Transitions Manager (Professional Pathways Pillar)

Job title: Transitions Manager (Professional Pathways Pillar)

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

Salary: KSh 2,800,000 – 3,234,111 gross yearly + benefits.

Hours: Full-time (37.5 hours per week)

Contract type: Fixed-term 12-month contract. We expect to renew this contract; funding is secured until at least October 2028.

Reporting to: Senior Programme Manager, Professional Pathways Pillar

Closing Date: 21 September 2026, midday (EAT)

Start Date: 19 October 2026 (desired) but flexible

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 Foundations Scholars Program network, 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 course, 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 Scholars Program partner universities and other stakeholders accelerate positive, long-lasting systems change.

The Role

Overview of the Professional Pathways Pillar

The Professional Pathways Pillar (PPP) supports individuals with displacement backgrounds to access career opportunities. We work most closely with RLRH affiliates who have completed our academic and research programmes and other students who have completed or are pursuing postgraduate degrees at partner universities. We also collaborate closely with allied organisations and universities to systematically strengthen the inclusion of refugees in the workforce. RLRH’s people-centred career advancement programming brings to life our vision of creating transformative refugee leadership in impactful professional settings throughout the world. We deliver three main interventions:

1. Foundationally, we provide individualised career counselling to RLRH affiliates at any stage in their journey, helping them to identify career pathways that are well suited to their personal and professional skills, experiences, and aspirations.
2. To build out core professional skills, we run a stipended six-month, in-person advanced traineeship for degree completers, which combines foundational professional training with deep mentorship. This is currently run in three of RLRH’s offices – in Kampala, Kakuma, and Nairobi, with plans for future expansion – in collaboration with our Research Pillar.
3. To develop meaningful and sustained pathways, we facilitate paid external professional placements with values-aligned partnered employers who are active and influential across various sectors of interest to RLRH affiliates. Placements provide a supportive environment for affiliates to establish themselves in the workforce, building skills and profiles that will serve them for years to come.

On top of our existing global footprint, the PPP will grow in the coming years in collaboration with the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, with the aim of supporting African graduates across 20+ universities worldwide to transition to meaningful employment soon after completion of their degrees. By 2028, the programme expects to have enrolled 110 African displacement-affected graduates in the traineeship across RLRH’s physical hubs and facilitate 130 professional placements with employer partners.

Overview of Position

The Transitions Manager is responsible for the design and delivery of the PPP’s professional development and employability support services for graduates affected by forced displacement. The postholder will develop and implement a portfolio of career readiness activities that prepare affiliates to successfully transition into placements, fellowships, employment opportunities, and other career pathways.

Combining strategic programme development with direct affiliate support, this is a dynamic role involving the delivery of high-quality online and in-person career coaching, group workshops, and application support. Through these activities, the postholder will equip affiliates with the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to navigate the barriers frequently faced by refugee and displaced professionals pursuing meaningful career opportunities.

The postholder will draw on their expertise, alongside insights from RLRH affiliates and university and employer partners to inform the expansion and strengthening of the PPP’s professional development services. As this area of work grows, the Transitions Manager will play a vital role in supporting the development and management of a broader careers function, contributing to staff supervision and the professional development of junior colleagues.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced careers or employability professional to build and lead a growing area of RLRH's transition to employment work. Working closely with Professional Pathways team members, they will help create innovative and impactful services that support refugee and displaced graduates to pursue and achieve their long-term career goals.

Responsibilities

Professional development services design and improvement (35%)

• Lead the design of professional development services for RLRH affiliates, piloting workshops, practical resources and application support sessions.
• Produce and maintain clear documentation outlining programme design and implementation.
• Use participant engagement, feedback, and emerging needs to inform the continuous improvement of professional development services.
• Keep abreast of labour market trends and placement opportunities to inform programme content and participant guidance.

Participant support and delivery (35%)

• Deliver 1:1 career coaching to programme participants.
• Facilitate group-based workshops and employability sessions.
• Lead the onboarding and induction of participants into placements and other Professional Pathways Pillar programmes.
• Match affiliates to relevant opportunities and provide career readiness support.
• Collaborate with PPP colleagues and Research Facilitators to support Graduate Trainees and placement participants.

Technical expertise and external guidance (15%)

• Work closely with the PPP’s Partnerships Manager to provide technical support to professional transitions leads at Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program universities and other allied institutions.
• Deliver transitions-related workshops with university partners to master’s graduates who have been affected by displacement.
• Supervise and support incoming RLRH Careers Advisors as the portfolio of professional development services expands.

Operations and administration (10%)

• Maintain case management systems and participant records to track professional development progress and outcomes.

Other duties as assigned (5%)

• Attend PPP team meetings and contribute to planning and coordination activities.
• Undertake additional responsibilities aligned with the role’s purpose and organisational priorities, as directed by the PPP’s Senior Programme Manager.

Selection criteria

Essential

1. A bachelor’s degree in education, human resources, social sciences, international development or a related field, or equivalent professional experience in career development.
2. Significant experience in careers guidance, employability, professional development, career coaching, talent development, or workforce transitions.
3. Demonstrated experience designing and delivering employability, professional development or career readiness programmes.
4. Demonstrated experience delivering workshops, group learning programmes and 1:1 career coaching.
5. Experience working with refugees, displaced populations, or other individuals facing barriers to employment, education, or professional progression.
6. Experience maintaining participant records and using CRM, database, or case management systems to support programme delivery
7. Demonstrated knowledge of labour market trends, recruitment processes, and career pathways, particularly within the African context.
8. Excellent interpersonal and relationship management skills, with experience working across diverse teams.
9. Strong organisational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities independently.
10. Commitment to inclusion, equity, and affiliate-centred practice and programming.
11. Excellent cultural competency and cultural humility.
12. Excellent written and verbal English.

Desirable

1. A master’s degree in a relevant field of studies.
2. Experience working within nonprofit, higher education, and/or international development environments.
3. Experience working across multiple regions, particularly in LMIC contexts.
4. Fluency in additional languages spoken by RLRH learners and affiliates, such as French, Swahili, Arabic, Amharic, Somali, and/or Oromo.
5. Demonstrated experience supervising, mentoring, or supporting the professional development of colleagues.
6. Professional qualification in career guidance, coaching, counselling, learning and development or related fields.

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.

We believe that lived experience of displacement is a strength, and we give active, positive consideration to those with intersecting identities and backgrounds as part of our commitment to equitable hiring practices. As such, 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 differently-abled candidates.

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 application materials.

We are committed to ensuring that everyone has an equal opportunity to apply and be considered for any role, and our recruitment process is accessible to all candidates. If you would like to request an adjustment (including requests for alternative formats) to our process, please contact our team at careers@refugeeledresearch.org