About the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation
The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation (www.dell.org) builds pathways that change lives for families around the world. Through their philanthropy and charitable vehicles, Michael and Susan Dell have committed more than $10 billion to improve education, health, and economic stability, with a focus on delivering measurable, long-term impact. With offices in Austin, New Delhi, Cape Town, Nairobi, and Tel Aviv, the foundation supports programs that advance quality public education, promote children's health, and strengthen family economic stability. Together, these efforts reflect a belief that lasting change comes from investing in people — and in the potential of every child.
Our Work in East Africa
Our East Africa strategy centers on expanding economic participation and delivering measurable outcomes at the household level. We focus on three priority areas:
- Demand Generation: We invest in high-growth and emerging opportunities that create jobs and increase incomes. We look for models that reach underserved populations and unlock disproportionate economic impact relative to the resources invested.
- Demand-Led Talent Pipelines: We support education and training programs that connect directly to livelihoods. Our focus is on improving access to the skills, tools, and networks people need to move from learning to earning.
- Health and Productivity: We back medical care that restores function and relieves suffering, helping individuals return to work, care for their families, and participate more fully in the economy. We prioritize interventions with significant downstream impact on household stability and income generation.
About the Role
As Manager, Programs – East Africa, you will be one of our first hires in the region, playing a key role in shaping our team, culture, and portfolio strategy as we build out our presence and deepen our work across East Africa. You will help establish a culture rooted in humility, deep local grounding, collaboration, and an entrepreneurial mindset — with a shared commitment to unlocking economic opportunity through practical, scalable solutions.
You will oversee a mix of program-related investments and results-based grants that increase incomes, expand access to jobs and skills, and improve health-linked productivity. You will work with bold, capable partners who are building scalable models for growth.
This is a hands-on leadership role that blends investment rigor, operating insight, and field-based learning. You will structure investments, develop investment theses, evaluate performance, and build strong partnerships. You will also serve as a key voice in global decision-making and collaborate with colleagues across regions.
This role requires someone who can move between field visits and boardroom conversations with ease, who listens deeply, and who thrives on delivering outcomes that matter.
What You’ll Do
- Lead the execution of the Foundation’s East Africa strategy by developing a high-impact portfolio of investments and grants aligned to economic mobility outcomes
- Identify and assess high-potential opportunities, conduct rigorous diligence, and structure investments that deliver high social return
- Collaborate with partners on performance, growth, and strategy, serving as a thought partner, sounding board, and advocate
- Ground decision-making in local realities through regular engagement with partners, communities, and beneficiaries
- Represent the Foundation with credibility to co-investors, policymakers, implementing organizations, and other stakeholders
- Work across the Foundation’s global teams in Austin, New Delhi, Tel Aviv, and Cape Town, sharing learnings and aligning regional efforts
- Help grow the Foundation’s internal capacity in East Africa by building systems, mentoring team members, and modeling a values-based culture
Who You Are
- A senior leader with at least 10+ years of work experience in investing, strategy, venture operations, or fund leadership, ideally across emerging markets
- Skilled in structuring and managing investment tools including PRIs, results-based grants, and blended finance approaches
- Strong analytical background, with a track record of building business cases, evaluating financial and impact models, and managing risk
- Experienced in aligning investment with outcomes and able to maximize impact through high-leverage decisions
- Able to synthesize information, connect the dots, and use data — including AI-powered tools — to guide decisions. Comfortable with technology and analytics.
- A clear, confident communicator who can translate complex issues into accessible insights for many audiences
- Comfortable engaging with founders, executives, policymakers, funders, and government partners
- Deeply familiar with the East African context through lived, professional, or advisory experience
- Collaborative, grounded, and action-oriented. You’re someone who builds trust quickly, takes ownership, and is motivated by lasting impact
- Thoughtful in approach, detail-oriented, and able to operate effectively across many teams and environments
Travel Requirement
- Up to 30% domestic and regional travel
- Potential international travel every other year
Why This Role Matters
This role is about helping define how the Foundation invests in East Africa, and how we do so in a way that creates lasting, measurable outcomes. You’ll help lead a portfolio where every investment aims to unlock a disproportionate return on impact. You’ll join a global team that moves with urgency, trust, and discipline, and help turn high-potential opportunities into lasting progress in the East Africa region.
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