Chief of Staff - Programs Division

This position sits at the intersection of Africa’s biggest opportunities – workforce development, youth entrepreneurship and education reform. ABOUT US African Leadership Academy (ALA) began in 2008 as a two-year pan-African high school based in Johannesburg, South Africa, that identifies exceptional young people from across the continent and develops them through a curriculum spanning African studies, entrepreneurial leadership, and core academics. It has grown dramatically due to a founding promise to connect alumni and other emerging leaders to opportunities from which they can accelerate Africa’s prosperity. ALA’s Programs Division – a team of almost 50 people – is how we pursue this mandate “beyond the school” and serving ~2000 emerging leaders annually through programs like Anzisha, Africa Career Networks, African Leaders for Education, and our Alumni Engagement office. ALA now has over 1,600 alumni from 47 African countries working across business and government, with many going on to universities including Harvard and Oxford. ALA is also the genesis of the wider African Leadership Group, which includes African Leadership University and ALX. ALA is also approaching a significant leadership transition. The Chief of Staff will play a hands-on role in supporting the Division and its teams through this period, working alongside senior leadership as institutional priorities take shape. For someone who aspires to lead an organisation of their own one day, this is a rare, close-up seat: a chance to watch how leadership decisions get made, and to help carry them through. This is a fast-paced role that gives early-career professionals hands-on leadership exposure and cross-cultural experience across ALA’s pan-African network. Prior Chief of Staffs across ALA have gone on to pursue graduate study at schools including Harvard Business School, Stanford Graduate School of Business, and the Wharton School, among others. POSITION OVERVIEW We are seeking a high-potential all-rounder to accelerate our work in youth entrepreneurship, education and career advancement across Africa. The Chief of Staff, Programs Division (CoS PD) is a key enabler of the division’s strategy, results and impact. The CoS PD supports the Chief Programs Officer and program leaders in defining the division’s key priorities, setting plans, allocating resources and monitoring results. The role drives rhythms of clarity, technology adoption, collaboration and accountability across programs and program leaders. As divisional needs and priorities shift, so will the priorities and responsibilities of the CoS PD. The incumbent will take ownership of critical projects, build systems and processes, and coordinate across teams and functions – particularly improving collaboration with Finance and MERL teams. The role is expected to operate with a good deal of autonomy in defining and pursuing priorities. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Drive our rhythms, planning and prioritisation Work with the CPO and other program leaders to define the strategic, annual and quarterly objectives of the division and its programs. Use a clear calendar of rhythms to ensure the CPO and program leaders are reviewing performance and focused on the most important results. Build visibility and transparency through effective agenda-setting and simple reporting, including supporting the CPO’s reporting to ALA donors, board sub-committees and ALA Executive Committee. Coordinate the critical rhythms of the division: work-planning, budgeting and performance management. Accelerate shared processes, infrastructure and adoption Accelerate the evolution and effective use of the Programs Division’s common technology stack, including SharePoint, Salesforce and WordPress. Focus strongly on staff adoption: help teams understand what tools are available, why they matter and how to incorporate them into everyday workflows. Work with internal teams and external service providers to improve implementation, support and coordination, reducing friction and under-use of shared systems. Experiment with AI solutions that boost staff productivity and expand the reach of our work, and help colleagues understand and adopt practical AI tools and workflows. Drive adoption of apps and digital tools by both staff and the thousands of beneficiaries and program participants who rely on them, turning underused tools into primary ways of accessing and delivering our programs. Provide strong research and recommendation inputs into procurement and implementation choices while maintaining a repository of documentation that tracks decisions and enables effective use by team members at all levels. Own governance and knowledge management Own the governance documents that define ALA’s safeguarding policies for beneficiaries and staff, keeping them current as programs evolve. Work with program leaders to confirm that policies are understood and applied consistently across teams. Own the Division-wide intranet as the central repository for programs-related knowledge, ranging from process documentation and templates to meeting notes and historical decisions. Build our culture and community Identify ways to improve how teams understand and support one another, fostering inclusivity. Design and execute a calendar of activities that has the highest community yield with the smallest commitment of time. Coordinate a division-wide onboarding programme, an in-person annual retreat and activities that engage the faculty and students of the Academy. Lead critical projects and support stakeholder engagement Support the Chief Programs Officer to meetings with external stakeholders. Take ownership of critical projects and coordinate across teams and functions as divisional needs and priorities shift. Support the Programs Division and senior leadership through the current leadership transition as institutional priorities take shape. Review and reset priorities regularly within each planning period; priorities may shift weekly, and key objectives must be reviewed at least every quarter. Operate with a good deal of autonomy in defining and pursuing these priorities. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS AND SELECTION CRITERIA Required Education and Experience Bachelor’s degree and 3+ years’ experience in a relevant field, preferably management consulting or startup/non-profit operations. Preferred Education and Experience Competence or experience in technology project/product management, advantageous for managing the division’s digital infrastructure. Experience with SharePoint, Salesforce and WordPress advantageous. Experience working across multiple teams in a fast-moving environment. COMPETENCIES Technical Project management and coordination. Proficiency in Microsoft tools, including Excel, PowerPoint and MS Planner. Practical AI literacy and ability to translate AI capabilities into useful workflows for non-specialists. Ability to provide strong research and recommendation inputs into technology, procurement and implementation choices. Generic Strategic thinking and problem-solving. Exceptional synthesis of information and coordination of work. Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities. Highly organised and detail-oriented. Attributes Ability to work with diverse groups and build collaborative relationships. Fundamentally curious about the practice and evolution of education, entrepreneurship and leadership development in Africa. Enjoys varied work and gets as much reward from supporting the success of others as from projects delivered independently. Happy to "pick up the phone" and to get to the right people or solve out an issue. Passion for ALA’s mission of supporting young leaders across Africa. Reports To: Chief Programs Officer Job Location: ALA Campus, Johannesburg Potential Start Date: 01 November 2026 #J-18808-Ljbffr