Chief of Staff
- Type of Employment
- Contract
- Time Commitment
- Full time
Employer: Village Enterprise
Industry: Nonprofit/International Development/Social Entrepreneurship
Job Title: Chief of Staff
Function: Office of the CEO
Position Type: Full-time.
Reports to: CEO & President
Location: Flexible/Global with periodic travel (15–25%)
Organization Overview:
Village Enterprise’s mission is to end extreme poverty in rural Africa through entrepreneurship, innovation, and collective action. By empowering women, refugees, and youth to launch small businesses and savings groups, our cost-effective model provides dignified and sustainable pathways for individuals to lift themselves and their families out of extreme poverty for good. To date, Village Enterprise has trained 396,872 first-time entrepreneurs, 80% of whom are women, and supported the launch of 120,609 businesses and 9,309 Business Savings Groups (BSGs). These efforts have positively impacted 2,478,065 lives across Africa. With operations in Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, and partnerships in other sub-Saharan African countries, Village Enterprise continues to expand its reach. As we scale our impact, our aim remains ambitious yet achievable: to lift 20 million people out of extreme poverty by 2035.
Role Puorpose:
This is a rare building role. The Chief of Staff will join Village Enterprise at a defining moment — partnering directly with our new CEO to design and execute a bold strategic vision, build the organizational systems to sustain it, and help drive the coherence and accountability that will unlock our next phase of growth.
This is not a coordination role. It is a senior strategic leadership position for someone ready to own the strategy process end-to-end: from shaping a 10-year vision to managing living business plans, designing how the organization executes against them, and ensuring the CEO and Global Leadership Team are working in alignment and at their best. The Chief of Staff will serve as the CEO’s most trusted strategic partner, amplifying her impact and ensuring Village Enterprise’s vision translates into organizational reality. The role spans three domains:
• Strategy ownership
• Strategic operating infrastructure
• Executive and board relationships
In the first year, the Chief of Staff will lead a comprehensive strategy review, drive the next full strategy development process, and embed the strategic operating rhythm — including outcomes frameworks, KPIs, and executive cadences — that will govern how Village Enterprise executes its mission at scale.
Responsibilities
Strategy Ownership & Execution
- Lead the strategy process end-to-end, from 10-year vision to annual and multi-year planning cycles.
- Conduct a comprehensive strategy review in year one.
- Design and embed the strategic operating rhythm: outcomes frameworks, KPIs, and executive cadences.
- Translate strategic intent into cross-functional clarity.
- Identify systemic barriers to progress and design solutions.
CEO Partnership & Office of the CEO
- Serve as a senior thought partner to the CEO.
- Represent the CEO’s perspective across the organization.
- Lead special projects and surface high-leverage initiatives.
- Oversee operational effectiveness of the CEO’s Office.
Board Relations
- Develop board reports and prepare the CEO for board engagement.
- Ensure a productive relationship between CEO and board.
- Anticipate board information needs and ensure documentation is clear and strategic.
Executive Leadership Enablement
- Provide accountability and thought partnership to Global Leadership Team members.
- Shape operating models, governance structures, and ways of working.
- Surface risks, blockers, and decisions requiring senior attention.
Safeguarding
- Champion a culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility by leading by example and promoting Village Enterprise's commitment to safeguarding across VE Programmes.
- Ensure the effective implementation of and compliance with Village Enterprise's safeguarding policies, standards, and procedures by staff, partners, contractors, and programme participants.
- Foster a safe and accountable environment by ensuring safeguarding risks are proactively identified, mitigated, and integrated into programme design, implementation, and organizational processes.
- Ensure that safeguarding concerns and incidents are promptly reported, managed, and escalated in accordance with Village Enterprise's safeguarding policies, and support safeguarding investigations and disciplinary processes as required.
Key Performance Metrics
- Strategy review and 10-year vision delivered: The Chief of Staff completes the comprehensive strategy review within the first 12 months and leads the next strategy development process through to board approval. Success is measured by delivering these on the agreed timeline, with the vision and strategy approved on schedule.
- Strategic operating rhythm embedded: The Chief of Staff designs and embeds the outcomes frameworks, KPIs and executive cadences that govern how the organisation executes. Success means every Global Leadership Team member's objectives are linked to the strategy and quarterly reviews are held as scheduled.
- Strategic priorities on track: The Chief of Staff tracks progress against the strategy and clears the cross-functional barriers that hold it back. Success means at least 80% of priorities are rated on track in quarterly reviews, and blockers are resolved within an agreed timeframe.
- Board readiness and quality: The Chief of Staff prepares clear, strategic board reports and equips the CEO for board engagement. Success means papers reach the board five working days before each meeting, at least 90% of board actions are closed by their due dates, and board feedback on the quality of materials is positive.
- CEO and leadership team effectiveness: The Chief of Staff acts as the CEO's trusted thought partner and holds the Global Leadership Team accountable. Success is measured through a regular pulse survey of the CEO and leadership team, with an average of at least 4 out of 5 on alignment, accountability and speed of decisions.
Requirements
Qualification:
- 10–15 years of experience in strategy, execution, or organizational leadership.
- Proven track record in international development or global social impact.
- Demonstrated experience owning and leading strategy processes.
- Strong relational intelligence and ability to build trust quickly.
- Experience supporting executive leadership in complex environments.
- Management consulting experience a plus.
- Comfortable challenging senior leaders when necessary.
- Global experience required; sub-Saharan Africa strongly preferred.
- Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree a plus.
Core Competencies
- Strategy review and 10-year vision delivered: Completes a comprehensive strategy review within the first 12 months and leads the development of the next 10-year vision and strategy through board approval within the agreed timeline.
- Strategic operating rhythm embedded: Establishes outcomes frameworks, KPIs, and executive cadences that guide organizational execution, ensuring all Global Leadership Team objectives are aligned with strategy and quarterly reviews are consistently conducted.
- Strategic priorities on track: Monitors strategic execution, drives cross-functional alignment, and removes barriers to delivery, maintaining at least 80% of strategic priorities on track through quarterly reviews.
- Board readiness and quality: Ensures timely, high-quality strategic board reports, effective CEO preparation for board engagements, and timely closure of at least 90% of board actions.
- CEO and leadership team effectiveness: Strengthens CEO effectiveness and Global Leadership Team alignment, accountability, and decision-making through trusted strategic partnership and leadership coordination.
To Apply:
Interested and qualified candidates who meet the set criteria are invited to send their Cover Letter and CV (Maximum 3 pages) including 3 referees, on the online platform.
Safeguarding Statement:
Village Enterprise is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults. We expect all employees, volunteers, Visitors, associates (consultants, service providers and suppliers) and partners to uphold this commitment and adhere to our safeguarding policies and code of conduct. Village Enterprise has zero tolerance for any form of abuse, exploitation, or harassment.All appointments are subject to satisfactory pre-employment checks, which may include reference checks with previous employers, verification of qualifications, and criminal record or background screening where required by law.
Affirmative Action:
Village Enterprise provides equal employment and advancement opportunities to all individuals. Employment decisions are based on merit, qualifications, and abilities. Village Enterprise does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, gender identity, age, disability, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by law.Village Enterprise will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities unless doing so would result in undue hardship to daily operations.Village Enterprise is a corruption, solicitation, and bribery-free organization. Neither Village Enterprise nor any of its employees or associates’ charges money to job applicants before, during, or after the recruitment process. Please report any malpractice through our safeguarding toll-free hotline 0800724810
Benefits
To be communicated