RTI International Careers

Position Description

• The Global Human Resources team within RTI is looking for a Senior Employee Relations Specialist to serve as a member of the RTI Employee Relations Center of Excellence (ERC) and a key contributor to the RTI Ethics Office. The primary responsibility will be to serve as an extension of the ERC overseas, while also supporting advancement of the Ethics Office, by fulfilling the duties outlined below.
• In consultation with, and at the direction of, the ERC leads investigations related to allegations occurring outside of the US in the Employee Relations domain, including allegations of workplace conflict, failure to demonstrate Respect for the Individual (a core RTI Value), and violations of our Code of Conduct.
• The Senior Employee Relations Specialist will report to the Director, Employee Relations. This position will be based in sub-Saharan Africa. This role will require international travel 25% of the time. Candidates must be eligible to work in their country of residence without sponsorship.

Responsibilities

• Under the direction of ERC and the Ethics Office, ensures Ethics and Employee Relations inquiries and concerns are promptly and appropriately escalated and responded to, to help ensure timely resolution, in collaboration and coordination with HR team members and business leaders in the field.
• Conducts and/or contributes to sensitive workplace investigative interviews related to employee concerns and allegations of ethics violations, interpersonal conflicts, and disciplinary matters, ensuring a fair and thorough process while upholding confidentiality and impartiality, and promptly escalating any notable concerns or risks as necessary.
• Offers specialized expertise, assistance, and resolution on specific ER matters, such as policy interpretation, conflict resolution, and behavior-related issues, with minimal supervision from leadership, while escalating any significant concerns or risks in an appropriate and timely manner.
• Under the guidance of the ERC and Ethics functions, coordinates and facilitates ER and Ethics outreach activities, including training sessions, workshops, and communication initiatives, to foster a positive work culture.
• Maintains accurate and confidential records and documentation, ensuring compliance with data protection regulations, legal requirements, and internal policies.
• Remains updated on evolving employment laws, regulations, and industry best practices related to Ethics and ER, and contributes to their incorporation into policies and practices.
• Works closely with a wide range of collaborators including the Ethics and ER teams, HR Business Partners, Legal, Management, and other stakeholders, collaborating effectively to address workplace issues while building effective working relationships.
• Contributes to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and respectful work environment by promoting open communication, cultural sensitivity, and fairness among employees and managers.
• Continuously assesses and contributes to the enhancement of processes, practices, and policies, identifying opportunities for improvement and providing innovative solutions.
• Provides routine updates on investigations to members of management and maintains well-organized and complete internal investigation case files.
• Writes clear and objective internal investigation reports.
• Contributes to preventive discussions arising from substantiated violations of RTI policy and identifies opportunities for process improvements.
• Supports other initiatives of the ERC and Ethics Office as assigned.
• Leverages understanding of cultural dynamics and diversity within the regions for effective assessment and enhancement of practice.
• May support the resolution of certain Ethics issues such as alleged breaches of internal policies, laws or regulations, and conflicts of interest.
• In coordination with ERC and Ethics, coordinates outreach and education initiatives to staff outside of the US to:
  • Ensure expectations related to ethical and respectful behavior are clearly communicated and understood.
  • Raise awareness of RTI’s Values and Code of Conduct, promote positive working relationships among staff, proactively avoid and/or resolve workplace conflict, and help ensure compliance with applicable employment laws and RTI expectations.
  • Proactively address priority issues as identified by incident trend analysis.
• Actively responds to, or escalates, employee and management inquiries related to RTI’s Code of Conduct and employee relations, including providing performance management guidance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and 12 years of relevant experience or master’s degree and 10 years of relevant experience.
• Significant experience in employee relations, including policy interpretation, conflict resolution, and behavior-related issues; preferably with an international organization.
• Previous experience working with regional, international and/or global organizations.
• Experience coordinating and facilitating ER-related training sessions, workshops, and/or communication initiatives.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Working knowledge of local labor laws, employment laws and legal resources in sub-Saharan Africa.
• Familiarity with international development systems and policies.
• Ability to prioritize issues and make recommendations to policies.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with project staff, leaders, HR stakeholders as well as RTI clients.
• Critical thinker, able to identify issues and opportunities, provide solutions and reach consensus with multiple stakeholders.
• Ability to communicate effectively in a multi-cultural environment.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English (additional fluency in French strongly preferred), with strong attention to detail and accuracy.
• Must be detail oriented and highly organized, with ability to work in a fast-paced environment and be able to meet unexpected demands.
• Must exhibit a flexible work attitude, with ability to work independently, in a team environment and within a matrix organization.
• Excellent knowledge of MS Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel.

Job Description

Overview

RTI International seeks a prospect for the Finance Internship within the International Development Group. 

The USAID-funded Western Kenya Sanitation Project (USAID WKSP) aims to establish a financially sustainable, transformative, and locally owned sanitation marketplace in the eight counties of western Kenya, with a focus on improved sanitation, fecal sludge management (FSM), and menstrual hygiene management (MHM) products and services.

The intern will work under the guidance of the Finance Specialist, gaining hands-on experience in day-to-day finance operations.

Learning Objectives:

• Learn and contribute to the review and submission of monthly bank reconciliations.
• Gain exposure to project cash management functions, budgeting and reporting of USAID funded projects, and learning about compliance with both USAID and RTI procedures
• Learn how to reconcile monthly expenses, track VAT refunds with external vendors, contribute ideas for process improvement, and collaborate with the local office in Kisumu and the office in DC and North Carolina.

Responsibilities

• Assist the finance team in establishing and maintaining systems for timely disbursement, accounting, budgeting, and reporting of project funds in compliance with local and USAID regulations.
• Contribute to the preparation and submission of monthly expense reports to the RTI home office.
• Learn and contribute to maintaining the inventory tracking system, ensuring compliance
• Participate in reviewing expenses and financial transactions to ensure compliance with RTI procedures and terms of the agreement. with USAID and RTI procedures. 
• Participate in reconciling and following up on VAT refunds.

RTI's Internship Program emphasizes experiential and mentored learning experiences, providing students and recent degree recipients an opportunity to apply their academic knowledge and skills in a meaningful and practical way. We are committed to developing the future workforce by encouraging interns to explore various career paths in a nonprofit research institute setting that values diversity and inclusion. Through this program, interns will be exposed to RTI's open and educational culture; support RTI's mission to improve the human condition; and build upon their career goals. 

Additional Information

This in-person academic credit with stipend internship will take place from March 2024 through May 2024. The internship requires a minimum commitment of 20 hours per week. Hours are flexible during business hours, Monday through Friday. 

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Must be a local resident of Kisumu, Kenya
• Currently pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in Finance, Accounting, or a related field.
• Must be eligible to receive academic course credit or fulfill an academic program requirement. Please provide document in with application confirming eligibility.
• A personal mobile phone is required
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Basic understanding of financial management principles. 
• Excellent attention to detail and accuracy.
• Effective communication and teamwork skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Preference for the candidate to have their own laptop
• Be able to travel occasionally across the project target counties
• It is expected that the team members must be able to work in a fast-paced, results-driven environment – with one team – one project concept.
• The ideal candidate should be highly motivated, entrepreneurial, resourceful, flexible, independent, and energetic with excellent communications skills, cultural sensitivity and has demonstrated experience supporting technical assistance projects.

Position Description

• The Kenya On-Grid Specialist will be based in Nairobi, Kenya and will manage on-grid activities for the program in Kenya. Reporting to the East Africa/Kenya Regional Lead, this position will work with USAID, government institutions, energy sector entities, private sector, development partners and other relevant stakeholders. The Kenya On-Grid Specialist is expected to provide energy sector technical support and serve as coordinator and champion for on-grid project activities being led by other divisions in tandem with project objectives.

Responsibilities

• Support energy sector entities and decision-makers to advance their energy strategic and economic growth goals in on-grid power development.
• Provide support to utilities as they densify their grid connections and facilitate faster, cheaper utility connections.
• Support planning of clean generation and transmission expansion in line with national goals.
• Provide or facilitate provision of technical assistance to utilities on a wide range of subjects including technical and commercial loss reduction, planning and/or financial modelling, climate resilience and PPAs amongst others.
• Track and monitor power transaction developments towards financial close and commissioning.
• Build, establish, and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders in the Kenyan energy sector and with power development entities throughout Kenya.
• Support development and implementation of enabling policies, regulations, fair and robust regulatory processes working with the Energy Regulator.
• Provide regular updates to EECA leadership and USAID on the progress of projects and initiatives. This will involve preparing weekly reports, quarterly reports, and ad hoc reports as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and 8 years of experience, master’s degree and 6 years of experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in the power sector with a focus on planning, utility performance, turnaround, and improvement, PPAs or sector regulation.
• Strong conceptualization and execution skills.
• Demonstrated strong connections with the Kenya government energy sector institutions.
• Proficient writing and communication skills in English.
• Must be able to work in Kenya.

Position Description

• RTI is seeking an experienced Accountant for the USAID WKSP project. The Accountant will be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the finance department, reporting directly to the Finance Specialist.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Support the finance team in establishing and maintaining effective systems for timely and cost-effective disbursement, accounting, budgeting, and reporting of project funds in compliance with local and USAID regulations.
• Provide functional support for RTI’s finance and accounting functions.
• Accurately record and track expenses and financial transactions, including expense entry and record-keeping.
• Prepare and submit monthly expense reports to the RTI home office.
• Review expenses and financial transactions to ensure compliance with RTI procedures and terms of the agreement.
• Maintain an inventory tracking system, conducting periodic reviews to ensure compliance with USAID and RTI procedures.
• Perform cash management functions for maintaining RTI bank accounts.
• Manage petty cash accounts.
• Ensure bi-weekly expense reporting from field offices is within the deadline.
• Review and submit monthly bank reconciliations.
• Double-check the accuracy of information to identify weaknesses or missing data, striving for strict compliance and high-quality performance.
• Reconcile and follow up on VAT status reports.
• Recommend necessary improvements based on review findings to enhance the quality of reporting.
• Perform other tasks as assigned by supervisors.

Qualifications
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's Degree and 5 years of experience, Master's degree and 3 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Certified Public Accountant (CPA) part III required.
• Previous experience with USAID-funded programs, and fluency with USAID policies and procedures related to financial management, financial reporting, and grant making.
• Ability to understand and interpret policies and procedures as well as the ability to apply them with consistency in a variety of circumstances.
• Ability to function independently and carry out routine responsibilities with minimal supervision.
• Ability to follow guidelines and controls required of the position.
• Budgeting, financial analysis, and MS Excel skills required.
• Proficiency with accounting software (QuickBooks preferred), Word, PowerPoint and Access.
• Demonstrated team player with effective cross-cultural interpersonal skills; able to develop and
• communicate a common vision among diverse partners and lead multidisciplinary teams.
• Verbal and written fluency in English, along with strong communications, interpersonal, and
• presentation skills.
• High level of integrity and impeccable record in previous accounting positions.
• Ability to monitor progress of a project against milestones or deadlines.
• Work experience in Kenya required.

Closing Date: 2/9/2024

Position Description

• RTI is seeking a Grants Officer for the USAID WKSP project. The Grants Officer ensure monitoring and capacity building of the grantees is extensively conducted to reduce risk in the mismanagement of the active signed agreements. This will also ensure necessary technical support is given to all grantees. reporting directly to the Finance Specialist.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Facilitates capacity-building initiatives for grantees by collecting necessary paperwork for the purpose of monitoring technical and financial alignment.
• Assists in the preparation and documentation of the grants award cycle for both grants, ensuring that the technical prerequisites required for capturing relevant information in the solicitation process are readily available.
• Provides support to grantees in reviewing DA1 processing requirements and tracking foreign tax reporting.
• Supports the monitoring and regular verification of assets held by grantees.
• Aids in reviewing grantees' budgets for accuracy and reasonableness, ensuring that budgets are well-supported with precise budget narratives for onboarding purposes.
• Documents identified gaps during routine monthly and weekly monitoring to facilitate capacity-building efforts.
• Maintains a financial management filing system for SAF and GUC activities, including the accurate tracking of fund reimbursement, liquidations, and burn rates, and ensures there are no delays in fund disbursement.
• Collaborates with the Grants Manager to ensure that deliverables remain on schedule.
• Ensures that grantees comply with periodic requirements as per grant agreement clauses.
• Establishes sound mechanisms in accordance with RTI policies and Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) to facilitate grant fund disbursement and the justification of expenses.
• Analyzes grantees' funding requests and technical reports as needed.
• Provides support for day-to-day operational activities to ensure that the grants mechanism offers the necessary support to the project team.

Qualifications
Required Qualifications
To be considered for this position with USAID WKSP, candidates should meet the following requirements and qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree and 5 years of experience, Master's degree and 3 years in a Business-related field, Finance, or Accounting from a recognized institution.
• Certified Public Accountant (CPA) part III certification.
• A minimum of three (3) years of work experience in an organization related to donors or donor-funded projects.
• Proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office, indicating a strong command of essential software for the role.
• Strong analytical and review skills, with a keen eye for detail and a systematic approach to documenting review outcomes.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:
The services, job functions and responsibilities (“Scope of Work”) that the Employee will perform shall include, but are not limited to:

• Lead technical assistance for governance and strategic planning activities including development analysis, surveys, and any other tools for the development and implementation of health policies and reforms.
• Prepare health policy analyses, recommendations, policy briefs, and assessments for client and regional governments’ use.
• Conduct assessments and analyses as needed to strengthen capacity and governance structures of project partners and counterparts.
• Plan and facilitate stakeholder consultation and meetings at the national and county levels.
• Provide technical assistance for key stakeholder’s capacity strengthening activities including workshops, on-site support and other learning strategies as defined in the workplan and in coordination with other team members.
• Supervise short-term local consultants assigned to PROPEL Health Kenya under governance activities.
• Assist the project team with monitoring and evaluation (M&E) and documentation of project results and reporting data related to technical activities within policy and governance.
• Provide technical leadership within the team on policy and governance.
• Support capacity building efforts to develop analytic and operational skills related to health policy and planning.
• Develop activity documentation (briefs, reports, PPTs, etc.) and provide substantial contribution for the development of concepts notes, workplans and any other document related to the activity deliverables and project technical activities.
• Supervise other team members as assigned.
• Work with the project team to draft quarterly, semi-annual, and ad hoc activity reports and document success stories to showcase the projects’ work.
• Perform other related duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Duration:

• Full-time, for one year period, with possible extension based on funding and performance.

Reporting and Supervision:

• This is a full-time position based in Nairobi, Kenya, with matrixed reporting to the PROPEL Health Country Project Director and RTI lead (based in the US).

Qualifications
Minimum Education and Experience Required:

• Bachelor's Degree and 5 years of experience, Master's degree and 3 years of experience (or equivalent combination of education and experience) in social sciences, public health, public policy, health systems, business administration, or similar degree program.
• 5+ years of experience providing technical assistance on health programs in areas such as health governance, health policy, using data for decision making, capacity development of public sector, functional transfer, strategic and implementation planning, and leadership.
• Experience working both with public sector and NGOs in the health sector.
• Experience developing and applying systems management and monitoring tools and conducting assessments and analyses.
• Experience strengthening accountability and transparency of public sector health programs.
• Experience implementing programs and providing technical assistance at the national and county levels in Kenya.
• Proven experience conducting training events, workshops, and building the capacity of counterparts to strengthen policy and governance at the national and subnational levels.
• Demonstrated experience in disseminating work through conference presentations, publications, and journal articles.

Closing Date: 2/9/2024

Position Description

• RTI is seeking an experienced Procurement Officer for the USAID WKSP project. The Procurement Officer will play a crucial role in procuring goods and services essential for project operations, ensuring cost-effectiveness, quality, and strict compliance with organizational standards and donor requirements.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Strategic Planning:

• Efficiently manage procurement planning, encompassing goods distribution and store management, on-time deliveries.
• Develop and implement annual procurement plans, meticulously aligning them with project budgets and timelines.
• Cultivate and manage a comprehensive roster of suppliers, fostering smooth vendor relationships to enhance workflow.

Procurement Processes:

• Handle procurement processes from requisition to contract negotiation in line with RTI’s Procurement Manual.
• Evaluate procurement requirements and ensure timely delivery using efficient procedures.
• Ensure compliance with procurement manuals, financial rules, and organizational directives.

Procurement Management:

• Implement internal controls and process improvements for a client-oriented procurement system.
• Foster and maintain strong relations with suppliers, negotiating contracts for optimal value.

Transactional Procurement:

• Monitor all procurement transactions, including tendering, contracting, and contract management.
• Ensure legal compliance, payment conditions, and performance evaluation.
• Support Procurement Unit, Committees, and Evaluation teams.

Reporting and Compliance:

• Prepare accurate monthly procurement reports for the Director of Finance and Administration.
• Ensure strict compliance with all reporting requirements.

Procurement Optimization:

• Oversee all procurement ensuring efficiency and adherence to best practices.
• Maintain and update the project Procurement Plan, agreements, and Purchase Orders (POs).
• Collaborate with field teams to identify and address procurement challenges effectively.

Regional Office Collaboration:

• Work with HQ staff to implement procurement processes that enhance fairness and transparency.
• Perform other tasks as assigned by supervisor.

Qualifications
Qualifications and Skills:

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Supply Chain Management, or related field.
• MUST be a member of a procurement professional body.
• Proven experience of at least 3 years as a Procurement Officer or similar role in an NGO or relevant sector.
• Strong knowledge of procurement regulations, processes, and best practices.
• Excellent negotiation, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Proficiency in procurement software and MS Office Suite.
• Ability to thrive in a multicultural environment and collaborate effectively with diverse stakeholders.
• Attention to detail, analytical thinking, and adept problem-solving skills.

Position Description

• The Kenya On-Grid Specialist will be based in Nairobi, Kenya and will manage on-grid activities for the program in Kenya. Reporting to the East Africa/Kenya Regional Lead, this position will work with USAID, government institutions, energy sector entities, private sector, development partners and other relevant stakeholders. The Kenya On-Grid Specialist is expected to provide energy sector technical support and serve as coordinator and champion for on-grid project activities being led by other divisions in tandem with project objectives.

Responsibilities

• Support energy sector entities and decision-makers to advance their energy strategic and economic growth goals in on-grid power development.
• Provide support to utilities as they densify their grid connections and facilitate faster, cheaper utility connections.
• Support planning of clean generation and transmission expansion in line with national goals.
• Provide or facilitate provision of technical assistance to utilities on a wide range of subjects including technical and commercial loss reduction, planning and/or financial modelling, climate resilience and PPAs amongst others.
• Track and monitor power transaction developments towards financial close and commissioning.
• Build, establish, and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders in the Kenyan energy sector and with power development entities throughout Kenya.
• Support development and implementation of enabling policies, regulations, fair and robust regulatory processes working with the Energy Regulator.
• Provide regular updates to EECA leadership and USAID on the progress of projects and initiatives. This will involve preparing weekly reports, quarterly reports, and ad hoc reports as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and 8 years of experience, master’s degree and 6 years of experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in the power sector with a focus on planning, utility performance, turnaround, and improvement, PPAs or sector regulation.
• Strong conceptualization and execution skills.
• Demonstrated strong connections with the Kenya government energy sector institutions.
• Proficient writing and communication skills in English.
• Must be able to work in Kenya.

Position Description

• The Kenya On-Grid Specialist will be based in the Nairobi and will work with government institutions, relevant energy sector entities, donor community, private sector, and relevant civil society groups and NGOs. This position will oversee and manage on-grid activities for the program in assigned countries. The Kenya On-Grid Specialist is expected to provide energy sector technical support and serve as coordinator and champion for project activities in close coordination with EECA technical and cross-cutting team leadership. Key to success in this role requires the ability to engage senior decision-makers (including country government counterparts) and understand the unique political economy of the countries’ energy sectors. The Specialist will support capacity building, legal, financial, and other technical assistance activities that integrate on-grid development priorities, private sector growth strategies, and U.S. government development initiatives. The specialist will report to East Africa/Kenya Technical Lead.

Responsibilities

• Support changes to energy sector planning that aligns with planned or existing energy sector strategic development, economic growth goals, and climate change adaptation and mitigation targets.
• Support planning of generation, distribution and transmission expansion, particularly those infrastructure projects essential to regional integration.
• Support implementation of potential development of overall integrated resources and resilience planning or other high-level planning deliverables (including management of consultancy teams with effective deliverable organization, scheduling, and budgeting)
• Support the government in understanding and building capacity for competitive procurement practices in energy infrastructure growth or other host-country sector identified strategic growth initiatives.
• Support the government in its dealings with the project developer community working with the EECA Community mobilization Specialist.
• Provide technical assistance to utilities as they establish IPP units, build staff capacity to evaluate bids, review project designs, build shadow financial models, and review PPAs. Provide support as they densify their grid connections and facilitate faster, cheaper utility connections.
• Strengthen the capacity of the Energy Regulator to develop and establish fair and robust regulatory processes.
• Provide technical assistance to IPPs to advance transactions towards financial close.
• Work closely with the Kenya off-grid specialist, EECA technical teams and cross-cutting teams across the project to integrate learnings in your practice area.
• Provide weekly progress reports and contribute to overall routine reporting to the client.
• Work with other development partners ensuring up-to-date knowledge of the sector and its activities to ensure harmonized support.
• Maintain and update a database of on-grid energy company transactions and provide updates on transactions to Power Africa.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and 8 years of experience, master’s degree and 6 years of experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in the power sector with a focus on public policy, sector regulation, utility turnaround or improvement, and IPPs.
• Significant project management experience with excellent organizational and communication skills.
• Demonstrated strong connections with the local government energy sector institutions.
• Ability to work in a team-of-teams environment that value collaboration and integrated activity development in a multi-cultural setting.
• Good writing and communication skills in English.