations that can be made within approved programme parameters and changes requiring donor or governance approval.
• Ensure that adaptation strengthens delivery while maintaining alignment with REAP’s strategic objectives, results framework and donor commitments.
• Serve as the senior day-to-day program contact with Mastercard Foundation in coordination with ILRI senior leadership while maintaining transparent communication and delivering credible reports on time.
• Lead programme reviews, management and governance discussions, presenting progress, risks, learning and decisions clearly, and ensuring effective accountability and escalation.
• Represent REAP and strengthen collaboration with related programs and projects, governments, private sector actors, financial institutions, youth and producer organizations, and other stakeholders in line with ILRI’s institutional representation arrangements.
• Coordinate consortium partners, country leads, workstream leads and downstream delivery organisations around shared priorities, with clear responsibilities, decision rights and direct or matrix accountability.
• Ensure effective communication and decision-making across the PMU and partner teams and that reporting relationships function effectively.
• Lead the recruitment, onboarding, performance management and professional development of senior programme staff, promoting collaboration, inclusion and timely problem-solving while upholding ILRI values.
• Set clear performance expectations and promote accountability, learning and high standards of professional conduct to build a high-performing senior team.
• Manage institutional differences and resolve partner performance issues through influence, negotiation and escalation, balancing partner mandates with program commitments and country needs.
• Draw on workstream, ILRI and partner expertise to connect climate-smart feed and livestock innovations with enterprise creation and growth, market access and youth work outcomes.
• Integrate production, processing and supply systems with animal-source food markets, enterprise support, aggregation and offtake, inclusive finance, digital innovation, policy and extension.
• Ensure technically sound, commercially viable and scalable approaches that fit country conditions and support gender equality, disability inclusion, poverty reduction and progression towards dignified and fulfilling work.
• Oversee program budgeting, forecasting and expenditure to align resources with delivery priorities and value for money; follow agreed consortium and governance procedures for changes to partner allocations.
• Work with finance, procurement, human resources, grants, legal and operations teams to ensure that systems, partnership agreements, sub-grants and contracts support effective delivery and comply with applicable ILRI and donor requirements.
• Oversee mitigation and escalation of fiduciary, safeguarding, delivery, reputational, political, partnership and compliance risks.
• Hold overall accountability for the credibility of REAP’s results and use of evidence in programme management.