The African Center for Economic Transformation (ACET) is a Pan-African economic policy institute supporting Africa’s long-term growth through transformation. We work directly with African governments, businesses, and civil society—within countries and across borders—to remove policy barriers to sustainable, inclusive development.
The Senior Programs Lead will drive implementation on ACET’s work on a broad range of programs to include innovation and digital policy, infrastructure and investment, green industrial transformation and global financial architecture reform – all to support Africa’s economic transformation. S/he will lead these programs under the direction of the Director and in support of project teams.
Key roles and responsibilities
- Coordinating Delivery
- Responsible for coordinating delivery across numerous teams and themes to ensure timeliness and world-class quality. This will include managing staff and overseeing work programs, timelines, drafts, convenings, inputs and deliverables.
- Strategy and Partnerships
- Play a central role in developing and refining ACET’s strategies and approaches across program areas, including emerging themes, while contributing to departmental and corporate brainstorming with thoughtful strategic inputs.
- Resource Mobilization
- Deeply involved in resource mobilization to raise funds for things that have never been done before or are not usually undertaken by African policy institutes. This includes working closely with the ACET Partnerships team in scanning and identifying opportunities, engaging prospective donors – or networks that lead to donors, writing proposals and presenting funding ideas.
- Effective Teamwork
- Support the Director in ensuring a strong sense of team, effective collaboration, a positive culture of information sharing, early identification of teamwork challenges and staff wellbeing.
- Corporate Stewardship
- Collaborate with Operational unit heads to oversee work programming, staff time allocation, procurement/consultant management, internal monitoring and evaluation, budget management, communications, corporate and partner reporting (Board updates/donor reports).
- Project Implementation/Support
- Expected to have technical expertise in at least one of the pillars in the department. This will include encouraging innovation/ new approaches, and ensuring that ACET’s work reflects world-class thinking.
- Representation
- Represent ACET/ Director in a wide range of events and forums, both in-person and virtually.
- Communication and Publications
- Contribute to articles, blogs, policy notes and papers for publications by ACET and its partners.
Experience and skills expected of the post holder
- PhD or Master’s degree in Economics, Development Studies, Business, Technology, Life Sciences, Engineering, Finance or related fields.
- A minimum of five (5) years of relevant post masters experience conducting policy oriented applied research
- Strong organizational and delivery skills in a fast-paced environment with multiple projects, themes and teams with a focus on timeliness and excellence.