Director of Strategy & Partnerships – Government, Civic & Cross-Sector Engagement

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Director of Strategy & Partnerships at Ilifa Lethu leading strategic partnerships for climate initiatives. Engaging with government, civil society, and local institutions to drive practical impact.

Posted 5/16/2026full-timeCape Town • 🇿🇦 South AfricaLeadWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Lead Ilifa Lethu’s strategy for building relationships, institutional credibility and partner ecosystem.
Develop a clear view of the South African partner and stakeholder landscape.
Build and manage relationships with relevant government stakeholders and public institutions.
Identify and build relationships with trusted local organisations and community-facing structures.
Work with the Executive Director and wider team to identify practical opportunities for pilots, partnerships, convenings, campaigns, or community-facing initiatives.
Provide insight into the external landscape, including shifts in government priorities and public sentiment.

Requirements

What you’ll need

Significant experience in partnerships, stakeholder engagement, strategy, government relations, public affairs, programme development, or civil society leadership.
Strong understanding of the South African institutional, political, civic, and community landscape.
Experience working with government bodies, NGOs, community organisations, public-interest organisations, or donor-funded initiatives.
Ability to build trusted relationships across different levels, from senior government officials to local community actors.
Strong strategic judgement and political sensitivity.
Experience developing partnership pipelines, engagement strategies, or stakeholder maps.
Ability to work in a lean, growing organisation where systems are still being built.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Comfort working across ambiguity, complexity, and different stakeholder interests.
Ability to move between big-picture strategy and practical execution.

Benefits

Comp & perks

Equal Opportunity Employer
Inclusive environment for all employees
Support for local networks for environmental action

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

partnership developmentstakeholder engagementgovernment relationspublic affairsprogramme developmentcivil society leadershippartnership pipelinesengagement strategiesstakeholder maps

Soft Skills

relationship buildingstrategic judgementpolitical sensitivitywritten communicationverbal communicationadaptabilitycomplex problem solvingbig-picture thinkingexecution skills