Kenya: Scout - Governance for Sustainable Services Portfolio (Canadian citizens and permanent residents only)

Please note: Canadian citizens, permanent residents and landed immigrants only.

Engineers Without Borders Canada (EWB) ​is a Canadian NGO that invests in people and ventures to create a thriving and sustainable world. Bolstered by its network of 40 chapters and 1300 members, EWB provides seed funding, talent and mentorship to social enterprises throughout Sub­Saharan Africa. For more information on EWB, visit http://ewb.ca.

The EWB Fellows Program

Now in its 15 th year, the EWB Fellows Program exists to develop a cadre of Systems Change Leaders by equipping them with the opportunities, competencies and skills needed to build a more thriving and sustainable world. Every year we recruit 25­-30 outstanding people for the 12-­month Fellowship, placing successful candidates in one of our early-­stage Ventures located throughout Sub Saharan Africa. This Fellowship opportunity is with the GSS Portfolio team and will be based in either Uganda or Kenya.

About the GSS portfolio

Until a few years ago, EWB­Ca operated as a network organization that placed students and recent graduates in short and long­term fellowships in local and national government agencies in sub­Saharan Africa.

In time, fellows started to identify opportunities as non­profit organizations and social enterprises, and what started with informal, ongoing support naturally evolved into a core value proposition for our organization. Our Governance for Sustainable Services (GSS) Portfolio’s ambition is to catalyze a shift in how basic social services are governed, financed, and delivered in low­income countries in sub­Saharan Africa.

In 2016, we have a new, 5­year strategy, and in this first year will be testing ideas to inform and refine our thinking as we learn and grow.

The GSS social venture model has three core elements that are central to our mission and values:

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  Discovery: drawing on our short and long­term fellowship programs for early career Canadian and African leaders as well as our university chapter model, we identify and cultivate ideas for incubation and investment. In 2016­-2020, we will expand our reach to a wider audience of potential innovators, entrepreneurs, and intra­preneurs to achieve our goals. In 2016 we will identify venture opportunities through:

  
  
  • Interactive sector innovation forums, using hack­a­thon style approaches to scoping governance problems and mapping solution pathways for testing;
  
  
  • Portfolio­level partnership with and through existing, sector­-based governance-­focused platforms which venture leaders can leverage;
  
  
  • Regular market scoping exercises to identify new ideas, trends, and opportunities.
  
  


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  Angel / seed funding: we identify and support venture leaders with funds to experiment and test innovative ideas with potential to improve the governance of basic social services. Venture leaders and teams demonstrate grit, drive, curiosity, and willingness to learn. We offer early stage seed funding, professional development, and early­stage support as they see if their ideas can be developed into viable products or services.

  
  


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  Supportive environment: we further offer ventures ongoing networking, mentorship, career, and enterprise support, including for fundraising activities when they’re ready for later­stage investment. Venture leaders are encouraged to take risk in a supportive environment, which continues long after official engagement with EWB­ ends.

  
  

Now is an exciting time to associate with GSS. Our new strategy presents a shift and evolution in our approach, and we are looking for self­starters to help achieve the strategy’s ambitions.

About the role

The LTF Scout will support the success of GSS’s portfolio through the following activities over the 12­month term. An indicative roster of activities is provided below, based on the following three categories of work:

Skills & Qualifications

You are right for this position if you: ­

• Are a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or landed immigrant


• Are highly motivated ­


• Are a well organized and self-­directed leader who works well both independently and on a dynamic and diverse team


• ­Have experience working in the social service or non­profit sector, or with governance and public policy ­


• Have an undergraduate degree (graduate education an asset) ­


• Possess impeccable English language skills (additional language skills considered an asset).

Compensation

All costs relating to the placement are either paid for directly by EWB (airfare, insurance, vaccinations, trainings) or indirectly through a living stipend, which covers food, living expenses, local travel, etc. Fellows also receive an honorarium that can be used to assist with repatriation costs or additional costs during the duration of the placement. The stipend covers basic living expenses for a modest lifestyle in your placement country. You should not expect to save money during this year or use the stipend to cover previous expenses (ex. student loans).

Additionally, EWB offers a range of benefits including insurance, a settlement allowance, professional development opportunities, and more.