Associate - Partnerships Flex-Pool at Tony Blair Institute for Global Change

At the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, we work with political leaders around the world to drive change. We help governments turn bold ideas into reality so they can deliver for their people. We do it by advising on strategy, policy and delivery, unlocking the power of technology across all three. And by sharing what we learn on the ground, so everyone can benefit. We do it to build more open, inclusive and prosperous countries for people everywhere.



We are a global team of nearly 800 changemakers, operating in more than 30 countries, across five continents. We are political strategists, policy experts, delivery practitioners, technology specialists and more. We speak more than 45 languages. We are working on over 100 projects, tackling some of the world’s biggest challenges. We’re all here at TBI to make a difference.



In a world of ever more complex challenges, we believe diversity of background and perspective is a strength. We pride ourselves on a culture that values and nurtures difference. We are dedicated to unlocking potential, not only for the countries we work in but also for each of our team members. No matter where you’re from or who you are, if you’re passionate about the transformative power of progressive politics, we invite you to build a better future with us.



About Strategy & Partnerships



Strategy & Partnerships (S&P) is one of 3 central business critical departments, alongside Policy & Politics and Global Government Advisory. The S&P department leads and oversees the Institute’s strategic direction and growth, with specific responsibility for future proofing growth, developing scalable partnerships, innovating in tech and securing financial resources to advance the Institute’s operational goals and drive sustainable impact.



Role Summary



We are looking to find an Associate, to be based out of our home offices in Accra. You should have the right to work in Accra. Note we will be hiring on a rolling basis and are currently looking for three associate roles in total across London, Accra, Washington DC, Dubai and Singapore, each for a fixed-term contract of 24 months.



In recognition of the growing client interest in solutions delivered with TBI partners, we are looking for talented associates to join a newly formed Partnerships Flex-Pool team. TBI works closely with our government clients and partners to innovate and accelerate delivery of results. We support our clients and partners to develop and activate proof-of-concepts and partner solutions, with an aim of rapid learning and iteration to implement at scale.



The Partnerships Flex-Pool, which this role will form part of, will provide interim, dedicated, in-country support (for deployments of between 3-6 months) to the scoping and delivery of new partnership proof-of-concepts and solutions, helping to pilot, test, deliver and scale. The remaining 6+ months will be spent in the home office, supporting with other tasks relating to the activation and scale of partner solutions.



This is not an entry level role, candidates should have a some of full-time experience, ideally in operations, project management and delivery, management consulting, tech startup/scaleup, government advisory, and /or the public sector. Candidates must be willing to travel globally (up to 50%), as in-country deployments can last anywhere from three to six months in duration. Candidates are expected to do at most two in-country deployments a year. TBI will cover reasonable travel costs in line with policy whilst on deployment. These deployments could be in any of our 40 client governments across the globe. Candidates should be excited by the opportunity to routinely travel to and learn about new countries and their governments.



Key Responsibilities



Partnership Proof-of-Concept/Pilot and Partnership Solution Activation (In-Country Deployment)



Work with our Global Client Services team and Global Partnerships colleagues to support with the delivery of projects to activate and / or scale partner proof-of-concepts and partnership solutions in new countries, with some example tasks below:

Play a coordinating role across in-country teams, other stakeholders across TBI and our partners, providing the right support to ensure there is alignment across these stakeholders throughout the project.

Play a leading role in project management, leveraging relevant delivery methodologies and developing collateral for project delivery, including reports to showcase progress, detailed documentation on planning, risks, blockers and strategies for execution.

Set up the right ways of working for TBI teams, partners and government clients as required, with meetings, governance approach, well understood roles and responsibilities and the decision-making frameworks needed for success.

Support country teams with engagement and onboarding of local implementation partners, as required.

Respond to client feedback and incorporate changes needed to deliverables in a timely manner.

Support in the development of relevant deliverables during deployment, such as discovery documentation, qualitative and quantitative research, analysis of what’s working and what isn’t, translating of data into useful insights to help clients make informed decisions.

Working across all relevant stakeholders, help country teams plan for sustainable delivery (after flex pool deployment is finished), with support in recruitment, longer term planning, and handover.



Evolving a partnership offer from Proof-of-Concept/Solution Activation to Scale (Home Office Work)



Collate and feed lessons learnt back into future iterations of proof-of-concept/pilot/partner solution activation design and delivery, inputting into playbooks for scale of the partner solution.

Work with relevant stakeholders to assess potential for scale of partner solutions in new or existing countries and support as required with creation of relevant materials for scaling.



Partnerships Onboarding and Management (Home Office Work)



Support as required with research into potential new partners, bringing together a pipeline and assessing these with a pre-defined criterion.

Facilitate completion of relevant onboarding and due diligence processes including legal requirements and documentation, working through defined technical vetting questions with relevant stakeholders and supporting in the build of a strategy for the partnership.

Input these details into TBI’s CRM and related tools, to ensure partnership data and reporting is accurate.



Note that the associate may be required, where capacity allows, to support the Partnerships and Initiatives team on other ad-hoc internal strategic initiatives.



Person Specification:



Some experience in a tech startup/scaleup, operations, project management and delivery, management consulting, multilateral institutions, high impact civil society organisations, civil service, and many other previous roles are all considered relevant at TBI. What is required is a personal passion for project-based work, government innovation, strong political acumen, and a willingness to learn and adapt and get things done.

Strong time management skills and a demonstrable strength in project management.

Skilled at communicating, able to create communications collateral and briefing notes, from executive office level through to ideally technical level.

Ability to navigate ambiguous environments, comfortable managing up and beyond hierarchy.

A track record of successful stakeholder management, cultivating and maintaining partnerships and alliances across diverse organisations.

The ability to perform in-depth analysis across various topics, generate original insights and produce high-quality deliverables which are fit for delivery to senior government clients, through challenging analysis and structured problem solving.

Demonstrating a proactive and hands-on attitude, not afraid to roll-up their sleeves to get the job done.

Fluency in English is a must, with preference for individuals with additional language skills.

Although this role is tailored towards those with generalist industry experience, experience in Digital Transformation, eGovernment, AI, Digital Skills and/or Education Technology will be considered highly relevant.