Africa: Director - Ford IFP Program

INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION

Position Description Job Title: Director for Africa and the Middle East Grade: 89 Incumbent: Open Reports to: IFF Executive Director Division: 530 Department: International Fellowships Fund Purpose of Position: The Ford Foundation International Fellowships Program (IFP) was started in 2000 with a mission of achieving greater economic and social justice in local communities and worldwide by providing advanced educational opportunities to talented individuals from marginalized and excluded social groups who have historically lacked access to higher education. The program has selected over 2400 Fellows from 22 countries and territories in Asia, Africa and Latin America, plus Russia, and has enrolled more than 1,800 Fellows in approximately 400 universities in nearly 40 countries. Nearly 700 alumni have completed their academic programs.

The Director for Africa and the Middle East will work closely with the IFF Director for Asia/Russia and the IFF Executive Director on activities related to the design, oversight, and implementation of the program in ten countries of Africa and the Middle East. These include: Ghana, Senegal, and Nigeria in West Africa; South Africa and Mozambique in Southern Africa; Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania in East Africa; and Egypt and thePalestinian Territories (West Bank and Gaza) in the Middle East. Specifically, the Director will work closely with IFP’s international partner organizations (IPs) based in the Africa and Middle East region on outreach and recruitment, selection, post-selection educational advising and placement, and monitoring of the IFP Fellows. The Director will work closely with other IFP Secretariat staff on fellowship policies, budget planning, and program-wide activities including evaluation, communications, IFP university partnerships, and cohort and community-building among IFP Fellows and alumni.

RESPONSIBILITIES The Director for Africa and the Middle East will be responsible for the following duties:

Oversee IFP in 10 countries in sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East Work closely with IFP staff on global program activities Contribute to policy impact of IFP on international higher education field REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS To be considered a candidate for the position, an applicant must have:

A PhD, preferably in international education, international development, or a related field, or equivalent experience At least 8-10 years of field experience in Africa or the Middle East region Work experience in international fellowship programs or related project design and evaluation Superior written and oral communications skills Availability for extended international travel Ability to work independently and be self-motivated Cultural sensitivity and the ability to work with diverse organizations PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS • Fluency in Arabic, French or other languages of the region • Significant publications on topics related to African development issues • Work experience with foundations or international development agencies Supervision Received: Reports directly to IFF Executive Director To apply contact:

Joan Dassin Executive Director Ford Foundation International Fellowships Program
809 UN Plaza New York, NY 10017 [email][email protected]