Africa Program Manager

About Plastic Solutions Fund

The Plastic Solutions Fund (PSF) is an international funder collaborative dedicated to addressing the global plastic pollution crisis, which threatens the health of people, communities, and ecosystems worldwide. PSF supports systems-change strategies across the entire plastics lifecycle, from extraction to disposal, with a focus on preventing plastic production and challenging corporate influence.

As a core partner of the global Break Free from Plastic (BFFP) movement, PSF works to strengthen and expand the grassroots leadership driving transformational change. Over the next five years, PSF seeks to work with BFFP to extend its reach, power, and capacity, while broadening the diversity of partners it supports in advancing transformational change.

The Role

Main Purpose

The Africa Program Manager will lead PSF’s grantmaking strategy and partnership development across Africa, serving as the primary connector between PSF and civil society organisations advancing systemic solutions to the plastics crisis. This role is central to strengthening local leadership by channelling vital resources to leaders and transformational projects on the continent.

This role reflects PSF and BFFP’s strategic ambition to expand programme impact in Africa, advancing ambitious legislation, promoting zero waste and reuse, resisting petrochemical expansion, and supporting a just transition for waste pickers. The ideal candidate will be a strategic relationship-builder grounded in movement work, guided by respect, collaboration, and accountability, and with extensive lived and professional experience across the African region.

Job Summary

The Africa Program Manager is a full-time, remote role based anywhere in Africa, reporting to the Program Director within PSF’s growing Program Team. The position requires a minimum of seven years of experience working in or with change-making organisations across Africa, along with fluency in both English and French. The role involves approximately 20% travel within the region and internationally and offers a competitive salary with a generous benefits package in line with PSF’s commitment to equivalency across its global team.

Civil Society Partnership and Grantmaking (50%)

• Lead PSF’s grantmaking and partnerships across Africa, acting as a key connector between PSF and civil society organisations, driving systemic change on plastics.
• Build and sustain trusted relationships with civil society partners, identifying needs, aligning strategies, and translating movement priorities into a pipeline of fundable projects.
• Develop and maintain an Africa-specific grantmaking strategy that is movement-focused and responsive to the region’s realities.
• Provide strategic support to current and prospective grantees in grant application and reporting, offering clear, constructive guidance throughout.
• Represent PSF in Africa with funders, organisations, and networks.
• Support the operationalisation of PSF’s strategy by identifying challenges and co-creating solutions.
• Provide timely written updates, summaries, and briefings to support internal decision-making and funder communications.

Thought Leadership and Strategic Alignment (30%)

• Represent PSF in key national and regional forums, building understanding of regional strategies and maintaining alignment with the broader BFFP ecosystem.
• Raise the profile of PSF’s priorities with funders in Africa, promoting investment in strategic areas.
• Contribute Africa-specific perspectives and insights to PSF’s global strategy development.
• Anticipate emerging trends and foster forward-looking approaches among partners to help PSF identify new opportunities and risks.

Internal Collaboration and Learning (20%)

• Contribute to internal learning and grant reviews by sharing regional developments, lessons, and civil society insights to assess progress against PSF’s 2030 Strategic Framework.
• Analyse and incorporate learning into Africa’s regional strategies and priorities.
• Partner with the Impact and Learning Advisor to build a more systematic evaluation and learning culture.
• Help capture and disseminate learning from the Africa portfolio to inform collective strategy and future grantmaking.
• Share learnings and progress with Participating Foundations and Advisory Board, representing Africa programming and grantees.
• Support fundraising and communications teams by co-creating relevant documents and data.
• Contribute to cross-organisational strategic initiatives by providing support and technical input as required.

The successful candidate will demonstrate a strong grounding in movement-centred work, deep familiarity with the African political and civil society landscape, and a personal commitment to equity, trust, and collaboration. They will bring both lived and professional experience in the region, as well as the strategic acumen to translate local realities into meaningful philanthropic action.

Education

• A relevant qualification in environmental studies, social sciences, international development, or a related field is desirable. Equivalent combinations of education and experience will be considered.

Experience

Required

• Extensive lived and technical experience (7+ years) working in or with change-making organisations in Africa; experience across multiple African countries is an advantage.
• Deep familiarity with the plastics, petrochemical, or environmental justice ecosystem and related policy or industry trends.
• Demonstrated experience developing or implementing strategies for social, environmental, and/or political change, with a track record of successful project implementation.
• Deep understanding of African countries’ political landscape, regional politics, and sub-regional sociopolitical environments.
• Proven experience building trusted relationships with diverse organisations, especially those rooted in frontline or community-led movements.
• Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills, with the ability to synthesise complex political, social, and environmental trends into actionable insights.
• A global perspective and deep respect for cultural difference, with experience collaborating within diverse, distributed teams.

Preferred

• Experience working in a remote or distributed team environment.
• Experience applying participatory or trust-based funding models.
• Experience working in philanthropy or related fields (e.g. climate or development), including financial and portfolio management.
• Experience with philanthropic strategy and M&E frameworks.
• Experience working within or alongside communities on the frontlines of environmental injustices, or with social justice movements with cross-regional networks.

Languages

• Fluency in English and French (written and verbal) is required.
• Portuguese language skills are an advantage.

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