Africa Governance Initiative Job Opportunities

Call for applicants both for roles in 2013 and for addition to AGI talent pool for future positions

About AGI

AGI is working for a future in which Africa’s development is led by Africans, with governments that are capable of setting and achieving priorities that reflect the rising aspirations and expectations of their citizens. To achieve this vision, we provide practical advice and support to help African leaders to bridge the gap between their vision for a better future and the capacity of their governments to achieve it. We work with countries – currently Sierra Leone, Liberia, Rwanda, Guinea, Nigeria, South Sudan and Malawi – that are at turning points and where we have had an invitation from the Head of Government to provide capacity development support.

Our model combines the experience of AGI’s founder and Patron, Mr. Blair, with on-the-ground teams of professionals working shoulder-to-shoulder with counterparts in the heart of partner governments – in Presidential Offices, Ministries and Investment Agencies – to develop capacity and put in place the skills, systems and structures needed to drive the delivery of results on the ground.

Forthcoming Roles

AGI is a dynamic and fast-growing charity, and over the next 6 months we will recruit to a number of positions across our Africa programmes.

But in addition to finding candidates for these near-term roles, we are also seeking to build a pool of excellent candidates who we would like to work with us in the future.

We are particularly looking for candidates in the following areas:

Advisors in Centre-of-Government Institutions We will be recruiting to a number of Governance Advisor positions in institutions at the centre of government – Presidents’ and Prime Ministers’ offices; cross-government co-ordination offices; and strategy, policy and delivery units. In addition to the AGI core competencies we are interested to hear from candidates with prior experience in: planning, delivery and performance management processes; executive/private office or supporting a senior leader; or government and strategic communications.

Advisors for Ministries of Finance We will be recruiting to a number of Governance Advisor positions in Ministries of Finance. The roles will vary across projects. Advisors may work with counterparts on a range of areas from building capacity around cross-government coordination to establishing systems for oversight of large infrastructure projects. In addition to the AGI core competencies we are interested to hear from candidates with prior experience in: budgeting, economic planning, cross-government coordination, project planning and oversight, and change management in a government finance context.

Advisors in Priority Ministries / Sectors We will be recruiting to a number of Governance Advisor positions based in priority ministries, working with the senior leadership to develop planning and implementation capacity. Advisors will work with counterparts to build capacity around, e.g., planning and performance management systems, private office functions, and strategy and policy development. In addition to the AGI core competencies we are looking for candidates with sector experience (private or public) in the following sectors:

 Agriculture – Individuals with public or private sector experience of agriculture in developing countries e.g. agriculture policy, agribusiness and agricultural investment, out-grower schemes, support to smallholder farming, agriculture communications

 Energy – individuals with government, consulting or industry experience in the energy sector e.g. energy policy, the performance of energy utilities, public-private partnerships, power generation and distribution project management.

 Mining / Natural Resource Management – individuals with experience and understanding of: the political economy of the natural resource sector; natural resource companies or public agencies; international standards in the extractive sector

 Transportation/Infrastructure – individuals with government, consulting or industry experience e.g. the performance of infrastructure ministries and agencies, public-private partnerships, project management of major infrastructure projects in developing countries

 Private Sector Development - individuals with experience in investment promotion, managing investment deals in emerging market economies and/or delivering organisational change.

Applicants wishing to apply for one of these sector specialisms should indicate this clearly in the first line of their application email.

Country Head positions

Finally, we are looking for exceptional leaders to head up some of our projects. Please request the separate advert for these positions.

AGI Competencies We are looking for outstanding individuals with a proven track record of leadership and delivery in the public or private sectors. AGI team members generally have 5-15 years relevant professional experience. We seek to create international and multi-disciplinary teams and are looking for individuals with a background in: public/civil services worldwide; strategy consulting; relevant industry experience; private equity and finance; and international development. All candidates will need to demonstrate the following core competencies:

 Leadership and organisational awareness

 Building and managing effective relationships, including the ability to navigate complex political environments

 Influencing and coaching and delivering change through others

 Management and delivery, including excellent project management skills

 Strategic planning and decision-making

 Analysis and use of evidence

 A creative and entrepreneurial approach to overcoming barriers and making change happen, and the ability to cope in emotionally demanding environments

We are keen to find individuals who meet the criteria above, and can also demonstrate strong project management skills. We are also particularly interested in hearing from candidates who speak fluent French, for recruitment to our projects in Francophone countries.

Above all, we look for candidates with high levels of enthusiasm, resilience, and a can-do attitude. Experience of living and working in developing countries is desirable but not essential. We are particularly interested to hear from candidates who have experience working in South Sudan. We are also wish to hear from candidates who speak fluent French, for recruitment to our projects in Francophone countries. A language test will be required for all candidates for who French is not their first language.

Package

Remuneration will be competitive within the international charitable sector and will include provision for flights, housing and relevant expenses in Africa.

How to apply:

How to apply Applications should consist of a covering letter, explaining your interest in working for AGI and demonstrating how you meet the core competencies, along with a CV. Each should be no longer than 2 pages. Any application without a tailored cover letter, or exceeding the indicated lengths, will be rejected. Please also state in your cover letter any geographic or timing preferences for start dates. To apply, please send your application to jobs@tb-agi.org with the words ‘Africa Advisor Positions’ in the subject line.

The deadline for applications is close of business on Thursday 28 February 2013.

For near-term roles, start-dates will vary from March 2013 to August 2013. Interviews will be held first for those positions starting soonest. Promising candidates not suitable for these near terms roles will be contacted at a later date for a discussion about entering our candidate pool, which we will use for recruitment of future roles.

Whilst we value all applications, we regret that we will only be able to contact successful candidates.