Programme Officer — Health
Aga Khan Foundation Kenya
Quick Take
You will coordinate and monitor maternal and child health programmes across Kenyan counties, managing partner relationships, collecting field data, and preparing donor reports.
A Public Health or Nursing degree with 3+ years of health programme management experience, strong data analysis and report writing skills, and familiarity with Kenya's community health system.
A competitive above-market salary, meaningful impact in underserved communities, and the rare chance to grow across a prestigious 9-country East Africa portfolio.
Job Description
Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) Kenya is looking for a talented and committed Programme Officer — Health to join its team in Nairobi. In this role, you will play a central part in advancing AKF Kenya's efforts to improve health outcomes in underserved communities across the country, contributing to both the strategic design and the day-to-day execution of impactful health initiatives.
This is an excellent opportunity for a public health professional who is passionate about community-level health transformation and wants to work within a globally respected development organisation. You will collaborate with a wide range of stakeholders — from county government officials to grassroots community health workers — to ensure that programmes are delivered effectively and that results are properly captured and communicated.
- Drive the on-the-ground implementation of maternal and child health programmes across designated target counties in Kenya
- Build and maintain working relationships with county health departments, community health volunteers, and other programme partners
- Gather, organise, and analyse programme data to assess progress against set performance indicators
- Produce high-quality donor reports, programme case studies, and other essential documentation to support accountability and learning
- Conduct regular field visits and actively participate in community engagement activities to stay connected with programme realities
- A Bachelor's degree in Public Health, Nursing, or a closely related discipline
- A minimum of three years of hands-on experience managing health programmes
- Solid understanding of Kenya's health system structures and the national community health strategy
- Demonstrated ability to write clear, well-structured reports and to interpret programme data meaningfully
- Prior experience engaging with or reporting to international development donors such as USAID, DFID, or the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
- Comprehensive medical insurance cover for the successful candidate
- Exposure to and potential involvement in AKF's broader nine-country East Africa programme portfolio
- Ongoing professional development and capacity-building support
This position is best suited to a self-driven public health professional with at least three years of relevant field experience and a genuine commitment to improving health in marginalised communities. You should be comfortable working in dynamic, multi-stakeholder environments, equally at ease analysing data at a desk as you are conducting community visits in the field. If you have a strong grasp of Kenya's devolved health system and a proven track record of working within internationally funded programmes, AKF Kenya wants to hear from you.
Interested and qualified candidates should submit their applications through the Aga Khan Foundation Kenya's official recruitment channels. Ensure your application includes an up-to-date CV and a cover letter clearly demonstrating how your skills and experience align with the requirements of this role. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.
Requirements Breakdown
Must Have
- Bachelor's degree in Public Health, Nursing or a closely related field
- Minimum 3 years of experience managing health programmes in Kenya
- Strong report writing skills for international donor audiences
- Proficiency in programme data collection and analysis
- Working knowledge of Kenya's health system and Community Health Strategy
Nice to Have
- Prior direct experience with USAID, DFID or Gates Foundation-funded projects
- Experience in maternal and child health (MCH) programming specifically
- Familiarity with county-level health department coordination
- Postgraduate qualification in Public Health, Global Health or Project Management
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Salary Context
Above market rate for a Programme Officer — Health role in Nairobi
Programme Officers in health NGOs in Nairobi typically earn KES 80,000–130,000 per month at this experience level, making AKF's range of KES 120,000–160,000 notably competitive. Pay in this field is heavily influenced by the funder profile — USAID and Gates-backed programmes tend to offer stronger compensation than domestically funded NGOs.
About Aga Khan Foundation Kenya
The Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) Kenya is the local arm of the global Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), one of the world's most respected non-profit development organisations operating across health, education, civil society and rural development. In Kenya and across East Africa, AKF runs large-scale programmes that directly serve millions of people in underserved communities, often working in close partnership with county governments and international donors. For development professionals, AKF offers a rare combination of institutional credibility, genuine community impact, and exposure to a sophisticated multi-country regional portfolio.
Likely Interview Questions
- 1
Walk us through a health programme you managed end-to-end — what were the key indicators you tracked and how did you course-correct when performance lagged?
- 2
How have you navigated the relationship between an international NGO and a Kenya county health department when priorities didn't fully align?
- 3
Describe a donor report you are proud of — what made it effective, and how did you ensure the data accurately reflected field realities?
- 4
Can you give an example of a challenging field visit or community engagement activity and how you handled it?
- 5
What do you understand about Kenya's Community Health Strategy, and how would you leverage community health volunteers in the implementation of a maternal health programme?
Application Tips
Quantify your impact on your CV — include specific metrics such as number of beneficiaries reached, counties covered, or improvement in health indicators, as AKF and its donors are highly data-driven.
Highlight any direct experience with USAID, DFID or Gates Foundation reporting requirements, as this is a distinguishing credential that signals you can hit the ground running with minimal training.
In your cover letter, reference AKF's community health model and Kenya's Community Health Strategy by name — this signals sector fluency and genuine motivation beyond a generic application.
Career Path
Roles that lead here
Where this leads
Skills & Keywords
Honest Assessment
Green Flags
- Salary range of KES 120,000–160,000 is clearly disclosed and sits above the typical market rate for this level, reflecting AKF's strong funding base.
- Access to AKF's 9-country East Africa portfolio offers genuine cross-border career development that is rare for a Programme Officer-level role.
- The Aga Khan Foundation is a globally recognised, financially stable development organisation — job security and institutional reputation are meaningful positives.
- Comprehensive medical insurance is explicitly listed, a benefit not guaranteed across the NGO sector in Kenya.
Watch Out
- The job description does not specify which counties or regions are targeted, making it difficult to assess the travel burden — field-heavy roles in underserved counties can involve significant time away from Nairobi.
- The salary band is relatively wide (KES 40,000 spread), which may indicate that the final offer depends heavily on negotiation; candidates should be prepared to advocate for the upper range based on their experience.
A Day in the Life
A typical week might start with a Monday morning team sync reviewing programme dashboards in DHIS2 or Excel, followed by a call with a county health department in Kisumu to troubleshoot a data reporting gap. Midweek could involve a two-day field visit to a target community to observe community health volunteer activities and gather case study material for a USAID quarterly report. By Friday, you're back in the Nairobi office drafting donor documentation, responding to partner emails, and preparing a brief for the Programme Manager ahead of an upcoming funder review.
Frequently Asked Questions
What qualifications do I need to apply for the Programme Officer — Health role at Aga Khan Foundation Kenya?
You need a Bachelor's degree in Public Health, Nursing or a related field, plus at least 3 years of experience in health programme management in Kenya. Strong data analysis and donor report writing skills are essential.
Is the Programme Officer — Health position at Aga Khan Foundation Kenya a remote or field-based role?
The role is based in Nairobi but involves regular field visits to target counties, so candidates should expect a mix of office work and in-country travel to underserved communities.
How much does a Programme Officer — Health earn at Aga Khan Foundation Kenya?
The posted salary range is KES 120,000–160,000 per month, which is above the typical market rate for this role level in Nairobi's NGO sector, plus comprehensive medical insurance.
What are the career growth opportunities for this role at Aga Khan Foundation Kenya?
Strong performers can progress to Senior Programme Officer or Programme Manager roles, and the explicit mention of AKF's 9-country East Africa portfolio suggests real opportunities for regional exposure and advancement.
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