Associate Partner (Anglophone Africa)

Who we are  

When public institutions excel, societies and the planet thrive. Instiglio exists to unlock that potential — partnering with purpose-driven leaders to imagine what’s possible, challenge the status quo, and pursue excellence, exponentially improving outcomes for people. 

Instiglio is a team of impact-driven innovators — thinkers and doers — based in Africa and Latin America, working alongside public institutions and their partners to exponentially improve outcomes for people. 

Since 2012, in more than 30 low- and middle-income countries we have partnered with more than 200 organisations — from government ministries and service providers to global donors, leading philanthropies, and private sector actors. Through these partnerships, we’ve helped shape a new generation of impact-driven financing. Together, this work has helped ensure better outcomes for ~98 million people and influenced more than $1 billion in public spending.  

Our team draws on years of experience and sector expertise spanning health, education, climate, environment, economic development, WASH, Public Financial Management, refugees and more. We partner with governments and development actors to align public funding with measurable outcomes and strengthen the systems, incentives, and capabilities that drive sustained impact.  

To scale our impact, we incubated the Government Empowerment Network (GEN) — a globally networked, AI-powered, and government-led reform accelerator designed to empower civil servants to incubate reforms that transform government institutions, strengthen service delivery, and improve citizens' lives.   

We are now entering a new chapter where we are focusing on truly scaling our impact, and setting up the internal systems, sophisticated leadership rhythms and bold organizational transformation, such as AI integration to match our global ambition. 

Our team 

Our success is driven by our collaborative, highly skilled, and diverse team of 80+ people representing over 15 nationalities located in our offices in Colombia, Kenya, Morocco, Mauritius, and Uganda. Our team members have extensive experience in development and government, with previous roles in international development banks, national governments, multilateral agencies, INGOs, and academia.   

Our Values 

How you will make an impact 

You are a social impact leader - this means that you will see the impact of your work and its effect on communities. You will focus your leadership on growing our impact and portfolio in the Anglophone Africa region, delivered through our fast-growing Nairobi office, and increasing Instiglio’s presence, proximity and influence within the regional ecosystem (Governments, donors, think-tanks, foundations and other clients).  

You will also be an integral part of Instiglio’s leadership team, helping Instiglio as an organisation to make smart and effective decisions on growth, strategy, and sustainability. As an Associate Partner, you will be an ambassador for Instiglio’s mission in Africa, and beyond.  

Key responsibilities will include: 

• Impact Strategy: As a member of our Africa Leadership Team, with the Africa Partner and other Africa Associate Partners, you will develop our Africa regional strategy with particular focus on the anglophone sub-region, with the aim of growing our impact and operations in the Anglophone Africa region, delivered through our fast-growing Nairobi office. This includes: 
  • Growing high-performing teams: working with our people team and local management teams to build high-performing teams, planning, and supervising the opening of new offices.
  • Mapping out how and where we can scale most impact in Africa, in which countries, in which sectors, with which partners, and with which methods and services.
• Public sector reform: Empower senior officials through complex reform processes, helping them diagnose root causes, align incentives, and navigate political and institutional realities.
• Partnership development: Work with the Africa Partner and other Africa Associate Partners to drive partnership development in Anglophone Africa, leveraging your strong existing network. You will develop and nurture Government, donor, philanthropic and practitioner relationships with key stakeholders and clients for high impact initiatives in the region, supervising and delivering compelling and high-impact engagements with clients.
• Delivery leadership: Providing strategic, technical, and team leadership in our projects to deliver maximum social impact and exceed client expectations. Driving impact for our partners through leading on quality, innovation and excellent project delivery management.
• Thought leadership and positioning: Advancing thought leadership, evolving our technical practices, and communicating with our external audience. Working with our communications team to position Instiglio with relevant audiences for the sub-region, and increasing Instiglio’s presence, proximity and influence within the regional and relevant global ecosystems (donors, governments, think-tanks, foundations and other clients).
• Organizational development: In addition to being a steward of our culture, you will also oversee the performance, growth, and overall health of specific organizational units or teams. This supervisory role aims to ensure high levels of team performance, team health and wellbeing, and appropriate growth strategies and operational support systems.  

Who you are  

You are an African social impact leader, who has demonstrated the passion for driving and scaling development outcomes across sub-Saharan Africa. You bring deep knowledge of the region's political, institutional, and development landscape, and have a track record of translating that knowledge into tangible, lasting change. A strategic and results-driven leader who builds trusted client relationships, delivers measurable impact, and drives team and business growth in complex social sector environments. 

You are a convener, who has built coalitions, partnerships and networks in Government, with other social entrepreneurs, and traditional and philanthropic donors, to enhance citizen outcomes through African-led systems change. 

To thrive in this role, you will also demonstrate the following: 

• Strategic & critical thinking - able to see the bigger picture while rolling up your sleeves to ensure delivery of tangible, meaningful and sustainable results
• Drive for excellence – ambitious for impact at scale, taking initiative, innovating and collaborating to enable your teams' high-quality outputs
• Team player - comfortable working in a global multicultural organisation, self-aware of your strengths and weaknesses, and inspiring your team to learn and grow
• Commercial acumen combined with a genuine passion for public sector reform and institutional transformation
• A dynamic, hands-on & productive professional, who relishes and thrives in fast-moving and complex working environments. 

Requirements & Qualifications 

An ideal candidate will have the following: 

• Education: A relevant postgraduate degree focused on international development (public administration, public policy, development economics, governance and institutions).
• Experience:  
  • At least 12 years of experience, including 8 years of relevant work experience in social impact or government advisory, international development, in the public sector, in management consulting, and/or in development policy and innovation. Combinations of the above experiences will be ideal. 
  • Demonstrated experience in government institutional reforms and or/transformation, advising or operating in senior government official roles on public-sector reforms in Sub-Saharan Africa. 
  • Demonstrated experience in evidence-based policy design, results-based financing, theories of change, delivery management, and/or performance management or related fields. 
  • Successful track record in sourcing and managing partnerships (multiple stakeholders in complex settings), with at least 2 years of Government, multi/bilateral donors and philanthropy. 
  • Extensive experience growing and managing multicultural teams. 
• Skills:  
  • Exceptional strategic and innovative thinking.  
  • Strong organizational oversight and continually looking to add value. 
  • Proven experience managing and maintaining relationships with public sector leaders, and international funding agencies. The ideal candidate will bring their own personal relationships in the region.  
  • Outstanding problem-solving and structured thinking skills.  
  • Excellent project management skills, managing multiple teams at complex tasks.  
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills including proven success in presenting ideas and concepts effectively and persuasively. 
  • Leadership skills and empathy with the ability to influence people positively. 
  • Impact-driven, resilient, results-oriented. 
  • Strong commercial acumen. 
  • Exceptional written and oral communication skills in English. 

In addition, we welcome the following qualifications: 

• Work experience in management consulting. 
• Strong operational and financial management experience. 
• Knowledge of Results-Based Financing mechanisms and/or experience related to the field (such as theories of change, log frames and results frameworks). 

How you can grow with us 

Associate Partners at Instiglio have the opportunity to develop a variety of skills and lead client-facing projects, with the guidance of Partners. You will be trusted with the opportunity to deepen your network with high-level government officials and leaders in the international development space. Together with the Africa Leadership Team, the Associate Partner will shape the Africa portfolio and team, and the wider regional trajectory.  

Instiglio has a strong feedback culture, with all staff receiving formal, structured reviews, in addition to real-time feedback. Additionally, a mentorship system and development plans are in place to ensure that staff receive proper support in their professional development. This will also grow your leadership and mentorship skills as you walk with junior team members on their career development journey. 

Working model and benefits 

This opportunity is open to African citizens, ideally East African, and is based in our Nairobi, Kenya office, with frequent travel across the continent. 

Instiglio has adopted a hybrid working model (i.e., a minimum of two (2) days a week at the office for face-to-face connections). Instiglio offers generous benefits, which include personal days, remote workdays, travel and health insurance, pension, a company end-of-year holiday additional to vacation, and parental leave, among others.   

Join our team! 

To apply, please submit your CV in English and answer the application questions listed. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.