About the Organisation
The African Climate Foundation (ACF) is the first and only African-led climate change re-granting organisation on the continent. Through grant making, fellowships, transformational research, technical assistance, coalition building and advocacy, the ACF seeks to support interventions at the nexus of climate change and development with the greatest potential to deliver long-term socio-economic transformation and inclusive growth.
About the Job
The Head of Fiscal Hosting will lead ACF's fiscal hosting function. This will involve guiding the strategic development, management, and growth of the function and its department. It also includes defining ACF’s value proposition, building service delivery capabilities, facilitating, and managing relationships with funders, establishing governance frameworks, and ensuring alignment with organisational priorities and funder expectations. This is a senior strategic role requiring strong expertise in cross-functional operations, relationship management, and business planning. The role will be responsible for both designing and operationalising the fiscal hosting model, overseeing the successful support of hosted partners, and ensuring regulatory and donor compliance. Remote working will be considered within South Africa, with a preference for candidates based in Cape Town.
Key Responsibilities
Senior leadership and strategic alignment:
Lead the development of the ACF Fiscal Hosting business plan, including ACF's value proposition, service model, pricing structure and growth strategy.
Ensure that the implementation of the ACF Fiscal Hosting plan aligns with the ACF Vision, Mission, and Priorities.
Coordinate with the Senior Management Team and assign functional leads to ensure cross-functional capabilities are aligned and costed appropriately.
Recommend six-month, 18-month and three-year development plans with clear performance indicators.
Leadership and management:
Provide direct and matrix leadership across the fiscal hosting team, including oversight of staff, contractors, and cross-functional contributors.
Promote a high-performance, service-oriented team culture, guided by the organization’s talent and performance management strategies.
Supervise and mentor direct reports and provide input into the performance management of matrixed team members.
Support staff learning and professional development.
Fiscal Host service management and oversight:
Oversee the full lifecycle for fiscal hosting engagements, including assessing fit, engaging stakeholders, developing proposals and agreements, service delivery and adjustment, problem resolution, costing and pricing, and measurement and reporting.
Manage existing Fiscal Hosting arrangements, aligning them with newly established strategic and operational practices and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
Develop and implement SOPS for fiscal hosting to ensure efficient service delivery, alignment with partners and stakeholders on service expectations, and performance management and reporting.
Manage periodic reviews and lead on problem resolution and service improvement processes. Propose adjustments to services or processes to reflect changing needs and circumstances.
Systems and reporting:
Ensure accurate, timely, and compliant reporting to donors, funders, and partners.
Work closely with internal teams to implement and optimise systems that support fiscal hosting (e.g., finance, grants, HR, M&E).
Partner with the Head of Strategic Partnerships and Communications, to deliver high-quality reports and funding proposals for Fiscal Hosting.
Stakeholder engagement:
Act as the key liaison with funders, partners, and project leads to represent ACF services and capabilities, understand partner needs, assess fit, establish service agreements, monitor service delivery, and resolve issues.
Build and maintain strong relationships with current and potential hosted projects, funders, and collaborators.
Partner with the Head of Strategic Partnerships and Communications, to deliver high-quality reports and funding proposals for fiscal hosting.
Represent ACF’s fiscal hosting service offering externally and communicate its value proposition.
Governance, compliance and risk management:
Ensure all hosted projects operate within all donor conditions, regulatory frameworks and ACF policies.
Identify and mitigate risks associated with fiscal hosting activities.
Develop governance frameworks for fiscal hosting to ensure ongoing alignment between Fiscal Hosting and ACF's core business and compliance with legal, regulatory, and donor requirements across jurisdictions.
Requirements
Qualifications & Experience
Master’s degree or equivalent in Business Administration, Organisational Development, Public Administration, or a related field.
At least 10 years of progressive leadership experience in business, operations and organisational management.
Proven experience leading new projects and initiatives and driving complex projects.
Deep understanding of governance, compliance, and risk management across multiple African jurisdictions.
Demonstrated success coordinating cross-functional projects and groups.
Experience with IT systems, HR management, finance, and grant operations.
Strong leadership, strategic planning, and interpersonal communication skills.
High levels of discretion, accountability, and cultural competence.
Key competencies
Strategic leadership and systems thinking
Exceptional communication and people management skills
Strong cross-functional experience and understanding
Operational and service delivery excellence and efficiency
Cross-cultural communication and stakeholder management
Risk awareness and regulatory acumen
Change management and adaptability
Strong written and verbal communication skills
To apply
To apply, email your application by Monday 14 July 2025 to callum@actionappointments.co.za
Please note this is a 12-month contract with the possibility of renewal.
