Program Innovation

ABOUT INKOMOKO

Inkomoko supports entrepreneurs to grow their businesses in order to improve livelihoods, create jobs, and help communities thrive.

In 2025, Inkomoko was listed by the Financial Times as the 8th fastest-growing company in Africa, supporting entrepreneurs across East and Central Africa to grow thriving businesses and build inclusive, resilient economies.

Founded in 2012, Inkomoko has worked with more than 100,000 entrepreneurs, including thousands of refugee entrepreneurs. Inkomoko provides a combination of training, consulting, access to finance, and market-level systems change.  We are the largest investor to refugee entrepreneurs in Africa.

Inkomoko has 780+ staff in 45 offices across Chad, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, and South Sudan. Through Inkomoko's 2030 strategic plan, we are adding 3 additional countries to serve more than 550,000 entrepreneurs and growing our $30M loan fund to impact 7M lives.  INKOMOKO VALUES

All staff at Inkomoko are connected to a shared set of organizational values:

• Purpose: be solutions-oriented, produce high-quality work, and be a global leader.
• Achievement: push yourself to reach beyond what you previously thought possible.
• Improvement: be humble, engage in continuous growth through open & accurate feedback
• Bravery: willing to take risks, create a safe space for others, be compassionate, and inclusive.
• We Eat Goat: we celebrate success and support each other in hard times. We do this work together in the spirit of turikumwe, tuko pamoja, abren nen, Kula na sawa, On est ensemble.

Inkomoko is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer.  Refugees, women, and persons who reflect the diverse communities we serve are strongly encouraged to apply.

ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Program Innovation & Learning Manager is responsible for managing learning initiatives across departments aimed at improving Inkomoko's service delivery.

This role is responsible for surfacing and synthesizing best practices and concepts, organizing thematic workshops, and building staff capacity through the introduction and training of new methodologies. The Program Innovation & Learning Manager will ensure Inkomoko remains a learning organization that adapts to emerging trends and client needs. This role requires strong influence and follow-through skills to secure leadership buy-in and active staff participation in learning initiatives.

The ideal candidate is a creative, analytical, and collaborative professional with strong technical skills and a passion for continuous improvement and innovation. They are curious, adaptable, and attentive listeners who thrive in cross-functional settings. The role is open to candidates based in any of our countries of operations: Rwanda, Kenya, Ethiopia, South Sudan & Chad and will be reporting to the Head of Program Innovation at Inkomoko.

Key Responsibilities:

Learning Lab Leadership

• Design, plan, and facilitate cross-departmental workshops that introduce new ideas, practices, and tools, with a focus on enhancing Inkomoko's programs.
• Manage project timelines, resources, communication, and stakeholders.
• Synthesize materials to turn learning into actionable insights for program adaptation.
• Follow through and collect feedback to ensure the Lab is successfully implemented.
• Support different departments to integrate learnings by generating insights that help them prioritize their strategies and activities.

Organizational Learning & Capacity Building

• Conduct research on client needs, relevant global trends, tools, best practices, and methods that can inform Inkomoko's learning agenda.
• Organize training in new methodologies and tools.
• Develop learning resources and guides.
• Partner with teams for continuous learning loops and reflective practice.

Cross-Team Engagement

• Engage regularly with MEL, Business Growth Services, and Investments to identify learning needs.
• Foster a culture of feedback, collaboration, and shared learning.
• Build relationships and influence across teams to foster ownership, alignment, and momentum for learning projects.
• Provide flexible cross-functional support to Innovation pilots and projects as needed - including assisting with pilot design and testing.

Communication & Reporting

• Create internal briefs, summaries, and reports on learning initiatives and outcomes.
• Synthesize insights and data from learning activities into recommendations for internal or external stakeholders.
• Contribute to donor updates and strategic learning documentation.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

This role requires a leader who aligns execution with organizational strategy, ensures resources are managed wisely, and drives operational excellence. They communicate clearly, solve problems using data, and anticipate risks through scenario planning. Committed to results, they foster collaboration, share responsibilities, and champion innovation.

They embody Inkomoko's core values, build inclusive and safe learning environments, and continuously seek feedback and insights to improve impact. Practicing "radical candor", they promote a culture of learning, cross-functional teamwork, and capacity building.

In addition, we are looking for someone with:

• 5+ years of experience in learning and development, project management & program design.
• University degree (Master's or equivalent)
• Experience designing, leading, and facilitating workshops.
• Familiarity with design thinking or human-centered design.
• Demonstrated ability to influence and collaborate across teams.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English; proficiency in French, Kinyarwanda, Arabic, Somali, or Swahili is desirable.
• Demonstrated ability to synthesize data and insights.
• Adaptability to dynamic environments, with a results-driven mindset.
• Passion for continuous improvement and learning (champions of innovation)
• Experience collaborating in multicultural, multi-country teams.
• Knowledge of the entrepreneurship or economic development sector.
• Proficient in Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Slides) and other data and design tools.

Key Competencies:

We are looking for someone who:

• Leads Teams -Aligns the team with common objectives derived from the organizational strategy, fosters a shared mindset, and celebrates wins while recognizing team efforts.
• Builds Trust - Holds self and others accountable by clearly outlining responsibilities, tracking results, delegating effectively, building independence and demonstrating care for others, and being consistent in actions.
• Relationship Management - Establishes and maintains strong relationships with key stakeholders, partners, and community leaders, while anticipating and balancing the needs of multiple stakeholders.
• Uses their Technical expertise to coach and guide staff to meet and exceed expectations.

WHAT YOU'LL GET

This role is inside a high-growth, mission-driven social enterprise. By joining, you'll access:

• A leadership role with regional influence and the opportunity to shape Inkomoko's financial future.
• Meaningful work that directly contributes to sustainable livelihoods and job creation across East and Central Africa.
• Competitive salary, and potential Performance-based bonus
• Incredible company culture, with opportunities for learning and growth
• Diverse colleagues across the region, and policies that demonstrate commitment to equity and inclusion
• A dynamic and entrepreneurial team environment committed to innovation and social impact
• Ability to make a significant social impact to your community
• Health insurance for self and family
• Staff savings and provident fund, negotiated bank rates for long-term employees
• Generous annual leave, parental leave, and sabbatical options.

HOW TO APPLY

If you're excited about this role, please submit your application through the jobs portal.

Tell us about what you'll bring to this growing company.

DEADLINE:  Open until filled. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, please apply as soon as possible

Inkomoko is committed to justice, diversity, equity and inclusion.  As we seek to reflect the communities we serve, refugees and women are strongly encouraged to apply. As a company we have policies that ensure fair treatment in the application process. 

NB: Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Employment is conditional upon successful background checks and other verification as needed.

All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and background screening checks. Inkomoko also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme, In line with this Scheme, we will request information from job applicants' previous employers about any findings of sexual misconduct, fraud, or abuse. By applying, the job applicant confirms his/her understanding of these recruitment procedures.