As an employee in this position, you will be responsible for performing key duties that contribute to the overall success of the team and organization. You will collaborate with colleagues across various departments to ensure seamless operations and alignment with company objectives. Your responsibilities will include managing specific tasks, analyzing data to inform decisions, and maintaining high standards of quality in all deliverables. To excel in this role, you must meet the outlined requirements, which may include relevant education, certifications, or professional experience. Strong communication skills, adaptability, and a commitment to continuous improvement are essential for driving results and fostering a positive work environment.
The Senior Officer, Africa, within Global Partnership Development, is responsible for shaping and executing the foundation’s strategy for African philanthropy, cultivating and maintaining high-value collaborations with ultra-high-net-worth individuals (Unwise), family offices, corporations, and private and institutional foundations across Africa and the diaspora. This pivotal senior role seeks an innovative leader with the strategic vision and relationship-building expertise to establish and secure large-scale, multifaceted partnerships with diverse donors, while fostering meaningful engagements with leading philanthropists, their teams, family offices, and foundations to generate co-funding, complementary investments, and cultivate influential champions and advocates both within the continent and across the African diaspora. The position demands a comprehensive understanding of the intersections between philanthropy, business, and civil society in Sub-Saharan Africa, coupled with a demonstrated capacity to develop and implement ambitious partnership strategies spanning multiple issue areas and geographic regions.
At this pivotal juncture where philanthropic, programmatic, and advocacy initiatives converge, this position will cultivate and oversee a dynamic pipeline of philanthropic partnerships across Africa while advancing the foundation’s overarching strategy to expand giving on the continent. The Senior Officer will collaborate closely with the institutional philanthropy lead to design and implement engagement strategies targeting foundations and corporate entities and will function as a primary liaison with foundation leadership, including in relation 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 indirect reporting line to the Deputy Director of the Global Partnership Development team within the Philanthropic Partnerships unit. The role does not include any supervisory or people management duties.
This position is based in Nairobi, Kenya, and requires candidates to possess the legal authorization to work in the country without requiring visa sponsorship.
What You’ll Do
You’ll spearhead the foundation’s strategy for African philanthropy, advancing a plan to engage ultra-high-net-worth individuals (Unwise) from the continent in global health and development initiatives. This involves identifying, evaluating, and nurturing potential partners; overseeing a dynamic portfolio of high-value relationships; and securing substantial annual commitments to advance the foundation’s global health and development objectives.
You will leverage extensive knowledge of deal and partnership structuring across Africa’s varied philanthropic, corporate, and civic sectors to craft strategies that balance local relevance with global coherence. Collaborating with PPT, program teams, and the Africa Regional Office and Country Offices, you will create persuasive support cases and design flexible partnership models, which may include philanthropic contributions, co-investment arrangements, blended finance solutions, and alternative capital mechanisms.
This position centers on cultivating and overseeing intricate collaborations that connect diverse partners, program domains, and geographic regions—demanding exceptional organizational, negotiation, and strategic deal-making skills. Your responsibilities will include uncovering synergies to unite multiple stakeholders around common objectives, structuring partnership models for multifaceted engagements, and embedding African viewpoints into worldwide philanthropic approaches. Depending on the partnership portfolio and the intricacy of agreements, you will assume a primary, collaborative, or advisory function in key initiatives.
Engagement and coordination across various sectors play a pivotal role in advancing institutional philanthropy through collaborative efforts and strategic partnerships.
You will serve as the foundation’s ambassador within African philanthropic networks, sector forums, and peer communities, fostering collaboration and engagement across these platforms. Your role may encompass participation in strategic discussions, representation at key events, and active involvement in initiatives that advance the foundation’s mission and objectives.
Forge strategic connections and exert positive influence among key decision-makers spanning Africa’s business, civil society, and philanthropic sectors;
Crafting culturally resonant narratives in collaboration with communications and advocacy teams to inspire philanthropic support across diverse African contexts.
Key responsibilities include identifying and cultivating influential donors to serve as spokespeople, strategic thought partners, and champions for Global Health & Development (GH&D) across the continent and within the African diaspora.
In collaboration with the foundation’s institutional philanthropy lead, you will develop and implement strategies to foster partnerships with African foundations and corporate foundations.
Foundation Leadership and Giving Pledge Engagement involve spearheading strategic initiatives to foster philanthropic partnerships, cultivating relationships with high-net-worth individuals and institutional donors, and ensuring alignment with the foundation’s mission. Key responsibilities include designing and implementing donor engagement strategies, overseeing the execution of giving campaigns, and managing the pledge fulfillment process. Additionally, this role entails collaborating with the board of directors to align fundraising efforts with organizational goals, analyzing donor data to inform decision-making, and representing the foundation at high-level events and meetings. Candidates must possess a proven track record in philanthropic leadership, exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, and the ability to develop and nurture long-term donor relationships. Proficiency in donor management software and a deep understanding of wealth management principles are also essential requirements.
In this role, you will collaborate closely with foundation leadership to cultivate and strengthen relationships with prominent African philanthropists and partners, guaranteeing that executive engagements are meticulously planned, purpose-driven, and executed with precision. Additionally, you will deliver insightful briefings, develop tailored relationship strategies, and oversee follow-up coordination to ensure leadership touchpoints are both meaningful and impactful.
You will play a pivotal role in cultivating and expanding relationships tied to the Giving Pledge, with a focus on identifying potential signatories from Africa and fostering sustained engagement with current African signatories. This responsibility will be executed in alignment with PPT’s overarching Giving Pledge strategy.
Internal coordination and strategic oversight of project portfolios are essential to ensure cohesive execution and alignment with organizational objectives, requiring meticulous planning, resource allocation, and performance tracking to optimize delivery and maximize value.
As a critical 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 synchronize efforts across these groups, ensuring partner engagement is executed promptly, aligned strategically, and aligned with both donor interests and foundation priorities. In this capacity, you will maintain close collaboration with Africa country offices—specifically in Nigeria and Ethiopia—and work in tandem with regional leads spanning Southern, Eastern, and Western Africa.
The role involves playing a key part in designing innovative philanthropic offerings, engaging in strategic content development and event planning for initiatives such as Goalkeepers, Proponent Labs, and other Africa-focused gatherings, and partnering with PPT’s Shared Services team to enhance communications, audience engagement, and data-driven insights capabilities.
You will oversee meticulous portfolio and pipeline management within Salesforce, encompassing forecasting, performance analytics, and ongoing updates to partner intelligence.
Your Experience
A relevant field bachelor’s degree or higher, or commensurate professional experience, is required.
A minimum of seven years of experience is required in partnership development, major gifts fundraising, business development, resource mobilization, investment, or strategic relationship management, with a proven history of securing substantial financial commitments or finalizing high-value partnerships.
Seeking a candidate with comprehensive expertise in the philanthropic, corporate, and civil society ecosystems of Africa, particularly in structuring partnerships and transactions across Sub-Saharan Africa. Ideal applicants may hail from business, finance, investment, international development, or nonprofit backgrounds, with emphasis placed on the depth of regional market insight, robust relationship networks, and a proven history in business expansion or resource acquisition.
Experienced in cultivating and overseeing relationships with ultra-high-net-worth individuals, family offices, and institutional partners, with a proven history of securing substantial, long-term commitments.
Accomplished in cultivating and overseeing intricate collaborations involving diverse partners, varied issue domains, and multiple geographic regions.
A solid understanding of global health and development priorities, coupled with an awareness of their alignment with African development initiatives, is essential. While advanced expertise in global health and development isn’t mandatory, the ideal candidate will demonstrate intellectual curiosity, rapid learning capabilities, and a sincere dedication to the organization’s mission.
Experienced in fostering productive collaboration with cross-functional teams to accomplish unified objectives.
Proven expertise in identifying, developing, and leveraging key skills and competencies to drive performance, innovation, and organizational success. Demonstrates strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, enabling effective assessment of strengths, gaps, and development opportunities. Possesses excellent communication and interpersonal skills, fostering collaboration and alignment across teams. Exhibits adaptability and a commitment to continuous learning, ensuring alignment with evolving business needs and industry trends. Requires proficiency in [specific tools/software, if applicable] and the ability to apply competencies strategically to enhance productivity and achieve measurable outcomes.
Results-driven relationship builder with a demonstrated capacity to cultivate trust and foster strategic partnerships across diverse organizational levels—including principals, senior executives, and program staff—to achieve measurable outcomes.
Dynamic professional with a deep understanding of philanthropic trends across Africa, donor motivations, and the evolving landscape of continental giving.
Proven expertise in crafting innovative deals and structuring strategic partnerships, encompassing a deep understanding of blended finance mechanisms, co-investment strategies, and the integration of non-traditional philanthropic capital.
Proven ability to convert intricate global issues into engaging stories that effectively connect with diverse African communities.
Demonstrates a robust ability to cultivate influence, champion key initiatives, and mentor individuals to become strong advocates for organizational goals.
Proven expertise in delivering articulate and compelling verbal and written communication in English, specifically tailored to engage and persuade high-net-worth individuals and key executive stakeholders.
Proficient in navigating and collaborating across a wide range of cultural settings throughout Sub-Saharan Africa and globally, with a strong commitment to honoring local traditions, power structures, and established relationship protocols.
Skilled in evaluating the effectiveness and outcomes of partnerships through a data-centric approach.
Preferred Attributes
A robust and well-established network within African philanthropic, business, and civil society spheres is essential, with particular emphasis on engagements among ultra-high-net-worth individuals, family offices, corporate entities, and institutional foundations.
Fluency in one or more African languages, as well as other languages prevalent in essential markets, is required.
Skilled in collaborating effectively with top executives, key decision-makers, and corporate governance bodies to drive strategic initiatives and foster organizational alignment.
Experience with or awareness of the Giving Pledge or similar philanthropic networks is preferred.
Seeking professionals with demonstrated expertise in blended finance, impact investing, or the cultivation of cross-sector partnerships.
Seasoned professionals with a strong background in securing resources for global health and development projects, gender equality initiatives, or closely related fields are sought after.
Travel requirements include up to 40% regional mobility across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Qualifications
BA/BSc/HND
Experience Required
7 years
