Associate Director/ Director, Programs & Strategic Initiatives

Job Title: Associate Director/ Director, Programs & Strategic Initiatives

Location: Kigali, Rwanda | East Africa

Experience: 12+ years of total experience with 5+ years of relevant experience

Reports to: Head of Growth & Strategy

Type: Full-Time | In-person

About Us

Wadhwani AI Global (WAIG) is a next-generation AI transformation partner for governments and multilaterals across Africa, Latin America, and Asia. We combine cutting-edge AI products with deep advisory capabilities to unlock billion-dollar opportunities in health, education, and agriculture.

Your Role

1. Strategize & Shape Big-Ticket Initiatives
• Identify large, multi-year AI transformation opportunities aligned to national priorities
• Architect flagship programs with clear scale pathways, governance models, and impact metrics
• Convert strategic access into structured, fundable program designs

2. Build & Anchor Strategic Partnerships
• Originate and deepen partnerships with multilaterals, foundations, and dev institutions
• Develop multi-year engagement roadmaps beyond single projects
• Position WAIG as a long-term AI transformation partner

3. Open & Manage High-Impact Accounts
• Lead executive engagement with ministers, senior bureaucrats, and institutional leadership
• Build trusted relationships at the highest levels of government and global institutions
• Steward accounts from entry to expansion, renewal, and scale

4. Align Strategy, Funding & Execution
• Collaborate with marketing/comms, fundraising, product, and delivery teams
• Ensure programs are strategically positioned, financially structured, and execution-ready
• Translate institutional ambition into operational reality

5. Drive Regional Strategic Expansion
• Contribute to Africa country and sector prioritization
• Identify high-potential markets for long-term institutional investment
• Shape WAIG’s regional footprint through strategic account selection

What You Will Own

You will own WAIG’s most strategic and high-value institutional accounts, responsible for program ambition, partnership depth, and long-term scale. Success in this role means converting strategic access into flagship initiatives that embed AI into national and institutional systems.

What We Are Looking For
• 12+ years of experience with 5+ years in strategy, large-scale program design, international development, or public-sector partnerships
• Significant global experience working with governments, multilaterals, or large institutions
• Strong executive presence with the ability to engage global institutional leaders
• Experience managing high-value, high-stakes accounts
• Willingness to relocate to Kigali, Rwanda and operate across East Africa
• Deep interest in technology-driven public systems transformation.