Location: Nairobi, Kenya
ChildFund office: International Office
Manager/Supervisor: Vice President, External Affairs & Partnerships, ChildFund International during Canopy’s incubation phase; transitioning to accountability to Canopy’s governing Board as the organization matures
Position type: Full-time, fixed term
Work environment: Nairobi-based / Hybrid, with significant travel across Africa and globally
This position is open to candidates with current work authorization and residence in Nairobi, Kenya.
About ChildFund
ChildFund is a child-focused international development organization that connects children with the people, resources and institutions they need to grow up healthy, educated, skilled and safe, no matter where they are. We work directly in 23 countries, with extended reach to more than 60 countries through our global partnership network.
ChildFund’s Values
We aspire for every person in our organization—program participants, supporters, staff, and volunteers alike—to feel free, safe, and confident to be themselves. In our culture of connection, you will have ample opportunity to grow, learn, and lead while contributing your talents and innovations to our inspiring mission.
ChildFund’s Commitment
ChildFund International has a zero-tolerance policy regarding sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment (SEAH) and all other forms of harm by its staff, partners, and other representatives in the delivery of its mission and services for children. ChildFund is committed to creating a safe environment in the workplace as well as in the communities where it delivers programs and services. ChildFund expects every staff member, partner, and representative to adhere to this commitment and to ensure all organizational policies and standards are followed. This position is subject to a range of vetting checks, including a criminal records check and/or disclosure to ensure program participants are safeguarded.
About Canopy
Digital access is transforming children’s lives—but access is expanding faster than the systems designed to protect children online. Canopy was created to close this gap.
Canopy is a new Africa-led and Africa-rooted platform for children’s digital safety, incubated by ChildFund International and based in Nairobi, Kenya. Its ambition is to make digital access safe for every child, everywhere.
Starting in Africa and working in partnership with the African Union and an ecosystem of governments, children and young people, civil society, technology and telecommunications companies, researchers, philanthropy and global institutions, Canopy will advance Access with Safety: the principle that children’s safety must be a foundational requirement of the policies, investments and systems designed to connect them to the digital world.
Canopy works with and through others to set standards, mobilize political and public will, shape policy and public expectations, strengthen accountability and align an ecosystem around shared action.
Global Vision Beyond Africa
Canopy will begin in Africa, building and proving its model in partnership with African institutions. Once the model is validated, Canopy’s vision is to expand to other regions to support global adoption of Access with Safety.
About the Role
ChildFund is seeking an exceptional and entrepreneurial leader to serve as the founding Executive Director of Canopy.
This is an opportunity to build an institution: translate an ambitious vision into strategy and results; recruit and lead its founding team; build an Africa-rooted and globally connected Board and governance model; secure significant and diversified funding; develop continental and global partnerships; and establish Canopy as an influential voice on one of the defining child-rights issues of the digital age.
The Executive Director will initially report to ChildFund International’s Vice President, External Affairs & Partnerships during incubation, transitioning accountability to Canopy’s governing Board as the organization matures.
Primary Responsibilities
Build and Lead Canopy
- Translate Canopy’s vision into a compelling continental strategy, operating plans and measurable results.
- Lead Canopy from incubation through launch, growth, and increasing organizational independence.
- Recruit, develop and lead a high-performing multidisciplinary team and build a culture of ambition, collaboration, learning and accountability.
- Build organizational capabilities, systems, and resources to support sustainable growth and strong financial, operational, and performance discipline.
Lead Continental Strategy, Policy and Influence
- Develop and execute an Africa-wide strategy grounded in African leadership, institutions, evidence and children’s lived experience.
- Build trusted senior relationships with the African Union, national governments, and regional institutions to advance Access with Safety through policy, standards, and political leadership.
- Position Canopy as a credible standards-setting and agenda-shaping institution connecting African leadership to global conversations.
- Lead Canopy’s external positioning, thought leadership, narrative change, and public influence; serve as its principal spokesperson across African and global forums.
Build Governance and the Board
- Establish Canopy’s initial governance structure with clear roles, decision rights, and accountability.
- Build and engage an Africa-rooted and globally connected Board with strategic leadership, governance, credibility, networks, and resource-development capability.
- Ensure transparent reporting on strategy, performance, risk, and financial sustainability.
- Lead long-term governance, incorporation, and organizational transition planning.
Build Partnerships, Coalitions and a Movement
- Build a powerful ecosystem spanning children and young people, survivors and survivor networks, the African Union, governments, civil society, technology and telecommunications companies, academia, philanthropy, and multilaterals.
- Develop strategic relationships with founding partners, co-investors, funders and allies and create meaningful opportunities for shared ownership and action.
- Build coalitions around priorities where Canopy can lead and others want to follow.
- Identify and cultivate influential African and global champions who can expand the reach and legitimacy of Access with Safety.
Lead Fundraising and Financial Sustainability
- Own Canopy’s fundraising, co-investment and long-term financial sustainability strategy.
- Build and manage a significant, diversified pipeline of philanthropic, corporate, institutional, and other strategic investment.
- Personally cultivate and steward senior relationships with African philanthropists, foundations, companies, multilaterals, and global funders, securing significant multi-year commitments.
- Ensure disciplined financial planning, budgeting, risk management, and stewardship as Canopy grows.
Put Children, Survivors, and Young People at the Center
- Ensure children’s rights, experiences and perspectives and survivor insights meaningfully shape Canopy’s strategy, standards, priorities, and public narrative.
- Establish safe and meaningful mechanisms for children, young people, survivors, and survivor networks to advise, challenge, and influence Canopy’s work.
- Build relationships with youth-led, survivor-led, and child-focused organizations and ensure participation is diverse, ethical, and substantive.
- Champion rigorous safeguarding standards across Canopy’s operations and partnerships.
- Ensure all engagement is grounded in trauma-informed, survivor-centered principles.
Others
- Remain alert and responsive to any safeguarding risks, acquire relevant knowledge and skills which will enable you to promote strong safeguarding practices, understand the safeguarding policy and procedures, and conduct yourself in a manner consistent with the Safeguarding Policy.
- Travel routinely across Africa and internationally.
Required Experience and Education
- Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field required; advanced degree preferred.
- At least 10 years of progressively senior leadership experience, including significant executive or organizational leadership responsibility.
- Demonstrated success building, scaling or transforming an organization, coalition, platform, movement or major new venture.
- Significant leadership experience in Africa and a sophisticated understanding of the continent’s political, institutional, economic and social landscape.
- Strong record of fundraising and resource mobilization, including personally cultivating senior funders and securing significant institutional, philanthropic or corporate investment.
- Demonstrated experience building and leading high-performing teams.
- Experience influencing policy, systems, standards or public narratives at national, continental or global levels.
- Experience working with Boards and governance structures; experience building or evolving a Board or governance model strongly preferred.
- Work experience in the technology sector, with significant leadership responsibility in a tech, fintech, telecom, or platform company is preferred; technology sector experience in trust and safety, child online safety, digital policy, or related risk and integrity functions is especially desirable.
- Experience in children’s rights, digital policy, technology, or online safety is highly desirable.
Required Competencies
ChildFund’s Leadership Competencies
- Strategic Leadership (applies vision; explores multiple paths; invests time in planning to effectively execute strategy)
- People Leadership (inspires, influences, coaches, and empowers others to be at their best; values individual differences and seeks the inclusion of others)
- Partnership (develops strong networks; works across divisions; creates trusting and productive relationships that contribute to positive outcomes)
- Change Management (adjust thinking and behaviors to remain relevant, resilient, and responsive to internal and external conditions)
- Design Thinking (designs solutions with end user experience in mind; empathizes, defines, ideates, prototypes, and tests) Strong training facilitation, coordination and networking skills.
In addition, the successful candidate will have:
- The ability to read, speak, and write fluently in English; fluency in French, Kiswahili, or Portuguese is an advantage.
- Familiarity with the technology public policy and regulatory landscape in Kenya and/or other African countries.
- Strong grounding in trauma-informed practice and survivor-centered approaches.
- Demonstrated strong orientation towards children’s rights and children’s voices in policymaking and program implementation.
- Demonstrated entrepreneurial mindset with urgent results-orientation and ability to combine vision with execution.
- Demonstrated relationship building acumen, including ability to influence policymakers, grant makers, donors, and Board members.
- The ability to communicate and influence effectively at all levels, including with children and youth, government and community stakeholders, industry leaders, and media audiences.