Director, Project at Child Fund International

SOKIFY JOB POSTING Job Title: Director, Project Organization: Child Fund International About This Opportunity Child Fund International is recruiting a strategic leader to serve as Project Director for an ambitious, U.S. Government-funded initiative spanning two years. This role offers the chance to drive meaningful impact by protecting vulnerable children, expanding access to quality education technology solutions, strengthening digital safety protections, building market-relevant skills, and reinforcing government systems to combat child labor and online exploitation. As Project Director, you will be the driving force behind this comprehensive program, managing all aspects from conception through completion. You will lead organizational teams, cultivate critical partnerships across government, private sector, and civil society, ensure financial accountability, and maintain alignment with both donor requirements and national priorities. What You'll Do Strategic Leadership and Project Execution You will provide comprehensive leadership and technical direction throughout the project lifecycle. This includes overseeing the achievement of outcomes, milestones, and performance targets while managing startup activities, strategy validation, work planning, implementation, adaptation, and closeout phases. You will use monitoring data and stakeholder feedback to continuously improve effectiveness through adaptive management processes, ensuring the initiative stays aligned with government and donor priorities. Stakeholder and Donor Relations Serving as the principal point of contact with the donor, you will build and maintain strong relationships with government ministries, private-sector technology partners, training providers, employers, and community organizations. You will represent the project across national, regional, and international platforms, facilitating meaningful collaboration that advances project goals. Technical Direction and Implementation Oversight You will guide the implementation of initiatives that increase children's access to quality education technology, develop digital literacy and technology-enabled learning pathways, connect youth to apprenticeships and vocational training, strengthen online safety systems and protocols, and build government capacity to prevent exploitation and enforce child labor protections. All interventions will be evidence-based, innovative, and tailored to local contexts. Financial Stewardship and Compliance Managing the project budget with precision, you will ensure full compliance with donor regulations, organizational policies, and U.S. government requirements. Your responsibilities include monitoring expenditures, reviewing and approving budgets and procurements, overseeing subawards and consultant agreements, and ensuring timely submission of financial, programmatic, and compliance reports. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning You will oversee robust systems for monitoring, evaluation, and accountability, ensuring collection and analysis of high-quality performance data. Leading annual performance reviews, risk assessments, and learning activities, you will support the development of reports that demonstrate project outcomes and impact while promoting evidence-based decision-making. Team Leadership and Development You will recruit, supervise, mentor, and evaluate project staff and consultants, fostering a high-performing, inclusive, and accountable organizational culture. You will ensure seamless coordination across technical, operations, finance, grants, and monitoring and evaluation teams while supporting staff professional development. Risk Management and Safeguarding You will identify and mitigate operational, financial, reputational, and programmatic risks. You will remain vigilant regarding safeguarding concerns, strengthen safeguarding practices across the organization, understand and uphold all safeguarding policies and procedures, and conduct yourself in full alignment with the organization's Safeguarding Policy. Additional Requirements Occasional travel to Washington, DC may be required. What We're Looking For Education and Core Experience You hold a bachelor's degree in education, social work, international development, public policy, or a related field (master's degree preferred). You bring at least 10 years of progressively responsible experience leading donor-funded programs in international development, education, youth engagement, or child protection. You have minimum 5 years in senior leadership roles managing complex, donor-funded projects, with Kenya experience being highly valued. Donor and Government Relations You have demonstrated experience managing U.S. Government-funded projects, with experience working with the U.S. Department of Labor being a strong advantage. You understand government capacity strengthening and can navigate complex government systems effectively. Specialized Knowledge Experience advancing safeguarding practices, protection from sexual exploitation and abuse, survivor-centered approaches, ethical data management, and accountability standards is preferred. Knowledge of digital equity, digital safety, and prevention of online exploitation and abuse of children is preferred. How to Apply Interested candidates should submit their CV along with a brief cover letter outlining how their experience aligns with the requirements of this role.