THE ROLE<\/p>\n
The position is based in Kenya Country Office (KCO) Nairobi and reports to Country Director.<\/p>\n
\tTo provide senior strategic advisory leadership to the Country Director and Country Office Senior Management on WFP\u2019s structured engagement with the Government of Kenya, Private Sector, Foundations and International Financial Institutions, serving as a principal institutional interface with senior Government counterparts; including the Presidency, Cabinet, National Treasury, and key line ministries and with IFI leadership.
\n\tThe role anchors high-level policy dialogue and institutional relationships that underpin sovereign financing arrangements and government-anchored programmes, ensuring coherent positioning of WFP within national development, fiscal, and investment processes.
\n\tIn parallel, the position drives the design, negotiation, and lifecycle stewardship of innovative development financing mechanisms including results-linked modalities ensuring sustained alignment between multi-year fiscal commitments, programme delivery systems, and national policy and budgetary priorities.
\n\tOperating at the intersection of public finance, political economy, and senior inter-institutional engagement, the role exercises a high degree of independent judgement and discretion in assessing institutional risks, partnership dynamics, fiscal sustainability considerations, and reputational implications that may affect WFP\u2019s strategic positioning and long-term credibility.
\n\tThrough sustained relationship management at senior levels, structured programme co-creation, and functional oversight of embedded advisory capacity, the role safeguards institutional trust across administrative and electoral transitions and strengthens WFP\u2019s position as a trusted, accountable, and systems-oriented partner within Government-led development processes.<\/p>\n
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive, within delegated authority):<\/p>\n
\tProvide senior strategic advisory leadership to the Country Director and Country Office Senior Management on Government engagement, sovereign financing arrangements, and\u00a0institutional partnerships, informing decision-making related to long-term fiscal\u00a0commitments, programme governance, and WFP\u2019s national positioning.
\n\tServe as WFP\u2019s interface with senior Government counterparts, including the Presidency, Cabinet, National Treasury, and line ministries and with IFI leadership, anchoring structured policy dialogue and safeguarding alignment between WFP-supported programmes and national development and fiscal priorities.
\n\tLead coordination and lifecycle stewardship of innovative development financing mechanisms, including results-linked modalities, ensuring sustained coherence between transaction design, governance frameworks, budgetary remittances, and multi-year programme implementation.
\n\tAssess and advise on political economy, fiscal sustainability, institutional risk, and partnership dynamics affecting sovereign financing commitments and government-anchored programmes, where misalignment may carry significant reputational, financial, and strategic implications for WFP.
\n\tEnsure integration of WFP-supported programmes within national policy, planning, and budgetary frameworks, promoting structured programme co-creation and institutional embedding rather than parallel implementation.
\n\tProvide functional oversight and strategic guidance to WFP-supported advisors embedded within Government institutions, ensuring alignment with agreed objectives, coherence of advisory inputs, and appropriate issue escalation across institutional interfaces.
\n\tStrengthen internal cross-functional coordination within the Country Office by aligning programme, partnerships, and technical teams around coherent Government engagement strategies and sovereign financing commitments.<\/p>\n
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
\nEducation:<\/p>\n
Advanced University degree in Economics, Public Finance, Public Policy, Development Economics, International Development, Political Science, International Relations, Finance, or a related field or First University degree in the above-mentioned fields combined with additional years of relevant professional experience and\/or advanced training in public finance, development finance, or international development.<\/p>\n
Experience: <\/p>\n
\tA minimum of eight (8) years of progressively responsible professional experience in government engagement, public finance, development cooperation, policy advisory, strategic partnerships, or development finance.
\n\tDemonstrated experience operating at Director-level (or equivalent senior leadership level) within Government ministries, departments, or agencies; or within the private sector, including development finance institutions, financial institutions, advisory firms, or large corporate organizations engaging sovereign or public-sector clients.
\n\tProven experience advising or interacting with senior decision-makers; including the presidency, cabinet level, Principal Secretaries, Treasury officials, IFI management, or equivalent leadership on strategic policy, fiscal, financing, or investment-related matters.
\n\tDemonstrated experience designing, negotiating, coordinating, or stewarding complex financing or partnership arrangements, preferably within sovereign, public-sector, or multilateral contexts.
\n\tStrong understanding of public financial management systems, national budgetary processes, inter-ministerial coordination, and institutional governance frameworks.
\n\tExperience operating in politically and institutionally complex environments requiring independent judgement, risk assessment, and sustained senior-level relationship management over extended time horizons.
\n\tDemonstrated ability to manage multi-stakeholder partnerships involving Government, IFIs, development partners, and internal cross-functional teams.
\n\tFamiliarity with international development cooperation principles, sovereign partnership frameworks, and results-based or performance-linked financing modalities is highly desirable.<\/p>\n
Skills and Knowledge:<\/p>\n
Theoretical Understanding of:<\/p>\n
\tPublic finance and fiscal policy frameworks, including national budgetary processes, medium-term expenditure planning, and sovereign financing structures.
\n\tDevelopment finance architecture, including debt instruments, blended finance, results-based financing, and multilateral financing modalities.
\n\tPolitical economy dynamics influencing policy reform, inter-ministerial coordination, and institutional decision-making.
\n\tInternational development cooperation principles and sovereign partnership frameworks within multilateral and bilateral contexts.
\n\tGovernance and accountability mechanisms underpinning government-anchored programmes and multi-year financing arrangements<\/p>\n
Ability to:<\/p>\n
\tAnalyze complex fiscal, policy, and institutional environments to inform strategic engagement and risk mitigation decisions.
\n\tAssess financial, political, and reputational risks associated with sovereign financing commitments and partnership arrangements.
\n\tSynthesize multi-sectoral information into\u00a0clear strategic recommendations for senior leadership.
\n\tNavigate and influence high-level institutional relationships across Government and IFIs while maintaining diplomatic sensitivity and discretion.
\n\tLead structured policy dialogue and programme co-creation processes involving senior stakeholders and cross-functional teams.
\n\tExercise sound independent judgement in environments characterized by political sensitivity and institutional complexity.
\n\tManage competing priorities and long-term commitments across multiple stakeholders and governance frameworks.
\n\tTechnical Knowledge in:
\n\tSovereign and sub-sovereign financing instruments and transaction governance processes.
\n\tPublic financial management systems and institutional budgeting procedures.
\n\tDesign and implementation of development financing mechanisms, including debt conversion and performance-linked modalities.
\n\tProgramme governance structures,\u00a0results frameworks,\u00a0and accountability mechanisms.
\n\tStakeholder mapping, partnership strategy development, and institutional engagement planning.
\n\tRisk assessment methodologies relevant to development finance and public-sector partnership<\/p>\n
Language: Fluency (level C) in English language.<\/p>\n
Apply Through:<\/p>\n
wd3.myworkdaysite.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"_promoted":"","_job_location":"","_application":"http:\/\/wd3.myworkdaysite.com","_company_name":"World Food Programme (WFP)","_company_website":"http:\/\/www.wfp.org\/countries\/kenya","_company_tagline":"The World Food Programme is the food assistance branch of the United Nations and the world's largest humanitarian organization addressing hunger and promoting food security.","_company_twitter":"","_company_video":"","_filled":0,"_featured":0,"_remote_position":0,"_job_salary":"","_job_salary_currency":"","_job_salary_unit":""},"job_listing_region":[692],"job-categories":[724,693,701],"job-types":[687],"class_list":{"0":"post-92344","1":"job_listing","2":"type-job_listing","3":"status-publish","4":"hentry","5":"job_listing_region-nairobi","7":"job-type-full-time"},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jobs.dataaxisnode.com\/kenya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/job-listings\/92344","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jobs.dataaxisnode.com\/kenya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/job-listings"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jobs.dataaxisnode.com\/kenya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/job_listing"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jobs.dataaxisnode.com\/kenya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jobs.dataaxisnode.com\/kenya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=92344"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"job_listing_region","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jobs.dataaxisnode.com\/kenya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/job_listing_region?post=92344"},{"taxonomy":"job_listing_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jobs.dataaxisnode.com\/kenya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/job-categories?post=92344"},{"taxonomy":"job_listing_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jobs.dataaxisnode.com\/kenya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/job-types?post=92344"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}