Director, Global Policy & Advocacy (Education Financing)

Job Description

Job Description

Who are we?

Malala Fund is working for a world where all girls can learn and lead. Malala Fund advocates for resources and policy changes needed to give all girls a secondary education, invests in local education leaders and amplifies the voices of girls fighting for change. Learn more at malala.org.

What does this team do?

Malala Fund’s Education Financing workstream works to increase sustainable public funding for girls’ education by advancing global policy and advocacy efforts to increase sustainable public funding for girls’ education. Its current focus is the Debt Justice Initiative , a key part of our 2025–2030 strategic plan, Unlocking Potential , which addresses how the global debt crisis limits governments’ ability to invest in girls’ education.

We work at the intersection of sovereign debt, education financing and girls’ rights to help unlock resources for 12 years of free, safe, quality education for every girl. Through evidence-based policy, strategic partnerships and advocacy with governments and international financial institutions, we push for reforms that protect education budgets today while building a fairer international financial system for the future. Our work is grounded in the perspectives of girls and the priorities of our national civil society partners, particularly in Nigeria and Pakistan.

What does this position do?

Malala Fund’s 2025-2030 Strategic Plan, Unlocking Potential, established a five year commitment for the organisation to release resources for girls’ education by securing reforms in the unjust international financial (debt) system. This work is led by the Debt Justice Initiative (DJI)  team, who have effectively framed how the debt crisis specifically and disproportionately affects girls. 

As the work advances, DJI is now focusing on advancing pragmatic, actionable policy solutions that in the short term, protect fiscal space for girls’ education in countries facing unsustainable debt burdens and in the long term, build towards systems change within the global debt architecture. Central to this is learning from and uplifting Malala Fund’s national civil society partners, in close coordination with the Nigeria and Pakistan country teams.

The Director, Global Policy and Advocacy (Education Financing) will provide strategic leadership to the DJI team, enabling Malala Fund to shape policy changes and global development financing debates. As Malala Fund's senior technical lead on these issues, they will build effective relationships with senior decision-makers in international financial institutions, governments (creditor and net borrowers) and other relevant policymakers and influencers.  

The ideal candidate will have led global advocacy strategies that secured tangible policy change in international financial architecture and/or development finance. They will bring a strong record of influencing senior decision-makers and engaging diverse audiences, from negotiators to non-technical civil society allies. They will be agile, innovative, and use evidence to course-correct as the political context shifts. Critically, they will be firmly committed to centering girls’ rights and the leadership of national activists working to protect public spending for girls’ education. 

Location
Candidates from London, Washington, D.C.  and New York will be considered. 

Day-to-Day Duties and Responsibilities

1. Strategic Leadership of Global Education Financing Advocacy  workstream

• Lead Malala Fund’s global advocacy to increase sustainable funding for girls’ secondary education in low- and lower-middle income countries. 
• Ensure the team’s advocacy approach is strategic, agile, effective and aligned with Malala Fund’s longer-term goals. 
• Ensure Malala Fund staff, co-founders, board members and donors are effectively briefed on developments, opportunities and engagements, in close coordination with country leadership where priority country contexts are implicated. 
  
• Proactively collaborate with senior leaders and staff across Malala Fund to ensure Education Resourcing is effectively embedded across the organisation to advance DJI plans and whole-organisational goals, notably working with Nigeria and Pakistan country teams, as well as the development, and communications teams. 
• Ensure the team develops and leverages high-impact, evidence-based policy analysis and messaging. 

2. External Representation and Government Relations

• Develop and deliver an effective policy-maker (government, IFIs and other global stakeholders) engagement strategy to progress Malala Fund’s DJI goals 
• Develop and execute strategies to position Malala Fund as a leading voice on global education financing, including media engagement and strategic partnerships.
• Work closely with the Senior Director of Strategic Communications to design and ensure the effective delivery of a strategic communications strategy and plans for DJI.
• Represent the organisation at high-level forums, media engagements, and in coalition spaces.
  
• Build and steward senior-level relationships with governments (LICs and HICs), international financial institutions and other sector partners aligned with Malala Fund’s DJI strategy and to advance our policy change objectives, coordinating with country leadership where engagements relate to Nigeria, Pakistan or other Malala fund focus countries 

3. Team and Organizational Leadership

• Manage and mentor a high-performing team of two policy and advocacy professionals.
• Oversee internal planning, budgeting, and reporting for the initiative.
• Contribute to cross-team collaboration and organizational coordination through leadership meetings and shared initiatives.

4. Organizational Culture  

• Uphold Malala Fund’s organizational values
• Actively contribute to making Malala Fund a diverse and equitable workplace through inclusive practice and openness to different perspectives, cultures and ideas 
• Maintain behavior 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

What you bring to us and the role!

What you need to apply:

• A postgraduate degree or equivalent in social science, economics or a related field
• Demonstrated success in leading multidimensional advocacy initiatives to influence global policy  frameworks and institutions, including leveraging diverse  partnerships for collective advocacy 
• Substantive policy expertise in development financing and the international financial architecture, with strong working knowledge of the IFIs and the instruments and processes that shape financing for low- and lower-middle income countries (including regional financial institutions). The successful candidate will translate technical complexity into strategic positioning and be well regarded by peers working in this space
• Fluency in development financing language and experience and ease in engaging/communicating with a wide range of audiences, including  senior-level policymakers, media, and international and national civil society partners 
• Keen understanding of normative and legal frameworks that apply to IFA relating to girls rights, especially education
• Solid judgment and problem-solving skills; proven attention to detail, accuracy, and  quality 
• Excellent team and personnel management abilities with the ability to motivate teams, build partnerships and connect with individuals from a variety of cultural backgrounds 
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with the keen ability to distill complex ideas  and data into clear and concise messaging and tailor communications to particular audiences  (external and internal) 
  

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Fostering a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing team culture. 
• Recruiting, interviewing, and training new staff as needed 
• Supporting staff development through regular mentoring/coaching, constructive and timely performance feedback, and performance evaluations.
• Handling employee relations, including performance management and disciplinary processes, in accordance with organizational policy

Travel Required
Up to 15% travel may be required depending on base location.

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Malala Fund is an equal opportunity employer and inclusive organization who welcomes employees from under-represented and intersectional communities  including BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and persons with disabilities. We seek people with diverse backgrounds, cultures, ages, experiences and identities to provide a wide range of perspectives, ideas, views and insights into the strategy, policies, culture and ambitions of Malala Fund.

Malala Fund is committed to safeguarding and ensuring the safety and dignity  of all of  those involved in our work. Our first priority is protecting everyone who comes in direct or indirect contact with our organization, including staff, partners, grantees, and the communities in which we work

Malala Fund has a zero-tolerance approach to abuse, exploitation, harassment, or discrimination of any kind  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 safe, respectful, and free from harm. To uphold this commitment, Malala Fund reserves the right to conduct background checks on prospective and current employees.