Clean Transportation Project Manager, Kenya

The ICCT is looking for an enthusiastic, entrepreneurial professional to lead our vehicle policy portfolio in Kenya. This position will build and maintain relationships with policymakers, government agencies, local NGOs, industry, academics, and media on the ICCT’s behalf. Working closely with the ICCT’s global staff, this person will help shape the ICCT’s Kenya policy and will partner with ICCT’s global communications team to develop outreach and media strategies that raise the visibility and impact of that work. This position will  support fuel-efficiency standards, zero-emission vehicle availability requirements, and other policies to improve the environmental and energy performance of on-road transportation in Kenya. As the ICCT’s first staff member based in Kenya, this person will serve as our primary representative in the country and will operate as a self-directed leader who shapes the ICCT’s presence in Kenya.  

The ideal candidate will bring knowledge of the transportation sector and environmental/energy topics, an understanding of Kenyan policy-making processes, and demonstrated experience engaging and building relationships with stakeholders within the Kenyan government, industry, and NGOs, and media. Transportation research and modeling experience are highly desirable, as is experience developing communications or media strategies. Because this person will be the ICCT’s sole in-country staff member, the ideal candidate is an independent, self-motivated leader who is comfortable setting priorities and representing an organization without close day-to-day supervision, while staying closely coordinated with global colleagues. This opportunity is best suited to someone who is resourceful, creative, curious, and willing to work hard and learn fast to help solve our most pressing global health and environmental challenges.

This position is preferably based in Nairobi and may require periodic travel within the country and globally; other locations within Kenya may be considered. This position reports to the ICCT’s Emerging Markets Director.  

YOU WILL:  

• Serve as the ICCT’s primary representative and first in-country staff member in Kenya, building and maintaining relationships with a wide variety of stakeholders, including local and national government officials and agencies, NGOs, academics, industry partners, and media.    

• Help develop the ICCT’s overall policy strategy for Kenya in close collaboration with the ICCT’s global program staff and engage key partners in Kenya to gather information and communicate relevant findings from the ICCT’s research to support policy development.  

• Organize outreach opportunities with external stakeholders and participate in public conferences or private meetings to discuss, develop, and revise transportation policies.  

• Write and review technical reports, policy briefings, blogs, social media posts, articles, and other collateral summarizing the ICCT’s research.  

• Develop and execute outreach and media strategies for Kenya in collaboration with ICCT’s global communications team, to raise the visibility of ICCT’s research and increase its influence on Kenyan policy debates.  

• Develop quantitative and qualitative analyses of technology and operational strategies to reduce vehicle emissions to inform local and national policies. 

• Operate with a high degree of independence as ICCT’s first staff member in Kenya, exercising sound judgment and leadership in day-to-day decisions while keeping global colleagues informed and aligned on strategy and priorities. 

YOU HAVE:  

• Demonstrated experience with Kenyan policy-making processes and established connections within the Kenyan government, industry, and NGOs.  

• Demonstrated experience with stakeholder engagement, including building relationships with government officials, NGOs, and media, and facilitating collaboration on public policy development.  

• M.Sc. or Ph.D. in engineering, environmental science, environmental policy, energy and resources, transportation, or another relevant field; equivalent professional experience will be considered.  

• 3+ years of applicable stakeholder engagement and/or research experience, ideally within a transportation field.  

• Strong English and Kiswahili communication skills, both written and verbal.  

• Strong problem-solving, interpersonal, and strategic thinking capabilities coupled with an outcome delivery-oriented approach.  

• Availability for occasional domestic and international travel.  

• Experience developing or supporting media and communications strategies, such as press outreach, message development, or working with journalists, is desirable.  

• Demonstrated ability to conduct technical analysis and write reports related to vehicle efficiency, electric vehicle technology, and transportation decarbonization policies is desirable.  

• Proficiency with data manipulation and analysis tools is desirable.