Reporting to:
Strategy, Evidence & Impact Director
No. Subordinates:
Direct Reports: As per the approved structure
Indirect Reports: NA
Sector:
Strategy, Evidence & Impact Sector
Main Job Purpose:
This position sits within the Strategy, Evidence & Impact (SEI) Sector, where the Strategy Manager plays a pivotal role in leading the development, implementation, monitoring, and periodic review of SF’s strategy and strategic objectives, using evidence, research, OKRs, and performance insights to maintain organizational alignment and improve decision-making.
Overall Accountabilities and Responsibilities:
- Lead the Strategy team and lead the development, implementation, and periodic review of the SF’s organizational strategy, including its strategic objectives, priorities, Theory of Change, and organization-wide OKR framework.
- Conduct strategic research, situation analysis, trend scanning and evidence synthesis to inform strategic choices and emerging priorities.
- Analyze program, sector and organizational performance evidence to identify progress, gaps, risks, opportunities and implications for strategy.
- Facilitate strategic planning sessions, consultations, workshops and reviews with internal and external stakeholders.
- Serve as gatekeeper for new projects and initiatives and lead the strategic-alignment review of proposed initiatives against approved criteria and indicators and document the assessment, assumptions, evidence gaps and recommendations.
- Prepare strategic briefs, presentations, decision notes and annual/periodic strategy review products for management and governance discussions.
- Coordinate with Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) so evidence and lessons systematically inform strategic reviews and organizational priorities.
- Translate validated MEL evidence into strategic options, trade-offs and implications for executive consideration.
- Maintain awareness of relevant national, regional and international development trends and cross-cutting themes and assess their implications for SF.
- Review the sectors’ annual workplan in alignment with the Foundation’s OKRs and strategic objectives and priorities.
- Commission and approve horizon scanning, scenario analysis, portfolio analysis and strategic option appraisal.
- Facilitate strategy and portfolio discussions and maintain records of strategic decisions, assumptions, review triggers and approved changes and coordinate follow-through through established governance processes.
- Manage team performance, provide coaching and feedback, identify professional development needs and contribute to recruitment and succession planning.
- Represent the sector in external meetings, conferences and engagements with partner NGOs, government bodies and private-sector entities, and maintain effective relationships with key strategic stakeholders.
Position Relationship with Other Parties:
- Internal Relationships: All internal sectors
- External Relationships: Government/public bodies, partner NGOs, development partners, research institutions, policy stakeholders, and strategic networks.
Decision Making Authority:
Authorized to make technical and operational decisions relating to strategy development processes, strategic analysis, organizational performance reviews, and routine functional priorities within approved SF frameworks, policies, work plans, and delegated resources. Has technical review/sign-off authority for strategic analyses, strategy review materials, OKR/strategic-performance products and recommendations before escalation for organizational approval. May recommend changes to approaches, priorities, resource requirements, staffing needs and external technical support; people decisions, procurement, contracting and financial commitments remain subject to SF’s applicable approval procedures. Material cross-sector, strategic, legal, safeguarding, ethical, data privacy, research integrity, or reputational matters must be escalated to the SEI Director in accordance with SF procedures.
Required Education:
Master’s degree in Public Policy, Public Administration, Economics, Statistics, Business Administration, Social Sciences, or a related field.
Required Experience:
8-10 years of relevant experience, including demonstrated technical leadership, significant experience in high-level communication and presentation, financial and data literacy/ fluency, and people/project management experience
Required Technical Skills:
Experience and a solid understanding of strategic planning frameworks, strategy development processes, OKRs, and Theories of Change.
Strong command of MS Office and analytical, research, reporting, data-collection, or visualization tools relevant to the function and level.
Required Languages:
- Arabic and English proficiency.Including report-writing and presentation skills appropriate to the role.
Functional Competencies:
- Strategic planning
- OKR design and management
- Strategic research and synthesis
- Theory of Change
- Strategic review and performance analysis
- Scenario and trend analysis
- Strategic alignment
Sawiris Foundation Competency Framework:
- Advanced Planning and Organizing Skills:
Plans complex work and resources, anticipates risks and dependencies, aligns priorities across stakeholders, and guides others to deliver effectively.
- Advanced Communication & Networking Skills:
Communicates effectively in complex or sensitive situations, builds strategic relationships, and influences diverse stakeholders through clear and credible messages.
- Advanced Teamwork Skills:
Promotes cross-functional collaboration, resolves complex team challenges constructively, and strengthens collective ownership and performance.
- Advanced Adherence to Principles and Values Skills:
Models SF principles in complex situations, reinforces ethical and accountable practice, and guides others in resolving difficult values or compliance issues.
- Advanced Influencing Skills:
Influences complex stakeholder decisions, builds alignment across differing interests, and negotiates effectively to advance agreed organizational priorities.
- Advanced Engaged Leadership Skills:
Provides technical or people leadership, creates accountability for high-quality delivery, coaches others, and actively supports team capability and engagement.
- Advanced Visioning and Strategic Thinking Skills:
Translates organizational priorities and external trends into strategic options, anticipates longer-term implications, and helps shape functional or cross-sector direction.
- Advanced Decision-Making Skills:
Makes timely decisions in complex or ambiguous situations, balances evidence, risk, and stakeholder implications, and guides others on appropriate judgment and escalation
Work Environment:
This position is primarily office-based and includes field visits and external meetings as required by the role and in accordance with Sawiris Foundation policies.
