Job Title: Head of Strategy & Innovation – NGO

Division: CEO’s Office

Reporting to: CEO

Location: Nairobi 

Type of Employment: Permanent

Brief on Client

Our client is a development institution that supports businesses to innovate, scale up and leverage investments to create resilience and sustainable incomes in rural and marginalized communities in Africa. It provides concessional capital, technical assistance, and support to the wider enabling environment for emergent and scaling SMEs. 

Role Summary

The role is strategic and tactical and requires the ideal candidate to have a good mix of strategic thinking and be able to roll up their sleeves to get the job done. The incumbent will provide strategic, operational, and administrative support to the CEO’s office, as well as be the connector and conduit between senior leadership, employees, and key stakeholders to ensure efficient management of the organization.

The ideal candidate must have a predisposition to collaboration and agility to be able to coordinate and undertake a range of often complex, technical, and/or highly sensitive activities, including research and analysis. The role holder will also drive special business initiatives/projects that originate from the CEO’s office.

Responsibilities

• Work closely with the executive team to develop, iterate and pursue execution of strategic priorities towards realizing our strategic goals to 2025 and breaking this down into annual, quarterly, and monthly priorities.

• Establish a clear rhythm of business across the organization to ensure the realization of the strategy in alignment with the organization’s values; innovation, collaboration, excellence and valuing people.

• Generate insights and analysis of the environment in which the organization’s currently operates and may operate in the future to help shape the organization’s offering in the market.

• Lead periodic comprehensive reviews of the corporate strategy to ensure AECF can incorporate emerging trends, learnings and iterate as necessary.

• Lead and support the executive team in aligning the communication of strategic priorities and direction to all staff and stakeholders.

• Design, prioritise and lead the implementation of key strategic initiatives and special projects, working closely with a wide range of cross-functional partners (Sectoral Teams, HR, IT, Legal, Partners, Donors etc.)

• Develop a good understanding of current business and sectoral issues and be able to provide timely advice to the CEO and executive team.

• Play an active role in the development and implementation of tools and resources to improve efficiency across all the organization’s processes, systems, programs and initiatives.

• Coordinate and partner with others to drive effective cadence of functional operating meetings including EXCO, Townhalls, and Strategy reviews.

• Work in partnership with the CEO and the CEO’s Executive Assistant to be a central point of contact for the coordination of CEO activities and ensure preparation of relevant documents and briefing material.

• Support the CEO’s participation in internal and external meetings/events - Board meetings, Workshops, Seminars, etc. - including preparing technical reports, briefing materials, communication, speeches, and other materials required by the CEO.

• Leverage internal partners formally and informally to glean organizational insights, acting where necessary to get ahead of issues to the CEO’s attention before they rise.

Qualifications

• 8 years experience in strategy consulting, strategy/business intelligence, or international

• development.

• Masters Degree in Business Administration or related field.

• Solid experience in management consulting or strategy role in a mid to large sized

• organization.

• Experience working in impact investing across the agribusiness and renewable energy sectors preferred.

• Demonstrate a holistic perspective on overall business objectives and priorities while simultaneously diving into the details and nuances of a problem.

• Advanced level of presentation and communication skills: being a clear and concise communicator with the ability to synthesize a lot of information quickly, highlight the key takeaways, and disseminate practical insights.

• A self-starter who can self-identify challenges, work independently, investigate and package information into effective actions.

• Superior ability to build collegial relationships and collaborate with senior leadership, peers, and staff at all levels.

Key Skills:

• Have excellent communication and presentation skills.

• Demonstrate strong people management and negotiation skills.

• Strong Analytical and Entrepreneurial skills.

• Strong in relating and meeting Customer expectations.