Associate Director (Africa)

Delivery Associates; United States; Remote; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Delivery Associates is seeking a Head of Region to lead operations across Africa, aligning regional planning, talent, and financial management with the firm's mission. You will partner with central teams and regional heads to drive consistent delivery, growth, and impact on public sector transformation.

The role demands 10+ years in global operations, strategic leadership, and strong stakeholder engagement, with English fluency and based in Africa.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of multi-regional operations experience in public sector or consulting.
• Ability to develop region-specific strategies aligned with global goals.
• Proven track record delivering large, complex regional projects.
• Strong cross-cultural communication and stakeholder engagement.
• Based in Africa and fluent in English; French valued.

Responsibilities

• Oversee regional recruitment, utilization and P&L/cost management in collaboration with central teams.
• Lead colleague experience and DA Way onboarding, DEI initiatives with Central teams.
• Mentor regional leadership teams and share best practices across geographies.
• Build and maintain relationships with regional clients, colleagues, Heads of Regions and ELT.
• Partner with Practice Head on strategy alignment and with domain heads to meet local needs.
• Direct multi-stakeholder engagements in complex environments to achieve progress.

Skills

Global Operations Leadership

Strategic Leadership

Project Delivery

Cross-cultural Communication

Team Leadership

Public Sector / Consulting Experience

English fluency

Education

Master’s or higher in Public Policy, International Development, Business, or related field

Job description

Overview

Co-lead our growing portfolio of impactful work with governments, place-based organizations, and philanthropies working to improve DA’s operational excellence, mentoring and guiding regional teams, building strong stakeholder relationships, and supporting business development to align expertise with regional priorities across Africa.

About Delivery Associates (DA)

Delivery Associates (DA) is a global social impact consultancy specializing in transforming the public sector. With over a decade of experience and a foundation in Deliverology®, DA guides leaders through every phase of implementation—delivery-oriented strategy formulation, execution, and evaluation. DA partners with governments, philanthropies, and international organizations, employing actionable strategies to achieve sustainable, lasting outcomes. In every one of our services, you will find a throughline back to this focus on helping our partners to deliver better results through better implementation. We are a small but global remote organization focused on scaling impact around the world.

We believe our work is only possible through a commitment to honoring and centering a diverse range of people, experiences, and ideas and fostering an environment that is inclusive, equitable, and empowering. A diverse team of individuals that can bring their whole self to work will perform better, help us to be stronger partners, and allow us to drive more equitable impact for people around the world.

Job Description

We are currently seeking a Head of Region who will lead Delivery Associates’ operations across the Africa region, overseeing regional planning, colleague experience, recruitment, team utilization, and financial management. This role ensures that public sector transformation projects are delivered efficiently, adapted to local needs, and aligned with the firm’s global mission. The Head of Region will collaborate closely with central teams, including People, Finance, and Operations, as well as with Heads of Regions globally, to drive consistency, innovation, and impact.

Key Responsibilities

• Operational Oversight: Oversee the recruitment (defines business case for talent pipeline based on demand), utilization (KPIs and right sizing team if off target) and financial performance (P&L cost management) of the region in collaboration with central teams.
• Colleague experience: Lead colleague experience for the region including embedding the DA Way, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging into regional onboarding, learning & development in partnership with Central teams and fostering regional engagement approaches.
• Regional Team Leadership: Manage and mentor regional leadership teams, fostering a collaborative culture and ensuring best practices are shared across geographies.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Build and maintain strong relationships with regional clients, colleagues in your region, other heads of regions, central teams and ELT.
• Business development: Partner with market Practice Head on strategy alignment and collaborate with domain heads to ensure expertise meets local needs
• Navigate complex engagements : Direct multi-stakeholder engagements in complex environments with curiosity, empathy, and the ability to influence partner teams through our DA project leads for collective progress.

Core Competencies

We work well with people who demonstrate the following competencies:

• Communication : ability to lead formative discussions, produce high-quality materials, and tailor messaging effectively.
• Teamwork : efficient collaboration and delegation, while fostering an inclusive teaming environment.
• Problem solving : robust and holistic solution development approach, adapting for risks and opportunities even in the face of ambiguity.
• Results orientation : an owner mentality, driving project success and promoting a culture of continuous improvement.
• Building DA : a commitment to growing and developing the firm, including business development, recruiting, IP development and living our values.

Mindsets

We work closely in diverse, global teams, leaning on each other’s strengths. We don’t expect any one person to be all things, nor do we operate in silos. Our teams are made up of leaders who are:

• Global Mindset: A deep appreciation for the complexities and nuances of working across multiple regions and a passion for creating global social impact.
• Adaptability: Flexibility to manage projects and teams in diverse cultural and political environments, ensuring that strategies can be adapted to meet local needs.
• Collaborative Leadership: Strong ability to build relationships and foster collaboration across geographies, ensuring best practices and knowledge are effectively shared to enhance regional impact.
• Resilience & Problem-Solving: Proven capacity to navigate complex challenges in diverse contexts, driving innovative and sustainable solutions to address regional and global priorities.

Required Skills/Experiences

• Global Operations Leadership: Over 10 years of experience managing multi-regional operations, particularly in the public sector, social impact, or consulting fields, with a robust understanding of regional dynamics across Africa
• Strategic Leadership: Demonstrated ability to develop and implement region-specific strategies that align with global goals, addressing unique local challenges while capitalizing on regional opportunities.
• Project Delivery Expertise: Proven track record in delivering large, complex projects across diverse geographies, ensuring alignment with both regional priorities and global standards.
• Cultural Sensitivity and Communication: Strong cross-cultural and communication skills, effectively engaging and influencing stakeholders across regions.
• Team Leadership: Effective team leader who fosters collaboration within and across regional teams, ensuring alignment with the organization’s broader objectives.
• Consulting and Public Sector Impact: Expertise in high-impact consulting focusing on public sector transformation and supporting sustainable social impact.
• Education: Master’s or higher in Public Policy, International Development, Business, or a related field preferred.
• Fluency in English: Exceptional verbal and written communication skills in English are essential. Proficiency in French is highly valued and considered a significant advantage.
• Authorization + Location Requirements : Must be based in Africa.

Our Values

• Passion : It is all about impact.
• Excellence : Delivering to the highest standards.
• Humility : Pride without ego.