Technical Lead

TOR Inclusive Digital Economy Project

Background
The African Center for Economic Transformation (ACET) is a Pan-African economic policy institute supporting Africa's long-term growth through transformation. We work directly with African governments, businesses, and civil society—within countries and across borders—to remove policy barriers to sustainable, inclusive development. We are headquartered in Accra, Ghana but boast a diverse staff based across several continents. We are proud to be African led but globally connected, drawing on the expertise of our staff and partners to produce research, offer policy advice, and amplify Africa's voice through high-profile events, advocacy, and engagements. We work in collaboration toward the shared mission of delivering economic transformation. Learn more at www.acetforafrica.org.

Background
ACET is a proud partner in the Digital Futures program, which is aligned with Mastercard Foundation's Young Africa Works strategy in partnership with Sightsavers. Its central aim is to improve access to fulfilling employment for young people with disabilities across Africa, recognizing disability, diversity, and inclusion as integral to economic transformation. The program will expand the IT Bridge Academies; strengthen existing Business and Disability Networks (BDNs); and influence national and continental policymaking. The program is designed to run for five years. The program has a strong component on regional policy engagement for which ACET has key accountabilities. We will seek to build an evidence base of what works and influence regional policy dialogues to ensure disability inclusion in digital transformation in Africa.

Key components include:

Understanding the landscape: ACET will establish an African digital economy policy monitor/observatory that includes monitoring the design, parliamentary approval, and implementation of inclusive digital policies.
Learning: This will include a series of peer-to-peer learning, knowledge sharing, and policy dialogues. Through these we will bring together international experience and best practice to inform national influencing work. We will also run a series on inclusive digital policy that might include case studies, cross-country comparisons, macroeconomic modelling, scenario planning, and policy analysis.
Influencing: We will build partnerships to ensure there is opportunity for engagement with the African Union and regional bodies to build the context for national policy change. ACET will help to activate an African dialogue on inclusive digital economy policy, and lead on engagement with the AU on implementation of the AU Digital Transformation Strategy.

About the Position

Job Title: Technical Lead
Reporting Line: Director- Innovations and Digital Policy
Location: Accra/ Remote

Job Summary:
The role holder will see to the overall day-to-day management of the Inclusive Digital Economy Project. This will be a consultancy role of approximately 110 days per year, averaging around nine days per month, but with episodes of higher or lower delivery needed. The consultant will provide strategic and operational leadership for all components, relationship management, outcome monitoring and reporting.

Roles and Responsibilities

Lead and coordinate the Inclusive Digital Economy Project.
Oversee delivery of the three primary components with world class quality.
Represent ACET in stakeholder engagements, client meetings, donor events and advocacy activities.
Provide strategic guidance on economic transformation impact of inclusive digital economy in Africa, particularly related to disability.
Supervise and support other ACET consultants and staff working on the project.
Liaise with project partners, donors, other interested parties.
Provide inputs to internal and external reporting, communications and media, project outputs and briefs, etc.

Qualifications

The preferred candidate will meet the following criteria:

10+ years' experience in global development policy, multilateral engagement, or international cooperation.
Strong understanding of Africa's digital economy landscape, including key institutions and organizations, digital policy agendas, and key risks.
Demonstrated capabilities related to economic inclusion in Africa, including disability, gender, and other under-represented groups.
Demonstrated ability to manage multi-stakeholder, high-profile initiatives.
Excellent representation, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills.
Ability to balance detail-oriented project management with high-level thought leadership.
Flexibility to travel regularly.
French and/or Arabic language skills desired, but not mandatory.

Deliverables

Understanding the landscape: ACET will establish an African digital economy policy monitor/observatory that includes monitoring the design, parliamentary approval, and implementation of inclusive digital policies. The consultant will lead activities on:

Mapping of digital policies and components around inclusion for all African countries.
List of stakeholders in the digital inclusions space we should be engaging.
Establish the policy monitor (format to be determined). Includes monitoring the design, parliamentary approval, and implementation of inclusive digital policies in Africa. This will include working with technical experts on design, data collection, platform updates, etc.
Maintaining the monitor and reporting throughout the life of the project.

Learning: This will include a series of peer-to-peer learning, knowledge sharing, and policy dialogues. Through these we will bring together international experience and best practice to inform national influencing work. The consultant will lead activities on:

case studies – research on cross-country comparisons, macroeconomic modelling, scenario planning, and policy analysis.
Five research outputs.
peer learning events (likely virtual) and policy dialogues (likely virtual) to bring together international experience and best practice to inform national influencing work.
A total of four outputs.

Influencing: We will build partnerships to ensure there is opportunity for engagement with the African Union and regional bodies to build the context for national policy change. ACET will help to activate an African dialogue on inclusive digital economy policy, and lead on engagement with the AU on implementation of the AU Digital Transformation Strategy. The consultant will lead to:

Identify AU and regional stakeholders to engage.
In year one support the development and launch of an advocacy campaign that is intended to activate an African dialogue on inclusive digital economy policy.
Three virtual engagements (likely with AU) bringing together different government stakeholders (and others) to address the intersections of inclusive digital economy policy.

It is expected that all components will be delivered on schedule and of high quality (reports, consultations, meeting). Monthly updates and progress reports to ACET leadership. Regular reports to partners and the donor. Highly active communications and engagement with team members and ACET management, project partners, clients and other stakeholders.

ACET Values

ACET strives to ensure an equitable and merit-based workplace. We promote ongoing employee development to strengthen staff capacity and further professional goals. We operate around five core values:

Pioneering: We try to push the envelope in the spirit of being a think and do tank.
Respect: We believe that in respecting each other, we will grow together.
Integrity: We are transparent and accountable in our actions.
Collaboration: We believe our best results are achieved by working well together.
Excellence: We aspire to the highest level of critical thinking to solve difficult problems.

Hiring Policies

ACET draws from a highly diversified pan-African and global talent base and offers equal opportunities to all. We are committed to ensuring that employees are remunerated, recruited, and developed based on skills and suitability for the work performed. ACET does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, race, or disability. ACET complies with and operates within the Labor Act of Ghana. No recruitment literature or advertisements will imply a preference for any one group of applicants unless there is a general occupational qualification that limits the post to a particular group, in which case this must be clearly stated.

Working at ACET

ACET is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to inclusion and diversity in the workplace. We have a zero-tolerance approach to discrimination and harassments of any kind.

How to apply

Interested applicants should email their CV and an accompanying Cover Letter explaining why you are the most suitable candidate for the position via this LINK. Contact details of 3 references will also be required. The closing date for the receipt of applications is Wednesday, 27th May, 2026. Interviews will be held either virtually or in-person if the candidate is based in Ghana. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply!