East Africa Operations Manager

Job title: East Africa Operations Manager

Location: RLRH office at the British Institute in Eastern Africa in Kileleshwa, Nairobi (with occasional travel)

Salary: KSh 3,234,111 – 3,727,222 gross yearly, dependent on experience + benefits

Hours: Full-time (37.5 hours per week)

Contract type: Fixed term until September 2028 with possibility of extension pending funding

Reporting to: BIEA Country Director (formally), and working closely with the RLRH Director of Operations and Strategy (functionally)

Closing Date: 23 November 2026, midday (EAT)

Start Date: 4 January 2027 (desired)

About the Refugee-Led Research Hub

The Refugee-Led Research Hub (RLRH) supports individuals with lived experience of displacement to become leaders in fields related to human rights, forced migration, humanitarian response and development, politics, and law, among other areas. We do so by delivering academic and professional development programming to a global cohort of students who have been affected by displacement – as refugees, asylum seekers, IDPs, stateless, and beyond – supporting access to graduate degrees and advanced career opportunities. RLRH also creates opportunities for researchers with displacement backgrounds to lead primary and secondary research studies, from start to finish.

RLRH’s team is comprised of colleagues who are deeply committed to advancing refugee leadership, the majority of whom have lived experience of displacement. Our network of staff, researchers, students, and other affiliates is made up of 1,400+ individuals across 80+ countries. RLRH has six active offices: our first was established in Nairobi in 2020, we have had an office at the University of Oxford since 2021, and we have since developed physical hubs in Kakuma refugee camp (Kenya), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Kampala (Uganda), and in the Oxfordshire community (UK).

From October 2025, RLRH is funded to serve as a technical partner for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, advancing an ambitious global agenda to support displacement-affected learners to access 1,000+ graduate-level scholarships at partner universities around the world. RLRH provides expert guidance and implements specialised programmes to help these learners enter university, thrive on their courses, and pursue meaningful and enduring careers on completion of their degrees. A complementary, refugee-led research agenda designed by RLRH colleagues produces insights to help partner universities and other stakeholders accelerate positive, long-lasting systems change.

About the role

Overview of the Operations and Strategy Pillar

The Operations and Strategy Pillar (OSP) provides the organisational infrastructure that enables RLRH to deliver high-quality programmes and advance its mission at scale. Working across finance, operations, people, organisational systems, planning, governance, and institutional partnerships, the Pillar ensures colleagues have the support and systems required to deliver meaningful work across multiple countries, institutional contexts, and funding streams.

As a globally distributed organisation operating across the University of Oxford, the British Institute in Eastern Africa (BIEA), and a growing network of international offices, RLRH works within a complex operating environment that requires careful coordination, strong financial stewardship, and adaptable ways of working. The Operations and Strategy Pillar helps bring these different contexts together, building consistent organisational approaches while responding to local operational needs.

Beyond supporting day-to-day operations, the Pillar plays a central role in shaping how RLRH works and develops as an organisation. It does this through the continuous improvement of policies, systems, and ways of working that strengthen organisational effectiveness, improve organisational decision-making, support compliance, and enable the organisation to respond to new opportunities and challenges.

RLRH is entering a significant period of growth, with new regional hubs, expanding programmes, and a diversifying portfolio of funding and institutional partnerships. The Operations and Strategy Pillar is helping to turn this ambition into reality, building the foundations for sustainable growth while ensuring RLRH remains resilient, effective, and true to its mission.

Overview of the role

The RLRH East Africa Operations Manager role based at the British Institute in Eastern Africa (BIEA) is a mid-career position responsible for ensuring effective and compliant operations in Nairobi and in the broader East African region. The postholder will coordinate office administration, HR, and finance and compliance processes, while also contributing to organisational culture and learning, office expansion, and donor reporting. The role combines managerial oversight of three junior office, admin and finance roles with hands-on operational delivery, requiring a proactive individual with significant experience in non-profit operations in Kenya and/or East Africa.

Responsibilities

Operational Management (20%)

• Serve as the focal point for East Africa operations, liaising with RLRH colleagues in Oxford and Africa, and British Institute in Eastern Africa (BIEA) counterparts on human resources, finance, logistics, legal and compliance.
• Oversee daily operations of the RLRH Nairobi office, including administrative systems, office resources, equipment, and facilities.
• Maintain and update office and operations manuals, safeguarding and finance policies, and employee handbooks relevant to the RLRH Nairobi office.
• Monitor local operational risks (legal, financial, and security) and staff safety issues in Nairobi/East Africa, escalating concerns to the Director of Operations and Strategy.
• Support implementation of organisational knowledge management practices and digital security protocols, ensuring local compliance and staff uptake.
• Support the management and coordination of operational activities at the current and future RLRH satellite hubs in Kakuma, Kampala and any other future African locations.

• Support fieldwork safety and security procedures, including local risk assessments, practical safety arrangements, incident reporting and escalation, in collaboration with programme teams and relevant security focal points.

Human Resources (20%)

• Draft, process and follow up on staff and consultancy contracts with BIEA and Employer of Record partners (organisations that legally employ staff on RLRH's behalf). Oversee records of all contracts in budget and financial planners and the RLRH HR system (BambooHR).
• Coordinate HR processes, including recruitment, onboarding, offboarding, leave tracking, and performance monitoring.
• Support the development, updating, and rollout of HR policies and the staff handbook (leave, code of conduct, safeguarding, anti-harassment, etc).
• Provide staff training and onboarding support on operational systems and tools.
• Act as a staff wellbeing focal point and mediator, ensuring staff have access to wellbeing and DEI resources (training to be provided).
• Track and support the acquisition of visa, permit, and other legal documentation necessary for staff to perform their work (eg. Class M permits, Convention Travel Documents) and, where necessary, conduct in-person follow-ups with relevant authorities.
• Support the implementation of accessible accountability and complaints mechanisms by ensuring staff know how to raise concerns, understand the available reporting channels, and can access relevant procedures.
  

Finance and Compliance (20%)

• Line management of the RLRH East Africa Finance Officer, overseeing financial operations related to East Africa activities while ensuring high-quality deliverables and professional development.
• Liaise with BIEA finance focal point, BIEA Kenya Country Director, and RLRH Finance Officer to ensure timely approvals and processing of payments.
• Ensure RLRH East Africa financial processes are compliant with implementing partner and RLRH finance policies.
• Approve and manage payments, procurement approvals, reimbursement confirmations, petty cash reconciliations, and planned spending tracking for East Africa operations.
• Oversee reconciliation of transaction lists and provide oversight of payments and financial reporting.
• Support needs during annual financial audits and ensure compliance with legal and donor financial reporting requirements.

Partnerships, Grants and Programmes (15%)

• Support disbursement and processing of research and fellowship grants alongside the Research and Professional Placements teams, liaising with BIEA HR and finance colleagues for award approvals and grant disbursement.
• Work with external organisational partners to establish and manage subcontracts, research partnerships, and collaboration agreements for paying out funds.
• Alongside BIEA legal & compliance manager, draft and manage MOUs with external organisational partners, including financial and logistical terms.
• Support programme teams in identifying and resolving operational challenges affecting the timely delivery of academic programmes, outreach events, research, placements, training and other activities across East Africa.

Office Management (15%)

• Manage team of three direct reports (the Finance Officer, the Administrative Assistant, and the Office and Events Assistant), and any additional operations colleagues or trainees. This includes day-to-day oversight, quality of work, and professional development.
• Create a healthy and supportive work environment for all RLRH Nairobi office colleagues, ensuring accountability and a positive office culture.
• Oversee the effective day-to-day management of RLRH office spaces, ensuring they are safe, functional, accessible, and fit for purpose as the organisation grows.
• Plan physical space across the Nairobi, Kampala and Kakuma hubs, identifying space constraints, and working with partners and colleagues on practical solutions as needs change.
• Support the oversight of office events and logistics, and serve as the operational point of contact for visitors and delegations to the RLRH Nairobi office.

Strategy and Development (10%)

• Incorporate Nairobi and East Africa learnings into global operational and strategic planning.
• Contribute to donor compliance, narrative reporting, and yearly narrative reflections on East Africa operations.
• Support development of new offices and operational structures, with a particular focus on documenting growth strategies for replication of new hubs on the continent.
• Undertake additional responsibilities aligned with the role's purpose and organisational priorities, as directed by the RLRH Director of Operations and Strategy.

Selection Criteria

Essential

1. Substantial relevant experience in operations, administration, HR, or finance, ideally in non-profit or academic/research organisations in Kenya or East Africa.
2. Master’s degree in Business Administration, Finance, Economics, Operations Management, International Development or equivalent.
3. Strong knowledge of Kenyan legal, HR, and financial frameworks relevant to charitable and/or research organisations.
4. Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities across HR, finance, and operations.
5. Experience using a range of digital systems to support finance and operations, including accounting software (e.g. XERO), budgeting and reporting tools, collaboration platforms (e.g. Slack), HR (e.g. BambooHR), or CRM systems.
6. Excellent communication and partnership management skills, with experience liaising across time zones and with diverse stakeholders.
7. Strong problem-solving, accountability, and organisational skills.
8. Experience leading or line-managing teams.
9. Excellent cultural competence and cultural humility.
10. Commitment to RLRH’s mission and values, including refugee leadership and inclusive practice.
11. Excellent written and verbal English.

Desirable

1. Lived experience of forced displacement or other migration journeys.
2. Interest in International Development, Refugee/Migration Studies, and/or related areas.
3. Familiarity with non-profit, higher education, and/or international development environments.
4. Experience working across multiple regions, particularly in LMIC contexts.
5. Knowledge of a language spoken by RLRH learners and affiliates, such as Swahili, Arabic, Amharic, Somali, French, and/or Oromo.

Applicants are expected to have or obtain the right to work in Kenya. For candidates affected by displacement who do not currently have this, RLRH can provide support for acquiring a gratis Refugee Class M work permit.

How to Apply

• Upload your CV (ideally no more than 2 pages).
• Answer three role-specific questions.
• Upload a cover letter (1-2 pages).

RLRH encourages applications from individuals who have been affected by displacement and others who may belong to historically under-represented groups, including but not limited to those who identify as BIPOC, LGBTQI+, women, and candidates with disabilities.

In line with RLRH’s AI Use Policy, we kindly ask that you do not use generative AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT) to draft or edit your responses. Applicants may use limited AI to improve grammar or formatting, however, the use of AI to generate complete cover letters, answer specific application questions, or create other responses/presentations is prohibited.