| Position | Director, Strategy & Operations |
| Reports to | Co-Chief Executive Officer – Operations and FS |
| Level | Senior Leadership member |
| Location | Africa preferably where FAH has presence with up to 25% regional travel across Africa |
| Direct reports | Leader responsible for Strategy and Planning, Fiscal Sponsorship Operations, Finance and Operations, Grants and Contracting, Compliance and Risk, Project Management, Information Technology and other assigned shared services |
| Role focus | Fiscal Sponsorship (FS) strategic planning and execution, organisational transformation, operational excellence, and building FS into a scalable and sustainable strategic pillar |
About AAH
The Advisory Alliance for Health (AAH) is an Africa-based, Africa-led and Africa-focused organisation that partners with governments, funders, philanthropies, delivery partners and other stakeholders to strengthen sustainable financing, primary health care and community health systems. AAH’s fiscal sponsorship platform provides mission-aligned initiatives with the legal, fiduciary and operational infrastructure required to receive and manage funding, deliver programmes compliantly and scale their impact.
Role Purpose
The Director of Strategy & Operations (DS&O) is AAH’s senior leader responsible for shaping enterprise strategy and converting it into sustained organisational performance. This role is being established in anticipation of a potential project that is being secured and will work closely with the Co-Chief Executive Officers, Board and Executive Committee, the DS&O will lead strategic planning, portfolio choices, organisational transformation, enterprise performance and cross-functional execution.
The role will ensure that AAH makes clear strategic choices, aligns resources and capabilities behind its highest-impact priorities, and adapts its operating model as the organisation grows. The DS&O will establish the systems, management disciplines and decision-quality required to connect long-term ambition, annual priorities, investment choices and day-to-day delivery.
A central mandate will be to build fiscal sponsorship into a distinctive, trusted and financially sustainable strategic pillar. The DS&O will define its strategic positioning, oversee its business and operating model, direct its growth and performance, and ensure that delivery reflects strong governance, fiduciary stewardship, partner service and organisational sustainability.
The DS&O will combine strategic foresight with hands-on operational leadership: interpreting the external environment, anticipating future opportunities and risks, facilitating enterprise decisions, integrating cross-functional delivery, establishing strong performance management and safeguarding AAH’s fiduciary, regulatory and reputational responsibilities.
Key Accountabilities:
1. Enterprise Strategy, Execution and Transformation:
- Lead the development, periodic review and implementation of AAH’s FS strategy, translating its mission, long-term ambition and theory of change into differentiated strategic choices, priorities, annual and multi-year plans, and measurable organisational outcomes.
- Interpret external trends across African health systems, education, climate and environment, agriculture and food security, livelihoods and economic inclusion, humanitarian response, governance and human rights, sustainable financing, philanthropy, regulation and partner needs; develop scenarios and strategic options that enable AAH to anticipate opportunities, manage uncertainty and protect long-term relevance.
- Advise the Co-CEOs and Board on FS positioning, growth pathways, portfolio composition, partnerships, geographic expansion, resource allocation and major investments, presenting clear evidence, trade-offs, risks and recommendations.
- Align strategy across programmes, fiscal sponsorship, business development, finance, people, technology and operations, ensuring organisational capabilities and resources are directed towards the highest-impact priorities.
- Establish a FS execution framework that connects strategic objectives to budgets, accountable owners, milestones, dependencies and key performance indicators, supported by disciplined operating rhythms and timely escalation.
- Lead FS and portfolio performance reviews, using dashboards, evidence and learning to assess progress, surface delivery constraints, test assumptions, reprioritise resources and drive corrective action.
- Sponsor cross-functional strategic initiatives and organisational transformation, clarifying decision rights, removing barriers and embedding stronger strategic thinking, accountability, adaptability and change execution across AAH.
2. Fiscal Sponsorship Growth and Partner Delivery:
- Develop and deliver a multi-year fiscal sponsorship strategy, business plan and growth roadmap with a clear value proposition, portfolio positioning and sustainable pricing model.
- Partner with Business Development and programme leaders to build the opportunity pipeline, assess strategic fit, design sponsorship solutions and cultivate institutional partnerships and referral channels.
- Lead the end-to-end partner lifecycle from due diligence and contracting through mobilisation, delivery, reporting, renewal and responsible transition or exit.
- Maintain clear sponsorship models, governance, service standards, playbooks, workflows, decision rights and escalation routes, supported by an accountable cross-functional delivery model.
- Monitor portfolio and partner health, provide responsive and transparent service, intervene early on emerging issues, and drive continuous improvement, automation and standardisation.
3. Operating Model, Systems and Operational Excellence:
- Shape AAH’s Fiscal Sponsorship operating model so that structures, governance, capabilities, systems, decision rights and cross-functional accountabilities remain fit for purpose and ready for growth.
- Set organisation-wide standards for planning, project management, process design, documentation, service delivery and performance reporting.
- Simplify and automate processes, strengthen Odoo and complementary digital platforms as reliable sources of truth, and improve productivity, turnaround times, transparency and stakeholder experience.
- Develop dashboards and information architecture that provide timely evidence on strategy, performance, fiscal sponsorship economics, delivery, risk and capacity, and use learning and feedback to improve decisions.
- Lead operational resilience, business continuity, data governance, information security and cybersecurity while building a culture of disciplined execution and continuous improvement.
4. Governance, Risk, Compliance and Financial Sustainability:
- Safeguard AAH’s legal, financial and fiduciary oversight through consistent application of donor conditions, law, policies, contracts, internal controls and audit requirements.
- Maintain proportionate risk-based frameworks for due diligence, contracting, disbursement, safeguarding, sanctions, anti-money-laundering, information security and expansion into new jurisdictions.
- Partner with Finance and Co-CEO to align resources and investment choices with strategy, manage fiscal sponsorship economics, strengthen cost recovery and unrestricted income and build long-term financial resilience.
- Ensure sound controls, segregation of duties, cash-flow planning, audit trails and early-warning indicators for funding gaps, cost leakage, budget variance, concentration risk and capacity constraints.
- Maintain clear delegations and escalation pathways and provide leadership and the Board with timely, decision-useful reports on strategy, portfolio health, finance, compliance, risk, capacity and audit matters.
5. People, Leadership and Organisational Capability:
- Build and develop a high-performing, multidisciplinary strategy and operations team with clear accountabilities, objectives and succession pathways.
- Work with People and Culture to align workforce, succession and capability plans with future organisational and fiscal sponsorship needs.
- Coach leaders, manage performance and facilitate alignment on priorities, trade-offs, resource decisions and expectations.
- Strengthen collaboration and a culture of ownership, constructive challenge, inclusion, learning and psychological safety.
- Act as a trusted strategic partner to the Co-CEOs and model AAH’s values, integrity, sound judgement and responsible stewardship.
Pre-requisites: Education & Qualifications
- Education: Postgraduate qualification in strategy, business administration, operations, finance, public administration, international development, public health or a related discipline; an equivalent combination of relevant qualifications and senior executive experience may be considered.
- Experience: Minimum 15 years’ progressive experience, including at least 7 years in executive or enterprise-wide leadership, within complex multi-country nonprofit, philanthropic, development, professional-services or mission-led organisations.
- Strategy and transformation: Proven success leading enterprise strategy, portfolio management, organisational transformation and execution, with the ability to convert ambition into operating models, investment choices, performance systems and measurable results.
- Fiscal and operational leadership: Demonstrated experience leading donor-funded portfolios or fiduciary platforms, with strong command of nonprofit finance, restricted funding, grants and contracts, internal controls, audit, cost allocation, governance and risk-based compliance.
- Regional and stakeholder leadership: Experience operating across African jurisdictions, navigating varied legal and regulatory environments, and advising Boards and executive teams while managing senior relationships with donors, philanthropies, partners, regulators and professional advisers.
- Leadership and communication: Demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary teams, executive alignment, organisational and digital change, and rapid growth; excellent written and verbal English is required, with French or another relevant language an advantage.
Leadership Competencies:
- Strategy and systems thinking: interprets the external environment, understands organisational interdependencies and makes coherent choices that advance mission, growth and sustainability.
- Strategy execution and operational excellence: converts ambition into priorities, resources, governance, scalable processes, milestones and measurable results.
- Strategic, commercial and financial acumen: evaluates opportunities, investments, pricing, cost recovery and operating economics to create sustainable organisational value.
- Analytical judgement and risk intelligence: uses evidence and experience to make timely decisions under uncertainty, distinguish material risks and protect AAH’s mission, resources and reputation.
- Change leadership and adaptability: creates alignment, mobilises stakeholders, tests assumptions and adjusts strategy and operating models as context evolves.
- Influence, governance and partner orientation: communicates with credibility, builds trusted relationships and enables Boards, executives, donors and partners to make well-informed decisions while maintaining appropriate fiduciary challenge.
- People, culture and accountable leadership: sets high standards, coaches leaders, acts decisively and builds an inclusive, collaborative and healthy performance culture.
Working Relationships:
Internal: Board and Board committees; Co-CEOs; senior leadership; and cross-functional teams spanning strategy, programmes, business development, finance and operations, grants and compliance, people and culture, MERL, communications and technology.
External: Governments, donors and philanthropies; fiscally sponsored initiatives and delivery partners; regulators and financial institutions; professional advisers, auditors, insurers and vendors; and strategic networks and peer organisations.
Compensation:
This position offers a competitive compensation package linked to the background and experience of the candidate, benchmarked against the local market in Sierra Leone.
Timing:
Applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis up to 30th September 2026.
Application Requirements
Please submit a resume and cover letter as one pdf document through the link: https://financingalliance.odoo.com/jobs/director-strategy-operations-210.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
AAH values the diversity of the people it hires and serves within the community. Our diversity is committed to fostering a work environment where individuals’ strengths and uniqueness are recognized, appreciated, respected and responded to in ways that fully develop their potential.
AAH has a zero-tolerance approach to any harm to, or exploitation of, a vulnerable child or adult by any of our staff, partners or representatives. We are committed to preventing all undesirable behavior at work. This includes child abuse and exploitation, sexual harassment and abuse.
