Your Role
The Senior Officer, Africa, within Global Partnership Development, spearheads the foundation’s strategic engagement in African philanthropy by cultivating and nurturing high-value collaborations with ultra-high-net-worth individuals (Unwise), family offices, corporations, and both private and institutional foundations based in or originating from Africa. These partnerships are designed to advance critical health and development initiatives across the continent. This pivotal, senior-level position is tailored for an innovative professional equipped with the foresight, ingenuity, and established network required to conceptualize, negotiate, and formalize large-scale, multifaceted partnerships spanning diverse donor segments. Additionally, the role entails establishing and leading meaningful connections on behalf of the foundation with prominent philanthropists, their teams, family offices, and foundations—resulting in collaborative funding, supplementary financial support, and the identification and cultivation of influential champions and advocates both within Africa and among the African diaspora. The position demands an extensive understanding of how philanthropy, commerce, and civil society intersect throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, coupled with a demonstrated capacity to design and implement ambitious, cross-sector partnership strategies across varied thematic and geographic domains.
This position will operate at the convergence of the foundation’s philanthropic, programmatic, and advocacy objectives, focusing on cultivating and overseeing a dynamic network of African philanthropic collaborations while advancing the organization’s broader strategy to expand charitable giving across the continent. The Senior Officer will collaborate closely with the institutional philanthropy lead to design and implement strategies for engaging foundations and corporations, serving in a pivotal role as a relationship manager with foundation leadership, including engagements tied to the Giving Pledge.
This position operates under the supervision of the Director of the African Regional Office within Global Policy and Advocacy, with an additional functional reporting line to the Deputy Director of Global Partnership Development on the Philanthropic Partnerships Team. The incumbent will not be responsible for overseeing or managing personnel.
This position is based in Nairobi, Kenya, and candidates must possess the legal right to work in the country without requiring visa sponsorship.
What You’ll Do
You will spearhead the foundation’s strategy for African philanthropy, advancing initiatives to engage ultra-high-net-worth individuals (Unwise) residing in or originating from the continent in global health and development efforts. This encompasses identifying, evaluating, and nurturing prospective partners; overseeing a dynamic portfolio of high-value relationships; and advancing meaningful annual commitments to align with the foundation’s global health and development objectives.
You will leverage comprehensive knowledge of deal and partnership structuring across Africa’s varied philanthropic, corporate, and civic sectors to craft strategies that harmonize local relevance with global coherence. Collaborating with PPT, program teams, and the Africa Regional and Country Offices, your role will involve creating persuasive cases for support and designing innovative partnership frameworks, which may include philanthropic contributions, co-investment models, blended finance solutions, and alternative capital structures.
This position demands the cultivation and stewardship of intricate partnerships that cross diverse partners, program domains, and geographic regions—entailing exceptional coordination, negotiation, and deal-structuring skills. Your responsibilities will include recognizing prospects to align multiple stakeholders around mutual objectives, developing partnership frameworks for intricate multi-party initiatives, and embedding African viewpoints into global philanthropic strategies. Depending on the composition of the portfolio and the intricacy of agreements, you will assume a primary, supportive, or advisory function in designated partnerships.
Institutional philanthropy initiatives require collaborative efforts across multiple sectors, necessitating effective engagement and strategic coordination to achieve shared objectives. This role focuses on fostering partnerships, aligning resources, and ensuring seamless collaboration among diverse stakeholders to maximize philanthropic impact. Key responsibilities include identifying synergies, managing cross-sector relationships, and overseeing the implementation of coordinated strategies to address complex societal challenges through philanthropic investments.
You will serve as the foundation’s ambassador within African philanthropic networks, sector forums, and peer communities. Key responsibilities may involve engaging with stakeholders, fostering collaborative partnerships, and participating in discussions to advance shared goals. Additionally, you will contribute to strengthening the foundation’s presence and influence across these platforms.
Developing strategic alliances and exerting influence among key stakeholders in African corporate, civil society, and philanthropic sectors is essential.
Collaborating with communications and advocacy teams, we develop culturally relevant narratives that inspire philanthropic engagement across diverse African contexts.
The role involves cultivating and engaging influential supporters—both within Africa and across the diaspora—to serve as vocal advocates, strategic collaborators, and enthusiastic champions for GH&D’s mission across the continent.
In collaboration with the foundation’s institutional philanthropy lead, you will facilitate strategic efforts to engage African foundations and corporate foundations.
As a leader in the Foundation’s Giving Pledge initiatives, you will assume a pivotal role in fostering philanthropic commitments and engagement among high-net-worth individuals, ensuring alignment with the Foundation’s strategic objectives. Your responsibilities will include cultivating relationships with prospective and existing pledge members, providing guidance on impactful giving strategies, and overseeing the execution of pledge-related programs. Additionally, you will collaborate with cross-functional teams to develop and implement innovative approaches that enhance donor participation and satisfaction. Strong interpersonal skills, a deep understanding of philanthropic trends, and experience in stakeholder management are essential for success in this position.
As a strategic advisor to foundation leadership, you will cultivate and maintain high-impact relationships with prominent African philanthropists and key partners, guaranteeing that executive engagements are meticulously planned, strategically aligned, and deftly executed with clear follow-through. Your responsibilities will encompass delivering insightful briefings, devising tailored relationship strategies, and orchestrating seamless follow-up coordination to amplify the influence of leadership interactions.
You will actively contribute to the cultivation and expansion of relationships associated with the Giving Pledge, with a focus on identifying new signatories from Africa and maintaining ongoing engagement with existing African signatories in accordance with PPT’s broader Giving Pledge strategy.
Internal Alignment and Portfolio Management encompasses the strategic oversight and coordination of projects, programs, and initiatives to ensure they align with organizational objectives and deliver maximum value. This role involves optimizing resource allocation, prioritizing initiatives based on strategic importance, and maintaining clear communication across departments to foster collaboration. Additionally, it requires continuous monitoring of performance metrics, identifying risks, and implementing corrective actions to mitigate potential disruptions. The position demands strong analytical skills, proficiency in portfolio management tools, and the ability to balance competing priorities while driving sustainable growth.
As a key internal relationship manager, you will collaborate with PPT, the Global Partnership Development team, the Africa Regional Office, program strategy teams, and the Global Policy & Advocacy division to align partner engagement efforts. Ensuring timely, cohesive interactions that reflect both donor priorities and foundation objectives will be central to this role. Additionally, you will work closely with Africa country offices—especially in Nigeria and Ethiopia—and coordinate closely with regional leads spanning Southern, Eastern, and Western Africa.
This role will involve co-creating innovative philanthropic products, contributing to strategic content and engagement planning for key events such as Goalkeepers, Proponent Labs, and other Africa-focused convening, and coordinating closely with PPT’s Shared Services team to enhance communications, audience engagement, and data-driven insights capabilities.
You will ensure meticulous oversight of portfolio and pipeline management using Salesforce, encompassing forecasting, performance reporting, and continuous updates to partner intelligence.
Your Experience
A relevant bachelor’s degree or higher, or commensurate professional experience, is required.
Minimum seven years of professional experience in complex partnership development, major gifts fundraising, business development, resource mobilization, investment, or strategic relationship management, with a proven ability to secure substantial financial commitments or finalize high-value partnerships.
We seek candidates with extensive expertise in African philanthropy, business, and civil society, along with a strong grasp of partnership and deal structuring across Sub-Saharan Africa. While candidates from business, finance, investment, international development, or NGO backgrounds are encouraged to apply, the critical factors are your deep understanding of the African market, your established network of relationships, and your proven success in business development or resource mobilization.
Proven success in cultivating and overseeing relationships with ultra-high-net-worth individuals, family offices, and institutional partners, alongside a strong history of securing substantial, multi-year engagements.
Experience shaping and managing complex partnerships across multiple partners, issue areas, and geographies.
A solid grasp of global health and development priorities, particularly their relevance to African development agendas, is essential. While advanced expertise in global health and development is not mandatory, intellectual curiosity, rapid learning capabilities, and a sincere dedication to the mission are critical.
A proven capacity to collaborate effectively with diverse internal teams and drive collective success through shared objectives.
Demonstrates proficiency in a range of technical and interpersonal abilities relevant to the role. Exhibits strong communication skills, both written and verbal, to convey ideas clearly and collaborate effectively. Maintains meticulous attention to detail to ensure accuracy in all tasks. Possesses analytical thinking to assess situations, identify problems, and implement efficient solutions. Demonstrates adaptability in dynamic environments and a commitment to continuous learning. Exhibits leadership qualities, including project management and team coordination, to drive successful outcomes.
A dynamic relationship-builder with a strong track record of cultivating trust and nurturing connections across diverse organizational levels—including principals, senior executives, and program staff—with the aim of achieving targeted outcomes.
Accomplished professional with deep insight into the dynamics of African philanthropy, including emerging trends, key donor motivations, and the expansive framework of giving across the continent.
Experienced in crafting strategic deals and structuring partnerships, with proven expertise in blended finance, co-investment models, and non-traditional philanthropic capital.
Proven ability to convert intricate global issues into engaging stories that effectively connect with varied African audiences.
Demonstrates a robust ability to cultivate influence, advocate effectively, and nurture individuals to become advocates themselves.
Proficient in both verbal and written English with a strong aptitude for compellingly engaging and persuading high-net-worth individuals and senior executives.
Proficient in operating within varied cultural settings spanning Sub-Saharan Africa and global contexts, demonstrating a strong appreciation for local customs, underlying power structures, and established relationship frameworks.
Experienced in evaluating the effectiveness and outcomes of partnerships through a data-centric approach.
Preferred Attributes
Experienced in cultivating and leveraging established relationships within philanthropic, business, and civil society networks across Africa, with a particular emphasis on ultra-high-net-worth individuals, family offices, and corporate or institutional foundations.
Fluency in one or more African languages or other languages commonly spoken in key markets is required.
Overseeing collaborative engagements with senior leadership, key decision-makers, and board members, the role demands extensive experience in strategic partnerships and high-stakes communication.
Experience with or awareness of the Giving Pledge, as well as similar philanthropic networks, is required.
Candidates should possess a proven track record in blended finance initiatives, impact investing strategies, or the cultivation of cross-sector partnerships.
Seasoned professionals with extensive expertise in securing and allocating resources for global health and development initiatives, gender equality programs, or other pertinent development sectors are sought after.
Capable of traveling as much as 40% of the time, including throughout various regions of Sub-Saharan Africa.
Qualifications
BA/BSc/HND
Experience Required
7 years
