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Director

Job Reference tbigc/TP/53731/959 #LI-MS1

This job has been closed.

Number of Positions:
1
Contract Type:
Permanent/Full Time
Contract Details:
Ongoing
Salary:
Competitive
Working Hours:
35 per week
Location:
West Africa
Closing Date:
03/07/2023
Seniority level:
Director
Company Industry:
International Affairs
Job Function:
Consulting

Focus of the Role

We don’t just talk, we do. Lead the change with us.

At the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, we work with political leaders around the world to drive change. We help governments turn bold ideas into reality so they can deliver for their people. We do it by advising on strategy, policy and delivery, unlocking the power of technology across all three. And by sharing what we learn on the ground, so everyone can benefit. We do it to build more open, inclusive and prosperous countries for people everywhere. 

We are a global team of nearly 800 changemakers, operating in more than 30 countries, across five continents. We are political strategists, policy experts, delivery practitioners, technology specialists and more. We speak more than 45 languages. We are working on over 100 projects, tackling some of the world’s biggest challenges. We’re all here at TBI to make a difference. 

In a world of ever more complex challenges, we believe diversity of background and perspective is a strength. We pride ourselves on a culture that values and nurtures difference. We are dedicated to unlocking potential, not only for the countries we work in but also for each of our team members. No matter where you’re from or who you are, if you’re passionate about the transformative power of progressive politics, we invite you to build a better future with us.

Job Introduction

Upon the invitation of H.E President Dr Hussein Ali Mwinyi, TBI set up a new project in 2022 to support the Government of Zanzibar in its aim to strengthen its delivery mechanisms to expedite the implementation of its MKUZA III strategy (2021-2025) aligned to the Zanzibar Development Vision (ZDV) 2050 (the Project). Building on the success of the Zanzibar Development Vision 2020 (achieving the status of a lower-middle income status), ZDV 2050 and the MKUZA III envisage the transformation of the livelihoods of Zanzibaris through sustainable and inclusive development, based on 4 pillars: economic transformation, human capital and social services, infrastructural linkages, and governance and resilience.

The Project will include a delivery function in the Office of the President, but may also support other parts of the Presidency (e.g. Private Office, Strategic Communications, FDI Promotion, Resource Mobilization). The Project aims to demonstrate results in a short period (<2 years).

In addition to strengthening delivery in the Presidency in support of the Presidential Delivery Bureau (PDB), the Project will seek to strengthen coordination with other key ministries and agencies, both in the centre (the 2nd Vice President’s Office and the Ministry of Finance and Planning) as well as key sector Ministries. The Ministries the Delivery Bureau will work with include the Ministry of Health, Social Welfare, Elderly, Gender and Children, the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communication and Transport, the Ministry of Tourism and Heritage and the Ministry of Investments and Economic Affairs, and the Ministry of Water, Energy and Minerals. The team in Zanzibar will focus on supporting the Office of the President and the wider centre of government functions.

The Director role focuses on strengthening the Zanzibar government’s delivery function. Delivery is a specialised approach to designing, managing, and monitoring the implementation of government priorities that are intended to have a significant effect on development outcomes and is an anchor function of the Centre of Government. It supports the systems and structures that channel leaders’ authority throughout the rest of government, reinforces their priorities, and gets them the right information at the right time to drive progress. In the Zanzibar context, the Director will also manage the Zanzibar project, maintain relations with the President and key counterparts in the government, manage the project budget and impact of work, and drive in-country fundraising, and provides the link between the Zanzibar Project team and the rest of the organisation.

The Director will continue to establish TBI’s presence in Zanzibar and develop its strategy while simultaneously delivering on the Project’s objectives.

Relocation support will be provided for this role.

Key Responsibilities

Set and report on the strategic direction of the Project

  • Develop the strategic direction for the project based on TBI’s mission and approach within Zanzibar’s context
  • Look at how the wider TBI model can be applied in Zanzibar and test and learn quickly to meet government needs
  • Lead the annual strategy-setting process for the project and the quarterly review process
  • Using the organisational Theory of Change and impact tools to ensure the Project has a clear measurement framework

Fundraising

  • Understand fundraising and business development market requirements by mapping donor opportunities amongst a wide group of stakeholders (predominantly Foundation offices, bilateral and multilateral donor agency offices and staff, development contractors and INGOs – both not-for-profit and for-profit)
  • Develop and lead the implementation of a coherent fundraising strategy for the project, with the support of other parts of the organisation
  • Build and maintain relationships to inform Project and/or Advisory wide fundraising strategies, to ultimately secure project funding
  • Input to the development of marketing materials, presentations and bids as required.  Input to the development and implementation of donor trips/meetings etc. as required

Create a relationship with principal stakeholders based on trust and high-quality delivery

  • Build relationships with the President, PS State House, his direct team and advisors, and key officials in charge of the central aspects of the delivery mechanism to understand the country’s priorities, build TBI’s credibility, and spot and exploit opportunities
  • Build relationships with the 2nd Vice President’s office, and key senior ministries to facilitate the implementation of the President’s top priorities as well as identify and realize opportunities
  • Deploy resources outside of the team – wider TBI colleagues, including Mr. Blair’s office, the TBI central teams and strategic partnerships within TBI’s network etc. – to support the Project where appropriate

Provide strategic delivery advisory to H.E. The President and other senior officials within the Centre of Government and relevant MDAs on key technical issues

  • Support the Centre of Government and MDAs on resource mobilization efforts to plug in resource gaps within the Presidential Delivery agenda
  • Strengthen the President’s Private Office to ensure effective management of H.E.’s time, information flow and directives; and ensure adequate time is allocated to oversight of the Presidential Delivery Priorities/Agenda
  • Support the Ministry of Finance and Planning to strengthen public-private partnerships in line with the delivery of the Presidential Priority aligned to MKUZA III

Strong delivery through your team

  • Always ensure strong teamwork across TBI Zanzibar team and provide support as needed to team members. Ensure a good working relationship within TBI team and with local counterparts
  • Establish a planning and evaluation cycle to regularly assess whether the strategy is ‘working’, and adapt rapidly in response to new challenges and opportunities
  • Be the interface between the Project team and the rest of the Organisation by representing the team’s views and communicating issues and priorities from the rest of the Organisation to the team  

Contribute to wider leadership and development of TBI

  • Contribute to the wider leadership and development of TBI as an organisation by contributing to corporate decisions both within TBI’s Advisory Practice and the wider Organisation
  • Contribute to organisational learning by identifying innovations and factors which contribute to or inhibit success and impact

Manage operational requirements of the Project

  • Working closely with our Institute Resources team
  • Ensure that all legal requirements are met for operating in country, including initiating and supporting all legal status activities relation to the Project and TBI staff in country
  • Ensure policies, procedures and the Institute’s Standard Operating Procedures are always adhered to
  • Ensure that risks to the Project and staff are spotted and managed adequately and emergency protocols are in place to maximize the safety and well-being of the team, including ensuring all security and safety protocols are upheld and kept up to date
  • Set and manage the project budget, including putting in place appropriate financial controls
  • Ensure timely completion of financial processes for the Project

Person Specification

We are looking for outstanding individuals with a proven track record of leadership and delivery in the public or private sectors. All candidates will be required to have significant experience in a leadership role, managing small to medium teams and project budgets. Above all, we are looking for individuals with high levels of enthusiasm, resilience, adaptability and a can-do attitude. We seek to create international and multi-disciplinary teams and are looking for individuals with a solid background in public/civil services worldwide; strategy consulting; private equity and finance or international development.

Successful candidates should be able to demonstrate the majority of the following:

  • The ability to work and interact at the highest levels of political decision-making structures in Zanzibar; have strong political acumen; being able to develop an understanding of the needs of senior officials
  • An ability to work independently, think strategically and translate strategies into concrete and implementable plans; acute attention to detail with excellent analytical, organisational, and communication skills
  • Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work both independently and as part of a wider team
  • Proven strong abilities and experience leading and managing people and teams
  • Experience with project development and project management
  • Ability to liaise with partner governments, the private sector, and key stakeholders (e.g., donors) to deliver the requirements of the role, including a realistic fundraising strategy for the project
  • A strong understanding of the principles of delivery in a government context
  • Willingness to travel, sometimes at short notice
  • Experience in identifying and resolving project implementation bottlenecks
  • Strong sense of ethics, discretion and perseverance
  • Experience of living and working in developing countries is strongly desirable
  • Prior experience engaging with the Government of Zanzibar or other Governments within the East African Community would be an advantage
  • Fluency in English and Swahili is required
  • An understanding of the cultural nuances in Zanzibar will be an added advantage however we welcome applications from other areas of Africa
  • Experience of driving the tourism or/and blue economy agenda would be beneficial but this is not essential


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