Chief Executive at Malala Fund

• The successful candidate has exemplary, demonstrated leadership abilities and deploys strong communications and interpersonal skills effectively, both internally and externally.
• They will be a strategic thinker and enjoy contextual analytical skills with an ability to translate the impact of geopolitical events to our day-to-day strategy and operation.
• They will focus on growing the grantmaking portfolio of the country program to maximize scale, reach and impact by building a strong network of diverse partnerships to further impact girls’ education.
• They will be directly responsible for the overall coordination and strategic direction of the country program staff and across the organization; providing oversight and coaching for senior managers; leading country program teams to identify, design and deliver responsive, high-quality grants and advocacy; ensuring efficient management of donor funds for results, focused, timely reporting; and ensure sound financial management and compliance.
• They will cultivate and mobilize Nigeria grantees in service of collective global action for girls’ access and completion to secondary education in Nigeria.

Responsibilities

Representation of Malala Fund in Nigeria

As Chief Executive, you are responsible for Malala Fund’s representation in Nigeria as the senior leader in the country - and within the organization. That means you will be accountable for:

Externally:

• Representing Malala Fund and liaising with local and national authorities, nonprofit partners, international stakeholders, to promote the organization’s advocacy objectives and grant-making programs, facilitate successful coordination of activities and ensure transparency and accountability to all stakeholders.
• Serve as the principal liaison with stakeholders on matters related to the country office to ensure financial and programmatic accountability.
• Establishing and maintaining strategic partnerships with other organizations and coalitions to amplify our impact.

Internally:

• Providing timely updates of all operational, situational and project developments to the rest of ELT.
• Ensuring clear and consistent feedback loops across the organization to promote a culture of impact and learning.
• Collaborating with the Executive Office (via Chief Advisor) to ensure that the co-founders are kept abreast of latest work and challenges in Nigeria; that their voice and time are strategically leveraged in service of Nigeria team goals; and that Malala Fund’s Nigeria work is aligned with co-founders’ wider advocacy and communications efforts as they relate to Nigeria.
• Ensuring policy and advocacy positioning and communications messaging are aligned with global strategy and with org-wide messaging guidelines and identify opportunities to amplify country advocacy in global spaces.
• Developing strong relationships with and secure the trust and confidence of board members, staff, and others critical to organizational fundraising efforts.
• Coordinating with the MEL team to ensure impact data related to advocacy and communications is captured and that team is on track to achieve strategy/impact goals.

External Affairs

As Chief Executive, you are responsible for the external affairs portfolio in Nigeria: communications, government relations, advocacy, and grant-making. That means you will be accountable for:

• Developing and overseeing the execution of country specific strategic and operational plans for Nigeria in line with Malala Fund’s global strategy and operational framework, considering country priority needs and in collaboration with ELT.
• Overseeing a Director of External Affairs, the development of a comprehensive plan to measure the effectiveness of the organization’s external engagement communication strategy in Nigeria; messaging/positioning/campaigns, as well as outreach to and engagement of key audiences.
• Building upon Malala Fund’s strategic plan, Leverage Malala Fund’s brand, network and track record to build and lead a high-level advocacy and communications strategy in Nigeria; identifying the actions, audiences, coalitions, and investments required to improve access and completion of girls’ secondary education.
• Ensuring that the way the Nigeria team captures, accesses, and uses grantmaking enhances programmatic and operational decision-making, produces accurate reports of grantmaking results, enhances grantee/grant seeker relationships, and enables learning.
• Ensuring that Malala Fund’s impact towards its strategic objectives is measured across its operation in Nigeria and communicated to the wider organization.

Operational Oversight

• Overseeing safety and safeguarding for team members and grantees in Nigeria.
• Ensuring compliance with regulatory policies and frameworks in-country.
• Managing Malala Fund Nigeria’s budgets and resources while maintaining accountability and compliance with regulatory policies and frameworks.
• Providing mentorship and supportive management to the Nigeria team while ensuring team members have clear and realistic goals and objectives that advance in line with the country strategy.

Organization-Wide Leadership

As Chief Executive, you are responsible for setting the overall direction of the country strategy and its operation as well as the day-to-day management of the wider organization. That means that you will be accountable for:

• Partnering with the ELT in developing annual organizational goals and key results, budgets, revenue projections; present updates at Board meetings, and collaborating with senior staff members on other relevant organization-wide initiatives.
• Building a culture of excellence based on our core values; setting strategic direction in the country within the framework of Malala Fund’s global strategy.
• Ensuring an open and trust-based dialogue through regular working groups across the organization to ensure alignment with the overall global strategy.

Qualifications

Essential:

• Passion for our mission and a commitment to using your skills to make a positive impact on behalf of girls.
• 15+ years of experience in a senior leadership role within Nigeria in advocacy, communications, and/or government relations.
• Deep understanding of the education landscape in Nigeria as well as the key stakeholders among government and civil society.
• Skilled and well-networked stakeholder manager - ability to develop and maintain relationships with policymakers, activists, non-profits, academic thinkers and researchers, private sector leaders, journalists, media agencies and others.
• Strong political instincts and the ability to identify timing and messaging that appeals to advocacy targets in support of the organization's grantmaking and advocacy aims.
• Impeccable cross-cultural sensitivity, diplomacy,communicative skills, and discretion.
• A deep understanding of the geopolitical landscape and national policy making practices in Nigeria and the region.
• A creative, open, and innovative mind energetically searching for new solutions.
• Demonstrate highly motivated, adaptable, and strong culture fit. Build strong relationships across all departments. Build and lead a high-performing team.
• Deep understanding of policy development, legislative processes, and stakeholder engagement in Nigeria.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build trust and relationships with diverse audiences.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with experience in crafting compelling messaging and managing media relations.
• Fluency in written and spoken English.
• Ability to work flexible hours as part of a global leadership team.

Desirable:

• Ability to travel internationally approximately 25% of the time.
• Experience working with or for high-profile principals or organizations.
• Practical field/project operation experience ideally in diverse geographical locations in Nigeria and a demonstrated experience of working with diverse partners. Specific familiarity with the global education and/or girls’ rights sectors is a plus.