Program Officer – Education & Livelihoods @Education & Livelihoods

Role Purpose

To lead Graceworld Foundation’s education access and sustainable livelihoods programming, ensuring vulnerable children, youth, and women gain quality education opportunities and the skills and assets needed for economic self-reliance.

Job Summary

The Program Officer – Education & Livelihoods will design, implement, monitor, and report on integrated education and livelihoods projects. Working with schools, TVET institutions, youth and women’s groups, VSLAs, and county education departments, the officer will drive inclusive access and build sustainable income pathways.

Key Responsibilities

Program Planning & Implementation

• Lead implementation of education support programs: school feeding, bursary/scholarship management, learning materials, remedial learning.
• Establish and strengthen community-based VSLAs and youth enterprise and business skills programs.
• Facilitate vocational skills and entrepreneurship training for out-of-school youth and women beneficiaries.
• Work with teachers, School Management Committees, and PTAs to improve learning environments, attendance, and enrolment.
• Conduct community awareness campaigns on girls’ education, school retention, and prevention of early marriage and teen pregnancy.
• Identify, enroll, and track beneficiaries including out-of-school children and youth using NEMIS and organizational databases.

Stakeholder Coordination & Partnership

• Maintain relationships with County Education Departments, TVET institutions, and employers for apprenticeship and placement.
• Represent GWF in county education forums, livelihood working groups, and Social Protection Technical Working Groups.
• Coordinate with CBOs, faith institutions, and community leaders to sustain community ownership.

Monitoring, Reporting & Learning

• Maintain accurate beneficiary records, enrolment registers, VSLA data, and livelihood activity trackers.
• Prepare weekly SitReps, monthly statistical/narrative reports, and contribute to quarterly/annual donor reports.
• Conduct routine monitoring visits, document case studies, and support program evaluations.

Resource & Budget Management

• Track project expenditures and contribute to Budget Follow-Up (BFU) reviews.
• Ensure proper management of scholarship funds, VSLA seed capital, and learning materials.
• Contribute program data and narratives to grant proposals and fundraising concept notes.

Qualifications & Experience

Essential

• Bachelor’s degree in Education, Social Sciences, Community Development, Development Studies, or related field.
• Minimum 2 years of relevant experience in education programming, youth livelihoods, or economic empowerment.
• Demonstrated experience facilitating VSLA/savings group formation and management.
• Familiarity with Kenya’s county education structures, Community-Based Education (CBE), and NEMIS data systems.
• Experience in project planning, M&E frameworks, and donor reporting.

Desirable

• Experience with vocational skills training or TVET linkage and placement programming.
• Knowledge of gender-transformative programming and social protection frameworks.
• Child safeguarding certification or equivalent formal training.
• Proficiency in KoBoCollect, ODK, or other mobile data collection tools.

Core Competencies & Skills

• Strong facilitation, training design, and adult learning skills.
• Sound knowledge of Kenya’s education landscape including NEMIS and CBE approaches.
• Excellent written and verbal communication in English and Kiswahili; local languages an asset.
• Proficiency in MS Office and mobile data collection tools.
• Strong organizational and time management skills with ability to travel extensively.
• Commitment to child safeguarding and Graceworld Foundation’s Code of Conduct.