Department: Technical Location: Africa Description Allied Talent Partners (ATP), a Three Cairns Group initiative, is a mission-driven, not-for-profit talent marketplace focused on solving the human capital bottlenecks slowing down sustainable development efforts in emerging economies, with an initial focus on Africa.
ATP connects vetted, experienced, context-relevant professionals to high-impact opportunities in energy access and sustainable development – strengthening local capacity and fuelling economic vitality.
We specialize in fixed-term, deliverable-driven engagements – from interim leadership and generalist projects to niche technical expertise – handling project scoping, talent vetting and matching, contracting, payroll, and compliance so that our clients can focus on impact.
High-Level Overview The client seeks a senior technical lead to support the development of a regional digital transformation investment agenda in advance of a major regional integration and investment summit scheduled for 2026.
The assignment will develop a regional digital transformation investment agenda that positions digital infrastructure, interoperable platforms, and cross-border digital services as enablers of regional integration, trade, and private investment.
The agenda will focus on addressing structural constraints related to uneven connectivity, regulatory fragmentation, lack of interoperability, digital infrastructure gaps, and uneven adoption of digital services across markets.
The Digital Transformation Technical Working Group Lead will coordinate a group of senior technical experts and play a central role in shaping this agenda.
Responsibilities will include framing the regional digital investment narrative, identifying priority policy and regulatory reforms to enable cross-border digital markets, curating a pipeline of bankable digital transformation investments, and supporting the design and delivery of high-quality summit sessions and deal-focused engagements.
The role will report to the Summit Programme Lead within the Secretariat and work closely with investment facilitation and other sectoral teams to ensure digital transformation outcomes from the Summit are concrete, coordinated, and actionable.
Role and Responsibilities Role: Technical Working Group (TWG) Lead – Digital Transformation Direct Report: Summit Programme Lead, Secretariat**Candidates Required: 1 Key Deliverables: TWG Leadership and Coordination**Establish and lead the Digital Transformation TWG with representation from across the region and across organisation types, including government, regulators, private sector, investors, and development partners.
Identify, invite, and onboard TWG members in coordination with the Secretariat.
Plan, schedule, and chair regular (typically weekly) TWG meetings.
Hold the pen on shared TWG documents, synthesising and consolidating inputs from participants.
Circulate clear summaries, decisions, and next steps after each meeting.
Coordinate closely with the Summit Programme Lead to ensure alignment with Summit priorities and timelines.
Sector Status Report Oversee the production of a concise Sector Status Report on regional digital transformation.
Synthesise existing data, diagnostics, and project pipelines with a focus on investment relevance.
Highlight regional constraints, opportunities, and priority intervention areas, including cross-border interoperability and infrastructure gaps.
Policy and Regulatory Harmonisation Lead the drafting, with TWG input, of a policy and regulatory reform framework required to unlock regional digital investment.
Address priority areas such as broadband and data infrastructure, regulatory interoperability, digital trade, digital public infrastructure, and cross-border digital services.
Ensure recommendations are actionable, regionally coherent, and investor-relevant.
Investment Pipeline Development Lead the identification and curation of a ranked pipeline of priority digital transformation investments (e.g.
connectivity and backbone infrastructure, data centres, interoperable platforms, digital public infrastructure, and scalable digital service platforms).
Apply clear screening and scoring criteria to assess scale, regional relevance, readiness, and impact.
Coordinate closely with the Summit Deal Room team to support investor engagement and matchmaking.
Summit Programme Design and Delivery Lead the design of digital transformation-focused Summit sessions, including objectives, formats, speakers, and key messages.
Ensure sessions and Deal Room engagements are anchored in concrete investment opportunities and policy reform pathways.
Support live Summit delivery, including speaker coordination and technical input as required.
Post-Summit Reporting and Follow-up Contribute to post-Summit reporting by documenting digital-related outcomes, including policy priorities agreed, investment opportunities advanced, and key follow-up actions.
Support consolidation of TWG outputs into final Summit reports, briefs, or communiqués as required.
Provide technical input to post-Summit partner and investor follow-up as required.
Requirements Experience Required: Minimum 12+ years of experience in digital policy, ICT infrastructure, digital economy development, or related fields.
Proven experience working across multiple African countries at regional level, with strong familiarity with West Africa.
Demonstrated experience engaging with governments, regulators, private sector actors, investors, and development partners.
Familiarity with digital infrastructure investment, platform development, and blended finance.
Credibility to operate at senior technical and ministerial levels.
Technical Requirements: Strong analytical and synthesis skills.
Ability to translate complex technical and policy issues into clear, actionable outputs.
Experience curating and assessing investment pipelines.
Strong facilitation, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
High levels of organisation, professionalism, and accountability.
Other Skills: Strong stakeholder management and facilitation skills, with the ability to engage credibly with senior government, private sector, and development partners.
Sound judgement and political sensitivity in complex, multistakeholder and regional environments.
Strong end-to-end ownership, with the ability to work independently, manage multiple workstreams, and deliver high-quality outputs under compressed timelines.
Clear, concise written and verbal communication skills.
High levels of professionalism, discretion, and accountability.**Working Arrangement Location: Flexible / Remote, with on-site presence in Nigeria required during the lead-up to and during the Summit.
Travel: Periodic travel within the region, including to Sierra Leone and Nigeria.
