Latest Jobs at Women for Women International

Purpose

The Regional Director, Africa serves as the senior leader responsible for growing Women for Women International’s revenue, partnerships, and strategic influence across Africa, while also providing line management, coordination, and leadership support to Country Directors across the region.

• The role strengthens WfWI’s unitary model by ensuring that country strategy, program delivery, operations, and revenue development are better aligned across the continent. The Regional Director, Africa drives a multi-year regional strategy that combines philanthropy, institutional funding, corporate partnerships, diaspora and high-net-worth giving, and selected earned-income or investment-aligned opportunities.
• In addition to leading regional revenue growth, the Regional Director, Africa plays a critical leadership role in mentoring and managing Country Directors, supporting cross-country collaboration, strengthening planning and performance discipline, and ensuring that opportunities and risks are surfaced early and managed in close coordination with Programs, Operations, Finance, Risk, Compliance, and Communications.
• The role represents Africa on the Global Revenue Team and other relevant global forumsand serves as WfWI’s primary external representative for regional partnerships and market development across Africa.

Engagement

• Serve as the primary external representative for WfWI in Africa with regional donors, corporates, philanthropic networks, intergovernmental bodies, and strategic partners.
• Dedicate substantial time to external engagement to raise funds, build alliances, and strengthen WfWI’s regional profile.
• Collaborate closely with Country Directors and global colleagues to ensure integrated regional planning and execution.
• Maintain regular engagement with the CEO, CPPO, COO, and other relevant leaders on regional priorities, risks, performance, and support needs.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with African philanthropic, corporate, institutional, and diaspora networks to position WfWI as a credible and compelling regional partner.

Key Responsibilities

Delivery
Strategy and Planning

• Lead the development and execution of a comprehensive Africa regional strategy aligned with the Global Revenue Strategy and country realities.
• Translate global priorities into a practical regional plan that links market opportunities, country strategy, program capacity, and operational readiness.
• Establish annual priorities, targets, and review mechanisms for both regional revenue performance and Country Director leadership coordination.
• Ensure Africa contributes meaningfully to WfWI’s overall revenue ambition while remaining grounded in delivery feasibility, risk management, and country context.

Revenue, Partnerships, and Market Development

• Lead a multi-year Africa revenue strategy across philanthropy, corporate partnerships, institutional funding, diaspora giving, and selected earned-income opportunities.
• Build and manage a regional pipeline of donors and partners, with particular focus on African philanthropy, corporate CSR, regional institutions, development finance institutions, and diaspora networks.
• Identify and cultivate high-value opportunities with African high-net-worth individuals, family foundations, regional corporates, and pan-African institutions.
• Strengthen and diversify Africa revenue streams so the region becomes more resilient and less dependent on traditional supporter markets.
• Champion WfWI’s program offer and value proposition in the region, ensuring clear and consistent positioning to donors, partners, and external stakeholders.
• Ensure strong stewardship, reporting, and donor engagement standards across regional partnerships and revenue streams.

Institutional and Regional Partnerships

• Build a strong pipeline of institutional opportunities with African development banks, regional bodies, bilateral donors, and regional donor platforms.
• Lead or support co-creation with local and national partners to strengthen competitiveness, partnership quality, and localization credibility.
• Ensure proposals and partnership models are aligned with WfWI standards, monitoring and evaluation frameworks, and country delivery realities.
• Strengthen relationships with institutions such as the African Development Bank, African Union system, regional economic communities, and relevant UN agencies and regional platforms.

Earned Income and Innovation

• Identify and grow earned-income or market-based opportunities linked to WfWI’s work, including VSLAs, market systems, curriculum or training products, digital opportunities, and other mission-aligned models.
• Support country teams to assess, pilot, and scale revenue-generating approaches with clear unit economics and operational feasibility.
• Build partnerships with African private sector actors, fintechs, agribusinesses, and market-linkage platforms where these can advance WfWI’s strategy and women’s economic empowerment outcomes.

Country Director Leadership and Coordination

• Line manage Country Directors in Africa and support their performance, accountability, and professional development.
• Provide coaching, mentoring, and strategic guidance to Country Directors, particularly on leadership, planning, fundraising, partnership development, and cross-functional coordination.
• Strengthen collaboration and knowledge sharing across African country offices and promote a more integrated regional approach.
• Ensure key country risks, dependencies, and support needs are surfaced early and addressed with the relevant global functions.
• Support alignment of country strategies with regional opportunities, organizational priorities, and available resources.
• Contribute to performance management, succession thinking, and leadership development across the Africa region in coordination with PCC.

Cross-Functional Integration

• Work closely with the CPPO and COO to align regional revenue ambition with program quality, delivery feasibility, staffing, compliance, operational readiness, and financial controls.
• Coordinate with Finance, PCC, IT, Risk, Compliance, and Communications to support strong country and regional execution.
• Ensure disciplined forecasting, planning, and performance review processes across the region.
• Promote practical ways of working that strengthen collaboration between country teams and global functions.
• Governance, Risk, and Stewardship
• Maintain high standards of safeguarding, donor compliance, financial integrity, and ethical partnership management across the region.
• Lead regional assessment and escalation of risks related to markets, partnerships, funding, operations, and delivery.
• Ensure transparent communication with global leadership on emerging issues, mitigation actions, and support required.
• Demonstrate stewardship of donor resources, partnerships, and organizational reputation through disciplined decision-making, clear accountability, and appropriate escalation of issues.

Representation and Thought Leadership

• Position WfWI as a credible and influential voice on women’s economic empowerment, gender equality, financial inclusion, and market-based approaches across Africa.
• Represent WfWI in regional policy dialogues, donor forums, philanthropic networks, corporate platforms, and strategic partnerships.
• Build alliances with INGOs, local NGOs, private sector actors, and research institutions that can strengthen WfWI’s regional position and impact.
• Support visibility, thought leadership, and strategic communications in coordination with the relevant global teams.

Team Management and Culture

• Build and lead a high-performing Africa regional team with clear goals, accountability, and professional growth.
• Foster a culture of performance, collaboration, learning, and disciplined execution.
• Ensure country and regional staff understand how their work contributes to both regional results and the broader global organization.
• Promote inclusive leadership and strong cross-functional relationships across the Africa region and beyond.

Other Responsibilities

• Undertake additional duties as required by the International Chief Executive Officer.
• Uphold WfWI’s Code of Conduct, Safeguarding policies, and organizational values: Empowerment, Integrity, Respect, Resilience.
• Demonstrate WfWI leadership principles: Decisive, Accountable, Courageous, Adaptable, Inclusive.

Skills Knowledge and Expertise

Requirements

All criteria tagged (A) for Application must be addressed in your covering letter or the application will be disregarded.

• Located in one of the African countries specified with the existing right to work in that country of employment (A)
• Master’s degree required. (A)
• Minimum 10 years of combined senior leadership experience in fundraising, partnerships, business development, international development, or related fields. (A)
• Ability to articulate donor trends and revenue opportunities in Africa, particularly relevant to WfWI’s mission, with a track record of raising a minimum of $5 million a year from at least two types of donor sources, including corporate sources, for social impact causes, inclusive of women’s empowerment. (A)
• Strong familiarity with market-based revenue strategies, social enterprise, or blended finance approaches, as evidenced in past employment. (A)
• Experience designing and implementing strategic Africa-focused partnerships with regional and global development entities, evidenced by clear outcomes. (A)
•  Experience overseeing multi-country programs in Africa, inclusive of strategy development and budget planning, revenue forecasting, team management, financial reporting, and liaising with a global office. (A)
• Participation in women’s rights and or economic empowerment networks and strategic spaces. (A)
• Proven track record of securing significant funding from philanthropists, corporates, foundations, institutions, or strategic partners in Africa or comparable contexts.
• Strong understanding of African philanthropic ecosystems, corporate CSR trends, diaspora giving, and institutional funding landscapes.
• Demonstrated experience developing and delivering multi-year strategies with measurable growth targets.
• Strong people management, coaching, and leadership development skills.
• Excellent relationship-building, negotiation, and external representation skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English. Additional African languages are an advantage.
• Deep commitment to women’s rights, gender equality, and ethical fundraising.
• Willingness to travel regionally and internationally as required.

go to method of application »

Purpose

• The Chief Research, Policy, Advocacy & Strategic Communications Officer is a member of the Executive Leadership Team and the senior leader responsible for shaping Women for Women International’s global external voice, policy influence, evidence-informed thought leadership, and strategic communications.
• The CRAO leads the organization’s global communications, advocacy, and thought leadership agenda so that WfWI’s program experience, evidence, and the voices of women affected by war and conflict are translated into stronger public influence, sharper external positioning, and more compelling engagement with donors, partners, policymakers, media, and allies.
• In the future structure, this role provides executive leadership for communications, advocacy, R&D for revenue, and thought leadership. They will work in close collaboration with the Chief Programs and Partnerships Officer (CPPO) to ensure WfWI’s external positions are grounded in program reality and evidence, and with the COO to ensure communications, advocacy, and external engagement are managed with appropriate risk, compliance, and safeguarding discipline.
• The role is not the owner of core program operations, country office management, Monitoring Evaluation, Research & Learning (MERL) systems, or internal operational systems. Instead, it ensures those areas are translated into powerful external narratives, policy positions, thought pieces, campaigns, and partnership propositions that strengthen WfWI’s visibility, credibility, and resource mobilization.

Engagement

• Serve as a member of the Executive Leadership Team and Global Leadership Team, contributing to enterprise-wide strategy, leadership, culture, and decision-making.
• Act as a strategic adviser to the CEO on external positioning, reputation, policy moments, thought leadership opportunities, and high-profile communications.
• Work closely with the CPPO to ensure WfWI’s advocacy and external positioning are grounded in program evidence, country realities, and organizational priorities.
• Work closely with regional fundraising leaders to strengthen communications, thought leadership, donor narratives, and market-facing materials that support the Global Revenue Strategy.
• Work closely with the COO to ensure crisis communications, reputation management, compliance-sensitive messaging, and external risk issues are handled with discipline and good judgment.

Key Responsibilities

Delivery

Strategic Leadership and Organizational Positioning

• Lead the development and execution of WfWI’s global strategy for policy, advocacy, strategic communications, and thought leadership.
• Shape how WfWI is positioned externally across major global conversations on women’s rights, women’s economic empowerment, conflict, protection, localization, and related issues.
• Ensure WfWI has a coherent and differentiated external voice that is aligned with its mission, values, program reality, and long-term strategy.
• Support the CEO and Board with strategic external positioning, key messages, priority forums, and reputational considerations.
• Oversight authority over global narrative, messaging standards, and brand positioning across all markets.

Research, Evidence Translation, and Thought Leadership

• Lead the organization’s external research and evidence agenda insofar as it supports thought leadership, public influence, donor positioning, and policy engagement.
• Commission, curate, and translate research, learning, and evidence into high-quality thought leadership products, policy positions, media content, donor narratives, and external engagement materials.
• Build strategic partnerships with academic institutions, think tanks, coalitions, and knowledge partners that strengthen WfWI’s intellectual leadership and public credibility.
• Work in close partnership with CPPO and MERL leadership so that external thought leadership is grounded in high-quality program evidence, while core MERL ownership remains within the program pillar.
• Own the research‑for‑influence agenda, including flagship publications and global insights products.
• Maintain clear boundaries with MERL: MERL generates evidence; CRAO translates it for influence.

Policy and Advocacy Leadership

• Lead the development of WfWI’s global advocacy and policy agenda, ensuring it is ambitious, practical, evidence-based, and grounded in women’s lived experience and WfWI’s program work.
• Oversee the development of organizational policy positions on women’s rights, economic empowerment, conflict, protection, and related themes.
• Lead high-level advocacy planning, campaign direction, and external engagement with policymakers, multilateral actors, donor platforms, coalitions, and civil society networks.
• Ensure strong collaboration with country and regional leaders so advocacy priorities are informed by context and do not become disconnected from delivery realities.
• Final approval authority for all global policy positions and advocacy messages.

Global Communications and Strategic External Engagement

• Lead WfWI’s global communications strategy across brand, media, strategic external communications, digital positioning, and key campaigns.
• Ensure that communications support both organizational influence and fundraising by turning research, program experience, and impact evidence into compelling content and clear external narratives.
• Oversee high-quality messaging, media engagement, thought pieces, speeches, campaign materials, digital storytelling, and executive communications.
• Serve as or designate senior spokespersons for WfWI, ensuring consistency, quality, and alignment across markets and functions.
• Lead crisis communications and reputational risk messaging in coordination with CEO and COO.
• Ensure global alignment of brand, narrative, and digital presence across all markets.

R&D for Revenue and Revenue Enablement

• Lead the communications and thought leadership components of R&D for revenue, identifying new narrative, audience, partnership, and content opportunities that can strengthen WfWI’s revenue diversification efforts.
• Support the development of external propositions, cases for support, campaign concepts, and strategic messaging that enable regional fundraising teams, major donor work, corporate engagement, and institutional positioning.
• Work with regional leaders, the CEO, and relevant colleagues to test and refine new externally facing concepts that support the Global Revenue Strategy.
• Support, but do not directly own, fundraising portfolios or regional revenue targets unless specifically delegated. The role’s primary contribution is strategic enablement, narrative development, external positioning, and influence.
• Ensure all donor‑facing narratives are evidence‑grounded and strategically positioned for market differentiation.

Endowment Research, Positioning, and Strategic Development

• Lead the research, conceptualization, and strategic framing of a future WfWI endowment, ensuring it aligns with mission, values, and long‑term organizational strategy.
• Conduct landscape analysis of endowments across INGOs, foundations, and women’s rights organizations, identifying models, governance structures, and investment approaches relevant to WfWI.
• Develop the narrative, value proposition, and thought leadership case for a WfWI endowment, ensuring it is grounded in evidence, program impact, and global positioning.
• Identify and cultivate early‑stage relationships with potential anchor funders, philanthropic partners, and mission‑aligned investors who could support an endowment.
• Work with the CEO, CFO, and Board to define the governance, ethical investment principles, and risk posture required for an endowment.
• Produce a 3‑year roadmap for endowment readiness, including research, narrative development, partnership cultivation, and external positioning milestones.
• Ensure all endowment‑related messaging, research, and engagement uphold WfWI’s safeguarding, ethical, and reputational standards.

Reputation, Risk, and External Stewardship

• Protect and enhance WfWI’s reputation through disciplined messaging, strong judgment, and proactive management of external opportunities and risks.
• Lead crisis communications and sensitive external positioning in close coordination with the CEO, COO, and other relevant leaders.
• Ensure that advocacy and communications activities are aligned with WfWI’s safeguarding standards, ethical commitments, risk posture, and compliance requirements.
• Support appropriate due diligence and escalation processes for high-profile partnerships, campaigns, coalitions, and public positions.

Team Leadership and Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Lead and develop high-performing global teams across communications, advocacy, strategic external engagement, and related functions.
• Build a culture of collaboration, strong judgment, creativity, accountability, and disciplined execution.
• Ensure effective ways of working across the CRAO portfolio and with CPPO, COO, regional market leaders, and the CEO.
• Clarify roles, decision rights, priorities, and performance expectations so the function operates with focus and consistency.

Other Responsibilities

• Undertake additional duties as required by the International Chief Executive Officer.
• Uphold WfWI’s Code of Conduct, Safeguarding policies, and organizational values: Empowerment, Integrity, Respect, Resilience.
• Demonstrate WfWI leadership principles: Decisive, Accountable, Courageous, Adaptable, Inclusive.

Skills Knowledge and Expertise

Required

All the criteria marked (A) for Application must be addressed in your covering letter.

• Located in the UK, US, or one of the countries in Africa or Europe specified above with the existing right to work in the country of employment (A)
• Master’s degree or equivalent senior experience in public policy, international development, communications, international relations, social sciences, gender studies, or a related field (A) 
• Minimum 15 years of senior leadership experience in international development, women’s rights, humanitarian, policy, advocacy, communications, or related sectors (A)
• Existing credibility and networks in relevant global policy, media, or advocacy spaces (A).
• Knowledge of key policy issues related to global women’s human rights, peace and security, and philanthropy (A).
• Experience producing external communications on such issues, including for donors. (A)
•  Demonstrated experience designing and implementing global or regional advocacy campaigns, positioning executive leadership in strategic spaces, identifying thought leadership opportunities, and developing talking points. (A)
• Experience with endowment campaigns, from design to securing and executing pledges from anchor funders, built on strong understanding of philanthropic opportunities and trends.
• Experience implementing crisis communications, and familiarity with global human rights frameworks. (A)
• Demonstrated ability to translate evidence and program learning into compelling external positioning, donor-facing narratives, public influence, and thought leadership.
• Strong experience with media engagement, public speaking, executive communications, and high-level external representation.
• Proven ability to lead and develop diverse, geographically dispersed teams.
•  Excellent strategic judgment, political sensitivity, and ability to navigate complex stakeholder environments.
• Deep understanding of women’s rights, gender equality, and conflict-affected contexts.
• Strong collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively across program, operations, fundraising, and executive leadership teams.