The Science for Africa Foundation (SFA Foundation) is a non-profit, public charity organisation that supports strengthens and promotes science innovation in Africa. The goal of the SFA Foundation is to address the continent’s most pressing developmental needs by generating scientific knowledge that solves problems and informs decision-making.
We serve the African research ecosystem by funding excellent research and innovation ideas; enabling interdisciplinary collaboration among researchers, building and reinforcing environments that are conducive for scientists to thrive and produce quality research that generates new, locally relevant knowledge.
Science for Africa Foundation is seeking its next Chief Operating Officer who will provide operational leadership, management and coordination across departments to fulfil SFA Foundation’s mission. The Chief Operating Officer (COO) is the critical integrator and translator of our strategic vision into daily practice and operations at SFA Foundation. The COO is a dot-connector, systems thinker, anticipator, and empathic leader able to bring together and align various departments, perspectives and goals into a cohesive operation to reach deeper levels of impact across SFA Foundation.
We are seeking a leader proficient in both strategic operational management, and business planning to turn vision into reality. Working under the overall guidance of the Chief Executive Officer, the COO will be responsible for ensuring the SFA Foundation’s operations, to advance and support internal work and meet external needs of our partners. The COO will oversee human capital, business and support services, risk compliance, corporate communications, and business optimisation, ensuring that the Foundation’s assets are safeguarded and utilised efficiently. Equally crucial will be the COO’s ability to lead and inspire a diverse workforce, fostering an environment that encourages motivation, innovation, and high performance.
Science for Africa Foundation have exclusively retained Perrett Laver to support the Search Committee with this appointment and further information can be downloaded from their website at https://plusportal.perrettlaver.com/ quoting reference 7997. For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Isabela Betoret at Isabela.Betoret@perrettlaver.com or on +44 (0)20 7340 6248.
Application is by submission of a curriculum vitae and a covering letter of application, addressing the job description and person specification, and including suitable daytime and evening telephone contact details. Completed applications should be uploaded at https://plusportal.perrettlaver.com/ reference 7997 by the deadline of 11.59pm BST on Sunday 31st August 2025.
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