Background

As part of Implementing its Strategic Plan 2023-2027 and new Business Model, the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) has launched a flagship initiative known as Ubora Academy, one of its branded service offerings. The Academy’s primary objective is to equip personnel from key institutions and organizations across Africa with the essential skills and knowledge needed to advance economic growth and sustainable development. 

Through top-tier courses, Ubora Academy aims to strengthen human capital and accelerate capacity development across the continent, empowering institutions to effectively fulfill their mission and address pressing socio-economic challenges and.

To meet this mission, the Ubora Academy will offer premier training programs tailored to enhance the competencies of professional staff in key institutions across the continent.  In designing these programs, ACBF will partner with subject matter experts, seasoned facilitators, and leading academic and training institutions to ensure each offering is relevant, impactful, and of the highest standard.

To the Academy’s successful rollout and ongoing operations, ACBF is recruiting a visionary, strategic, and results-driven Director.  Reporting to the Executive Secretary of ACBF and the Ubora Academy Steering Committee, the Director will be responsible for setting and executing the Academy’s strategic vision. The successful candidate will champion a transformative learning culture, building a world-class digital learning platform to serve Africa’s public service and professional community.

The ideal candidate will possess the ability to cultivate strong relationships across a wide range of stakeholders–spanning from the academia, government, the non-profit sector and private industry. As the public face of the Academy, the Director will shape both internal culture and external engagement, modeling the highest standards of ethics, integrity, and fairness. She/he will be entrusted with fostering a values-driven environment that reflects the Academy’s mission and guides its employees and contractors in delivering impactful results.

Duties and responsibilities include the following:

1. 1.     Strategic Leadership

• Develop and execute a strategic roadmap for the academy’s growth and expansion.
• Identify new opportunities for training and skill development under Ubora Academy.
• Build and nurture partnerships with government agencies, academic institutions, and industry leaders.
• Lead the execution of Ubora Academy’s business plan, ensuring alignment with its vision and theory of change to effectively advance ACBF’s strategic objectives.

1. 2.     Finance and Operational Management

• Present annual financial budgets to the Ubora Academy Advisory Board for approval, ensuring alignment with the corporate workplan and providing routine multi-year resource projections to support transparent resource stewardship.
• Safeguard the financial sustainability of Ubora Academy through proactive resource mobilization and the cultivation of strategic partnerships.
• Ensure that Ubora Academy’s organizational structure, operational policies and business processes are robust, strategically aligned, and effectively positioned to deliver on institutional objectives.

1. 3.     Partner Engagement, Advocacy and Resource Mobilization

• Establish and cultivate founding strategic partners and donors to achieve Ubora Academy’s funding targets and long-term financial goals.
• Interact with governments at the highest political level to advocate for an appropriate level of national resources to be directed to key Ubora Academy programs.
• Lead the planning and execution of targeted marketing campaigns, to effectively promote Ubora Academy’s products and services, enhancing visibility, stakeholder engagement, and uptake across the continent.

Required Competencies and Experience

Education:

Required - an advanced level university degree (Master's) in Education, Leadership, Management, Social Sciences, or related field.

Desirable – a PhD in one of the above-mentioned fields.

Competencies:

• Over 15 years of progressive experience in education, with a focus on learning quality, innovation, and strategic transformation.
• Solid background in research and analytics with a data-driven approach to decision-making and program development
• Proven expertise in transformational leadership, financial management, diplomatic communication and partnership development and management.
• Extensive experience in senior and executive roles within leading educational institutions, multinational, or intergovernmental organizations.
• Inadept at engaging with top-levels representatives from AU member states, the private sector, and multilateral/non-profit organizations.
• Demonstrated ability to conceptualize and lead the development of high-impact learning solutions based on organizational and learner needs.
• Track record of success in strategic planning, fundraising, and building sustainable partnerships.
• Fluent in oral and written English; proficiency in French is an added advantage

Personal Characteristics

• An intellectually curious but humble individual with a high degree of compassion, able to engage, enable and inspire.
• Creative and resourceful in overcoming barriers and unexpected roadblocks. Courageous in spirit, driving change through innovation.
• Possesses high personal standards of ethics and integrity towards employees, stakeholders, and partners.
• High levels of learning-agility with a real interest in the capacity building ecosystem.
• Entrepreneurial and comfortable with ambiguous and change-led environments; self-confident with an authentic style that gravitates to championing change.
• Servant leadership mentality, deeply committed to serving and listening to others. Natural ability to build strong relationships and enable collaboration through empathy and authenticity.
• Committed to building a community through ACBF’s principles.

Duration and Compensation

The Director will work remotely for an initial term of one year, to be extended based on performance.

The African Capacity Building Foundation offers a competitive compensation commensurate with experience.

About the African Capacity Building Foundation

The African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) is the African Union’s specialized agency for capacity development. Since 1991, ACBF has empowered over 100,000 professionals across the public and private sectors, civil society, and academia, while building institutions in more than 40 member states. Through strategic partnerships and impactful programs, the Foundation builds human and institutional capacity and generates and disseminates knowledge to advance Africa’s sustainable development in line with Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

ACBF’s current strategic plan focuses on key impact areas such as Climate Change and Energy for productive use, Agribusiness and Food Sovereignty, Trade as an engine for economic development, and Economic and Social Governance. The Foundation is headquartered in Harare, with regional offices in Accra and Nairobi and a Liaison Office at the African Union Commission in Addis Ababa.

To apply for this position please submit in confidence a resume and a cover letter that details why you are a good fit for this career position to recruitment@theacbf.org with the subject Director Ubora Academy by 30 August 2025.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

The African Capacity Building Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer