Managing Director - Africa at Tony Blair Institute for Global Change

Role Summary

• We are seeking a Managing Director to be TBI’s executive leader in Africa.
• The successful candidate will bring strong executive leadership capability to a team already operating across nearly 20 countries. They will achieve incredible impact through highest quality advice to political leaders in government on how to deliver positive change for their citizens.
• Reporting to the Institute’s Global Managing Director, Advisory - the Managing Director, Africa, is a key and senior role, leading and managing an already large and impressive practice that has a globally supported mandate to further deepen TBI’s positive impact in Africa.
• The Managing Director will build and maintain deep relationships with political leaders and key stakeholders across Africa, contribute to TBI’s overall global advisory strategy, and work closely with all other members of TBI’s executive leadership team.
• The successful candidate will be based full-time in one of TBI’s hub offices in Nairobi, Accra, Dakar, or Johannesburg where they will work with the Institute’s global teams to further professionalise our African operations and ensure they operate at the highest levels of professionalism and capability. The Managing Director is the direct supervisor of several senior TBI leaders in Africa and has broad responsibility for approximately 250 advisory team members.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategically lead, manage and grow TBI’s Africa practice, ensuring we are providing highest-quality advice to political leaders on strategy, policy and delivery, with technology the key enabler of all three
• Drive and deliver the further expansion of our work across Africa and ensure core operations functions on the continent are operating professionally.

Build, lead and coach a team to:

• establish, review and maintain the strategy, objectives and key results for Africa, with a clear measurement and budget sustainability framework
• establish effective and trusted relationships with senior politicians in government, including Presidents, Prime Ministers, Ministers and Special Advisors
• be propositional with how technology can re-shape the state and raise progressive ambitions for outcome
• act as a thought partner to teams to help provide innovative solutions to government and leadership problems and frame them in a compelling way
• Ensure the Institute’s not-for-profit financial sustainability through significant growth in both client fees and external donations
• Ensure a high-performance culture, that recognises the importance of employee well-being and provides a continued focus on learning and development.
• Oversee and be accountable for recruitment across Africa. Support senior management to hire, manage and develop, critically providing quality control to the African team
• Working with global advisory colleagues, bring the best of TBI in key functional domains, subject matter expertise, and performance management to our client work
• Working with global partnerships teams, engage with existing and potential donors, and partners who can transform and improve government delivery, particularly through the use of technology and Artificial Intelligence
• Act as a representative of TBI, including public-speaking and media engagements
• Ensure expenditure is utilised in line with budget, with robust management accounts and accountability established amongst budget delegations
• Ensure all necessary operational, risk, legal and financial processes are in place for the successful delivery of work and safety and security of employees
• Be an active member of the TBI executive leadership team, build strong, collaborative relationships across TBI and actively champion TBI’s values
• Provide direct advice to the Global Managing Director, Executive Chairman as well as CEO, Board and wider leadership team

Person Specification
The Managing Director will be an experienced and successful leader:

• Minimum 10 years' leadership experience in Government, Government Advisory, Management Consultancy or other relevant organisational leadership role
• With deep understanding on the workings of politics in Africa and demonstrable expertise in politics, economics, public policy, or international relations
• Who is strategic, entrepreneurial, can challenge the status quo and develop plans for successful delivery of challenging objectives
• Fosters a culture of excellence and is impact driven, but with a mindset that the success and positive experience of their teams is what will demonstrate their own success
• With experience working with government officials, business leaders, and other influential stakeholders applicable to the region
• With a track record of success in generating new business and developing an organization
• With outstanding leadership and management skills and the proven ability to build and inspire teams to achieve exceptional objectives
• Who is a skilled communicator and influencer, from executive office level through to technical level, is adept at speaking to senior leadership, knows how to navigate ambiguous environments and is comfortable at managing up and beyond hierarchy
• Who has worked or consulted in developing and emerging economies and is sensitive to a diverse range of cultural and regional norms
• Experience in technology enterprises or programmes is advantageous.
• Multiple languages is an advantage but not required.