Tech Policy Associate

Focus of the Role

To support our growing Tech for Development work and in particular our Tech Policy Advisory Partnership initiative in Senegal, we are currently searching for a Tech policy Associate to support the Head of Tech Senegal and the Global T4D Tech Policy Unit.  The role will involve linking up TBI’s extensive and growing Tech Policy capability to Advisory work on Tech Policy with the Senegalese Tech decision-making ecosystem.   This will involve assisting with research, writing and translating  Policy documents and products generated by TBI’s Tech Policy Unit into French and adapting them into actionable Advisory pieces for the Senegalese Tech eco-system – and in particular Ministere de l’economie numerique et des telecommunications (MENT) and associated Agencies.  The role will also involve monitoring and reporting on the tech sector in Senegal to feed into TBI’s Tech policy work.

Key Responsibilities

The main objective of the position is to assist in leveraging the substantial Tech Policy capability of TBI in a partnership initiative with Senegal.

Working in the Tech Policy Advisory project team, the Tech policy Associate will work on tech policy strategy / documents and help transform them into actionable advisory pieces; monitor and report on the Senegalese Tech scene (in particular government policy and thinking) and help the Head of Tech with research, writing, and publishing of Tech Policy research and advocacy papers and other written materials.

Reporting to the Tech for Development Programme Manager SN and the T4D Tech Policy Unit,  the role will involve close collaboration with TBI’s SN country team, the Central Tech for Development team and the TBI T4D Tech Policy Unit. 

Research, analysis, support

• Conduct policy research on selected topics at the request of the Programme Manager, Head of Tech, Country Head or Central T4D or TPU teams.  The particular focus will be government policy and thinking on relevant areas of Tech policy and could include government publications, conference proceedings or policy papers. The aim is to facilitate a two way Policy dialogue and ensure TBI Tech Policy is grounded in the realities of partner governments.
• Supporting the planning of tech policy events, roundtables, and conferences;
• Supporting the coordination of tech-related engagements (TBI and our counterparts)
• Assisting with research, writing, and publishing of Tech Policy research and advocacy papers and other written materials; This will also involve liaising closely with translators to translate technical documents between English and French and vice versa.
• Interacting with TBI leadership, staff, and experts, as well as media, government officials, and the general public;
• Monitoring tech policy and regulatory activity, including attending events
• Supporting country  team with other tasks and projects as needed.

Presentation, reporting

• Preparation of high quality presentations and policy notes to support the Head of Tech to engage both with government and internally within TBI about the progress and impact of our support.

Managing administrative activities related to the support of TBI's tech policy programs, including updates and / or designing of flyers and infographics

Person Specification

EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, or equivalent combination of education and practical experience.
• Excellent written English and French with proven experience or qualification in translation.
• Studies or work experience outside Senegal demonstrating wide educational experiences and horizons an advantage.
• Work experience involving Tech, IT, Internet policy issues ideally in Anglophone as well as francophone environments.
• 1+ years’ experience in public policy, IT, consulting, or relevant profession.
• Track record of managing work and achieving outstanding results.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English and French.

ESSENTIALS SKILLS:

• An interest in and understanding of key policy questions in the field of technology and public policy.
• Must have excellent organizational skills, with the proven ability to juggle multiple tasks and priorities effectively;
• Ability to interact with persons at all levels, including high-level legal officials and academics, in a professional manner and in different settings;
• An interest in areas such as tech for development, internet policy, cloud computing, digital ID, digitalization of government services.
• Mastery of IT tools (Microsoft Office ...); In particular, the ability to put together high-quality PowerPoint decks showing precision, understanding of the subject and creativity.
• Ability and confidence to engage with diverse range of stakeholders (TBI colleagues in Africa and London, experts and consultants, government counterparts)

PERSONAL SPECIFICATIONS:

• Strong willingness to learn, great intellectual curiosity and outstanding team spirit;
• Self-starter, highly motivated and detail-oriented;
• The ability to thrive in a fast "entrepreneurial" type of environment, with a focus on performance, results and accountability;
• In addition, we place a high value on appropriate personal qualities such as ingenuity, tenacity, independence, trust and integrity

About The Institute

The Tony Blair Institute (TBI) is a mission-driven not for profit organisation. We exist to equip political leaders and governments to build open, inclusive and prosperous societies. We work hard, every day, to make a difference. When governments work well they are able to create economic and social change in a way that promotes fairness, social justice and opportunity. We work relentlessly to support leader and governments with the challenges they face. Giving them practical solutions and actionable insights, that once implemented, can be transformative for their people  

We do this within two connected divisions: 

 Government Advisory 

Our Government Advisory teams work directly with political leaders and governments around the world to implement reforms that improve the lives of their citizens. It works with a variety of partners and its outputs cover a range of disciplines and projects across countries in Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe and South Asia.

 Policy Futures 

Our Policy Futures work encompasses three broad areas: 

• Renewing the Centre: developing a bold and innovative domestic policy programme to help renew the centre ground of British politics; 
• Tech and Public Policy: exploring the policy challenges and opportunities presented by the technological revolution; and 
• Extremism Policy Unit: creating solutions designed to tackle the threat of extremist ideologies in the UK and around the world. 

As an organisation, the core beliefs we all embrace are: 

• Open and Progressive: you’ll believe in the value of teamwork 
• Bold and Pragmatic: you’ll approach everything you do with integrity and authenticity 
• Optimistic Changemaker: you’ll be focused on results 

TBI believes embracing diversity and inclusion make us a better place to work.  It’s our goal to reflect everyone in society and we actively welcome applications from individuals and groups who are under-represented in the workplace. We celebrate difference be it ethnicity, religion, age, gender or gender identity, sexual orientation or disability. We will only ever assess you on your abilities and fit for a role. We’re happy to discuss any adjustments you need to ensure a level playing field during recruitment and, if you\'re successful, discuss any adjustments you might need to thrive in your role.