Network Engagement Director (Africa Region)

Position Summary

To advance Teach For All’s 25-year vision , we are seeking a Network Engagement Director, Africa who will be responsible for the strategic stewardship of Teach For All's partner portfolio across Africa, leading executive engagement with partner and prospective CEOs and teams while driving organisational effectiveness, leadership development, financial sustainability, and partner performance across three to six countries. The portfolio spans mature partner organisations operating at scale and early-stage entrepreneurs preparing to launch, requiring leadership across organisational development, regional strategy, resource mobilisation, and cross-functional collaboration. Reporting to the Head of Region and serving as a member of the Africa Regional Team, the role provides executive-level strategic counsel to organisational leaders, directs the allocation of regional support and global expertise, shapes regional priorities, and influences network-wide decision-making to strengthen partner sustainability and accelerate system-level impact across Africa.

About the Team

The Africa Regional Team is a dynamic, collaborative, and mission-driven group committed to expanding educational opportunity across Africa. We work directly with independent, locally led partner organizations and early-stage entrepreneurs to accelerate their impact and scale collective leadership. Joining this team offers an exceptional opportunity to shape regional strategy, manage complex continental systems, and foster a deep culture of shared learning and impact.

Key Responsibilities

Partner Strategic Support & Early-Stage Entrepreneur Development | Fully Own | 60%

Serve as the primary strategic partner to a portfolio of partner CEOs, prospective CEOs, and senior leadership teams, providing executive-level advisory support that strengthens organisational strategy, leadership effectiveness, decision-making, and long-term sustainability across diverse organisational contexts.

Lead the strategic stewardship of a regional partner portfolio , assessing organisational health, performance, opportunities, and risk, while determining priorities for regional investment, allocating cross-functional support, and ensuring partners receive coordinated expertise that accelerates organisational growth and impact.

Lead strategic partner engagements and in-country support missions , integrating organisational diagnosis, executive coaching, stakeholder engagement, government relationship-building, and ecosystem analysis to identify strategic opportunities, mitigate organisational risks, and inform regional and global decision-making.

Lead organisational development across partner organisations , advising on organisational strategy, programme quality, theory of change, operating models, governance, leadership effectiveness, and institutional capacity, tailoring support to organisational maturity to strengthen long-term organisational performance, programme impact, and sustainability.

Own the regional partner risk framework , proactively identifying strategic, organisational, financial, governance, and leadership risks, while mobilising cross-functional expertise across Teach For All to design coordinated mitigation strategies and enable partners to successfully navigate periods of growth, transition, and complexity.

Lead the end-to-end development of early-stage entrepreneurs through every stage of organisational formation and launch, including organisational strategy, programme model development, government engagement, legal establishment, governance, board development, partnership cultivation, and operating model design, enabling the successful establishment of new Teach For All partner organisations positioned for long-term system impact.

Regional Strategy, Cross-Functional Collaboration & Organisational Development | Lead | 20%:

Shape and lead regional strategic priorities by designing and facilitating leadership development platforms, executive communities of practice, peer-learning experiences, and cross-partner collaboration that strengthen organisational capability, accelerate knowledge exchange, and build collective leadership across the Africa region.

Lead the Africa region's strategic adoption of artificial intelligence , designing and implementing AI-enabled solutions that strengthen partner intelligence, fundraising strategy, organisational effectiveness, knowledge management, and regional decision-making while supporting responsible innovation across the network.

Synthesise regional intelligence, organisational insights, and emerging trends into strategic recommendations and insights, and decision-support resources for the region and global org

Represent the Africa region within global cross-functional initiatives , influencing network-wide strategy across programme development, organisational effectiveness, grants governance, partner support, and leadership development, while ensuring regional priorities shape organisational decision-making and global resources are effectively aligned to partner needs.

Contribute to network-wide organisational and leadership development initiatives , partnering with global colleagues to strengthen leadership practice across Teach For All and serving as a facilitator within Global Institute learning experiences to share regional expertise and build leadership capacity across the network

Financial Sustainability & Fundraising | 20%

Partner with CEOs to strengthen organisational financial sustainability , shaping long-term fundraising strategies, diversifying institutional, corporate, government, and philanthropic funding pipelines, and strengthening partner positioning to build resilient, financially sustainable organisations.

Provide portfolio-level oversight of partner financial sustainability , monitoring funding gaps, organisational financial health, and institutional donor relationships while supporting strategic engagement with major funders.

Lead the development of strategic fundraising materials , including concept notes, proposal inputs, investment cases, and donor briefings, positioning partner organisations to secure significant funding aligned to organisational priorities and long-term growth.

Contribute to regional financial stewardship , working with the Head of Region and Operations colleagues to align regional resources with strategic priorities and ensure effective management of program investments.

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree required; Master’s degree preferred

Minimum of 8+ years of relevant professional experience with a proven track record in developing and executing cross-functional organizational strategies.

Demonstrated success in designing and executing complex learning agendas, adult learning programs, and reflection frameworks for high-performing teams.

Proven experience in project management and operational systems design across complex, multi-stakeholder or matrixed environments.

Advanced ability to translate high-level vision into actionable operational plans while managing competing priorities.

Exceptional facilitation and instructional design skills for adult learners across both virtual and in-person settings.

Deep understanding of African cultural, political, and historical contexts, with demonstrated ability to operate sensitively across diverse environments.

High emotional and social intelligence, with a track record of building authentic, trust-based relationships with senior leaders, network CEOs, and cross-functional teams.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.

Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) and digital collaboration platforms.

Additional Desirable Skills / Experiences

Professional experience working across international or multi-country contexts (specifically within Africa).

Prior exposure to or familiarity with Teach For All’s net