Openings at Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF)

Key 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 AECF currently operates and may operate in the future to help shape the AECF 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 AECF’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 organisational insights, acting where necessary to get ahead of issues to the CEO's attention before they rise.

The Candidate

Suitable candidates should:

• Possess 8 years' experience in strategy consulting, strategy/business intelligence, or international development.
• Hold a Master's degree in Business Administration or related field.
• Possess solid experience in management consulting or previously held a strategy role in a mid to large sized organization.Experience working in impact investing across the agribusiness and renewable energy sectors is preferred.
• Demonstrate a holistic perspective on overall business objectives and priorities while simultaneously diving into the details and nuances of a problem.
• Possess an 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.
• Be a self-starter who can self-identify challenges, work independently, investigate and package information into effective actions.
• Possess superior ability to build collegial relationships and collaborate with senior leadership, peers, and staff at all levels.

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Key Responsibilities

• Leading the Communication function with a focus on enhancing dissemination of AECF’s value adding outputs, raising the visibility of its impact and driving the organization’s branding initiatives.
• Guiding the development of AECF’s communications plan in accordance with AECF’s overall organizational strategy.
• Working with AECF’s Impact Evaluation and Learning Unit to oversee development and tracking of metrics and success criteria for communications programs with the key objective being amplification of AECF’s program work.
• Providing support to the Impact Evaluation and Learning Unit in packaging and presentation of reports and success stories.
• Overseeing development of all AECF communications materials, including press releases, talking points, reports, speeches, web materials, and videos. Ensuring all communications materials are in concert with AECF’s messages, strategy and policy positions.
• Leading the communications team to effectively implement the Unit’s strategies and activities by; establishing unit priorities, monitoring the unit budget and managing external consultants.
• Spearheading activities that build the AECF brand by ensuring consistent use of messages across the organization and anticipating possible controversies with a proactive approach to issues management.
• Providing strategic communications and advisory support to the AECF Board and management team.
• Managing media relations with the global, regional and national news media to convey and support AECF views on issues of significance. Supporting the CEO and senior staff in the planning of media briefs, interviews, offsite visits and special events.
• Ensuring AECF events meet global standards, are well documented and receive broad coverage in target media.
• Overseeing the design and maintenance of the AECF website, including content and aesthetics reflective of AECF’s strategy.
• Developing and reviewing of AECF’s internal communication protocols, program communications and staff media protocols to ensure transparency and a strong aligned institution.
• Maintaining relationships with journalists and creating partnerships with top media associations, media outlets and bloggers at national and regional level.
• Overseeing production of AECF’s corporate publications and marketing tools including the corporate brochure, annual report, AECF Newsletter etc.
• Overseeing AECF’s social media platforms and taking overall responsibility for content sharing.
• Advising on requirements for market research and overseeing implementation of commissioned surveys.
• Acting as the spokesperson for the organization, as needed.

The Candidate

Suitable candidates should:

• Hold a Master’s degree in Communications, Business, International Relations, information management, media and, Journalism, Development Studies, or related field.
• Possess knowledge and experience in training and report preparation.
• Have a minimum of seven (7) years’ experience in reporting and communication.
• Possess at least three (3) years’ senior-level management experience in advocacy or public relations with exposure to development sector
• Have experience in fitting social media into strategic communication planning.
• Have experience creating web content.
• Possess exceptional writing and editing skills.
• Possess significant experience in development-related activities in Africa.
• Working knowledge of French will be an advantage.
• Possess good interpersonal, analytical and communications skills.

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Key Responsibilities

Audit Planning

• Research and support the design and implementation of audit programmes.
• Develop audit notification letters and engage customers in a timely manner.
• Complete risks and controls matrix relating to area under review.

Audit Fieldwork

• Conduct desktop reviews.
• Evaluate existing areas of risks and controls within AECF thematic processes and assess them in order of priority and suggest ways of mitigation.
• Assist in conducting risk-based audits and system compliance audits.
• Review and advise on compliance levels through regular appraisal of the actual operations.
• Review the compliance with laws and regulations, efficiency, and effectiveness of operations (including safeguarding of assets), and reliability of financial and operational reporting.

Audit Reporting

• Assist in collection of data for the preparation of periodic reports to staff, senior management, and the board, highlighting progress made, challenges faced and insights/learnings from audit activities.
• Prepare PowerPoint presentations that will help deliver learnings to AECF team on audit activities.

Audit Follow up

• Assist in determining management action taken to address previous audit findings.
• Assist in maintaining the follow up database.
• Conduct specific analysis as requested by Head of Internal Audit.

Audit Documentation

• Keep track of draft or final reports issued and alert on actions per the Internal Audit SLAs.
• Ensure all audit documentation is well maintained in a repository.
• Other duties may be assigned by the Head of Internal Audit.

The Candidate

Suitable candidates should:

• Hold an undergraduate degree in business management, finance, or other relevant field of study.
• Possess a minimum of 3 years’ working experience in audit of private companies.
• Possess the ability to interact with donor-funded organizations.
• Hold a professional qualification in CPA, CIA or CISA.
• Demonstrate proven ability to document findings and provide possible solutions.
• Possess ability to interact and maintain professional standards with stakeholders.
• Demonstrate communication, presentation and writing skills with the ability to effectively communicate within the organization and externally.
• Possess excellent written and spoken English. Working knowledge in French or Portuguese is an added advantage.