Senior Advisor, National Digital Infrastructure (Global Lead) at Tony Blair Institute for Global Change

Key Responsibilities

This is a senior role within TBI and will be held by an exceptional candidate with deep and extensive experience in digital infrastructure, consulting and/or government advisory work.

Key responsibilities will include:

Strategy and programme development

• Design and advance the NDI strategy, which defines our approach to supporting countries with digital infrastructure
• Develop a repository of NDI assets to implement and scale the programme across TBI’s growing Government Advisory presence in Africa, Eastern Europe, Asia, and the Americas
• Work closely with other Leads and the Global Innovation Unit team to enable the broader tech and cross-sector strategy (e.g. working with the investment practice to help governments secure funding for digital infra investment)
• Work closely with country-based Senior Tech Advisors, embedded government advisors, and relevant country team staff; provide technical expertise and thought partnership to scope and design opportunities in support of countries’ top challenges, leveraging disruptive technology, generating innovative solutions, and framing them in a compelling way
• Identify and apply emerging trends and opportunities for digital infrastructure and keep TBI on the cutting edge of technology innovation – including AI – drawing from the thought leadership of the Policy & Politics team

External engagement and partnerships

• Develop and enhance our relationships with leading innovators, technology companies, implementation partners, and thought leaders in the digital infrastructure space, deepening our understanding of emerging innovation and improving our offer to governments
• In line with TBI’s partnerships strategy and the Tomorrow Partnership platform, help to identify, curate, and secure technology partnerships
• With existing and future strategic infrastructure partners (and working closely with TBI Partnerships & Initiatives colleagues) collaborate with senior-level counterparts on the successful implementation of digital infrastructure solutions
• Provide senior-level representation and presentations for TBI at external fora and events
• Engage with relevant external stakeholders such as other not-for-profit organisations, donors, suppliers and agencies

Programmatic delivery

• Ensure the global portfolio of digital infrastructure initiatives form a cohesive programme; help foster a pipeline of new initiatives that leverage and build on previous learnings
• Support country teams to maintain effective and trusted government relationships which enable the successful delivery of our digital infrastructure initiatives. Where required develop relationships with relevant country counterparts and stakeholders (e.g. MinICT). Support teams to effectively manage expectations of government counterparts
• Work with Director for Digital and Tech Transformation and Advisory leadership to troubleshoot and ensure country teams can access the best of the Institute to support their work
• Lead the development of assessment frameworks, feasibility reviews, and financial and investment models TBI teams can use with government counterparts to inform decisions on the adoption of cloud, connectivity solutions, etc.

Enabling Systems

• Support the development of training materials and collateral to ensure TBI country teams and government counterparts understand the implications and added value of various digital infrastructure solutions and offers
• Work closely with the TBI Evidence and Impact teams to contribute to a learning culture which effectively captures and utilises lessons to continuously improve our work
• Support country and regional teams as needed to attract and hire, leading talent in support of our work, contributing to the recruit, induction and support for new hires and mentoring and coaching where needed
• Shape and embody a positive culture that drives innovation and delivery. Play a key role in the broader community at TBI, building strong working relationships across the Institute

Person Specification

We are looking for an experienced candidate:

• Considered an expert and thought leader in digital infrastructure, with a strong technical understanding of cloud, data centre, and the range of connectivity platforms (fixed, mobile, satellite etc.) and their respective strengths and weaknesses. In addition, an understanding of the policy & regulatory environment, financial models and technology partnerships needed to deliver and sustain the infrastructure
• Significant relevant experience in management consulting, government advisory, or technology consulting
• Understanding of government functional priorities and challenges in emerging economies, with experience in Africa, Eastern Europe, and/or Asia
• Demonstrable experience in technology enterprises or programmes
• Strategic, entrepreneurial, pragmatically optimistic and can challenge the status-quo and develop plans for successful delivery of challenging, ambitious objectives
• Outstanding management and strategy skills -- able to set strategic direction, inspire teams to collaboratively achieve exceptional objectives, and not afraid to be hands-on to achieve results
• Track record of cultivating and maintaining strategic alliances and partnerships across public, social, and private sector organisations
• Skilled communicator and influencer, from executive office level through to technical level, is adept at speaking to senior leadership
• Adept at navigating ambiguous environments and is comfortable at managing up and beyond hierarchy
• Comfortable speaking in public forums and representing the institute on the global stage
• Experience working internationally, within a diverse range of cultures, and fosters a positive spirit of collaboration
• Comfortable to travel about 20- 30% of the time to global locations across Africa, Eastern Europe, and Asia

The following is also desirable:

• Experience in the end-to-end delivery of digital/tech products or services within government or private sector
• Experience in financial models and investment for large-scale digital infrastructure projects
• Experience engaging or working on public policy as an enabler of digital transformation (e.g. data sovereignty and privacy)