Executive Advisor

Job Description

The role is strategic and tactical, reports directly to the CEO and requires the ideal candidate to have a good mix of strategic thinking and be able to roll up their sleeves to get the job done.

The incumbent will provide strategic, operational, and administrative support to the CEO’s office, as well as be the connector and conduit between senior leadership, employees, and key stakeholders to ensure efficient management of the organization.

The ideal candidate must have a predisposition to collaboration and agility to be able to coordinate and undertake a range of often complex, technical and/or highly sensitive activities, including research and analysis. You will also drive special business initiatives/projects that originate from the CEO’s office.

Key Responsibilities

• Work closely with the executive team to develop, iterate and pursue execution of strategic priorities towards realizing our strategic goals to 2025 and breaking this down into annual, quarterly, and monthly priorities.
• Establish a clear rhythm of business across the organization to ensure the realization of the strategy in alignment with the organization’s values; innovation, collaboration, excellence and valuing people.
• Generate insights and analysis of the environment in which the AECF currently operates and may operate in the future to help shape the AECF offering in the market.
• Lead periodic comprehensive reviews of the corporate strategy to ensure AECF can incorporate emerging trends, learnings and iterate as necessary.
• Lead and support the executive team in aligning the communication of strategic priorities and direction to all staff and stakeholders.
• Design, prioritise and lead the implementation of key strategic initiatives and special projects, working closely with a wide range of cross-functional partners (Sectoral Teams, HR, IT, Legal, Partners, Donors etc.)
• Develop a good understanding of current business and sectoral issues and be able to provide timely advice to the CEO and executive team.
• Play an active role in the development and implementation of tools and resources to improve efficiency across all AECF’s processes, systems, programs and initiatives.
• Coordinate and partner with others to drive effective cadence of functional operating meetings including EXCO, Townhalls, and Strategy reviews.
• Work in partnership with the CEO and the CEO’s Executive Assistant to be a central point of contact for the coordination of CEO activities and ensure preparation of relevant documents and briefing material.
• Support the CEO’s participation in internal and external meetings/events - Board meetings, Workshops, Seminars, etc. - including preparing technical reports, briefing materials, communication, speeches, and other materials required by the CEO.
• Leverage internal partners formally and informally to glean organisational insights, acting where necessary to get ahead of issues to the CEO’s attention before they rise.

Suitable candidates should:

• Possess 8 years’ experience in strategy consulting, strategy/business intelligence, or international development.
• Hold a Master’s degree in Business Administration or related field.
• Possess solid experience in management consulting or previously held a strategy role in a mid to large sized organization.
• Experience working in impact investing across the agribusiness and renewable energy sectors is preferred.
• Demonstrate a holistic perspective on overall business objectives and priorities while simultaneously diving into the details and nuances of a problem.
• Possess an advanced level of presentation and communication skills: being a clear and concise communicator with the ability to synthesize a lot of information quickly, highlight the key takeaways, and disseminate practical insights.
• Be a self-starter who can self-identify challenges, work independently, investigate and package information into effective actions.
• Possess superior ability to build collegial relationships and collaborate with senior leadership, peers, and staff at all levels.

About the Organization

The AECF is a leading development finance organization that supports businesses to innovate, create jobs, and leverage investments to build resilience and sustainable incomes for rural and marginalized communities in Africa. AECF’s s goal is to bridge the investment gap between earlystage enterprise and business maturity for entrepreneurs serving the poorest communities.

Through various financing instruments, we provide patient capital to new and innovative business models in the agribusiness and renewable energy sectors across Sub- Saharan Africa. To supplement finance, we also offer advisory services, investment support, and knowledge and insights.

As at the end of 2021, AECF has successfully implemented programmes across 26 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, supporting over 375 enterprises that have together created over 27,000 jobs and impacted more than 30 million lives.

AECF is headquartered in Kenya, with offices in Côte d’Ivoire and Tanzania.