Director, Afghanistan Initiative

London, U.K or Washington D.C. | Full-time, fixed term until 31 March 2025

Salary range: London: £88,500 to £94,000 Washington D.C.: $137,800 to $146,300

I. Background

Afghan girls and women – and their allies – continue to protest the legitimacy of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, and demand the realisation of rights to and in education, as well as freedom to work, travel, be present in public spaces and much more. Malala Fund stands in solidarity with them in their fight to end gender apartheid. Over the next two years – and building on previous work – Malala Fund is implementing a two- year, global-to-local advocacy, movement-strengthening and resourcing plan for Afghanistan. Through this “Afghanistan Initiative”, we will:

• provide grants to organisations in and outside of Afghanistan to support alternative learning, leadership development, advocacy and collective action in support of girls’ education;
• roll out a comprehensive advocacy strategy with Malala Fund’s Afghan Education Champions, including a global campaign on Afghanistan;
• advocate with governments in the region around Afghanistan and strengthen regional alliances;
• use our communications channels to highlight the experience of Afghan girls living under the Taliban.

Alongside this external-facing work, we will also continue to support the resettlement of a group of Afghan girls’ education activists and their families as part of the Afghanistan Initiative. Delivery of the Initiative lives across several teams within Malala Fund but will be overseen by this designated Director.

II. Position Summary

Reporting to the Chief Global Advocacy Officer – but working across the organisation – the Director, Afghanistan Initiative is responsible for overseeing the effective delivery of the Afghanistan Initiative for Malala Fund. Within this Initiative, they will also be responsible for developing and implementing Malala Fund’s global advocacy agenda in relation to Afghan girls’ education, ensuring close collaboration with Malala Fund’s network of Afghan Education Champions. The desired candidate will have strong knowledge of the context, culture and politics of Afghanistan, strong experience working on policy advocacy in the MENA region and an understanding of diplomacy in the region. They will also have significant project management experience.

III. Responsibilities

Initiative Leadership and Coordination

• Ensure the coordinated and effective delivery of the Afghanistan initiative across all of its components and facilitate a regular review of objectives and activities, ensuring Malala Fund’s response is flexible, coordinated and in line with current realities.
• Provide regular updates to Malala Fund’s Executive Leadership Team (ELT), co-founders, board and donor partners on the initiative, including on progress, budget and risk and recommending any changes to the initiative overall.
• Working closely with Programmes colleagues, identify opportunities to support action on girls’ education in Afghanistan through grant-making and strategic partnerships.
• Ensure complementarity between Malala Fund’s advocacy on Afghanistan and advocacy by Malala Fund’s Afghan Education Champions.

Global Advocacy and Campaigning

• Shape and implement Malala Fund’s Afghanistan advocacy strategies, objectives and work-streams.
• Help identify and develop strategic campaign actions in support of Afghanistan advocacy objectives.
• Working with the Executive Office, identify and advise Malala Fund’s co-founders on their own advocacy strategies and activities in relation to Afghanistan.
• Work with Malala Fund’s Afghan Education Champions to inform the direction of Malala Fund’s Afghanistan advocacy, identify opportunities to amplify their activities and collaborate on shared priorities.

External Positioning and Engagement

• Develop and maintain a strong network of contacts in relation to Afghanistan, ensuring high-level relationships are being effectively managed and leveraged in line with initiative objectives.
• Regularly update Malala Fund’s positioning on key policy and advocacy issues related to Afghanistan, ensuring Malala Fund is operating with the latest political and sectoral intelligence.
• Provide insight and guidance to inform Malala Fund’s positioning on key policy and advocacy issues related to Afghanistan and ensure the organisation reacts to external policy developments in a timely and strategic manner.
• Develop and disseminate policy briefings, blogs and articles, in collaboration with Education Champions and Global Advocacy and Communications staff.
• Represent Malala Fund’s policy positions and research findings in media, at policy events and in advocacy meetings at the highest levels, acting as a lead Malala Fund spokesperson on Afghanistan.
• Identify and build Malala Fund's relationships with key governments and partners, with a particular focus on the MENA region and with key OIC member states, to advance Afghanistan advocacy objectives.
• Lead delegations to key conferences and meetings related to Afghanistan, identifying opportunities for Malala Fund’s Afghan Education Champions and Afghan girl activists to undertake high-level advocacy and have their voices heard by decision-makers.

Organisational Culture

• Uphold the values of Malala Fund.
• Actively contribute to making Malala Fund a diverse and equitable workplace through inclusive practice and openness to different perspectives, cultures and ideas.
• Maintain behaviour and conduct that uphold the highest standards for safeguarding, professionally and personally.
• Act as a role model for a ‘learning organisation’ culture by seeking insight and using problems as opportunities to learn.

IV. Knowledge, Experience and Behaviours

Essential

• Minimum of a bachelor’s degree or equivalent degree in a related field.
• Significant experience in girls’ education and/or women’s rights and work in advocacy or programmes in Afghanistan.
• Strong knowledge of the context, culture and politics of Afghanistan, geopolitics related to the country and an understanding of regional diplomacy.
• Fluency in written and spoken Farsi and English.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience developing and implementing influencing strategies using a wide range of tactics and approaches, especially in highly-pressurised situations and contexts.
• Ability to relate with individuals from a variety of cultural backgrounds across different time zones; high degree of diplomacy.
• Solid judgement and problem-solving skills; proven attention to detail, accuracy, and quality.
• Strong commitment to Malala Fund’s mission, purpose and values.
• Strong commitment to gender equality, anti-racism, anti-discrimination, decolonisation and social justice.|
• Strong commitment to professional development and continued learning.
• Excellent team player with ability to work independently and in collaboration with colleagues at all levels across departments and external stakeholders.

Desirable

• Project management experience, especially with delivery focus, as well as managing the work of others to achieve the same.
• Fluency in written and spoken Pashto.
• Experience with child protection best practices or safeguarding is strongly preferred.
• Ability to travel periodically.

V. About Malala Fund

Registered as a public charity in the U.K. and U.S., Malala Fund is working toward a world where all girls can learn for 12 years and lead without fear. We advocate for resources and policy changes needed to give all girls a secondary education. The girls we serve have high goals for themselves — and we have high expectations for leaders who can help them. We invest in developing country education leaders and frontline organisations — the people who best understand girls in their communities — in regions where most girls are missing out on secondary school. We amplify girls’ voices. Malala Fund is building a movement of young education activists who, like Malala, speak truth to power around the world.

VI. How to Apply

Due to the very high number of applications we receive when positions are posted, we are only able to respond directly to candidates with whom we wish to move forward in the interview process.

Please note you must have the required right to work for the location you are applying for. You will be asked to provide proof of your right to work should you be selected for an interview.

Malala Fund is an inclusive organisation and welcomes applications from under-represented and intersectional groups including BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and persons with disabilities. We are seeking people from different backgrounds, cultures, age, experience and identities, to provide a wide range of experience, ideas, views and insights into the strategy, policies, culture and ambitions of Malala Fund. Malala Fund is committed to ensuring the safety of those involved in our work. Our first priority is protecting everyone who comes in direct or indirect contact with our organisation. Malala Fund has a zero-tolerance approach to abuse and exploitation by any of our staff, representatives or partners. We commit to ensuring that those who work with Malala Fund or on our behalf are able to work in an environment that is free from harm. To this end, Malala Fund reserves the right to conduct background checks on prospective and current employees.