Africa Conference & Regional Platform Coordinator Full Time

Location: Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania or Zimbabwe, with a preference for Ethiopia/East Africa
*Kenya is subject to HelpAge International maintaining its registration in the country.

Department: Network Development Team, Global Impact Directorate

Reports to (Line Manager): Regional Adviser, Africa

Responsible for( Line managing): N/A

Grade: C

Contract Type: Fixed-term, 18 months, with scope to extend subject to funding

About HelpAge

HelpAge International works with a diverse global network of around 200 organisations across 99 countries to promote the rights of older people to lead dignified, healthy and secure lives.

Through partnership and collaborations, we work to ensure the inclusion of older people across society and strive to deliver a just and fair world for everyone as they get older. Our work is driven by our desire to achieve real impact for older people, to be inclusive, to work in partnership and to learn from our shared experience.

About the Job

The Africa conference & Regional PlatformCoordinator role provides dedicated coordination capacity for the co-creation and delivery of the Africa Ageing Conference and agreed coordination and implementation support to the Africa Coordination Mechanism as a regional platform. The postholder will translate strategic direction and partner decisions into clear plans, well-managed processes, effective meetings and timely follow-through.

It will connect conference delivery with year-round regional platform coordination, ensuring that network member priorities, evidence and learning inform continental dialogue and action, and that commitments arising from convenings are captured and progressed.

Purpose of the role

To lead the day-to-day coordination of the Africa Ageing Conference and provide coordination and implementation support to the operation and development of the Africa Coordination Mechanism, under the leadership of the Regional Advisor, Africa. The postholder will bring structure to complex multi-stakeholder processes, maintain high-quality information and partner-management systems, coordinate events and working groups, and ensure decisions, dependencies, risks and commitments are actively managed and followed through.

Additionally, the postholder will work closely with the Africa Resource Mobilisation & Partnerships Manager, ensuring that Conference plans, priorities and resource requirements inform fundraising, sponsorship and partner engagement.

Key areas for impact/influence and responsibilities

1. Africa Ageing Conference co-coordination and delivery

• Lead the day-to-day coordination and delivery of the Africa Ageing Conference, working with the Regional Advisor, Africa, the Conference Planning and Coordination Team, network members and partners.
• Coordinate implementation of the Conference workplan, milestones, dependencies and delivery schedule.
• Support Conference governance and working arrangements, including planning groups and technical workstreams.
• Monitor progress, risks, issues and resource requirements, escalating and supporting resolution as required.
• Coordinate partner engagement, Conference meetings and consultations, ensuring effective preparation, documentation and follow-up.
• Support post-Conference follow-up, accountability and implementation of agreed commitments and actions.

2. Africa Coordination Mechanism and sub-regional platform coordination

• Support the operation and development of the Africa Coordination Mechanism as a platform for collective leadership, collaboration and action.
• Coordinate meetings, consultations, learning exchanges and working sessions linked to the Mechanism.
• Support engagement by network members, national and sub-regional platforms, older people’s organisations and strategic regional partners.
• Coordinate follow-up on agreed priorities, decisions and commitments, ensuring clear ownership and accountability.
• Facilitate connections between Network priorities, regional platforms, Conference planning and wider influencing opportunities.

3. Knowledge management, reporting and partner follow-up

• Maintain systems for tracking key decisions, actions, commitments, learning and implementation progress arising from the Conference and Africa Coordination Mechanism.
• Coordinate regular reporting on progress against agreed priorities, milestones and commitments.
• Capture and synthesise emerging learning, good practice and recommendations to inform future planning and collective action.
• Support development of reports, briefings, knowledge products and partner communications relating to implementation of the Africa Plan.

Skills and experience required

Essential

• Degree in International Development, Public Policy, International Relations, Social Sciences, Public Administration, Event or Conference Management, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• Substantial experience coordinating complex regional, multi-country or multi-stakeholder programmes, networks, partnerships or convenings with demonstrated responsibility for translating plans and decisions into delivery.
• Demonstrable experience coordinating the planning and delivery of regional or international conferences, major events, policy forums or multi-stakeholder initiatives.
• Strong project coordination skills, including workplanning, action tracking, meeting coordination, stakeholder follow-up and risk or issue escalation.
• Experience working with civil society networks, membership organisations, regional platforms or multi-partner coalitions.
• Excellent written communication skills, including preparation of agendas, minutes, briefings, reports, trackers and concise partner-facing materials.
• Excellent information-management skills, with strong attention to detail and the ability to maintain accurate records across multiple workstreams.
• Confidence coordinating senior stakeholders and partners across institutions, countries and cultures.
• Ability to coordinate multiple workstreams simultaneously and work effectively across time zones.
• Fluency in English.

Desirable

• Knowledge of African Union, Regional Economic Community or UN coordination structures.
• Experience working with African regional institutions, government stakeholders, UN agencies, development partners or international organisations.
• Knowledge of ageing, demographic change, health and care, social protection, human rights, gender, climate resilience, humanitarian action or inclusive development.
• Experience coordinating technical working groups, regional platforms, conference programmes, partner roundtables or high-level event logistics.
• Experience supporting sponsorship or donor-engagement processes in collaboration with fundraising colleagues.
• French, Portuguese or Arabic language skills.

Key Behavioural Competencies

Working Collaboratively with Others: Work collaboratively, building mutual trust and respect, with external organizations and partners to achieve our strategic aims and objectives; being accountable for the work we do together.

Adaptability and Flexibility: Adapt to new directions or opportunities arising within the organisation and in our work area; being flexible in our role, constantly using the feedback to learn more and evolve further.

Supporting and Facilitating Change: Lead behavioural and cultural change through embracing a supportive, collaborative and highly inclusive environment where everybody feels supported, respected and engaged.

Extend HelpAge’s Reach and Impact: Extend HelpAge’s reach and impact by creating and identifying new business development opportunities and building relationships with new partners.

Diversity and Inclusion: Lead and promote a culture of including the voices of older people across our support, convening and thought leadership roles, in a way that is transformative, empowering and highly inclusive of those marginalised by gender, economic status, disability and other factors of discrimination.

Leading Others (for managers): Demonstrate strong leadership to own unit/department and manage people in a well and reputable manner. Create an atmosphere of trust and an enabling environment where staff can contribute their best and develop their potential.

Policies and Code of Conduct

As a HelpAge International employee, you are expected to comply with all organisational policies and standards, and to conduct yourself in a manner consistent with our values at all times.

This includes, but is not limited to:

• Code of Conduct
• Safeguarding Policy and Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA)
• Anti-Fraud and Bribery Policy
• Anti-Bullying, Harassment and Sexual Harassment Policy
• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Policy
• Raising a Concern (Whistleblowing) Policy
• Social Media Policy

All staff are required to familiarise themselves with these policies, complete any mandatory training, and adhere to them throughout their employment with HelpAge International

Safeguarding

HelpAge International is committed to safeguarding the communities with which we work, our partners, staff and any others who we come into contact with. The post holder will also be responsible for:

• Preventing harm and abuse from our people, operations and programmes to anyone that encounters our work.
  • Reporting all safeguarding incidents you see, hear, hear about or suspect, using our internal reporting mechanism.
  • Complying with all safeguarding framework policies and practices.
  • Completing mandatory training courses relating to our safeguarding policy framework and complying with HR vetting procedures.

Tagged as: Ethiopia, HelpAge International, Kenya, United Republic of Tanzania, Zimbabwe