Regional Director, East Africa at Tony Blair Institute for Global Change

Job Introduction

• The Advisory practice within the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI) advises reforming political leaders and governments on strategy, policy and delivery and achieve significant and positive impact for citizens around the world.  
• We are looking for a Regional Director as part of TBI’s Africa Advisory practise to lead our client engagement work in the East Africa region. This role will manage Country Directors, and provide oversight and direction to our country teams and work in the region. The Regional Director will build and maintain deep relationships with political leaders and key stakeholders across the region,  manage and contribute to TBI’s overall global advisory team, and work closely with the Managing Director, Africa.
• Relocation assistance may be provided for the successful candidate if required.

Key Responsibilities
­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­The successful candidate must work with the Managing Director, Africa and others to:

• Strategically lead and manage a portfolio of country programmes, ensuring the delivery of high-quality advice and programmes in support of partner governments and the leaders we support
• Drive and deliver the further expansion of our work within the East Africa region
• Establish effective and trusted relationships with senior politicians in government, including Presidents, PMs, Ministers and Special Advisors, securing mandates with multiple key counterparts as a regular point of contact
• Develop and position TBI’s value proposition to increase market share, reputation and sustainability
• Lead, coach and direct your direct reports of Country Directors, working collaboratively with the Managing Director Africa, Executive Director Africa, and global colleagues to: 
  • Establish, review and maintain the strategy, objectives and key results for each country programme, with a clear measurement framework; 
  • Ensure our work is strategic, relevant and technically excellent, and delivers our mission to equip leaders to build open and inclusive societies in an interconnected, global world;
  • Act as a thought partner to teams to help provide innovative solutions to government and leadership problems and frame them in a compelling way;
• Ensure the growth and development of a high-performing culture and provide a continued focus on learning and development
• Shape and embody a positive culture that drives ambition, innovation and delivery  
• Oversee and be accountable for recruitment within the region, supporting Country Directors to hire, manage and develop, critically providing quality control of new hires and mentoring 
• Build and utilise regional level networks, including with relevant multilateral fora, and act as a representative of TBI including public-speaking and media engagements 
• Contribute to fundraising strategies, donor mapping etc across a wide group of stakeholders in close collaboration with Business Development & Investments. Engage with key donors, relevant external stakeholders such as other not for profit organisations, media, suppliers and agencies
• Manage and be accountable for the regional budget
• Ensure expenditure is utilised in line with budget, with robust management accounts and accountability established amongst budget delegations 
• Ensure all necessary risk, legal and financial processes are in place for the successful delivery of work and safety and security of employees  
• Be an active member of the TBI leadership cohort, building strong, collaborative relationships across TBI and actively champion TBI’s values
• Provide direct advice to the TBI Executive Chairman as well as CEO, Board and wider leadership team 

Person Specification
The Regional Director will be an experienced and successful leader: 

• Minimum 10 years leadership experience in Government, Government Advisory, Management Consultancy or other organisational leadership role
• With extensive experience in government, government relations and understanding of the workings of politics in government
• Who is strategic, entrepreneurial, can challenge the status-quo and develop plans for successful delivery of challenging objectives 
• With strong leadership experience in government, consulting or advisory functions 
• With a track record of success in generating new business and developing an organization
• With demonstrable expertise in economics, public policy, or international relations 
• With outstanding leadership and management skills and the proven ability to build and inspire teams to achieve exceptional objectives
• Who is a skilled communicator and influencer, from executive office level through to technical level, is adept at speaking to senior leadership, knows how to navigate ambiguous environments and is comfortable at managing up and beyond hierarchy  
• Who has worked or consulted in developing and emerging economies and is sensitive to a diverse range of cultural and regional norms, and fosters a positive spirit of collaboration