(Ref. No. NRS/712/082026)
BUSINESS SUPPORT OFFICER I
(GRANTS SUPPORT OFFICER)
Established in 1970 and headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, the International Centre of Insect
Physiology and Ecology (www.icipe.org) is distinct, being the only research organisation in Africa
working primarily on insects and other arthropods. icipe is also the sole institution that combines
research and development activities across plant health, human health, animal health, and
environmental health. icipe generates world-class scientific knowledge and translates it into insect-
based, nature-positive, One Health innovations that sustainably transform millions of livelihoods
across Africa and beyond. Additionally, icipe nurtures Africa’s talent and leadership in insect science
through the Centre’s long-standing programmes in doctoral and postdoctoral training, advancement
of research and innovation in applied sciences, engineering, and technology, and the creation of a
bioeconomy in Africa. The Centre has about 500 international and national staff, operations in more
than 40 countries in Africa, and over 300 partnerships with diverse organisations across the world.
For additional information, visit: (www.icipe.org).
Please also download icipe’s Vision and Strategy 2026–2030: https://www.icipe.org/content/icipe-
vision-and-strategy-2026-2030
icipe seeks to recruit a Business Support Officer I (Grants Support Officer) within the Integrated
Stakeholder & Policy Engagement Platform. The position is tenable in Nairobi at the icipe Duduville
campus. This is a two-year contract, renewable subject to continued position needs, funding for the
position, and performance of the staff member. This is a nationally recruited position. A competitive
compensation package will be offered to the right candidate. Only shortlisted candidates will be
contacted.
Overall Purpose of the Job
The Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (Rsif) is the flagship program of the African
Government led Partnership for Skills in Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology (PASET)
that aims to address the human resource gap in the fields of applied sciences, engineering, and
technology (ASET) by training high quality PhD and post-doctoral scholars and building research and
innovation capacities in those fields in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA ). The program is designed in three
complementary windows which provide scholarships for PhD training (Window1) and competitive
grants for research (Window 2) and innovation (Window 3).
The post holder will play a key role in supporting the implementation of the program’s Research and
Innovation Grants component. The role will coordinate administrative and technical aspects to
facilitate successful implementation of the funded research and innovation projects.
Specific duties
The successful candidate will undertake tasks that include but are not limited to the following:
• Assist the competitive selection process and onboarding of new grantees.
• Support the review of narrative technical reports from grantees, analysing key issues and
providing feedback loops to inform program implementation.
• Track grantee project contract deliverables and timelines, sending regular reminders to grants
project teams to ensure that they are on track to complete on time and alerting teams of possible
challenges.
• Support planning and implementation of key activities in annual workplans under the Research &
Innovation component
• Liaise with finance teams to facilitate payments to grantees
• Update the Grants Monitoring & Evaluation Indicator Tracker based on the grantees project
technical reports
• Update the Grants Management Information System (MIS) Database with relevant information for
all grant projects
• Support the filing of relevant grant documents for grantees projects and overall grant close-out of
projects
• Support development of knowledge dissemination products to share results of the research &
innovation grant projects
• Participate in relevant meetings with grantees and other team members
• Perform any other tasks as assigned.
Requirements/ qualifications
• Bachelor’s degree in social sciences, international development, education, project management,
or related field.
• Certification in Project Management.
• At least four years’ experience in Grants or project management for a non-profit organization.
• Experience in coordinating development programs.
• Ability to identify procedural inefficiencies and make recommendations for improvements to
systems and tools.
• Ability to develop, organize and present information to small groups.
• Advanced organizational and planning skills, project planning and management skills.
• Proven ability to set priorities, meet deadlines and multi-task with minimal supervision.
Reporting
This position reports to the Research & Innovation Grants Officer.
How to apply
Applications will be accepted up to 2nd September 2026. Interested applicants should submit: (a)
a confidential cover letter; (b) a detailed CV with names and addresses of 3 referees (including e-mail
addresses); and (c) a statement illustrating suitability against the listed
qualifications/competencies/abilities and skills.
Candidates are required to apply online through: http://recruit.icipe.org or by email:
recruitment@icipe.org (Kindly quote the Ref. No. and the position title on the email subject).
(In your application, please include your current and expected basic salary per month. This is
a mandatory requirement.)
icipe is an equal opportunity employer. It fosters a multicultural work environment that
valuesgender equity, teamwork, and respect for diversity.