About the Organisation
ONE is a global, nonpartisan organization fighting for a more just world by demanding the investments needed to create economic opportunities and healthier lives in Africa. We do this by deploying trusted and dynamic advocacy that leverages hard-hitting data, credible grassroots activism, creative political engagement, and strategic partnerships. We use all this to influence decision-makers to take action and tackle the world’s biggest challenges.
About the Job
This role sits within ONE’s Community Systems portfolio and focuses on building durable civic infrastructure across African contexts, where political leadership, institutional capacity, and citizen participation intersect to shape reform and accountability. Recognising that digital-native youth, independent media, and reform-oriented public leaders form a powerful but fragmented ecosystem, the position aims to translate awareness into structured, measurable collective action. It leads and integrates four interconnected pillars:
1. One Academy – Digital civic learning and action platform
2. One Champions – Youth leadership and advocacy pipeline
3. Journalist Coalition – Public-interest media strengthening
4. Women in Government – Leadership visibility and peer networks
Key Responsibilities
1. Systems Architecture & Strategy
Define and continuously refine the integrated model linking platform, pipeline, media, and leadership.
Establish clear theory of change and measurable pathways from awareness → organized action → policy influence.
Identify leverage points across civic ecosystems and prioritize accordingly.
Set multi-year growth and scale strategy.
2. Portfolio Leadership (Four Pillars)
Some pillars have leads that report to the Director.
ONE Academy (Digital Platform)
Oversee evolution into a scalable, activity-based civic action platform.
Ensure curriculum design drives measurable engagement and action conversion.
Integrate data systems to track user behavior and impact.
Align product roadmap with advocacy priorities.
ONE Champions (Youth Pipeline)
Oversee annual recruitment, selection, and alumni engagement strategy.
Ensure structured advocacy outputs at continental and national levels.
Build performance tracking frameworks and leadership progression pathways.
Position the cohort as credible policy actors.
Journalist Coalition (Media & Public Interest Reporting)
Establish high-quality training standards.
Build partnerships for investigative collaboration and safety support.
Develop visibility strategies that strengthen public-interest reporting ecosystems.
Ensure risk protocols are clear, realistic, and resourced.
Women in Government (Leadership Visibility)
Design a focused leadership accelerator for women in public service.
Build peer networks and cross-border learning mechanisms.
Create structured visibility and platform placement opportunities.
Measure advancement and network durability.
3. Budget & Operational Authority
Own and manage multi-country portfolio budgets.
Allocate resources strategically across pillars.
Ensure rigorous financial oversight and risk management.
Lead donor engagement and reporting for the portfolio.
4. Measurement & Impact
Define simple but credible portfolio-wide KPIs.
Track platform engagement → action conversion rates
Advocacy outputs from Champions, Journalists and Women in Governance
Media reach and investigative outputs for community
Leadership visibility outcomes for Women in Government
Lead adaptive learning cycles and portfolio optimization.
5. Partnerships & Ecosystem Orchestration
Build high-trust relationships across civil society, media, reform-minded governments, and funders.
Position ONE as a disciplined civic infrastructure partner — not a reactive advocacy actor.
Represent the portfolio in high-level convenings.
6. Team Leadership
Directly manage and develop Program Managers.
Build a high-performance, cross-functional team culture.
Ensure safeguarding, legal compliance, and ethical standards across countries.
Balance ambition with operational realism.
Requirements
Qualifications
Senior leadership experience in multi-country program management.
Evidence of building and managing teams with distributed authority.
Experience designing measurable civic or policy-facing programs.
Strong financial management and donor engagement background.
Graduate-level training is preferred but not required.
Experience and Skills
10 – 15+ years of leadership in civic engagement, governance, systems reform, media strengthening, or multi-country program architecture.
Demonstrated experience building and scaling complex, multi-stream portfolios.
Proven budget ownership and fundraising engagement.
Deep understanding of African civic and political ecosystems.
Systems thinker with disciplined execution instincts.
Comfortable operating in politically sensitive environments.
Clear communicator capable of influencing senior stakeholders.
To apply
To apply, email your application by Monday, 9th March 2026 to [email protected]
The final job title for this position will be confirmed at the offer stage, but the core responsibilities and duties will not change significantly.
More Information
- Job City Abuja , Kenya
