THE FORD FOUNDATION

POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT

Program Officer

Media, Arts and Culture

Eastern Africa

SUMMARY DESCRIPTION: The Program Officer will be responsible for grant making in media, arts and culture in the Foundation’s Office in Eastern Africa. The Program Officer will build on and develop programming achievements in the portfolio’s ‘Building Sustainable Spaces for Creativity and Culture’ initiative, while developing and strengthening innovative interventions in an emergent media aspect of the work. The successful candidate will be expected to carry forward a strong portfolio of grants supporting high quality artistic production, creativity, policy development and the promotion of viable institutions and players in the creative arts, media and culture as means of focusing public reflection, promoting civic engagement and addressing society’s concerns. Grant making will also be expected to build and strengthen linkages and exchange programs among artistic, cultural and media organizations in the region, across the continent and worldwide. The Program Officer is expected to develop and maintain close working relationship with existing and potential grantees, research and training institutions, leaders in government and civil society.

Working with the Representative in Nairobi and other Ford Foundation staff, the Program Officer will develop grant making strategies; identify prospective grantees; solicit, review and respond to grant proposals; prepare recommendations for Foundation funding; and monitor and evaluate progress. In addition to advancing the media, arts and culture agenda, the Program Officer is expected to contribute to the office’s overall strategic direction for the region. The Program Officer will also collaborate with colleagues in the Foundation’s other offices to advance a worldwide agenda around the Foundation’s goals in the media, arts and culture fields.

QUALIFICATIONS: A degree in the arts, humanities, the design disciplines, media or other related disciplines (preferably an advanced degree); professional experience and leadership in the arts, culture and the media; an understanding of program development and the ability to conceptualize programmatic ideas and strategies; strong managerial, organizational and interpersonal skills; excellent analytical and writing skills in English; and strong facilitating skills. Experience in East Africa or similar geographical location is highly desirable. Grant making experience will be an advantage.

Location: Nairobi, Kenya Target Date: Fall 2006

Salary is based on experience and on the Foundation’s commitment to internal equity. A generous benefits package is provided.

To apply for the position visit www.fordfound.org/employment or send full application materials (consisting of substantive cover letter, c.v., and a 5-20 page sole-authored writing sample in English) to:

Ms. E. Mbom
Search Co-ordinator
The Ford Foundation
320 E. 43rd St.
New York, NY 10017,
USA
V: 212-573-4972
F: 212-351-3644
e.mbom@fordfound.org
by June 12, 2006.

Equal employment opportunity and having a diverse staff are fundamental principles at The Ford Foundation, where employment and promotional opportunities are based upon individual capabilities and qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation/affectional preference, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status or any other protected characteristic as established under law.

April 2006

The Programme
Kwani Trust seeks to engage an intern with interest in the arts. The internship program will run for a period of six months and will involve the candidate being engaged in the daily running of various functional units within Kwani Trust.

Programme objectives
To attract and develop interest to prospective administrators in the arts.

Kwani Trust prides itself as a space for creative minds. In this kind of environment our interns will not only develop keener interest in the arts, but will hone their administrative skills.
 
Share our experience in the art business
Kwani Trust has  very distinct brands in the market; its successes and popularity continue to grow on a day-to-day basis both within and outside the country. In engaging an intern, we are offering to share the success of the platform we have created.

Training ground:
The Programme will offer hands-on training on the day to day running of a vibrant arts organization.

Management
The intern will report to the General Manager and but work under different functional unit heads. Within the different functional units they will be inducted on the operation of the unit and assigned duties under supervision.  The units are:

Administration

• assisting the General Manager with clerical work
• receiving and directing office communication, including email, telephone calls and visitors to the office premises.

Editorial

• receiving and filing of writers’ submissions
• proofreading and editing of submitted works
• liasing between editors at  Kwani Trust and the writers.

Marketing and Public relations

• Organising Kwani Trust events
• Distribution of media briefings
• Sales and distribution of Kwani products.

About Kwani Trust

Kwani Trust publishes Kwani? , Kenya’s only journal of contemporary writing. Kwani? is a serious publication of over 300 pages of new journalism, fiction, experimental writing, poetry, cartoons photographs, literary travel writing and creative non-fiction.
 
Before Kwani? Kenyans had stopped buying and reading literary material outside of school texts. In three years, we have sold over five thousand copies of the journal. A new generation of Kenyans are now reading actively. All together,  thirty thousand Kenyans have read Kwani? and we continue to grow.

Much is said about lack of a reading culture in Kenya; what we have found is that the literary intelligentsia, together with African publishers and founders of literary projects have lost touch with a new generation of Africans who are sick of being talked down to; who are seeking to understand the bewildering world around them – who wish to be validated in print.

Send all applications to intern@kwani.org.

Application deadline: 7th July 2006