Posted: 2026-09-18 19:58:30  Deadline: October 05, 2026   Full-time   Salary: Confidential

AfricaNenda Foundation is inviting applications from qualified candidates for the position of Research and Advocacy Specialist. The successful candidate will strengthen AfricaNenda Foundation's evidence-generation and advocacy work by producing credible, decision-useful evidence and converting it into policy positions, advocacy messages, stakeholder-engagement strategies, and practical recommendations that advance inclusive instant payment systems across Africa.

Position Details

Position: Research and Advocacy Specialist.
Employer: AfricaNenda Foundation.
Role Profile: September 2026.

Key Responsibilities

Support the Director to define and maintain AfricaNenda Foundation's evidence-generation and advocacy priorities.
Develop an annual and rolling evidence agenda linked to the organization's strategy, program priorities, and emerging sector issues.
Translate strategic priorities into clear research questions, analytical workstreams, products, audiences, and influencing opportunities.
Identify critical evidence gaps that limit policy action or weaken the case for inclusive instant payment systems reforms.
Maintain a forward-looking calendar of research outputs, policy processes, regulatory developments, stakeholder moments, and advocacy opportunities.
Conduct high-quality desk research, literature reviews, policy and regulatory reviews, comparative analysis, political-economy analysis, and rapid evidence assessments.
Design and support primary research using qualitative and quantitative methods, including interviews, focus groups, surveys, consultations, and case studies.
Support research commissioning and quality assurance.
Analyze developments affecting inclusive instant payment systems, including governance, participation rules, scheme design, pricing, use cases, access channels, consumer protection, and recourse.
Produce analysis on digital public infrastructure, digital identity, data governance, competition, open finance, cross-border payments, digital trade, and responsible innovation.
Undertake country, regional, and continental scans to identify policy trends, implementation gaps, emerging risks, and transferable lessons.
Develop research frameworks, methodologies, interview guides, survey tools, evidence matrices, and quality-assurance protocols.
Validate findings through triangulation, peer review, and stakeholder consultation.
Maintain complete and traceable source records and ensure that all factual claims are verifiable.
Identify where evidence is incomplete or contested and advise on the implications for AfricaNenda Foundation's position.
Support the development, execution, and refinement of AfricaNenda Foundation's advocacy strategy.
Translate research and technical evidence into clear policy implications, institutional positions, practical recommendations, and targeted advocacy asks.
Develop issue-specific advocacy plans defining objectives, priority audiences, influence pathways, key messages, tactics, milestones, risks, and indicators.
Produce policy briefs, position papers, regulatory analyses, consultation responses, executive memos, briefing notes, and talking points.
Identify policy windows and decision points, segment stakeholders by influence and interest, and tailor advocacy approaches to priority actors.
Coordinate advocacy execution across technical programs, capacity development, communications, and partnerships.
Monitor stakeholder responses, institutional constraints, and advocacy outcomes and adapt approaches accordingly.
Ensure all advocacy is technically sound, politically informed, non-partisan, inclusion-focused, and consistent with AfricaNenda Foundation's mission.
Design and coordinate stakeholder engagement strategies, policy dialogues, consultations, roundtables, and bilateral meetings.
Build trusted relationships, represent AfricaNenda Foundation when delegated, incorporate underserved-user perspectives, and maintain records and follow-up on decisions, commitments, and agreed actions.

Qualifications and Experience

Master's degree in public policy, economics, finance, development studies, law, political science, international relations, public administration, or another relevant discipline.
At least seven years of progressively responsible experience in applied research, policy analysis, advocacy, financial inclusion, digital financial services, payment systems, digital public infrastructure, or a closely related field.
Demonstrated experience conducting research and converting findings into clear DFS ecosystem recommendations and advocacy propositions.
Strong experience producing high-quality policy briefs, research reports, presentations, and stakeholder engagement materials.
Experience engaging policymakers, regulators, central banks, development partners, and private-sector institutions.
Experience managing research assignments or consultants and assuring the quality of technical outputs.
Strong understanding of African DFS policy, regulatory, and instant payment system contexts.
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple workstreams and deliver high-quality outputs under tight timelines.
Demonstrated experience applying systematic-review methodologies and tools, including PRISMA 2020 and PRISMA-P protocols.
Experience managing research references and citations using Zotero and EndNote.
Experience conducting qualitative thematic coding and analysis using NVivo and ATLAS.ti.
Ability to develop concise executive products as well as substantive research outputs.

Desirable Qualifications

Direct experience in instant payments, interoperability, payment-system governance, financial-sector regulation, or digital public infrastructure.
Experience working across multiple African countries or regions and applying political-economy analysis to policy or advocacy work.
Relevant publications or a demonstrable portfolio of policy and research products.
Mandatory proficiency in English, while bilingual English and French is desired.

Application Process

Qualified candidates are invited to submit a cover letter demonstrating their suitability for the role, a current curriculum vitae highlighting relevant responsibilities and achievements including contact details for three professional referees, and two publications substantially authored by the applicant.

One publication should be a research output and one should be an advocacy thought leadership output such as a policy note, blog, or thematic think piece.

Applications should be submitted by COB EAT on October 05, 2026.

Application Email: applications@africanenda.org

Email Subject: Research and Advocacy Specialist

Relevant files should be labelled accordingly, for example: CV - (Name) and Cover letter - Name.

Please note that incomplete applications will not be considered. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Shortlisted candidates may be required to complete a practical written assessment covering insight synthesis, policy analysis, advocacy positioning, and thought leadership.

AfricaNenda is an equal-opportunity employer and strongly encourages applications from people of all backgrounds. The organization is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an inclusive organization.

More details: Research and Advocacy Specialist at AfricaNenda Foundation (ToR)