AAS African Academy of Science Careers

Organisation Overview

The Alliance for Accelerating Excellence in Science in Africa (AESA) is a funding, agenda-setting and scientific prioritization, and programme management initiative created in 2015 through a partnership of the African Academy of Sciences (AAS)-hosting organisation, the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), founding and funding global partners (Wellcome, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO formerly DFID), and through a resolution of the summit of African Union Heads of Governments. The mission of AESA is to shift the centre of gravity for African science to Africa through agenda setting and scientific prioritization; mobilizing Research & Development (R&D) funding; and managing continent-wide Science, Technology & Innovation (STI) programmes that promote the brightest minds, strengthen the best possible science environments in Africa, foster scientific excellence, inspire and mentor emerging research leaders, and accelerate and translate research & innovations into products, policies and practices that improve and transform lives in Africa.

The African Academy of Sciences (AAS) is a non-aligned, non-political, not-for-profit pan African organisation. The AAS’ vision is to see transformed lives on the African continent through science.

Initiative Overview

The Developing Excellence in Leadership, Training and Science (DELTAS​ Africa) ​is ​a 10-year​ (2015-2025) ​ programme ​of the ​AAS being implemented under AESA. ​This ​is​ with​ the​ support​ of Wellcome​​ and ​other funding partners ​to ​train ​and​ develop​ world-class researchers and research leaders in Africa. The​ vision ​of​ DELTAS​ Africa​ is​ to​ support​ the​ Africa-led​ development​ of​ a critical mass of world-class ​researchers ​and​ research leaders in Africa. This new generation​ of​ scientists​ and research leaders will ​play ​a​ major ​part ​in​ shaping ​and ​driving​ a ​locally ​relevant ​research​ agenda ​in​ Africa, ​contributing ​to​ improved​ sustainable development​ on​ the​ continent. To ​achieve​ its ​vision, ​DELTAS​ Africa​ funds​ programmes ​that ​address​ four​ broad strategic ​areas: ​scientific​ quality​, research ​training, scientific​ citizenship, and research ​management​ and​ environment. These​ strategic​ areas​ are​ recognised​ as​ necessary​ for​ strengthening, ​sustaining, ​attracting​ and ​retaining ​excellence​ in​ research. The first five years of DELTAS Africa from 2015 to 2020 have focused largely on biomedical and health research on the continent. While significant progress has been made in this area, the AAS has taken a strategic decision to include the social sciences and humanities as a new component of the DELTAS Africa programme during its second phase from 2020 to 2025 and beyond, with the intention of improving social science and humanities research leadership capacity on the continent to be more responsive to Africa’s persistent and emerging sustainable development challenges. It is expected that DELTAS Africa II will continue to support a large portfolio of networks that will be implementing various projects in health research, biomedical, biosciences and related transdisciplinary sciences. The incumbent will also be expected to work closely with the Senior Programme Officer (Social Sciences and Humanities) to ensure the overall aims of the DELTAS Africa Initiative are effectively and efficiently met.

Position Overview

The overall aim of the Senior Programme Officer (Social Sciences and Humanities) is to support the delivery of a vibrant social sciences and humanities research leadership capacity development programme on the continent. In the short term, this will be delivered as a component of the DELTAS Africa programme, promoting excellence in social science and humanities research leadership capacity on the continent based on the DELTAS Africa model or a variant thereof, and in the long term contributing to its development as an independent flagship programme of The AAS.

The Senior Programme Officer has as his/her primary responsibility the management of the DELTAS Africa programme’s social sciences and humanities remit, including overseeing national, multinational and trans-national DELTAS Africa social science consortia, liaising with comparative research networks, as well as thematic and issue-specific research programmes, special initiatives and projects. In this connection, the Senior Programme Officer will be responsible for managing all aspects of the portfolio of the DELTAS Africa social science programmes, and overseeing the work of programme officers managing aspects of the social science programmes within DELTAS Africa, each of which may include several of the following aspects:

• Leverage sector-specific knowledge and skills in the effective implementation of programmes and the development of new initiatives
• Overseeing the development and implementation of pre-award, award and post-award processes,
• Gender equity diversity and inclusion strategies with the programme,
• monitoring, evaluation and learning,
• Design and implement risks assessment and management strategies for the programme,
• Work with GFGP team to ensure integration and update of good finance grant practice by programme beneficiaries,
• budget control and reviews,
• management and scientific meetings,
• open-access publishing,
• capacity development interventions,
• community and public engagement,
• research management,
• impact measurement and reporting,
• financial and programmatic reporting,
• and other due diligence interventions.
• initiate, develop and, where appropriate, manage new projects and programmes;
• lend support for the realisation of other scientific activities of the AAS;
• organise academic and policy meetings;
• promote contacts with researchers, professional associations and regional organisations;
• prepare research and funding proposals on themes connected to his/her areas of expertise as may be requested by the Deputy Programmes Director,
• and where appropriate, liaise with funding organisations under the direction of both the Deputy Programmes Director, Director of Programmes and Executive Director.

The postholder will also be expected to work in close collaboration with other AESA managed programmes through the provision of operational and research support in order to achieve the overall strategic goals of the AAS.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

1. Define and deliver the benefits of the Social Sciences and Humanities component of the DELTAS Africa programme in time, within budget and at the required quality, including:

• Planning and budgeting;
• Leading in effective technical and financial management to ensure VFM throughout the programme cycle, including using evidence to enhance program learning and development, seeking out and implementing solutions that achieve a good mix of quality and effectiveness for the least outlay, financial tracking of spend against budget, accurate forecasting, asset management, timely payment of invoices/claims, and timely submission of financial reports and Annual Audited Statements where required, in line with grant and donor requirements.
• Ensuring that technical outputs throughout the program cycle including reports are of high quality and respond to donor guidelines and requirements
• Promoting and marketing, this may include social media, website page management and/or article writing, working in collaboration with The AAS Communications team;
• Support in identifying, tracking and mitigating programme management risks and issues;
• Identification of experts for peer review and selection panels;
• Planning and delivery of large-scale events, potentially including events in other countries on the continent
• Monitoring and evaluation of scheme outcomes and impacts, and communicating outcomes and learnings to key stakeholders
• Preparing consolidated technical and financial reports from grantees. This involves reviewing reporting templates, liaising with grantees M&E teams during reporting periods to support their reporting needs, consolidating the reports for internal use and for sharing with relevant funders; and data mining from reports to prepare outcomes and impact reports
• Liaising and managing relationships with key stakeholders (other AAS funding and delivery partners, relevant steering groups, partners throughout the continent, Fellows of the Academy and grant beneficiaries);
• Financial tracking of spend against budget;
• Management of scheme activities and awards;

2. Assist in the provision of secretariat support to relevant steering groups.

3. Assist in utilising the outputs, networks and relationships created through the DELTAS Africa programme to further the Academy’s strategic objectives.

4. Contribute, as required, to the development of evidence-based positions on research and innovation policy issues linked to the scheme.

5. Contribute to the establishment of systems to enable the Academy to maintain and derive value from contact with past beneficiaries or alumni, and to manage these relationships where appropriate.

6. Contribute to the effective use of administrative resources across the AESA platform, including by providing colleagues with clear and timely information about requirements for administrative support.

7. Contribute to the effective use of the AAS Ishango electronic Grants Management System, and other Academy information systems.

8. Contribute to a culture of continuous improvement at the AAS and to support line manager in achieving other teams, departmental and Academy objectives, as required.

Research

1. Perform programme relevant research to inform the development, implementation and delivery of the social sciences and humanities component of the DELTAS Africa programme
2. Work in close collaboration with the AAS M&E team to identify, collate, track, assess quality, analyse and validate, and report on programme-related data from DELTAS Africa Social Sciences and Humanities programmes.
3. Identify and build relationships with relevant stakeholders involved in social sciences and humanities research and research leadership capacity development on the continent and globally but not limited to universities and other research institutions, relevant African government departments and policymakers, Africa based and international Think Tanks, and intergovernmental organisations etc
4. Prepare reports, articles and presentations during programme inception meetings, annual grantee meetings and site visits.
5. Track and perform relevant analyses on various aspects of programme implementation to identify and address important challenges to ensure effective and efficient programme delivery

Programme Support

1. Represent The AAS and/or programmes at internal and external meetings when required;
2. Work in close collaboration with The AAS Communications Manager to develop a media and campaign Strategy for social sciences and humanities research programme to ensure maximum exposure and coverage on the continent and beyond and to generate keen interest from potential stakeholders
3. Work in close collaboration with The AAS Communications Manager to ensure all content (reports, images, videos, social media posts) is relevant and updated on a timely basis.
4. Supervise relevant administrative team duties in support of the DELTAS Africa social science and humanities programme
5. Work with The AAS Procurement team to monitor deliverables (including supplies), and being the contact person for clients on the DELTAS social science and humanities programme;
6. Plan and organise relevant workshops and other activities in furtherance of the objectives of the DELTAS Africa social science and humanities programme;
7. Work with The AAS M&E team to develop and implement an M&E framework for the DELTAS Africa social science and humanities programme;
8. Develop a risk management framework for the DELTAS social science and humanities programme, including developing and maintaining a risk register for the programme and a system to document, track and ensure programme issues and challenges are resolved in a timely manner;
9. Support other AAS programmes and departments in the delivery of their mandate especially for cross-cutting programmatic activities when requested

Key Results and Outcomes Area

1. Benefits of all assigned activities delivered within budget, to time and consistent with commitments to funders and agreed targets;
2. Schemes delivered following best practice in scheme management, steering group secretarial support, and effective use of the AAS Ishango electronic Grants Management System.
3. Strong working relationships with all key stakeholders including staff, Fellows of the AAS, other delivery partners, and beneficiaries;
4. Maintaining an attractive and accurate outward profile of activities through the website and other materials;
5. Strong knowledge of AAS policies and procedures, and their application in grants management

Qualifications and Experience and Knowledge

• A PhD degree in a relevant Social Science/Humanities research field obtained over the past 10 years with proven research leadership qualities and experience of carrying out key research work for priority social science and humanities agendas.
• A proven record of research capabilities in social science/humanities research as demonstrated by peer-reviewed publications and other quality outputs.
• At least 3 years’ experience working in research/research leadership capacity development programme design and implementation on the African continent
• Knowledge of funding/how research is funded/grants or research management
• A professional qualification and relevant experience in large scale programme/project management or training in research administration, ethics, leadership or related will be an added advantage
• Excellent presentation and public speaking skills
• Proficiency in standard office and collaboration tools such as Microsoft Office, SharePoint
• Project/ Programme management skills (essential)

Key Competencies

• Communication: Makes self visible to staff by listening to them and by communicating at all levels within the organization and with external counterparts
• Teamwork: Understands the roles of different business units and sub-units in won department; recognizes the importance of other business teams and their interdependence to achieve organizational objectives
• Planning and organizing: Understands drivers and constraints of execution in terms of time and resource allocation, reviews and prioritizes activities in line with changing work requirement.
• Achieving results: Continuously sets challenging goals for the teams and provides support to the team by proactively anticipating challenges and looking at means to overcome them.
• Leading and supervising: Manages the performance of the team and promotes a culture of learning and development.
• Knowledge sharing and learning: Takes an active interest in developing others by creating opportunities for capability building at the unit.
• Judgement/decision making: Identifies, analyzes and discusses decision making alternatives with multiple stakeholders. Evaluates past decisions for insight and improved decision making.
• Technical/Scientific credibility: Keeps abreast of latest developments and provides authoritative advice to senior management in the field of his /her expertise.
• Commitment to continuous process improvement: Develops and applies effective approaches to programme development and implementation. Identifies ways to improve systems and structures to deliver services with streamlined resources.
• Partnership building: Makes use of various forums (professional and social) to network within and outside the organization with a view to leverage these networks for organizational interests.
• Analytical thinking: Draws analogies based on available information/data that result in increased understanding. Reframes issues and challenges so that they are input for future action/change.

Application

Organisation Overview

The AAS is a pan African organisation headquartered in Kenya, which aims to drive sustainable development in Africa through science, technology and innovation. It has a tripartite mandate of pursuing excellence by recognising scholars and achievers; providing advisory and think tank functions for shaping the continent’s strategies and policies; and implementing key Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) programmes that impact on developmental challenges through the agenda-setting and funding platform, the Alliance for Accelerating Excellence in Science in Africa (AESA).

Position Overview

The Assistant Grants Accountant will work as part of the Grants-Finance team at the AAS. They will be responsible for routine pre and post-award grant administration and related accounting duties, working closely with the Academy finance team in carrying out financial management, assist in budgeting, programme financial reporting and assist in monitoring grantee compliance and reporting.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

1. Financial Planning, Budgeting and Grant Analysis

• Assist in initiating the process of planning and developing budgets for new grant proposals and ensuring grantees’ budgets are aligned to AAS policies as well as donor requirements.
• Work with the supervision of the Grant Accountants in reviewing budgets submitted by grantees and ensure financial analysis and forecasting is done to aid in decision making;

1. Grantee Assessment

• Be incorporated as team members in the assessment of the financial capacity of new grantees in-order to mitigate against financial risks and losses to the Academy.

1. Grant Monitoring and Financial Reporting

• Verify reported programme and grantee expenses to ensure they are allowable, allocable, and reasonable.
• Review of grantees reported expenses through cross examination of expenses and providing feedbacks;
• Analyse financial transactions to ensure that they are correctly charged, and financial positions provided to funders are a true & fair representation of financial position.
• Prepare reports on current financial status by ensuring accuracy and correct coding of financial transactions and reconciliations of grants financial reports in the financial system;

1. Facilitation of Grant Audits

• Assist in the audit process by ensuring auditors are well facilitated in their audit requirements and exercises.
• Ensure best practice in the grants cycle and ensure proper standards are upheld in the grant management roles undertaken by this position.

1. Fund Disbursement and Financial Accounting

• Process funds to grantees by working with the Finance team to ensure quick and efficient disbursements.
• Promote accountability through accurate posting of financial data and correct coding of expenses in the financial system.

Academic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance/Accounting or related field.

Professional Qualifications

• Complete professional qualification in CPA-K/ACCA.

Experience and Knowledge

• At least 3 years’ relevant experience in grants accounting working with multi-national funders, experience in finance operations is an added advantage.
• Working knowledge of grants accounting and financial management systems. Working experience with Navision is an added advantage.
• Intermediate Excel and analytical skills
• Knowledge of sub-grantee management

Key Competencies

• Communication: Actively shares information and ideas. Identifies and presents conflicting points of view to others in a fair and constructive manner.
• Teamwork: Works as a supportive team member, openly shares information when requested or prompted by others and may proactively offer input within own group.
• Planning and Organizing: Proactively plans and identifies critical inputs for the planning process by analyzing historical data. Maintains awareness about interrelationships between various activities and probable obstacles and uses them to detail out plans.
• Achieving results: Proactively identifies and exploits opportunities to exceed goals and recovers from setbacks quickly.
• Analytical Thinking: Identifies patterns, similarities, differences in data/information and evaluates the implication.
• Judgement/Decision making: Uses experience and data available to assess situations and takes decisions (without missing deadlines or causing delays) with given information, keeping in mind risks and their impact.
• Commitment to continuous improvement: Identifies bottlenecks, anticipates trends and evolving needs and suggests improvements.
• Resilience: Remains composed and focused during crisis/challenging period recovers rapidly from setbacks while maintaining a focus on key priorities and deliverables.
• Persuasion and Influence: Persuades others of won arguments and views by tailoring communication style and messages. Understands stakeholders' opinions on issues and spends time and effort to persuade them.

Application

Organisation Overview

The Alliance for Accelerating Excellence in Science in Africa (AESA) is a funding, agenda-setting and scientific prioritization, and programme management initiative created in 2015 through a partnership of the African Academy of Sciences (AAS)-hosting organisation, the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), founding and funding global partners (Wellcome, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO formerly DFID), and through a resolution of the summit of African Union Heads of Governments. The mission of AESA is to shift the centre of gravity for African science to Africa through agenda setting and scientific prioritization; mobilizing Research & Development (R&D) funding; and managing continent-wide Science, Technology & Innovation (STI) programmes that promote the brightest minds, strengthen the best possible science environments in Africa, foster scientific excellence, inspire and mentor emerging research leaders, and accelerate and translate research & innovations into products, policies and practices that improve and transform lives in Africa.

The African Academy of Sciences (AAS) is a non-aligned, non-political, not-for-profit pan African organisation. The AAS’ vision is to see transformed lives on the African continent through science.

Position Overview

The Senior Programme Officer (Data Analytics) will help drive the AESA/AAS data strategy and will provide oversight on management, governance, analysis and interpretation of key AESA/AAS data types including internal operations and programmatic data as well as external grantee and research data (clinical, environmental, etc.). The incumbent will work in close collaboration with other AESA managed Programmes in order to achieve the overall strategic goals of AESA.

Key responsibilities

1) Data Unit Set-Up

• Lead and lay a strong foundation for the AESA/AAS Data team which will be responsible for the oversight and management of internal AESA/AAS operational and investment data as well as all research data produced and shared by grantee partners.
• Identify opportunities for creating and updating new processes and standards for quantitative and qualitative research. Follow through by leading implementation in respective project teams and partners.
• Partner with legal and privacy experts to assure that AESA/AAS data governance is compliant with local and international laws and maximizes the opportunity for data reuse to positively impact global health/global development
• Participate in the hiring of other AESA/AAS data scientists and over time, manage a growing Data Science team.

2) Programme support

• Responsible for overseeing all forms of data analyses to inform program decisions.
• Drive awareness and uptake of state-of-the-art quantitative and qualitative methods in projects, at review and decision boards, with management and with funders. Advise management on quantitative and qualitative analyses that inform decision making. Lead the scientific part of issues resolutions as relates to data science.
• Contribute to the continued development of AESA/AAS’ strategic data science vision including:

- Identifying the most important questions that AAS should be answering using data science and advanced analytics;

- Identifying suitable data sources and managing an inventory of data repositories in line with AAS and AESA strategies.

- Contributing to the conceptualization of data-centric programmatic initiatives that respond to these questions; and

- Leading the development of roadmaps and implementation pathways for data-driven solutions across the continent.

• Play a central role in managing external consultants and grantees to address program challenges and engage at the Global Health/Global Development program level.

3) Internal cohesiveness support

• Responsible for overseeing the development and management of any necessary AESA/AAS data management systems, repositories and platforms to increase team efficiency and effectiveness from a programmatic and operational perspective.
• Coordinate training and study sessions on data science within AESA/AAS and in relevant partner organisations.
• Quickly step in and assume leadership when needed and handle multiple responsibilities simultaneously.

Knowledge and skills

1. Demonstrated excellence in scientific writing and data analysis, written and oral communication skills, and experience advocating and communicating results particularly to a non-technical audience.
2. Demonstrated understanding of required data processes, standards and legal requirements.
3. Record of successfully leading multidisciplinary project and innovation teams using data science.
4. Record of major cutting-edge contributions which leads to transparent decision making.
5. Outstanding track record for innovation in design, interpretation, and decision making for programs.
6. Ability to manage competing interests from multiple partners
7. Experience working directly and hands-on with datasets, including curation, cleansing, formatting, manipulation
8. Experience with business report output, including formatting, metadata, information management
9. Experience with business intelligence or reporting tools, or at least one of those
10. “Prior experience as a data scientist is a plus”

Qualifications

• Masters in Applied Mathematics, Statistics, Computer Science or a data science/modelling-related field
• Fluent in oral and written English; knowledge of French will be an added advantage

Experience

1. Minimum 5 years of experience in positions with increasing relevant responsibilities, with demonstrated leadership in applying, innovating, and mentoring scientists in quantitative and qualitative research.
2. Working knowledge in a variety of data science approaches used in health and/or environmental research
3. Demonstrable experience managing data science/data engineering teams – with at least three (3) years relevant experience
4. A strong understanding of the landscape of organizations already working in this space for health/ environment/ development in Africa.
5. A strong understanding of data governance issues in Africa and a willingness to actively engage key stakeholders to provide lasting solutions.
6. Proven track record of shaping data initiatives, policies and practices and applying data science processes to create measurable solutions; including working with big data, business intelligence and overall expertise in technology and analytics.
7. Outstanding problem-solving skills, excellent hands-on data exploration, communication and presentation skills.
8. Strong leadership skills, driving and motivating teams and peers.
9. Extensive experience with business operations best practices and ethics

Application