Regional Manager (Africa) Precision Recruitment

Overview
Please note that only Zambian candidates will be considered.
Also, candidates with past government experience or government liaison or NGO experience at senior level will have an added advantage.

Our client, an International non-profit organisation founded on the belief that good governments are the foundation of flourishing, prosperous communities and nations are looking for a Regional Director (Africa) to join the team be based in Zambia.

The organization supports governments globally to develop capabilities, through training programmes, governments projects and partnerships, and knowledge creation.

The organization is practitioner focused and internationally oriented. They are managed by former public service leaders from across the world and draw upon a wealth of practitioner experience and knowledge from their global network of experts. They have worked with governments in countries spanning three continents, including Costa Rica, Zambia, Kenya, Malawi, India, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam.

The organization has seen growing interest in and traction for our work amongst governments in Africa. The number of partnerships on the continent has also been growing steadily. As such, the organization plans to establish an Africa office in 2023, to better support our government partners based there. We are in the process of identifying a suitable location for the Africa office.

The organization is looking for a Regional Manager (Africa) to work alongside the Regional Director to establish the organization’s Africa Office, and to deliver on its outcomes. The Regional Manager will be based in Africa and have the following responsibilities:

(A) Engagement and Partnerships in Africa
1) Identify, cultivate and maintain the organizations relationships with its organisational partners in Africa, with the objective of identifying work opportunities for the organization in Africa, in line with the organization’s organisational objectives, mission and internal capabilities.

2) Identify, cultivate and maintain the organizations networks with key individuals in Africa. This includes a. A network of government practitioner experts (current and former), to support the organizations ongoing work in Africa.
A network of influential public sector leaders (current and former), who can support and amplify the organizations impact and reach in Africa.
(B) Implementation of the organizations work in Africa
1) Support the Regional Director to implement the organizations projects with government partners in Africa. This would involve initial project scoping, continual engagement with relevant partners, and conducting delivery of specialised activities (e.g., facilitation of workshops with government partners) to ensure that project milestones are adhered to.
2) Implement the organizations training programmes with government partners in Africa. This could involve initial needs assessment, identification of suitable experts, and supporting programme management and delivery on the ground. The candidate will be expected to work closely with the team in Singapore to design and deliver the training programmes.
3) Oversee the logistical and administrative aspects of training programme and project implementation within Africa.
(C) Administration of Africa Office
1) Support the Regional Director to establish the organizations Africa office. This could include conducting due diligence on the administrative, legal and operational issues associated with establishing the office.

2) Support the Regional Director to oversee the day-to-day administration and management of the organizations Africa office, after it has been set up.

Experience & Aptitudes

The candidate must understand public service and be able to engage effectively with public sector leaders. As such, the ideal candidate should have 5 or more years of public sector working experience. We will also consider candidates who may not have had direct working experience in public service, but who have worked closely and effectively with governments in the past.

As a representative of a Singapore-based institution, it would be preferred (although this is not necessary) if the candidate is familiar with and able to speak about public policies and government systems in Singapore.

In terms of aptitudes, the candidate should possess:

Good situational awareness and respect for different cultures and nationalities.
Strong communications skills (written and spoken)
Strong project management skills, and ability to work under time pressure and tight deadlines
Ability to think creatively when solving challenges.
More important than work experience are attitudes and motivations. We do not expect the candidate to know everything at the get go and we will do what we can to help them acquire the skills and knowledge needed. But we require successful candidates to be staunchly committed to our mission, tightly aligned to our organisational ethos, and resolute in applying themselves assiduously until they get it right.