Senior Project Officer-Child Development, Care, and Protection

Role Overview

You will lead the on-the-ground execution of child protection and early childhood development activities across one of three project hubs—Kisumu, Mombasa, or Nairobi—working closely with county government offices, community bodies, and faith-based organizations. Your primary focus is to strengthen local care systems, promote family-based alternatives, and ensure vulnerable children receive coordinated support through referrals and case management. By bridging community needs with project strategy, you will help Catholic Relief Services deliver measurable, lasting improvements for families in the region.

Key Responsibilities

• Direct and manage day-to-day project activities at the assigned location, ensuring they follow the approved implementation plan, donor rules, and CRS quality standards.
• Facilitate continuous learning by supporting evaluations, encouraging partner feedback, and identifying obstacles or gaps that require adjustments to activity schedules or approaches.
• Act as the main coordination link between local stakeholders and the project team, building strong relationships with government agencies, community leaders, and partner organizations.
• Carry out regular site visits to review processes, resource use, and activity progress, conducting budget and milestone checks to keep implementation on track.
• Guide and coach implementing partners on technical and capacity-building needs so that all interventions align with project guidelines and child protection standards.
• Organize logistics and administrative support for project staff and partners, ensuring field teams have what they need to operate effectively.
• Maintain complete, well-organized documentation for every assigned activity, and support the preparation of trend reports, case studies, and promising practice summaries.

Requirements & Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree is required; a master’s degree in international relations, child protection, or a related field is strongly preferred.
• At least four years of experience in project support, preferably focused on child protection within an NGO setting.
• Demonstrated experience working with local partners, using participatory planning methods, and engaging community stakeholders.
• Proven ability to monitor project activities, collect relevant data, and translate findings into actionable recommendations.
• Strong spoken and written communication skills in both English and Kiswahili; knowledge of the local county language is an added advantage.
• Willingness to travel up to 70% of the time across project areas as needed.
• Solid analytical and problem-solving skills, with sound judgment and a proactive service orientation.
• Detailed, accurate, and timely in managing responsibilities; comfortable using MS Office tools such as Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
• A demonstrated commitment to respect, equity, diversity, and inclusion, including gender equality.