Director, Network Engagement - Africa

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Position Summary:

Teach For All is looking for a dynamic and strategic leader to support a diverse group of partners and prospective partners across Southern Africa working to build and deepen relationships and collaborations across the region.

You will serve as an overall strategic resource to these organizations, diagnosing their needs, and marshaling network resources to meet them.

The ideal candidate will have a proven ability to work effectively across different country contexts and cultures, navigate ambiguity with ease, and will have experience making sound strategic decisions that drive impact in complex and changing environments.

This individual is required to have deep familiarity living and working across diverse contexts in Southern Africa and must be authorized to work within the region.

This position will report to the Head of Region and in the interim, the organization's CEO.

About the Team:

This role is a key member of the Africa regional team, which is responsible for Teach For All's engagement with current and prospective partners across the African continent as well as building awareness and support among external stakeholders for our collective work in the region.

Roles and Responsibilities:

1. Supporting current and prospective partners (80%):
2. Partner engagement: Serve as a trusted, credible, generalist thought partner and primary point of contact for a portfolio of 4-6 current and prospective partner organizations.
3. Engage in ongoing strategic discussions with CEOs and leadership teams to further strengthen their organizational capacity, strategic clarity, and programmatic impact.
4. Cultivate strong, long-term relationships to achieve shared goals and mutually beneficial outcomes.
5. Collaborative Planning and Resource Mobilization: Facilitate the co-creation of annual partnership plans that outline how Teach For All can best support each partner's impact, while also leveraging their unique strengths to contribute to the network's collective goals.
6. Collaborate with globally dispersed colleagues to strategically mobilize network resources to address partner needs and maximize impact.
7. Knowledge Sharing: Foster regional sharing of insights, facilitating peer learning opportunities, and connecting partners with relevant resources and expertise within the region and broader Teach For All network.
8. Foster collaboration, knowledge sharing, and a strong network culture.
9. Learning Experiences: Facilitate impactful learning experiences for partners, including immersive workshops, peer-to-peer visits, and virtual exchanges.
10. Network Growth: Leverage your deep understanding of the Southern African landscape to identify and cultivate relationships with high-potential prospective partners.
11. Expand and diversify the network's reach to drive greater impact across the region.
12. Contribute to Africa Regional Strategy and Team Strength (20%):
13. Strategic Planning and Execution: Play a key role in developing, implementing, and monitoring the Africa regional strategy to maximize partner impact and advance Teach For All's mission across the continent.
14. Regional Expertise and Influence: Contribute your deep understanding of the Southern African context and partner priorities to inform regional decision-making and the broader support strategy for Teach For All's global network.
15. Team Collaboration and Mentorship: Actively participate in team meetings, providing insights and contributing to programmatic decisions that enhance support for partners.
16. Mentor staff members engaged with the Africa region, fostering a strong and collaborative team culture.
17. Knowledge Dissemination: Identify and share best practices and resources from the region with the broader Teach For All network, contributing to global learning and continuous improvement.

The Ideal Candidate:

We seek a visionary leader with a proven track record of building strong relationships, fostering a collaborative culture, and driving impact in complex, dynamic environments. The ideal candidate possesses:

1. Strategic Acumen: Demonstrated ability to make sound judgments, navigate ambiguity, and influence results through others to achieve strategic goals.
2. Cultural Dexterity: Extensive experience living and working across diverse contexts in Southern Africa, with a deep commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusiveness.
3. Exceptional Communication & Relational Orientation: Fluency in English and strong interpersonal skills to effectively build relationships and foster collaboration with diverse stakeholders, both internally and externally.
4. Adaptability and Resilience: A flexible and adaptable approach to navigating dynamic environments and ambiguity with ease.

Qualifications:

Extensive Experience: 8-10 years of professional experience, including a minimum of 5 years working in Africa. Experience in multiple country contexts within Southern Africa is strongly preferred.

Alignment with Teach For All: Deep understanding of and commitment to Teach For All's vision, core purpose, intended outcomes, unifying principles, and theory of change.

Relationship Building and Influence: Exceptional ability to build rapport and cultivate strong relationships with individuals and organizations from diverse backgrounds. Proven ability to influence and motivate others through both formal and informal leadership.

Adaptability and Analytical Skills: Demonstrated ability to quickly grasp complex local contexts, exercise sound judgment, and adapt effectively in ambiguous and rapidly changing circumstances.

Impact-Driven Approach: Capacity to thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment, demonstrating strong prioritization, organizational skills, and a proactive approach to virtual engagement and collaboration.

Travel and Hours:

This position requires 30-50% travel, primarily within Africa to support partner organizations and attend regional events. Occasional international travel may be required for conferences and global gatherings. All travel will adhere to local travel guidelines.

Flexible Schedule: Due to the global nature of our work, this role requires flexibility to accommodate early morning or late evening calls across various time zones.

Compensation:

Salary for this position is competitive and depends on prior experience and includes a comprehensive benefits package.

Work Authorization:

Candidates for this position must possess or be able to obtain work authorization in the country they want to work in to be considered.

Apply now:

Please submit your resume and a one-page cover letter directly online.

About Teach For All:

Teach For All is a global network of more than 60 independent, national partner organizations and a global organization committed to developing collective leadership to ensure all children fulfill their potential. Each network partner recruits and develops promising leaders over diverse academic backgrounds to teach in their nations' under-resourced schools and communities and, with this foundation, to work with others, inside and outside of education, to ensure all children have the education, support, and opportunity to shape a better future for themselves and all of us.

Teach For All's global organization works to increase the network's impact by fostering commitment to our shared purpose, values, vision, unifying principles, and standards; supporting the development of new organizations; fostering collective learning; providing coaching and consulting; contributing to the leadership development of partner staff, teachers, and alumni, and enabling access to global resources.

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusiveness:

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organization that inspires individuals of all backgrounds – across nationalities, races, ethnicity, religions, political views, economic backgrounds, sexual orientations, physical disabilities, languages, ages, genders, and prior experiences – to bring their full selves to the work of ensuring educational opportunity for all.