Director of International Programmes

Could you lead a team powering up climate justice – including clean, affordable energy for all – in Sub Saharan Africa?

In recent years Ashden’s work in the Global South has put refugee energy innovators on the global stage, funded wider access to sustainable cooling in farms and cities, demonstrated how investment in skills and training can deliver a just transition, and boosted clean energy advocacy.

We are now seeking an experienced director to scale up our work in Sub Saharan Africa (SSA), collaborating with and supporting local partners to help them create benefits for marginalised people and communities at greatest risk from the climate crisis. The role requires extensive lived experience in SSA as well as extensive on the ground experience of interacting with relevant communities and sectors, ideally in East Africa.

This is a one-year fixed-term contract, 3 days/week, with the key task of reviewing and strengthening our work in SSA to maximise our impact. This will include finding new ways to unblock large scale funding and investment into clean energy access, including in humanitarian settings, as well as into nature-based solutions.

As well as overseeing expenditure for all our international programmes, a key task will be to secure significant new programme funding. You will also represent Ashden publicly and contribute to thought leadership on key issues.

Your in-depth experience will include: working on clean energy access and climate action in Sub Saharan Africa; driving policy change, funding and investment to scale up climate solutions; and campaigning to achieve strategic goals. You will also need a good understanding of budgeting, be a brilliant team leader and have a strong fundraising track record.

We are looking for EITHER a UK-based person able to travel to SSA regularly, or a Nairobi-based person, able to travel to the UK and other SSA countries. Please note we are unable to sponsor visas and require candidates to have permission to work in the UK or Kenya.

First interviews will take place online on Monday 11 December and second interviews on Thursday 14 December online for Nairobi based candidates and in person for UK/London based candidates.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Job title: Director of International Programmes (12 month contract)

Job purpose: Lead the strategic development and delivery of Ashden’s International Climate Solutions (ICS) programme in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and elsewhere.

Reports to: CEO

Terms and conditions: One year fixed term contract (with the potential to move to permanent role).

3 days per week.

Based in the Ashden office in London Victoria (with working from home as agreed) or Nairobi.

Right to live/work in UK or Nairobi

Direct Reports: Head of International Programmes

Duties and Responsibilities

Leadership & Strategy

·         Strategically lead Ashden’s ICS programme and team. 

·         Work with the CEO and other Directors to achieve Ashden’s overall strategic goals.

·         Review our ICS work at a strategic level, and implement changes to maximise its impact in all areas within the current framework of jobs, skills and livelihoods.

Delivery

·         Work with other senior staff to grow funding for Ashden’s ICS work and International Awards, and promote them to target audiences.

·         Help strengthen and grow the ICS team to achieve its goals.

·         Forge productive relations and partnerships with clean energy access stakeholders across SSA

·         Forge productive relations with funders and investors in clean energy access in London, Nairobi and elsewhere.

·         Support staff in connecting Ashden Award winners, and other innovators we work with, to funders and investors, so that they can scale up and/or become replicable.

·         Grow and strengthen the Power Up Campaign for clean energy access, supporting its African leadership.

·         Be a spokesperson for Ashden at events and across all media, and contribute to our thought leadership on international climate action.

·         Ensure the ICS programme operates within a framework of increasing social justice and livelihoods; decolonisation; and diversity, equity & inclusion, reporting on progress. 

Executive Management Team & Reporting

·         Oversee income and expenditure for all our ICS work and produce the necessary internal reports.

·         Share responsibility with the CEO and other Directors for reporting on performance of the whole organisation to the board of trustees.

·         Along with other Directors, deputise for the CEO when required.

General responsibilities

·         Be an ambassador for Ashden.

·         Be flexible and carry out other associated duties as may arise, develop or be assigned in line with the broad remit of the position.

·         Support and promote diversity and equality of opportunity in the workplace.

·         Support and promote sustainability and carbon reduction actions within Ashden, Sainsbury Family Charitable Trust and our wider work. 

PERSON SPECIFICATION

EXPERIENCE & SKILLS

·         An effective and collegiate leader.

·         A compelling communicator.

·         Extensive professional and lived experience of clean energy access issues and solutions in SSA.

·         Extensive on the ground experience of interacting with relevant communities and sectors, ideally in East Africa.

·         Demonstrable understanding of the funding and investment landscape for clean energy access in SSA.

·         Demonstrable experience of brokering productive and healthy partnerships across a broad spectrum of stakeholders.

·         Substantial strategic planning experience.

·         Proven track record of working with senior decision-makers and of using programmes to leverage policy change.

·         Experience of using campaigns to achieve strategic goals.

·         High competency at managing people both in-person and remotely.

·         Competent at budgeting and strong and demonstrable track record of fundraising.

·         An effective leader who can enthuse the team.

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS 

·         Able to work some evenings, weekends and out-of-hours from time to time.

·         Available to travel to Nairobi and other parts of SSA at least four times a year for a week at a time or travel to London from Nairobi on a regular basis (to be agreed).

·         Active and self-led learner who keeps abreast of developments.

·         Works well in a team.

·         Good understanding of and commitment to anti-discriminatory practice and equal opportunities. An ability to apply awareness of diversity issues to all areas of work.