Deputy Head of Office - Kenya

Deputy Head of Office, Kenya

The role: We are looking for a dynamic leader to take on the position of Deputy Head of Office, Kenya, for 60 Decibels. This role will serve as a strong number 2 to our current Head of Kenya Office and, with strong performance, will take over leadership of the 60 Decibels Kenya office within 12 months’ time.

About us: 60 Decibels is a tech-powered, impact measurement company that makes it easy to listen to the people who matter most. We've been in business as an independent entity since early 2019, when we spun out of the global Impact Investor Acumen.

Our firm belief is that the best way to understand social impact is by talking to the people experiencing that impact. It sounds obvious when you say it, but that is not the typical practice for many impact investors, corporations and foundations working to create social change. 

We collect social Impact data directly from beneficiaries (customers / employees / suppliers) via a network of 1,000+ trained researchers in 70+ countries. We do it quickly and without some of the fuss typically associated with measuring impact. Our researchers speak directly to customers to understand their lived experience; and our team turns all this data into benchmarked social performance reports, with accompanying insights, to help our clients demonstrate and improve their social performance.

By making impact measurement simple and scalable, we not only enable organizations to make improvements in the products and services they've designed to serve beneficiaries; but also help transform what it means to credibly measure impact, ensuring that the voices of those who matter most are always part of the story.

About the role: Our team in Kenya is growing (35+ person team and counting!) and we need a talented, adaptable leader to support our growth! This is primarily a people management and team leadership role. However, a prerequisite to success in this role is strong technical and analytical skills so you can get into the weeds with our Kenya team members and support and coach them in their professional journeys. Over time, the role will grow to encompass strategy and business development. We expect the successful candidate to step into the Head of Office role within 6-12 months – dependent on performance – to enable our incumbent Head of Office to focus on building and expanding our strategy, products, and services for our Gender work.

You will work directly with our Head of Office to support her to manage and run operations in Kenya while growing our presence in the Kenyan market specifically, and Africa more broadly. You will partner with the Head of Office to identify ways to optimize operations in Kenya and provide hands-on support to our growing team.

In terms of strategy / business development, you will support the Head of Office to assess market needs and develop new products for 60dB, along with increasing our visibility across the continent. To succeed in this role, you need a combination of strategic chops, exceptional people and coaching skills, an ability to think on your feet, problem-solving skills and to be a builder. You also need a can-do, get your hands dirty attitude—quick to complete tasks big and small because that’s what it takes to make a startup succeed.

Specifically, the Deputy Head of Office will:

• Partner with the Head of Office in managing the team and Kenya office, and ensuring the infrastructure is in place to support a growing 35+ person team that spans different functions (e.g. services, operations, and finance). You will be accountable for proactively identifying and creatively addressing any issues that affect team morale, productivity, and engagement, working cross-functionally to deliver improvements. You will model 60dB values and provide hands-on coaching to junior team members and mid-level team members. 
• Manage strategic client relationships, including understanding their needs, tailoring projects to deliver on their strategic priorities, and thinking outside the box on how 60dB can add value and grow their impact.
• Support in the exploration of new market and sectoral opportunities, ranging from working with homegrown funds, foundations, and corporate clients in East Africa and across the continent.
• Scout for BD opportunities and represent 60dB externally: speak at conferences /webinars etc. as a representative of 60 Decibels.
• Product development to respond to market needs to create products for price-sensitive markets that better position 60 Decibels’ offering in the market.
• Support the Head of Office in ad-hoc tasks as needed, ranging from creating presentations for prospective clients, team administration, and anything and everything that the Head of Office has on her plate.

About You: First and foremost, you bring compassion and dedication to this work because it matters to you. More broadly this role is for someone with a proactive rather than reactive disposition; someone happy to manage uncertainty and work independently if needed. You will be great at generating ideas, and letting go of many of them too (i.e. you’re not too precious); you err toward “yes, and…” rather than “no, but…”.

You have an eye for detail, thrive in an environment where you are juggling multiple things at once, and take personal accountability seriously: i.e. when you say you’re going to do something, you do it. You're a natural problem-solver, builder and people person.

We also expect that most candidates will have had the following experiences / attributes. If your experience set differs, but you think you’re the right person for the job, say that in your application.

• 8+ years’ experience in consulting, start-up, impact investing or corporate environment, working across a variety of projects / teams, ideally across functions. 
• Strong ‘consulting-style’ skill set, including analysis, synthesis, and presentation. Our team produces dozens of reports each month, and we’ll require you to jump right in.
• Comfort in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment; awesome ability to prioritize and manage multiple workstreams; general interest in and orientation to technology.
• Strong experience in, and comfort with, people management and mentorship. Prior experience managing a team of 5+ people is preferred.
• An orientation towards, and passion for, ‘client-delight’: you are always asking yourself ‘what can we do to improve our customer/client experience?’.
• Superb communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Great core skills of problem solving, teamwork, and project management. And great soft skills, plus the understanding that they’re not really “soft” at all
• Knowledge and passion about supporting business to tackle global challenges.

Interested in Applying?

Deadline: Candidates are encouraged to apply early, as applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Location: The Deputy Head of Office will join the team in our Kenya, located in Nairobi.

Compensation: 60 Decibels offers a competitive salary and benefits package and the opportunity to work in a flexible, fun and supportive environment. 

Extra Perks: We have an unlimited leave policy and 12 monthly recharge days, on the first Friday of each month. We are a globally distributed team and we give team members opportunities to cross-pollinate and visit our different offices.

Application: To apply please fill out this application form where you will be asked to upload:

1. Your resume
2. Two short videos (2-3 minutes per video) or a written response in which you respond to the following questions:
3. Question 1: Tell me your story: where are you coming from, what you’ve done in the world that you’re passionate about (in work or otherwise), your ambitions for your future, or whatever else you think is relevant in explaining who you are.
4. Question 2: Why do you think you are a good fit for this role? What are the unique strengths you bring, and what are your weaknesses?

We’re excited to hear from you!

We’re excited to hear from you!

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