POSITION DESCRIPTION
Building Tomorrow, an international nonprofit organization working to provide literacy and numeracy for all children, is seeking an exceptional, values-aligned Director of Government Relations, who will drive forward BT’s government relations strategy, focusing on securing national government adoption and implementation of BT’s community-powered education initiatives in Uganda.
THE ORGANIZATION
Started in 2006, Building Tomorrow supports community-powered learning in rural areas. Through over 500 Building Tomorrow Fellows and over 14,000 Community Education Volunteers, Building Tomorrow has enrolled over 140,000 out-of-school children and reached over 350,000 learners with our signature Roots to Rise literacy and numeracy camps. Between offices in the USA and Uganda, Building Tomorrow has a full-time staff of over 230, just eight of whom work outside Uganda. Building Tomorrow has received funding and recognition for its innovative work from Echoing Green, Big Bang Philanthropy, Clinton Global Initiative, and Forbes Magazine. More information can be found online at: www.buildingtomorrow.org.
POSITION HIGHLIGHTS
The Director of Government Relations (DGR) will be responsible for pushing Building Tomorrow’s government relations strategy, which stems from the belief that the government is the doer at scale for advancing community-powered learning initiatives. The DGR will work to solidify and enhance Building Tomorrow’s engagements with the Ministry of Education and Sports, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Gender, Labor, and Social Development, and other key elected officials, administration leaders, and civil servants. The DGR will lead BT’s collaborative partnership with national government to design and guide a plan for government adoption of BT’s foundational literacy learning program, Roots to Rise (R2R), formalization and oversight of Community Education Volunteers (CEVs), and other community-based educational programming. A successful DGR will be able to liaise between Building Tomorrow’s program and the MOES service delivery team, all to advance a pathway to national scale.
This position is full-time and based in Building Tomorrow Uganda’s Country Office in Kampala. The DGR will work hand-in-hand with Building Tomorrow staff, reporting to the Country Director and working in close collaboration with the Education Systems Strengthening team to ensure that district efforts are also integrated as progress is made on a national scale.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Strategic Engagement and Advocacy:
- Implement a multi-year vision for government relations work; develop annual goals and targets that are aligned with national adoption of community-powered learning initiatives, and develop an evaluation framework to assess progress.
- Develop and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders at the national level, including the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES), the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Gender, Labour, and Social Development, and other relevant government departments, to advocate for BT’s community-powered learning agenda and ensuring BT’s awareness and alignment with government priorities and policies.
- Actively participate in policy discussions and advisory committees to influence and shape education policies that support literacy and numeracy and address barriers that hinder the implementation and scalability of BT’s initiatives
- Monitor and analyze national education policies, programs, and initiatives, while keeping abreast of the needs and priorities of BT to identify opportunities for BT’s involvement and influence.
Networking and Partnership Building:
- Cultivate and maintain a strong network of government contacts and stay up to date on the latest news and priorities of the Ugandan government, especially through frequent meetings at relevant Ministries
- Actively participate in policy and practice forums, and share learnings and research with staff
- Proactively seek out opportunities and provide intelligence and insight on events and dynamics to the BT Leadership Team
- Engage political appointees and technical advisors in various Ministry departments
Communication and Reporting:
- Passionately represent BT’s work to government stakeholders through deep knowledge of our model and leveraging stories about the people and communities we serve to increase government support and buy-in
- Prepare and deliver compelling presentations, reports, and briefings to government officials, stakeholders, and BT leadership to communicate the impact and progress of BT’s initiatives.
- Leverage evidence-based advocacy via engaging policy briefs, advocacy materials, and other tools, to communicate the impact and effectiveness of BT’s programs to policymakers, stakeholders, and the broader education community.
- Ensure organizational-wide consistency of external messaging to the government stakeholders and its alignment with top advocacy priorities.
- Deliver prompt and accurate reporting to the leadership team to enable continued momentum on BT strategic priorities.
Coordination and Supervision:
- Coordinate with BT leadership and varied department staff to ensure alignment of government relations activities with BT’s overall goals and objectives.
- Participate in strategic program discussions related to government adoption, partnership opportunities, research priorities, and programmatic discussions to ensure knowledge of BT’s programs, and priorities
- Collaborate with the Education Systems Strengthening Manager (ESSM) and highlight the achievements, efforts, and challenges of Education Systems Strengthening Coordinators (ESSCs) with government contacts
- Provide technical assistance and capacity-building support to Building Tomorrow Uganda, local partners, and stakeholders as needed
- Act as a role model for an organization devoted to learning by seeking insight and using problems as opportunities to learn.
MUST HAVES
Applicants should possess the following qualifications:
- Proven track record of successful engagement with national government stakeholders and influencing policy decisions.
- Minimum of 7 years of experience in government relations, public policy, or advocacy in East Africa, preferably Uganda.
- Critical thinker who can understand both the big picture and the intricate details and a solid understanding of when one vs. the other is needed.
- Excellent negotiation and diplomatic skills, with the ability to build consensus and manage conflict effectively.
- First-rate oral and written communication skill in English and at least one other local Ugandan language, with the ability to convey complex ideas clearly and persuasively.
- Demonstrated experience working collaboratively and fostering positive working relationships.
- Bachelor’s degree in Public Policy, International Relations, Social Sciences, Business, or a related field. A Master’s degree is preferred.
- Strong project management skills and the ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously, with strong organization skills a plus.
WE WANT YOU TO APPLY IF…
- You have an unshakeable passion for education equality, believing access to an inclusive, quality education is a basic human right.
- You possess creative ingenuity, being progressive in your thinking and approaching challenges old and new. You are intrapreneurial and unafraid to pilot new ideas.
- You are relentlessly determined, refusing to accept the status quo, persistently striving to create new opportunities to reach more children, allowing them to reach their maximum potential.
- You believe in collaborative engagement. You believe more can be achieved together than alone, believe in the power of cultivating relationships, and see everyone as an equal partner.
WHAT WE OFFER
Compensation will be commensurate with experience. Benefits package includes health insurance, retirement savings plan, paid personal leave, and sick days.
