Who we are  

When public institutions excel, societies and the planet thrive. Instiglio exists to unlock that potential — partnering with purpose-driven leaders to imagine what’s possible, challenge the status quo, and pursue excellence, exponentially improving outcomes for people. 

Instiglio is a team of impact-driven innovators — thinkers and doers — based in Africa and Latin America, working alongside public institutions and their partners to exponentially improve outcomes for people. 

Since 2012, in more than 30 low- and middle-income countries we have partnered with more than 200 organisations — from government ministries and service providers to global donors, leading philanthropies, and private sector actors. Through these partnerships, we’ve helped shape a new generation of impact-driven financing. Together, this work has helped ensure better outcomes for ~98 million people and influenced more than $1 billion in public spending.  

Our team draws on years of experience and sector expertise spanning health, education, climate, environment, economic development, WASH, Public Financial Management, refugees and more. We partner with governments and development actors to align public funding with measurable outcomes and strengthen the systems, incentives, and capabilities that drive sustained impact.  

To scale our impact, we incubated the Government Empowerment Network (GEN) — a globally networked, AI-powered, and government-led reform accelerator designed to empower civil servants to incubate reforms that transform government institutions, strengthen service delivery, and improve citizens' lives.   

We are now entering a new chapter where we are focusing on truly scaling our impact, and setting up the internal systems, sophisticated leadership rhythms and bold organizational transformation, such as AI integration to match our global ambition. 

Our team 

Our success is driven by our collaborative, highly skilled, and diverse team of 80+ people representing over 15 nationalities located in our offices in Colombia, Kenya, Morocco, Mauritius, and Uganda. Our team members have extensive experience in development and government, with previous roles in international development banks, national governments, multilateral agencies, INGOs, and academia.   

Our Values 

How you will make an impact 

You are a social impact leader - this means that you will see the impact of your work and its effect on communities. You will focus your leadership on growing our impact and portfolio in the Anglophone Africa region, delivered through our fast-growing Nairobi office, and increasing Instiglio’s presence, proximity and influence within the regional ecosystem (Governments, donors, think-tanks, foundations and other clients).  

You will also be an integral part of Instiglio’s leadership team, helping Instiglio as an organisation to make smart and effective decisions on growth, strategy, and sustainability. As an Associate Partner, you will be an ambassador for Instiglio’s mission in Africa, and beyond.  

Key responsibilities will include: 

• Impact Strategy: As a member of our Africa Leadership Team, with the Africa Partner and other Africa Associate Partners, you will develop our Africa regional strategy with particular focus on the anglophone sub-region, with the aim of growing our impact and operations in the Anglophone Africa region, delivered through our fast-growing Nairobi office. This includes: 
  • Growing high-performing teams: working with our people team and local management teams to build high-performing teams, planning, and supervising the opening of new offices.
  • Mapping out how and where we can scale most impact in Africa, in which countries, in which sectors, with which partners, and with which methods and services.
• Public sector reform: Empower senior officials through complex reform processes, helping them diagnose root causes, align incentives, and navigate political and institutional realities.
• Partnership development: Work with the Africa Partner and other Africa Associate Partners to drive partnership development in Anglophone Africa, leveraging your strong existing network. You will develop and nurture Government, donor, philanthropic and practitioner relationships with key stakeholders and clients for high impact initiatives in the region, supervising and delivering compelling and high-impact engagements with clients.
• Delivery leadership: Providing strategic, technical, and team leadership in our projects to deliver maximum social impact and exceed client expectations. Driving impact for our partners through leading on quality, innovation and excellent project delivery management.
• Thought leadership and positioning: Advancing thought leadership, evolving our technical practices, and communicating with our external audience. Working with our communications team to position Instiglio with relevant audiences for the sub-region, and increasing Instiglio’s presence, proximity and influence within the regional and relevant global ecosystems (donors, governments, think-tanks, foundations and other clients).
• Organizational development: In addition to being a steward of our culture, you will also oversee the performance, growth, and overall health of specific organizational units or teams. This supervisory role aims to ensure high levels of team performance, team health and wellbeing, and appropriate growth strategies and operational support systems.  

Who you are  

You are an African social impact leader, who has demonstrated the passion for driving and scaling development outcomes across sub-Saharan Africa. You bring deep knowledge of the region's political, institutional, and development landscape, and have a track record of translating that knowledge into tangible, lasting change. A strategic and results-driven leader who builds trusted client relationships, delivers measurable impact, and drives team and business growth in complex social sector environments. 

You are a convener, who has built coalitions, partnerships and networks in Government, with other social entrepreneurs, and traditional and philanthropic donors, to enhance citizen outcomes through African-led systems change. 

To thrive in this role, you will also demonstrate the following: 

• Strategic & critical thinking - able to see the bigger picture while rolling up your sleeves to ensure delivery of tangible, meaningful and sustainable results
• Drive for excellence – ambitious for impact at scale, taking initiative, innovating and collaborating to enable your teams' high-quality outputs
• Team player - comfortable working in a global multicultural organisation, self-aware of your strengths and weaknesses, and inspiring your team to learn and grow
• Commercial acumen combined with a genuine passion for public sector reform and institutional transformation
• A dynamic, hands-on & productive professional, who relishes and thrives in fast-moving and complex working environments. 

Requirements & Qualifications 

An ideal candidate will have the following: 

• Education: A relevant postgraduate degree focused on international development (public administration, public policy, development economics, governance and institutions).
• Experience:  
  • At least 12 years of experience, including 8 years of relevant work experience in social impact or government advisory, international development, in the public sector, in management consulting, and/or in development policy and innovation. Combinations of the above experiences will be ideal. 
  • Demonstrated experience in government institutional reforms and or/transformation, advising or operating in senior government official roles on public-sector reforms in Sub-Saharan Africa. 
  • Demonstrated experience in evidence-based policy design, results-based financing, theories of change, delivery management, and/or performance management or related fields. 
  • Successful track record in sourcing and managing partnerships (multiple stakeholders in complex settings), with at least 2 years of Government, multi/bilateral donors and philanthropy. 
  • Extensive experience growing and managing multicultural teams. 
• Skills:  
  • Exceptional strategic and innovative thinking.  
  • Strong organizational oversight and continually looking to add value. 
  • Proven experience managing and maintaining relationships with public sector leaders, and international funding agencies. The ideal candidate will bring their own personal relationships in the region.  
  • Outstanding problem-solving and structured thinking skills.  
  • Excellent project management skills, managing multiple teams at complex tasks.  
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills including proven success in presenting ideas and concepts effectively and persuasively. 
  • Leadership skills and empathy with the ability to influence people positively. 
  • Impact-driven, resilient, results-oriented. 
  • Strong commercial acumen. 
  • Exceptional written and oral communication skills in English. 

In addition, we welcome the following qualifications: 

• Work experience in management consulting. 
• Strong operational and financial management experience. 
• Knowledge of Results-Based Financing mechanisms and/or experience related to the field (such as theories of change, log frames and results frameworks). 

How you can grow with us 

Associate Partners at Instiglio have the opportunity to develop a variety of skills and lead client-facing projects, with the guidance of Partners. You will be trusted with the opportunity to deepen your network with high-level government officials and leaders in the international development space. Together with the Africa Leadership Team, the Associate Partner will shape the Africa portfolio and team, and the wider regional trajectory.  

Instiglio has a strong feedback culture, with all staff receiving formal, structured reviews, in addition to real-time feedback. Additionally, a mentorship system and development plans are in place to ensure that staff receive proper support in their professional development. This will also grow your leadership and mentorship skills as you walk with junior team members on their career development journey. 

Working model and benefits 

This opportunity is open to African citizens, ideally East African, and is based in our Nairobi, Kenya office, with frequent travel across the continent. 

Instiglio has adopted a hybrid working model (i.e., a minimum of two (2) days a week at the office for face-to-face connections). Instiglio offers generous benefits, which include personal days, remote workdays, travel and health insurance, pension, a company end-of-year holiday additional to vacation, and parental leave, among others.   

Join our team! 

To apply, please submit your CV in English and answer the application questions listed. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. 

Senior Manager/Manager – Scaling and Innovation Team (Global)

You will join Instiglio’s Scaling & Innovation Team — the engine driving Instiglio’s ambition to go from impact to impact at scale. Our mission is threefold: develop pathways to scale Instiglio’s proven approaches, incubate Instiglio’s presence in new regions, and design and spearhead new impact solutions that push the frontier of what’s possible in development.

We pursue this mission through two primary strategies:

1. Scaling partnerships with large development institutions: The core of this team’s work. We partner with major multilateral development banks (MDBs), bilateral agencies, and large philanthropies to strengthen how they drive outcomes at scale — combining impact strategy with deep change management. This isn’t traditional consulting: we embed ourselves in institutional transformation, helping partners overhaul their impact strategies, build internal capabilities, and implement reforms that cascade through the systems they fund. A flagship example is our four-year engagement with the Global Fund, where we supported the scale-up of results-based financing (RBF) to 15 countries, built core institutional capabilities, and helped embed a results-oriented performance culture. Similar partnerships are underway with institutions like the Millennium Challenge Corporation, the Swiss Development Cooperation, the IDB, and leading philanthropies.
2. Innovation: Beyond scaling, the team spearheads new impact solutions. Recent examples include an AI-driven reform assistant for government decision-makers, pull finance mechanisms for adoption of climate technology, and practical work on making health regulations drive better outcomes. This is where we prototype the next generation of Instiglio’s tools.

The team also leads the Government Empowerment Network (GEN) — though this is a secondary focus of the role. GEN is Instiglio’s global network that inspires and empowers civil service champions to drive transformational change from within their institutions. It combines an eight-month reform incubator — providing mentorship, peer exchange, and real-time coaching grounded in reform science — with an AI-powered platform connecting public leaders to curated knowledge and global practitioner networks. Launched in Uganda in 2025, with cohorts in Colombia and Morocco following, GEN aims to support 1,500 champion teams and drive 200 institutional transformations impacting 190 million citizens by 2030.

How You Will Make an Impact

This is a role that sits at the intersection of strategy, change management, and innovation — not in the abstract, but in practice. You will lead complex, high-stakes engagements that directly shape how billions of development dollars are spent, and how governments serve millions of citizens.

Specifically, you will:

• Lead high-impact scaling partnerships: Take ownership of multi-year engagements with MDBs, bilaterals, and philanthropies. This means diagnosing how institutions invest and manage performance, designing strategies to strengthen their impact orientation, and driving the change management work needed to make reforms stick. You will translate sophisticated analysis into clear recommendations that senior decision-makers can act on — and then stay in the room to help implement them.
• Spearhead innovation: Help design and pressure-test new impact solutions — from AI-enabled tools for government reformers to new financing mechanisms for climate outcomes. You will bring structured thinking to ambiguous, frontier problems and turn concepts into pilots.
• Manage complex stakeholder environments: Build trusted relationships with senior counterparts in governments, development agencies, and philanthropic organizations. Navigate multi-stakeholder dynamics with confidence, knowing when to push, when to listen, and how to build coalitions for change.
• Lead teams and delivery: Manage multidisciplinary teams across workstreams, geographies, and time zones. Own budgets, timelines, and quality — and develop the people around you.
• Contribute to thought leadership: Help shape Instiglio’s intellectual contributions in results-based financing, performance management, and global partnership strategy, feeding into a growing body of work that influences policy and practice globally.

Who You Are

We are looking for someone who is energized by complexity, undaunted by ambiguity, and deeply motivated by impact. You combine the structured rigor of a top-tier consultant with the entrepreneurial instinct to build something new.

Experience

• Significant professional experience (typically 9+ years for Manager; 11+ for Senior Manager of relevant professional experience) and we welcome candidates whose experience exceeds these thresholds.
• Strong background in strategy consulting, international development, or complex advisory roles — ideally spanning both.
• Demonstrated experience working with or inside multilateral and bilateral institutions, large philanthropies, or global development organizations.
• A track record of leading multi-stakeholder, multi-country engagements from design through implementation.
• Experience designing strategic initiatives or large-scale programs — not just advising on them.
• Exposure to results-based financing, performance management, or impact measurement is highly desirable.

Education Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Public Policy, Economics, Business, Development Studies, or related fields.

Languages

• Excellent fluency in English (written and verbal).
• French or Spanish is a plus

Core Skills & Competencies

• Structured problem-solving & strategic thinking: You break down complex, ambiguous problems quickly and develop clear, actionable recommendations — the kind that a minister or a multilateral VP can act on.
• Change management & implementation: You understand that strategy without implementation is just paper. You know how to design for adoption, manage resistance, and build institutional ownership.
• Entrepreneurial & builder mindset: You can take an idea from whiteboard to pilot. You are comfortable with unstructured environments and motivated by building something, not just delivering it.
• Stakeholder management & communication: You engage credibly at the highest levels — with government ministers, donor executives, and foundation leadership — while remaining effective across teams and cultures.
• Project & team leadership: You manage multiple concurrent workstreams without dropping the ball, develop junior colleagues, and hold yourself and your team to a high bar.
• Global & cross-cultural collaboration: You have worked across geographies and cultures, and you know how to coordinate distributed teams effectively.
• AI-enabled working: You are genuinely curious about — and actively embrace — AI-powered workflows. At Instiglio, AI is not a future aspiration; it is central to how we research, synthesize, analyze, and deliver. The ideal candidate is already integrating AI tools into their daily work and is excited to push further.
• Adaptability & resilience: You thrive in ambiguity, adapt quickly to shifting priorities, and bring a low-ego, roll-up-your-sleeves attitude to whatever the work demands.

How You Can Grow with Us

This role offers a rare opportunity to work at the frontier of global development — not in a supporting role, but as a central player shaping strategy, building institutions, and pioneering new models of impact. You will develop deep expertise across donor strategy, government transformation, results-based financing, and innovation in development finance.

You will receive structured mentorship, regular feedback, and a clear path toward increasing leadership — including the opportunity to shape new global initiatives, and contribute to Instiglio’s growing influence in the field.

Working Model & Benefits

This position is open to both local and international candidates, with a strong preference for those based in our offices in Kenya, Morocco, Mauritius, or Uganda. Instiglio offers a comprehensive benefits package including personal days, remote work allowance, health and travel insurance, company holidays between Christmas and New Year’s, and parental leave.

Location: Kenya or Mauritius (strongly preferred)

Term: Full-time position

Expected Starting Date: June 1, 2026 or earlier

Application Deadline: Applications will be considered on a rolling basis

Join Our Team

Submit your application by attaching your CV and cover letter in English answering the following questions:

1. Tell us about a time you persuaded a decision-maker or group of people to take action — what was the situation, what did you do, and what was the outcome?
2. Tell us about a complex strategic or advisory engagement you led: what was the challenge, how did you approach it, and what impact did it achieve?
3. What excites you about working at the intersection of strategy, change management, and innovation in international development?

We read every cover letter carefully — please write yours in your own voice rather than using AI-generated text, as authenticity matters to us far more than polish.

How you will make an impact

As Transformation Director, you will lead Instiglio’s organization-wide transformation agenda - strengthening the systems, operating models, and change capabilities that enable us to scale impact globally.

This role sits at the intersection of strategy, systems-building, technology, and execution. It is designed for a leader who thrives in complexity and is equally comfortable designing transformation roadmaps and rolling up their sleeves to ensure adoption and results.

A member of Instiglio’s Executive Team is accountable for each substantive transformation initiative, so while reporting to the COO, you will also work closely with the CEO and Chief Impact Officer (CIO) on specific initiatives, agreeing and assuring strategies together prior to execution. You will also partner with fellow members of Instiglio Leadership Team to leverage their experience and expertise, and to ensure transformation efforts are coherent, integrated, prioritized, and embedded across the organization.

Key responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

Lead Organization-Wide Transformation & Change Management

• Own and drive Instiglio’s Transformation & Change Management Program  end-to-end.

  • Diagnose organizational challenges and opportunities, design solutions, prioritize execution in line with Instiglio’s strategic goals, and ensure successful adoption.

  • Act as the integrator across teams (e.g., Partner Group, Leadership Team, People Committee, Finance Committee), ensuring transformation initiatives are aligned, sequenced, and mutually reinforcing.

• Establish clear success metrics and track progress, learning, and impact over time. 
  

AI Integration & Digital Transformation

• Lead the design, pilot, and scale of AI-enabled tools that enhance decision-making, productivity, and service delivery.

• Drive organization-wide AI adoption, capability-building, and change management.

• Translate emerging AI opportunities into practical workflows, operating model shifts, and strategic advantages.

• Ensure ethical, responsible, and effective use of AI across the organization.

Impact Management Systems (in partnership with the CIO)

• Strengthen how Instiglio measures organizational performance, learning, and results.

• Design and refine frameworks, tools, and processes that clarify goals, drive alignment, and support strategic decision-making.

• Improve visibility and coherence across impact data, organizational learning, and performance management.

Partnerships Development Systems

• Build and refine systems that strengthen how Instiglio develops, manages, and sustains partnerships across donors, governments, and the private sector coordinating with the Partnership Development Centre and Business Development Teams.

• Develop processes that improve pipeline visibility, institutional engagement, and strategic prioritization.

• Enable leadership teams with better data, tools, and decision frameworks for partnership growth.

Internal Operating Model & Process Evolution

• Lead the evolution of Instiglio’s internal operating model as the organization scales.

• Redesign workflows, governance rhythms, collaboration structures, and decision-making processes.

• Embed AI and digital tools across core operational systems to improve efficiency and effectiveness.

• Ensure changes are practical, adopted, and sustained in day-to-day operations.

Hands-On Execution & Delivery

• This is not a strategy/transformation-only role.

• You are accountable for seeing transformation initiatives from idea to execution to sustained adoption. On internal strategies, systems & processes, you will work closely with Internal Services teams and management to see through and sustain excellence in a sustained role that is necessarily operational in nature.

• You will personally:

  • Build tools, templates, and dashboards;

  • Draft frameworks and operating models;

  • Run complex, cross-functional projects;

  • Facilitate alignment and decision-making;

  • Troubleshoot operational bottlenecks; and

  • Ensure implementation sticks beyond launch.

Who you are

We are building a team of thoughtful, driven professionals who are motivated by our mission and excited to grow with the organization. An ideal candidate will have:

• Experience: At least 10 years of relevant experience in:

  • Organizational transformation and change management.

  • AI or technology implementation in organizations.

  • Systems-building in high-growth or complex environments.

  • Management consulting, public sector reform, or international development.

  • Designing and scaling operating models, decision systems, and workflows.

  • Working closely with senior leaders to translate strategy into execution.

• Languages:

  • Professional working proficiency in English (C1).

  • Working proficiency in French and/or Spanish would be an added advantage.

• Skills & Competencies:

  • Strong builder mindset - energized by designing systems from scratch and iterating toward excellence.

  • Exceptional project management and coordination skills across multiple high-stakes initiatives.

  • Hands-on operator who can move seamlessly between strategic thinking and detailed execution.

  • Structured thinker who brings clarity to ambiguity and complexity.

  • High emotional intelligence, humility, and adaptability.

  • Creative and innovative leader comfortable in fast-changing environments.

  • Cross-cultural fluency and effectiveness working across geographies and diverse teams.

  • Deep alignment with Instiglio’s mission and commitment to public-sector transformation.

• Mindset & Culture Fit

  • Thrives as a resourceful, sleeves-rolled-up doer; not an armchair strategist.

  • Calm and effective in moments of organizational pressure and uncertainty.

  • Collaborative, influence-oriented, and committed to building strong relationships.

  • Values purpose over spotlight.

How you will grow with us

Your work will be driven by impact and purpose, within a dynamic culture rooted in inclusion, collaboration, and high performance. You will partner closely with teams delivering complex, high-impact projects, gain exposure to a wide range of approaches and contexts, and collaborate across a diverse, international organization. You will be encouraged to take ownership, exercise judgment, and contribute meaningfully to shaping how Instiglio operates and grows.

As a Director at Instiglio, you will continue to develop and deepen your leadership, systems-thinking, and transformation capabilities. You will lead internal initiatives and organizational priorities, with support and guidance from senior leadership. Instiglio has a strong feedback culture, including bi-annual, structured performance reviews complemented by ongoing, real-time feedback. Mentorship and individual development plans are embedded in our people model to ensure sustained professional growth and support.

With Instiglio’s planned continued growth there are also progression opportunities for high-performing candidates.

Working model and benefits

Instiglio has adopted a hybrid working model (i.e., minimum of two (2) days a week at the office for face-to-face connections). Instiglio offers generous benefits, which include personal days, remote workdays, travel and health insurance, pension, a company end-of-year holiday additional to vacation, and parental leave, among others.

Join Us 

To apply, please submit your CV in English and answer the application questions listed. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.