Policy and Partnerships Director at Bridge International Academies

What You Will Do:

• Report to the Nigerian Country Director to help design policies, build partnerships, and execute strategy to advance Bridge’s goals in Nigeria.
• Work closely with the global Policy & Partnerships and Public Relations offices, to ensure continuity and alignment of goals and strategy across Bridge regions;
• Work in partnership with the Government of Nigeria to ensure Bridge schools become registered on Alternative Provision of Basic Education and Training (APBET) thus recognizing the safer and more formal platform on Bridge runs its schools in Nigeria than other unregistered schools;
• Identify and execute strategies to design, pass, and implement legislation to create Private Public Partnerships (PPP) in education, also known as public charter schools;
• Manage broader strategic stakeholder management with NGO/ donor/ think tank/ academic and other important 'influencers’ to unlock new funding and advance Bridge’s standing with these important communities;
• Utilize lead management techniques and maintain a detailed and dynamic database of these key influencer communities while tracking progress;
• Network with new and unfamiliar audiences while preparing for and understanding your audience;
• Partner with the in-country team on strategic communications to achieve our goals;
• Work with local, regional and national officials and groups with respect to the Bridge International Academies’ registration, strategic efforts, and related activities;
• Work with key stakeholders on consultative efforts to drive reforms in delivery of education to underserved communities;
• Identify opportunities and work with partners in the private sector to drive efficient service delivery with government schools;
• Identify CSR partners in the private sector to strengthen Bridge International Academies’ market presence and delivery;
• Identify the larger contours of PPP and CSR relationships and be responsible for structuring PPP and CSR contracts;
• Plan, develop, administer and evaluate programs, activities and daily operations related to the governmental affairs support function;
• Coordinate complex interactions with legislators, legislative staff, other local and state officials, federal agency staff and other government officials/staff;
• Establish and implement short- and long-range goals, objectives, policies and operating procedures for the government relations support function; monitor and evaluates program effectiveness; effects changes required for improvement; and
• Lead proactive and reactive media relations, social media, web-based communications, and others as necessary;

What You Should Have:

• Master’s degree or vast experience in public policy, public relations, communications or a related field;
• Bachelor’s degree in public policy, public relations, communications or a related field;
• Over 10 years’ experience in government, advocacy, or public sector;
• Extensive knowledge of local, state and federal government organization and legislative processes in Nigerian primary education;
• Regular contacts within the ministry of education or equivalent local and state regulatory bodies or easy access to make them;
• Knowledge of local, state and federal government issues related to the provision of primary education in Nigeria;
• Experience acting as an on-the-record spokesperson;
• Prior experience within a fast-paced, metric driven consulting or educational organization;
• Demonstrated ability to work with Nigerian media, including local, national and regional media across print, broadcast and online;
• Relationships with editors and reporters in Nigerian media;
• Excellent writing skills including the ability to draft press releases, statements, talking-points, and opinion pieces in partnership with Bridge Public Affairs;
• Traditional and social media monitoring and participation skills; and
• Experience working for a political, non-profit, or other social campaigns that concern an idea or a movement rather than a product.

You Are Also:

• Proactive – You don’t always need supervision and you are a self-starter. Your personal drive to succeed and deliver keeps you working when you may not have a supervisor with you.
• A detailed doer - You have a track record of getting things done.  You’re organized and responsive.  You take ownership of every idea you touch and execute it to a fine level of detail, setting targets, engaging others, and doing whatever it takes to get the job done.  You can multi-task dozens of such projects at once and never lose sight of the details.  Likely, you have some experience in a start-up or other rapid-growth company. 
• A networking mastermind- You excel at meeting new people and turning them into advocates.  You communicate in a clear, conscientious, and effective way in both written and oral speech.  You can influence strangers in the course of a single conversation.  Allies and colleagues will go to bat for your ideas. 
• A creative problem-solver- Growing any business from scratch comes with massive and constant challenges.  On top of that, Bridge works in volatile, low-resource communities and runs on fees averaging around $7 a month per pupil.  You need to be flexible and ready to get everything done effectively, quickly, and affordably with the materials at hand.  
• A customer advocate- Our customers – these families living on less than $2 a day per person – never leave your mind.  You know them, get them, have shared a meal with them (or would be happy to in the future).  You would never shrink back from shaking a parent’s hand or picking up a crying child, no matter what the person was wearing or looked like.  Every decision you make considers their customer benefit, experience, and value.
• A malleable learner -You believe you can always do better.  You welcome constructive criticism and provide it freely to others.  You know you only get better tomorrow when others point out where you’ve missed things or failed today.