Consultant Critical Minerals Specialist at Search for Common Ground – Kenya Hybrid Consultancy Opportunity 2026
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Are you an expert in critical minerals, extractive industries, and peacebuilding? Search for Common Ground (Search), a globally recognized peacebuilding organization, is hiring a Consultant Critical Minerals Specialist to support an ambitious project focused on responsible mineral governance in Africa.
This full-time hybrid consultancy is based in Mombasa, Kenya, and offers a unique chance to shape policy, research, and dialogue around critical minerals such as gold and other strategic resources linked to conflict and peacebuilding.
About Search for Common Ground
Search for Common Ground is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming conflict into cooperation. For more than 40 years, Search has brought together governments, civil society, youth, women, and communities to build lasting peace.
The organization began operations in Kenya in 2007 and has since implemented projects across democracy and governance, youth peace and security, women’s empowerment, natural resource management, and access to justice.
Search works in several Kenyan counties, including Mombasa, Kwale County, Lamu, Tana River County, Kilifi County, Garissa, and Nairobi.
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About the Consultancy
The Consultant Critical Minerals Specialist will lead activities under the Grassroots to Global: Strengthening Peacebuilding to Tackle New Challenges project, funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
The assignment focuses on understanding how mineral extraction contributes to conflict and how peacebuilding approaches can promote responsible governance, especially in Kenya’s Kwale and Mrima Hills regions.
The consultant will serve as a convener, researcher, and strategic advisor, connecting African experts with policymakers, private sector actors, and peacebuilding practitioners.
Key Responsibilities
The selected consultant will:
- Conduct research and provide evidence-based analysis on critical minerals and conflict.
- Organize convenings and stakeholder dialogues in Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
- Produce research papers on mineral governance and peacebuilding.
- Coordinate cross-continental virtual exchanges and learning sessions.
- Engage private sector actors on responsible sourcing and supply chain transparency.
- Prepare costed work plans and activity reports.
- Support coordination and knowledge sharing across Search teams.
Project Timeline
The consultancy runs from June 2026 to September 2027.
Phase 1: Evidence Generation and Stakeholder Engagement (May–September 2026)
Key activities include:
- Organizing 2–3 convenings with approximately 20 stakeholders each.
- Supporting African experts to participate in up to five high-level forums.
- Producing two research papers focused on Kenya and the DRC.
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Phase 2: Coordination and Accountability (October 2026–September 2027)
Activities include:
- Three cross-continental virtual convenings.
- A follow-up research paper.
- Private sector dialogues with organizations such as the OECD.
- Four regional learning exchanges.
Required Qualifications
Applicants should have:
- A bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, with specialized education related to critical minerals.
- At least nine years of professional experience.
- Proven experience working on projects involving gold and critical minerals.
- Strong project management and strategic thinking skills.
- Excellent written and spoken English.
- Ability to work independently and engage effectively with diverse stakeholders.
Eligibility Requirements
Only candidates with the legal right to live and work in Kenya will be considered.
Women are strongly encouraged to apply.
Why This Opportunity Matters
This consultancy offers the chance to influence how Africa responds to the growing geopolitical importance of critical minerals. Your work will help strengthen local voices, inform policy reforms, and promote peaceful, equitable development in mineral-rich regions.
Benefits of This Consultancy
- Opportunity to shape mineral governance policy across Africa.
- Work with leading peacebuilding experts and global stakeholders.
- Publish high-impact research papers.
- Hybrid work arrangement based in Kenya.
- Long-term consultancy through September 2027.
Application Deadline
The deadline to apply is 28 May 2026.
Final Thoughts
If you have deep expertise in extractive industries, conflict analysis, and peacebuilding, this consultancy with Search for Common Ground is an exceptional opportunity to make a continent-wide impact. You will contribute to practical solutions that promote responsible sourcing, private sector accountability, and peaceful development in Africa’s emerging minerals economy.
