Head of Hub Cymru Africa

Hub Cymru Africa is seeking a thoughtful and experienced leader to guide our partnership into its next chapter.

• Location: Hybrid and flexible considered
• Salary: £51,802 per annum
• Contract: Fixed term until 31st March 2027 (with possibility of extension, subject to funding)
• Deadline: 13:00 BST Friday 11th of July 2025.

Hub Cymru Africa

The Hub Cymru Africa partnership was established in 2015 as a collaboration between NGO partners. It receives funding from the Welsh Government to deliver key elements of the Wales and Africa Programme. The partnership currently includes Fair Trade Wales, Welsh Centre for International Affairs, Sub-Sahara Advisory Panel (host partner) and the Global Health Partnerships Cymru. All partner members are legal entities in their own right.

Since 2018, the Partnership has expanded in scope, and with additional funding from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, works with a wide range of organisations to support a vibrant international development sector for Wales, as part of the UK Alliance.

About Sub-Sahara Advisory Panel

Sub-Sahara Advisory Panel was formed in 2009 when a number of African diaspora groups in Wales met to consider how they might collectively advance their common interest in local issues affecting African communities in Wales as well as those in Africa. SSAP applies the lived experience, skills, capacity and knowledge found within Welsh-African diaspora communities. We want to bring our lived experiences to the charity sector as well as advocating for diaspora for development. We do this by implementing development initiatives in Wales and across Sub-Saharan Africa. See ssap.org.uk for more information.

Summary of Head of Hub Cymru Africa role

The Head of Hub Cymru Africa is responsible to the Hub Cymru Africa Partnership Board for leading the effective delivery of a programme of work funded by the Welsh Government and the UK Government. This includes implementing agreed targets on time and within budget, developing detailed activity plans, managing partnership staff, ensuring effective partnership working, and reporting to donors. The post also provides public profile and leadership for the partnership.

The post co-Chairs the Wales Overseas Agencies Group and has a role to play in galvanising the International Development sector in Wales, liaising with international development networks, influencing policy, developing complementary projects, and acting as a spokesperson for the Partnership.

The role is matrix managed with the Independent Chair of the Partnership Board who sets annual objectives and ensures the work meets the objectives of the Partnership, and the CEO of SSAP as the lead partner who provides day-to-day support, including overall employment governance.

Specific responsibilities

1. Partnership governance and strategy
   • Responsibility for planning and leading an inclusive Hub Cymru Africa programme, working with all partners to ensure that the programme achieves the maximum benefit for the Wales and Africa and Fair Trade communities.
   • Responsibility for overall management of the partnership: maintaining and building partner relationships, setting Partnership Board meetings agendas alongside the Chair, ensuring that its decisions are communicated and carried out, and reporting to each partner’s own board as appropriate.
   • Ensuring that all partners work within the agreed partnership agreement and raising concerns with member Chairs and the Chair of the board as appropriate.
   • Developing an overall strategic direction with the agreement of the Partnership Board and setting strategic priorities for implementation by the staff team
   • Undertaking occasional other duties where delegated or agreed by the Partnership Board.
2. Programme management
   • Ensuring that all programme activities are delivered on time and within budget in line with donor targets and, where relevant, the SSAP’s policies and procedures.
   • Working with all programme staff to ensure data collection and documentation is maintained for accurate reporting. This includes ensuring the programme is accountable to beneficiaries with appropriate opportunities for them to feed into the partnership work.
   • Managing the finances effectively: working with staff to ensure appropriate spending, accurate financial records are kept, and money is transferred at the appropriate times to partner organisations.
   • Overseeing the risk register for the Partnership, taking steps to regularly review risks and proposing relevant mitigations.
   • Explore and lead relevant funding opportunities for the partnership.
3. Team leadership
   • Managing and supporting staff members (and volunteers) to deliver programme activities, and enabling team members to develop as appropriate.
   • Line manage senior members of HCA staff (currently Communications Manager, Senior Development Support Manager and Volunteering and Support Coordinator)
   • Coordination with other partner staff members to ensure programme cohesion and achieve collective targets.
   • Coordination of regular team meetings to review progress and share information on all aspects of programme delivery.
   • Ensuring synergy between Fair Trade, African diaspora activities and other programme activities, and to ensure that inclusion of disabled people and other marginalised groups is mainstreamed across the programme.
   • Ensuring that the programme is delivered in a fully bilingual way, with beneficiaries able to access programme activities, services and communications in both Welsh and English
   • Working closely with the CEO of SSAP to ensure that staff members and volunteers are inputting into and following all relevant policies and procedures, including championing staff wellbeing.
   • Championing diversity and inclusion within the staff team and across the partnership.
4. Representation and relationships
   • Providing public leadership for the Partnership, by engaging both Welsh and English speakers with its aspirations, activities and achievements.
   • Developing new partnership opportunities relevant to the interests of Partnership members, including fundraising for new initiatives
   • Maintaining and building on relationships among HCA partners and with other stakeholders, developing new audiences, and developing new activities and partnerships to maximise the impact of the programme.
   • Ensuring effective relationship management with donors, including maintaining a close working relationship with Welsh Government.
   • Representing the partnership as a whole in the third sector, public arena and media, and building on existing relationships with FCDO, BOND, the European Network for Citizen Initiatives for Global Solidarity and other key international development partners.
5. Sector support
   • Co-chairing of the Wales Overseas Agencies Group supporting third sector cohesion on international development in Wales.
   • Supporting a programme of work with WOAG and leading on policy initiatives relevant to the international sector in Wales.
   • Representing Wales on the UK Alliance and in relevant UK wide policy and programme forums
   • Taking the lead on influencing relevant international policy developments within Wales, including developing a close relationship with relevant Ministers, MPs and MSs.

Person Specification

Essential

• Commitment to the mission and vision of the partners and the objectives of Hub Cymru Africa
• Experience of successfully leading and managing initiatives of a similar scale on relevant themes
• Demonstrated understanding of international sustainable development and/or solidarity initiatives in low income countries
• Highly developed leadership skills with proven ability to manage, coach and motivate staff and volunteers to achieve their goals
• Demonstrated ability to plan work activities, reviewing and prioritising as necessary, to achieve high standards within tight deadlines
• Proven ability to manage budgets and work within spending limits
• Proven strategic thinking and planning skills, including working with others to articulate collective ambitions
• Proven ability to engage key stakeholders and develop strategic relationships with politicians, funders, and other key stakeholders
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with the ability to communicate a complex programme for a wide range of audiences, including the media
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively with partner organizations, including donors and public sector bodies
• Be able to use a learning approach to continually improve the roll-out of the programme
• Good IT skills, especially with Microsoft Office software.

Desirable

• Fluency in Welsh is highly desirable
• Previous experience of working with a board of trustees or directors
• Experience of applying for additional grant funding.
• Understanding and experience of working with the third sector
• Experience of work and /or travel in Africa
• Demonstrated understanding of the inclusion agenda, including working with minority, ethnic and marginalised groups
• Experience of engaging volunteers and local communities
• Understanding of the context and audiences of the Welsh Government Wales and Africa programme, and the third sector landscape in Wales.

The Application Process:

To apply for this role, complete an application form and email it to humanresources@ssap.org.uk by 13:00 BST on Friday 11th of July 2025.

Please note that we do not accept CVs alone and application form will need to be completed.

Unfortunately, we are not able to offer sponsorship for this role. It is necessary for you to have the legal right to work in the UK when you begin employment with SSAP.  Additionally, as part of the employment offer, you will need to pass employment referencing checks.