Programme Officer – Macro Fiscal Governance

Location: Nairobi, Kenya, with travel within Africa

The African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) seeks an analytically strong, results-oriented Programme Officer – Macro-Fiscal Governance to advance its Economic and Social Governance portfolio, with particular emphasis on evidence-based fiscal policymaking, domestic resource mobilization (DRM), debt management and institutional accountability across Africa.

The Programme Officer will combine substantive macro-fiscal expertise with hands-on management of multi-country capacity-development initiatives. The role will translate country-led diagnostics into feasible institutional reforms, strengthen the use of evidence in fiscal decision making, coordinate delivery and partnerships, and demonstrate measurable improvements in institutional capabilities and policy practice.

The position will contribute directly to SPARI implementation, including activities in Kenya, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Senegal; the expansion of the BETA programme; the development of an integrated debt-management capacity-building offer; and other DRM initiatives. The Officer will engage with Ministries of Finance and Planning, Revenue Authorities, Debt Management Offices, Parliaments, Supreme Audit Institutions, Think Tanks, Civil Society, and Development Partners.

The position is based in Nairobi, Kenya, on a fixed-term three-year contract, renewable. The Program Officer will report to the Head of Economic and Social Governance Unit and work closely with the programme team and other ACBF departments.

Key roles and responsibilities

1. Country Diagnostics, Programme Design and Resource Mobilization

• Coordinate macro-fiscal institutional and fiscal-ecosystem diagnostics, assessing technical capabilities, incentives, institutional mandates, coordination gaps and opportunities for policy uptake.
• Assess countries’ needs in macroeconomic forecasting, revenue policy and administration, medium-term fiscal frameworks, budget credibility, expenditure efficiency, debt sustainability, fiscal risks, transparency and oversight.
• Translate diagnostic evidence and government priorities into sequenced, country-owned capacity-development plans with clear deliverables, institutional responsibilities, baselines, indicators, risks and sustainability measures.
• Provide substantive technical inputs to SPARI country strategies and to programme concepts, implementation plans, budgets, results frameworks and terms of reference, consistent with ACBF’s mandate and procedures.
• Identify opportunities for complementary partnerships and funding; prepare technical contributions to concept notes, donor proposals and programme expansion initiatives.

2. Macro-Fiscal Policy, DRM and Debt-Management Technical Support

• Provide and quality-assure applied analysis and policy advice on fiscal policy choices, revenue mobilization, spending priorities, medium-term fiscal sustainability and the implications of macro-fiscal risks.
• Support the design and scale-up of BETA capacity-building activities, including tax policy and administration, digital economy taxation, digital transformation and effective domestic revenue mobilization.
• Contribute to developing an integrated debt-management capacity-building programme covering debt sustainability and transparency, borrowing strategies, contingent liabilities, fiscal risk, and links to public investment, treasury, cash management and wider PFM reforms.
• Review macro-fiscal policy briefs, studies, training modules, technical assistance outputs and consultancy deliverables for analytical rigor, relevance, practicality and responsiveness to country needs.
• Integrate equity, public-service delivery and institutional accountability perspectives into fiscal-policy analysis and technical assistance where appropriate.

3. Programme Implementation, Partner Management and Delivery

• Coordinate implementation of assigned SPARI activities in Kenya, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Senegal, maintaining up-to-date country work plans, budgets, delivery milestones, risk registers and follow-up actions.
• Oversee agreed programme activities and the performance of consultants and implementing partners, addressing delays and quality concerns promptly and ensuring value for money and adherence to ACBF rules.
• Prepare and operationalize technical components of agreements, terms of reference and inception plans in collaboration with programme, finance, procurement and other corporate teams.
• Organize and supervise country missions, policy dialogues, technical workshops, peer-learning events and partner consultations to deliver planned outputs and address implementation bottlenecks.
• Support DRM-related initiatives under ACBF’s Strategic Objective 2 beyond SPARI, including coordinated implementation and opportunities for responsible scale-up.

4. Institutional Capacity Development, Policy Engagement and Partnerships

• Design and facilitate tailored technical assistance, peer exchange, joint analytical work and practical learning for macro-fiscal think tanks, public finance institutions and fiscal oversight bodies.
• Strengthen collaboration among research organizations, finance ministries, revenue authorities, legislators, audit institutions and civil society to improve evidence use in fiscal choices and public accountability.
• Engage regional tax and debt networks, economic policy institutions, bilateral and multilateral partners to advance country ownership, technical cooperation and co-financing opportunities.
• Promote institutionalization of new skills, analytical systems and working practices, including counterpart ownership, mentoring, follow-up support and realistic transition arrangements.

5. Monitoring, Learning, Reporting and Programme Accountability

• Work with monitoring, evaluation, learning and accountability colleagues to establish baselines, results indicators, credible verification methods and regular feedback mechanisms for assigned initiatives.
• Monitor delivery and institutional outcomes—not only activities—including use of fiscal evidence, adoption of analytical tools, stronger inter-institutional coordination and documented policy uptake.
• Prepare accurate, timely contributions to quarterly and annual progress reports, donor reporting, management briefs, forecasts, portfolio reviews and audit responses.
• Document and disseminate comparative lessons across participating countries through practical policy briefs, case studies, working papers, operational guidance and knowledge-sharing events.
• Contribute to evaluations, sustainability and transition planning, project-completion reports, compliant programme closure and ESG Unit planning and resource mobilization.

Qualifications and experience

• Advanced university degree (master’s or equivalent) in Economics, Public Finance, Macroeconomics, Development Economics, Public Policy or a related discipline; a PhD is an advantage.
• At least seven years of progressively responsible experience in macro-fiscal analysis, fiscal policy, public financial management or economic governance, including substantial experience in African country contexts.
• Demonstrated technical command of fiscal frameworks, forecasting, DRM, tax policy and administration, fiscal risk, debt sustainability, public expenditure and the political economy of PFM.
• Proven experience designing and managing institutional diagnostics, multi-stakeholder technical assistance and results-based capacity-development programmes; experience across multiple African countries is strongly preferred.
• Experience working with think tanks and public oversight institutions and translating complex research into actionable advice for government decision makers.
• Knowledge of digital tax systems and international or regional tax cooperation; experience supporting debt-management reforms is a strong advantage.
• Strong analytical writing, facilitation, partnership management, programme coordination and delivery skills, including the ability to supervise consultants and manage competing deadlines.
• Advanced Excel capabilities and proficiency in at least one quantitative analysis tool (such as Stata, R, Python or EViews) are desirable; familiarity with project management and collaborative systems is an asset.
• Excellent spoken and written English is required. Proficiency in French is a strong advantage, with preference for candidates able to engage and draft effectively in both languages.
• Willingness and ability to travel regularly within Africa.

Personal attributes

• Sound professional judgment, integrity and intellectual independence; analytical curiosity and practical problem-solving; strong initiative and personal accountability; cultural sensitivity, diplomacy and teamwork; and commitment to locally led institutional development, gender equity, public accountability and demonstrable results.

Compensation

The African Capacity Building Foundation offers a competitive salary commensurate with experience. The Foundation provides a very generous package of benefits.

À propos de l’ACBF

For more than 30 years, the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) has supported human capital and institutional capacity development for Africa’s sustainable development. With membership from 40 African countries, the African Development Bank, the United Nations Development Programme, the African Union and the World Bank, ACBF is a leading institution for capacity development in Africa.

ACBF works with public-sector institutions at local, national, regional and continental levels to strengthen their capacity to serve as effective systems integrators and catalysts of sustainable and transformative change.

Since its creation in 1991, ACBF has trained more than 50,000 personnel in civil service, many of whom hold key positions in Ministries of Finance, Planning or Economic Development and Central Banks across the continent. The Foundation has also established a network of more than 50 think tanks that support evidence-based policymaking across Africa.

ACBF’s strategy focuses on current and future needs identified by member states, including climate change and productive energy use, agribusiness and food sovereignty, trade as an engine of economic development, and economic and social governance.

The Foundation currently maintains offices in Accra, Addis Ababa, Harare, and Nairobi.

To apply for this position, please submit in confidence a resume and a cover letter that details why you are a good fit for this career position to recruitment@theacbf.org  with the subject Programme Officer – Macro Fiscal Governance by 30 November 2026.

Seuls les candidats présélectionnés seront contactés.

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