Country Manager

Vacancy for Kenya Country Manager, based in Nairobi

Are you an innovative networker &project manager, a masterful partnership builder, and a strategic fundraiser ready to drive change?

Optimum Options a leading HR Consultancy firm in partnership with our client an award-winning, global nonprofit social enterprise Kickstart International are looking to hire a Country Manager for Kenya Office.

KickStart International ) is an award-winning international non-profit social enterprise with a mission to enable millions of smallholder farmers in Sub Saharan Africa to earn a lot more money, climb out of poverty and adapt to changing weather patterns.

Position Overview

The Kenya Country Manager is responsible for overseeing the overall operations of KickStart's activities in Kenya. He/she is responsible for providing leadership and support to the program team in Kenya. He/she develops and implements core program activities that drive sales and donor funded projects deliverables. To achieve this, the Country Manager is responsible for building and strengthening country program delivery of results and providing strategic analysis to support KickStart's overall growth in Kenya as part of its strategic direction.

The Country Manager is a key member of the Senior Management Team. As such he/she works closely with the Regional Manager for East Africa to ensure overall strategic development and effective operational delivery of the country program's activities. The manager also works with various functional leads, including Fundraising, Product Innovation & Development, Supply Chain, Impact & Monitoring, Finance, IT & Governance, Human Resources, Marketing and Communication to strengthen project implementation strategies, business development opportunities, partnerships, and fundraising initiatives.

Key Responsibilities and Tasks

1. Project Management and Target Achievement:

• Working effectively with other functional teams to ensure all country donor-funded projects activities and targets are met and exceeded in time.
• Drive a culture of excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement, fostering collaboration, accountability, and results-oriented mindset in Kenya.
• Develop and implement strategic plans, goals, and objectives to drive business growth and expansion in the country market.
• Provide accurate project management reports by ensuring that efficient and adequate management practices and tools are in place to enable monitoring of projects and accurate reporting to donors, the board, and senior management.
• Working with Project Leads, regularly reviewing the progress of projects against milestones and taking corrective action, raising any issues with the leadership.
• Ensure all projects have Tracking Tool such as an Efficiency Matrix, etc.,

1. Distributor Relationship Management:

• Identify and recruit high potential distributors that meet all the requirements of one becoming a distributor and promoter of MoneyMaker Pumps.
• Create a communication plan to keep distributors informed and engaged, addressing issues
• Build and maintain strong relationships with distributors, ensuring they have adequate pumps, accessories, and promotional materials to facilitate sales.
• Provide training and support for distributors and their staff on product knowledge, branding, stock management, and customer engagement techniques.
• Responsible for credit risk management by ensuring distributors pay their debts.

1. Marketing, Communication, Sales Support & New Product Testing/Launches:

• Execute marketing activities and ensure effective outreach in the field.
• Collaborate Marketing, Product Development, and Fundraising to develop successful sales strategies and resources needed to drive sales for the country.
• Represent the organization at industry events and partner meetings.
• Work with the Product Innovation and Development and Marketing teams to carry out market tests and launches of new products and services.

o Working with the Marketing & Communication team to communicate and build a strong and positive brand visibility and recognition among partners.

1. Strategic Partnership Development & Management:

• Research, identify, and establish strategic partnerships with NGOs, Governments, corporations, and key stakeholders to expand KickStart's mission.
• Engage potential partner organizations, government agencies, and farmer groups to foster sales initiatives and promote KickStart technologies.
• Develop and implement a comprehensive country partnership strategy, including target partner profiles, go-to-market plans, and performance metrics to drive sales.
• Negotiate and draft partnership agreements and MOU's ensuring they have a win-win-win beneficial terms and conditions for KickStart, partners and farmers.

o Identify and establish business opportunities for MoneyMaker products with partners in the country in line with the organizations strategic direction.

o Working with the Fundraising & Development team, identify and discuss potential funding opportunities in Kenya and provide advice on their suitability and potential alignment with KickStart's strategic direction.

• Lead the team to deliver training to partner staff, farmer groups, and stakeholders on irrigation practices and the importance of sustainable farming.
• Track and analyze country partnership performance, providing regular reports on key metrics and insights.
• Identify trends and opportunities for improvement, informing future partnership strategies.

o Monitor and analyze performance metrics, financial indicators, and market data to track progress towards goals and make data-driven decisions.

• Lead the team in building and maintaining strong relationships with key partners.
• Regularly review and assess the country partnership performance, identifying areas for improvement and optimization. Proactively address partner needs and concerns, resolving issues and ensuring partnership success.

o Identify local partners and agents in the country and build strategic alliances with them to facilitate the implementation and success of projects.

1. Representation:

• Act as the representative for KickStart in stakeholder forums, trade shows, conferences.
• Represent KickStart in building and maintaining relationships with in-country service providers, government, donor representatives, local and international development partners, and the private sector.
• Support effective liaison between other country programs in pursuit of achievement of integrated program direction and delivery

1. Strategic Direction and Planning

• Ensure appropriate vision and strategy are in place to ensure the long-term sustainability of the Kenya program and KickStart International as a whole.
• Work closely with the Regional Manager for East Africa, the COO and others to drive KickStart's strategic goals through annual planning and other forums.
• Provide strategic direction to the country program which aligns with KickStart's global strategic plan and contributes to achieving overall strategic goals.

1. Leadership and Management

• Lead, motivate and manage the country program team in a supportive style adhering to KickStart's policies and procedures, staff recognition and celebration of success and as well as managing poor performance in the team.

1. Financial/Asset Management:

o Manage financial budgets, resources, and expenditures to ensure cost-effectiveness, profitability, and sustainability of operations.

• Oversee all assets and resources assigned to the country program to ensure proper usage and management.
• Be responsible for approving work plans, advance requests, expenditures and disbursement for the country program.

Personal Attributes, Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in business administration, sales and marketing, agribusiness, project management or related field
• 7 years of experience in partnership development, sales, or business development.
• Strong experience in managing projects funded by donors, the private sector or governments with a record of delivering program goals within deadlines and budgets.
• Experience in effectively building and sustaining key external and internal partners and stakeholders to realize organizational goals.

Knowledge of the job

• Good understanding of the donor funded project implementation environment.
• Proven track record of successfully identifying, negotiating, and managing partnerships.
• Strong understanding of B2B sales processes, strategies and the enabling drivers key to success in selling to partners such as NGOs, Governments, Farmer Coops, etc.,

Skills and Abilities

• Project Management skills preferably as a Country Lead
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills, Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to drive sales to both corporate clients as well as low-income communities.
• Proficient use of MS Office suite including Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint as well as Enterprise Systems such ERP and CRM systems/sales tools.
• Proficiency in written and spoken English and Swahili languages
• Ability to identify and prioritize tasks and manage areas of risk
• Ability to influence and engage effectively with key stakeholders, partners, and senior management level, articulating strategies with confidence.

Other Desirable Attributes

• Non-for-profit/social entreprise sector experience
• Knowledge of managing donor funds such Foundations, USAID, EU, DFID, DANIDA,
• Willingness to travel at least 60% of time
• A valid driving licence
• Experience working with smallholder farmers and low-income communities
• Ability to work under pressure both proactively and reactively and prioritize workloads

Application Process: Interested candidates should submit their CV and cover letter outlining relevant qualifications and experience to

Application deadline should be not later than 27th June 2025,5.00pm. Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.