Consultant: Senior Advisor to the Managing Director, South Sudan

ABOUT INKOMOKO 

Inkomoko supports entrepreneurs to grow their businesses in order to improve livelihoods, create jobs, and help communities thrive. 

In 2025, Inkomoko was listed by the Financial Times as the 8th fastest-growing company in Africa, supporting entrepreneurs across East and Central Africa to grow thriving businesses and build inclusive, resilient economies. 

Founded in 2012, Inkomoko has worked with more than 100,000 entrepreneurs, including thousands of refugee entrepreneurs. Inkomoko provides a combination of training, consulting, access to finance, and market-level systems change.  We are the largest investor to refugee entrepreneurs in Africa.  

Inkomoko has 750+ staff in 40 offices across Chad, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, and South Sudan. Through Inkomoko’s 2030 strategic plan, we are adding 3 additional countries to serve more than 550,000 entrepreneurs and growing our $30M loan fund to impact 7M lives. 

INKOMOKO VALUES  

All staff at Inkomoko are connected to a shared set of organizational values:

• Purpose: be solutions-oriented, produce high-quality work, be a global leader.
• Achievement: push yourself to reach beyond what you previously thought possible. 
• Improvement: be humble, engage in continuous growth through open & accurate feedback.
• Bravery: willing to take risks, create a safe space for others, be compassionate, inclusive.
• We Eat Goat:   we celebrate success and support each other in hard times. We do this work together in the spirit of turikumwe, tuko pamoja, abren nen, urang babarengan.

Inkomoko reflects the communities we serve.  Displaced persons and women are strongly encouraged to apply.  

Objective of the Consultancy

The Senior Advisor to the Managing Director will support the Managing Director in ensuring effective implementation and delivery of the 2026 program goals by working closely with the program heads to strengthen planning, strategy execution and team performance. 

The Senior Advisor will act as a strategic thought partner to the Managing Director and participate in key program activities, observing field implementation and providing practical insights and recommendations to improve program quality, efficiency, and results.

The role will help identify gaps, coach teams informally, and support the Managing Director in making timely adjustments to ensure program targets are met and impact is maximized.

Assignment Duration: 6 months -  1 April 2026  to 30 September 2026.

Scope of work:

The Senior Advisor’s responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

Strategic Coordination

• Support cross-departmental coordination to ensure priorities are clear, dependencies are managed, and delivery remains on schedule
• Oversee performance tracking across key functions, using agreed indicators to assess progress and inform leadership decisions

Leadership & Continuity

• Support the Managing Director’s delegate during periods of R&R, and extend leave ensuring continuity of leadership, decision-making, and external/internal confidence
• Chair coordination meetings and provide direction to senior staff in the MD’s absence
• Ensure smooth handover processes before and after R&R periods, including briefing materials and decision logs
• Support scenario planning and decision thresholds for escalation, adaptation, or suspension of activities as needed

Organizational Development

• Act as a thought partner and coach to department heads, strengthening leadership capacity, problem-solving, and performance management
• Support staff development initiatives and promote a culture of accountability, collaboration, and learning
• Identify organizational bottlenecks, capacity gaps, or leadership risks and propose practical solutions to the Managing Director

Reporting & Executive Support

• Prepare concise, updates for the Managing Director, highlighting progress, risks, and recommended actions
• Synthesize inputs from programs, operations, security, and finance into clear leadership-level reporting
• Prepare a structured handover brief for the Managing Director at the conclusion of the assignment
• Flag significant financial, operational, or compliance risks and support mitigation discussions at senior level

Deliverables

The following deliverables will be expected from the Senior Advisor:

1. Program coordination and performance tracking

• Within the first month, develop and operationalize a cross-departmental coordination and performance tracking system that:
• Clarifies program priorities, timelines, and inter-departmental dependencies
• Tracks progress against agreed program indicators and 2026 targets
• Provides leadership with a simple dashboard to support decision-making

2. Monthly progress Briefs for the Managing Director

• Prepare concise monthly leadership briefs that:
• Summarize progress against key program and operational targets
• Highlight implementation gaps, risks, and bottlenecks
• Provide practical recommendations for corrective actions or strategic adjustments

3. Strengthened cross-departmental coordination mechanism

• Facilitate and institutionalize regular coordination meetings across program teams by:
• Establishing meeting structures and agendas
• Documenting key decisions and follow-up actions
• Ensuring timely resolution of cross-functional challenges affecting program delivery

4. Leadership continuity during MD Absence

• Ensure operational and leadership continuity during the Managing Director’s R&R periods by:
• Chairing senior management meetings
• Providing guidance and decision support to department heads
• Maintaining a clear decision log and escalation mechanism for critical issues

5. Organizational Performance and Capacity Improvement Plan

• Conduct an assessment of organizational bottlenecks and leadership capacity gaps, and provide:
• A short diagnostic report highlighting key constraints affecting program delivery
• Practical recommendations to strengthen leadership, coordination, and performance management

6. Coaching and Support to Department Heads

• Provide ongoing advisory support and informal coaching to department heads to strengthen:
• Strategic planning and execution
• Problem-solving and decision-making
• Accountability for program and operational results

7. Risk Identification and Mitigation Support

• Establish a risk monitoring mechanism and provide periodic updates to leadership on:
• Operational, financial, and compliance risks
• Recommended mitigation actions and escalation thresholds

8. Final Assignment Report and Handover Brief

• At the end of the consultancy, submit a comprehensive handover report that includes:
• Summary of progress made during the assignment
• Key strategic and operational recommendations for the Managing Director
• Outstanding risks, priorities, and suggested next steps for leadership

Compensation 

The Senior Advisor may propose a total project fee or a daily rate, which will be agreed upon prior to the start of the assignment. Payments will be made based on the agreed contract terms and linked to the completion of deliverables or approved days worked.

Inkomoko will provide the Senior Advisor with access to all organization’s relevant internal resources required to perform the assignment. The organization will also cover all approved project implementation costs (e.g., Work Permit, travel, logistics in Juba and in the fields, and other operational expenses) associated with the consultancy.

Requirements

The Senior Advisor must demonstrate the following:

• Minimum of 8 years of progressive experience in program leadership, implementation oversight within complex development or humanitarian contexts.
• Strong experience advising or supporting senior leadership on program strategy, implementation performance, and organizational priorities.
• Proven ability to lead and coordinate multi-functional teams to deliver results in fast paced and resource constrained environments.
• Demonstrated experience managing or overseeing programs, including planning, performance tracking, and ensuring timely delivery of program targets.
• Solid understanding of the South Sudan operational context, particularly challenges and opportunities in working in forcibly displaced settings.
• Ability to lead country senior team meetings, align cross-departmental priorities, and support decision-making processes.
• High level of professionalism, discretion, and judgment, particularly when supporting the Managing Director’s decision-making.
• Fluency in English (spoken and written) is required; Arabic language skills are an asset.

Benefits

WHAT YOU’LL GET

This role is a tremendous opportunity to work in a high-growth, mission-driven organization. Our compensation includes a great working environment and competitive compensation:

• Incredible company culture, including deep investment in your learning and growth, and opportunities for career growth; 
• Opportunity to work with a talented team of professionals across the region; 
• Ability to make a significant social impact and contribute to economic growth; 

TO APPLY

If you’re excited about this role, please submit your cover letter and CV through the application portal. 

Tell us about what you’ll bring to this growing company.

Inkomoko is committed to justice, diversity, equity and inclusion.  As we seek to reflect the communities we serve, refugees and women are strongly encouraged to apply. As a company we have policies that ensure fair treatment in the application process. Application Deadline is 25th March 2026.

NB: Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Employment is conditional upon successful background checks and other verification as needed.

All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and background screening checks. Inkomoko also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme, In line with this Scheme, we will request information from job applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual misconduct, fraud, or abuse. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms his/her understanding of these recruitment procedures.