Location:

Based in Dakar, Senegal or Nairobi, Kenya with business travel on a need basis (Overseas travel should be expected for 30% of time)

Reporting Manager:

Chief Operations Officer

Start date:

January 2024

Duration:

Permanent

Type:

Full-time, Grade 9

Remuneration:

$6200 – $8900 per month, depending on level of experience and qualifications, plus benefits (including health insurance, paid leave and regular flights home).

Application Deadline:

6 December 2023

MAGENTA is a leading Social and Behavioural Change (SBC) agency that specialises in understanding human decision-making processes in order to design solutions for relevant and impactful solutions to some of the most challenging problems of our time. We implement programmes across the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Latin America and The Caribbean using the latest in behavioural science principles and a rigorous approach to research, strategy, campaign design and implementation. Our clients include UN agencies, INGOs, governments and the private sector. Whether we are aiming to shift parenting practices to improve children’s outcomes or to understand how social norms underpin corruption, we always go the extra mile to ensure we can create positive impact for some of the most underserved populations in the world.

MAGENTA’s Africa team operates across Eastern, Western, Northern and Southern Africa on a range of projects that include research, strategy development, SBC intervention implementation, and evaluation. We currently operate in Mali, Niger, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania, Tunisia and Lesotho. We are looking for exceptional individuals to join this team, driven by a keen desire to deliver social impact, lead a dynamic portfolio, and who thrive in a fast-paced environment.

As a member of the management team, this senior position will have the following primary responsibilities: (1) Programme Development, (2) Programme Implementation, (3) Strategy & Capacity Building, and (4) People, Processes and Culture, including the operationalisation of the new Africa hub in Nairobi or Dakar. As cross-cutting functions, the Regional Director is expected to actively and effectively contribute to business-level corporate tasks, such as tracking sales and operating costs, working with other management team staff on lessons learned and improvements, and contributing to corporate growth.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The SBC Regional Programme Director will report to the Chief Operating Officer. Typical tasks include:

Business unit management

• Responsible for regular and accurate financial reporting and forecasting for the Africa business unit
• Responsible for P&L management for Africa, including meeting commercial KPIs
• Planning and oversight of resources and budget for MAGENTA Africa
• Responsible for agreement reviews and authorization, for both compliance and technical delivery
• Responsible for ensuring adherence to donor and internal policies and processes for MAGENTA Africa
• Fully establishing an operational Africa team hub in Dakar, Senegal or Nairobi, Kenya by Q2 2024 including office set up and recruitment

Business and Programme Development

• Develop and maintain strong relationships and positioning with clients and strategic partners in the Africa region.
• Lead the design and development of innovative SBC programmes, building MAGENTA’s programming in Africa and globally.
• Secure new business opportunities and contracts and deliver successful client pitches across the Africa region with follow-on work for existing programmes and expansion in new countries and new donors.
• Represent MAGENTA at conferences and thought leadership events in the region and globally.

SBC Programme Implementation

• Ensure quality assurance of programme implementation from a technical and operational perspective, with support from MAGENTA’s technical team/department.
• Lead the planning and timely implementation of MAGENTA SBC programmes across Africa including financial management of the regional business unit.
• Secure relationships with technical service providers and suppliers (production, data collection, partnerships etc.) to support the Africa team’s programme implementation.

Capacity strengthening

• Leading and guiding the Africa team in the development of SBC strategies and interventions across MAGENTA’s Africa programmes.
• With the support of the Technical Department, ensure the Africa team integrates SBC principles from behavioural science, behavioural economics, social sciences, anthropology, psychology, and sociology.
• Support Programme Managers with co-creation and design workshops internally and externally.

People and Culture

• Management of a growing multi-cultural team spread across countries.
• Fostering a creative and solutions-oriented team culture with ownership and accountability.
• Creating and sustaining a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
• Growing and mentoring the Africa team, including performance management and recruitment.
• Providing team members with information, tools, professional development support and other resources to improve performance and reach objectives.

REQUIREMENTS

1. Education:

• Relevant degree from a top tier university required; Masters preferred

1. Experience:

• 7-10 years professional experience in the development sector, preferably with a focus on SBC/ Communications for Development (C4D) or research, and at least 5 years of experience managing a multi-cultural and results-driven team.
• Substantial knowledge of international development and/or humanitarian system, institution and donors, and of compliance requirements, experience working with the UN and US Government strongly desired.
• Ability to work effectively, respectfully and successfully with governments, clients, partners, and other stakeholders in complex settings.
• Demonstrated expertise in representation and negotiation resulting in securing significant new opportunities for MAGENTA.
• Knowledge of and experience living in Africa strongly desired.
• Excellent written and spoken English and French required.
• Technological and software fluency, including Office 365.

Strategic thinking:

• A high-level strategic thinker, with a keen desire to learn and consume new information.
• Robust logic chain analytics and strong general analytical skills.
• Ability to simplify complex information and to comfortably navigate ambiguity using solutions-focused approaches.

Leadership:

• Ability to provide a clear vision of the organisation’s objectives and values and translate this to Africa divisional priorities.
• Demonstrated ability to develop others.
• Excellent communicator able to (1) build a team and (2) manage conflicts and guide team through change.
• A service-oriented leader, able to recognise and meet client needs.
• Ability to multi-task and manage competing priorities.
• Demonstrated desire for excellence and an ability to inspire others to attain professional excellence.

Commercial acumen:

• Demonstrated strong commercial acumen.
• Robust understanding of corporate key performance indicators.
• Demonstrated experience successfully leading organisational growth.

Culture:

• Willingness to live, work and travel in developing/post-crisis settings.
• Good sense of humour, personable and demonstrated ability to build networks.
• Entrepreneurial spirit and willingness to get problem solve and think out of the box
• Demonstrated adherence to MAGENTA’s core values: authenticity, transparency, curiosity, and innovation.

COMPETENCIES

The following are key competencies required for this position:

• Courageous: We are looking for individuals who prefer a promising plan with unknown risks over a mediocre plan that offers certainty. Individuals who offer products or services to clients that have not been offered before, commits to completely new activities that are innovative and feasible.
• Entrepreneurial: We are looking for individuals who constantly seek out new information and use it for business gain, individuals who search for changes occurring in the industry and develop new ways of exploiting those changes.
• Reliable: We are looking for process-oriented individuals who propose systems and procedures aimed at increasing quality. Individuals able to translate strategy and company goals into workable procedures and who effectively deploys the potentials, qualities and competencies of team members in order to achieve objectives.

WORKING CONDITIONS

• MAGENTA has a flexible working policy which promotes periods of remote working in the year.
• May involve working in regions that are remote and lack basic modern infrastructure (such as Mali or Niger)

1. MAGENTA is committed to creating a diverse work environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, or age.

How to apply

INSTRUCTIONS

Applicants should submit a two-page CV and letter of motivation here. The letter of motivation should describe why you want to join the MAGENTA team, with a specific example of how your experience and skills can enhance MAGENTA’s work.

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