Application Guide
How to Apply for Francophone Africa Engagement Advisor
at One Family Foundation
š¢ About One Family Foundation
One Family Foundation is a small, agile family foundation based in the Netherlands that incubates social innovation projects and start-ups globally. Its unique approach focuses on transforming thinking and action to foster collaboration across communities, social innovators, and governments, with a clear mission to address poverty, restore the planet, and ensure inclusion. Working here means being part of a lean, high-impact team that directly shapes policy environments and pioneers new models for social change.
About This Role
As Francophone Africa Engagement Advisor, you will lead strategic engagement across Francophone African countries, working with governments, regional bodies, and ecosystem partners to co-create policy environments conducive to innovation and social entrepreneurship. This role is pivotal in developing and implementing a regional engagement strategy, identifying priority countries and policy themes, and building partnerships to expand impact. Your work will directly influence how social entrepreneurship thrives in the region, making you a key driver of systemic change.
š” A Day in the Life
A typical day might start with a virtual meeting with a regional partner in Senegal to discuss a new policy initiative, followed by analyzing a recent policy brief from the African Union on innovation. After lunch, you could draft a strategy memo for the foundationās leadership, then join a call with a donor to explore funding for a social entrepreneurship program in CĆ“te dāIvoire. The day ends with reviewing partnership proposals and updating your engagement tracker.
š Application Tools
šÆ Who One Family Foundation Is Looking For
- A seasoned professional with 7ā10 years of senior experience in public policy, government affairs, or international development, specifically within Francophone Africa.
- Deep familiarity with the regionās public sector landscapes, particularly in economic development, innovation, or entrepreneurship policy, and a proven track record of engaging with governments and multilateral institutions.
- Fluent in both French and English (spoken and written) with the ability to navigate cultural nuances and build trust across diverse stakeholders.
- Strategic thinker with experience developing and executing regional engagement strategies, identifying funding opportunities, and forging cross-sectoral partnerships with think tanks, NGOs, donors, and social innovators.
š Tips for Applying to One Family Foundation
Tailor your CV to highlight specific engagements with governments in Francophone Africa, including policy outcomes or partnerships you influenced.
In your cover letter, explicitly connect your past work to the foundationās mission of incubating social innovation and transforming thinkingāshow how youāve done similar work.
Mention any experience working with small, lean teams or family foundations, as this role requires adaptability and a hands-on approach.
Provide concrete examples of how youāve monitored regional policy trends and used them to inform strategyāthis is a key part of the job.
Demonstrate your language proficiency by submitting application materials in both French and English, and be prepared for bilingual interviews.
āļø What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
['Emphasize your experience in Francophone Africa and your understanding of the regionās policy dynamics, especially in innovation and entrepreneurship.', 'Highlight your ability to build partnerships across sectors (government, NGOs, donors, social innovators) and how these partnerships have led to tangible policy changes or scaling of impact.', 'Show your strategic thinking by describing a regional engagement strategy you developed and implemented, including how you identified priority countries and policy themes.', 'Express alignment with One Family Foundationās valuesācollaboration, inclusion, and systemic changeāand your passion for social entrepreneurship as a tool for development.']
Generate Cover Letter āš Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- ā Explore One Family Foundationās current projects and past initiatives on their website to understand their approach to social innovation incubation.
- ā Look into the foundationās focus on collaboration across communities, innovators, and governmentsāfind examples of how theyāve done this in practice.
- ā Research the policy landscape for social entrepreneurship in Francophone Africa, including key regional bodies like ECOWAS or the African Union, and identify current trends.
- ā Understand the foundationās Dutch roots and how that might influence their working style, values, and expectations for remote collaboration.
š¬ Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
ā ļø Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Donāt submit a generic applicationāthis foundation values tailored, mission-driven candidates, so avoid copying a cover letter from another role.
- Avoid focusing solely on your own achievements without linking them to the foundationās goalsāthey care about collaboration and systemic impact, not just individual success.
- Donāt underestimate the importance of language proficiencyāfailing to demonstrate fluency in both French and English in your application or interview can be a dealbreaker.
š Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!
Ready to Apply?
Good luck with your application to One Family Foundation!