Southern Africa Regional Chapter Head at Aspen Institute

Program Description:

The Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE) is a global network of organizations that propel entrepreneurship in developing economies. ANDE members provide critical financial, educational, and business support services to small and growing businesses (SGBs) based on the conviction that SGBs create jobs, stimulate long-term economic growth, and produce environmental and social benefits.

As the leading global voice of the SGB sector, ANDE believes that SGBs are a powerful, yet underleveraged tool in addressing social and environmental challenges. Since 2009, ANDE has grown into a trusted network of nearly 300 collaborative members, representing a wide range of entrepreneurship support organizations, impact investors, researchers, donors, and others relevant to the Small and Growing Business sector that operate in nearly every developing economy. ANDE grows the body of knowledge, mobilizes resources, and connects the institutions that support the small business entrepreneurs who build inclusive prosperity in developing economies.

ANDE is part of the Aspen Institute, a global nonprofit organization committed to realizing a free, just, and equitable society.

Basic Function:

ANDE is recruiting a senior leader in the small business entrepreneurship, impact investing and sustainable development sector in Southern Africa to be the Regional Chapter Head to lead and grow the influence of the SGB sector within the region. In particular, work will focus on strengthening the entrepreneur ecosystem in Southern Africa, with a focus on South Africa, Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The Southern Africa Regional Chapter Head is the heart of the organization and must successfully function at many different levels. It is one of the most challenging roles in the organization and one of the most rewarding for its direct impact on strengthening entrepreneurial ecosystems and helping members deliver a range of strong development benefits to the region, including in local economic development, gender equality, climate action, jobs, and other priority areas.

The Southern Africa Regional Chapter Head leads all aspects of ANDE’s regional strategic branding, fundraising, and operations in the region. This position oversees the management of ANDE’s programs across priority Southern African countries, including HR, procurement, finance and operations, and membership. It includes ensuring the efficient, effective, and high-quality design and implementation of programs, compliance with all donor and local legal requirements as well as ANDE and the Aspen Institute’s policies and regulations.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Membership: Strengthen engagement with existing members, while also recruiting new members to the network. Establishing and facilitating connections and collaboration among ANDE members in the region.
• Development: In collaboration with senior leadership, contributing to and executing a business strategy aligned with ANDE’s global and regional strategies, maintaining and building strong relationships with a wide range of donors, and developing and delivering upon a robust pipeline of new programmatic and resource development opportunities.
• Program: Coaching and supervising program teams for the successful delivery of results; ensuring timely submission of high-quality internal and donor reports and working with program staff to identify and address technical assistance needs.
• Representation: Establishing and maintaining strong relationships with key stakeholders, including government ministries, private sector companies, business associations, and civil society organizations, and developing relevant partnerships; representing ANDE to a wide array of audiences; providing thought leadership to the small and growing business sector within the region.
• Compliance: Representing ANDE in legal matters within the region and ensuring ANDE retains and consults with qualified local legal counsel as needed; ensuring that ANDE is appropriately registered and complies with regulations.
• Finance: Preparing, reviewing, and approving expenditures to ensure compliance with regional and donor financial requirements, and ANDE procurement/finance policies;
• Governance: The Southern Africa Steering Committee provides strategic advice to the regional chapter. In collaboration with the Managing Director, lead the Southern Africa Steering Committee by recruiting, managing, and engaging with members drawn from the ANDE Network.
• Communications and advocacy: Overseeing and contributing to regional communications and advocacy strategies and campaigns, including engaging with senior-level decision-makers in government and among other key stakeholders.
• Host Entity Engagement: Serve as point of contact and liaison with host entity Aspen Institute Global South Africa (AIGSA), collaborating with and managing administrative engagement with AIGSA.

Knowledge Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 10 years of relevant experience, or a Master’s degree with a minimum of eight years of relevant experience with a preference of at least five years of management experience
• Proven ability to fundraise and work with donor organizations and professionally manage and represent an organization.
• Five years’ management experience relating to the development and implementation of large-scale projects with responsibility for all aspects of operations, including HR, Finance, and Procurement.
• Experience working in small business entrepreneurship, impact investing, and/or international development is required.
• Be able to represent ANDE in the region to a wide range of stakeholders, including senior-level government officials and donors.
• Familiarity with climate and gender action in the region, especially climate-smart agriculture, and gender lens investing, is a plus.
• Experience working with USAID and other bilateral funding is strongly preferred, with prior budget development and management experience required.
• Ability and willingness to travel up to 20% domestically and internationally.
• Excellent communicator with prior public speaking experience preferred.
• Fluency in written and spoken English.