Head of Africa Hub

Position description

The ‘Head of Africa Hub’ will provide leadership, representation, and drive forward programming and partnerships across the continent of Africa and in strategically relevant countries on behalf of TRF. The role will provide leadership and support to TRF colleagues based in our Africa regional hub in Nairobi and will be a senior representative for TRF at agreed stakeholder meetings in the region. The position will also play a key role in strengthening TRF’s outreach and the growth and development of partnerships and business development opportunities for the region. Building on our existing networks, programming, and partnerships, the new Head of Africa Hub will help drive the strategic direction and footprint of our portfolio of work, relationships, and funding sources. 

The role will report to TRF’s Director of Programmes with a dotted line to the Director of TrustLaw and work closely with the Director of Strategy and Impact, Director of Global Development, and Chief Operating Officer (COO) to ensure strategic, programmatic, and operational alignment of TRF’s Africa regional hub and portfolio with TRF’s global priorities, operational compliance, and ways of working. 

Additionally, the new Head of Africa Hub will oversee and manage TRF’s external presence across the region, increasing representation and promoting the diverse and innovative programming and products we design and implement. The position will work closely with relevant local and global team members to contribute towards strategic networking and business development opportunities in support of strengthening TRF’s work, partners, and impact in the Africa region.

About the role

As the Head of Africa Hub you will:

Provide oversight and strategic support ensuring that the regional programme portfolio is delivered in scope, time, and cost to agreed levels of quality, within the organisation’s governance and project management framework.

Produce reports for key stakeholders on regional programme, partnerships, and networking progress, including preparing narrative reports, and identifying success stories.

Oversee the planning, execution, and evaluation of programs and projects in the region including monitoring the financial performance, financial accountability and transparency. 

Be at the forefront of the latest donor trends in key strategic regions across Africa and share knowledge across the Programmes and Business Development teams. 

Work closely with the Business Development team to proactively develop a high-quality pipeline for TRF’s Africa strategy, building key relationships with donors and potential partners. 

Work with the Business Development team, thought leadership, and other teams and external partners to identify and explore new business opportunities and develop project proposals, activity/product design, and budget planning. Develop and maintain a stakeholder and partnership management plan for TRF’s Africa regional hub. 

Strengthen the visibility and drive the promotion of TRF’s external profile by representing the Foundation in agreed networks, fora, consortia, and strategic meetings with existing and prospective donors, partners, and key stakeholders working on issues related to resilience of independent media, access to law, and responsible business. 

Provide management and operational leadership for the TRF Team based in the Africa region, supporting team cohesion and collaborative ways of working for a new and growing team. 

Serve as the key focal point for operational queries related to the Nairobi office, ensuring the smooth running and effectiveness of the space for TRF staff, and ensuring TR operational compliance. 

Develop processes and procedures to aid and improve the team’s performance and cohesion in collaboration with the Director of Programmes, Director of TrustLaw, CFO and COO. Oversee the hub’s resourcing and staffing plans.

About you

To be our Head of Africa Hub, you will likely have: 

Exceptional leadership skills by effectively guiding and inspiring teams, fostering a collaborative and high-performance work environment, and driving the achievement of organizational goals. 

Experience working with a variety of international donors, particularly FCDO, US State Department, USAID, and NORAD. Familiarity with donor reporting requirements. 

Proven track record of strategy development and implementation. 

Proven track record in overseeing a diverse and complex portfolio of successful programming, networks, and partnerships in the international development context. 

Outstanding project or programme design and management skills, and experience with monitoring and evaluation (building log frames, theories of change). 

Excellent budget and financial management skills, including fluency in Excel. Resilience, ability to cope with high pressure and diverse work environments, and finding solutions to problems when they arise 

Excellent interpersonal skills – able to establish and maintain positive working relationships both internally and externally, with people from a wide variety of cultures and backgrounds. 

Experience in developing successful funding proposals and securing multi-year, high-value income. 

Fluency in English; other languages such as French, Arabic, Swahili, and Portuguese would be an advantage. 

What’s in it for you

At the Thomson Reuters Foundation, our people are our greatest assets. Here are some of the benefits we offer for your personal and professional growth: 

Global Perspective and Impact: Interested in working for a dynamic global organization with a focus on social impact? With hubs all over the world from Bangkok to Madrid to Rio de Janeiro, join a truly international team with a shared goal of helping to build societies around the world that are free, fair and informed. 

A Unique Approach: Our expertise in media and the law is world class; we combine the power of both to address the critical issues faced by humanity. 

Our Relevance: With a focus on advancing media freedom, fostering more inclusive economies and promoting human rights, our work has never been more needed than right now. 

Benefits: We offer competitive salary packages and market-leading benefits. 

Learning & Development: We are dedicated to the continual professional development of our employees and offer access to both in-house and external training opportunities.

Application instructions

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