Pollicy
About Pollicy
Pollicy is a feminist collective of technologists, researchers, creatives, and organisers
working at the intersection of data, design, and technology to shape more just and
inclusive societies.
Grounded in Africa, we believe that data and digital systems can expand freedom,
dignity, and opportunity when governed ethically and collectively. Through research,
storytelling, capacity strengthening, movement building, and policy engagement, we
work alongside communities, governments, and partners to influence how digital
systems are imagined, built, and governed across the continent.
Our work blends intellectual rigour with creative practice from policy briefs and public
dialogue to games, murals, zines, and artistic interventions centering voices historically
excluded from technology decision-making.
As we enter our next chapter, we are seeking an Executive Director who will help
steward Pollicy’s vision, nurture its culture, and guide the organisation through a period
of continued growth, influence, and innovation.
The Opportunity
This is more than a leadership position. It is an opportunity to shape the future of one
of Africa’s leading feminist technology organisations and to help build digital futures
grounded in dignity, justice, creativity, and collective care.
The Executive Director will provide strategic, organisational, and people-centred
leadership, ensuring that Pollicy remains ambitious, resilient, and deeply rooted in its
values while continuing to influence conversations on technology, data, and digital
governance across Africa and beyond.
The role requires someone who can hold complexity with steadiness, balance
accountability with compassion, and lead with both imagination and humility.
What You Will Do
1. Strategic Leadership & Vision
● Lead the implementation and evolution of Pollicy’s strategy in partnership
with the Board.
● Steward the organisation’s mission, values, and feminist principles.
● Identify emerging opportunities and trends across digital governance,
technology, and civic ecosystems.
● Ensure organisational learning and adaptability in a rapidly changing
environment.
2. People-Centred Leadership & Culture
● Foster a psychologically safe, inclusive, and high-trust environment.
● Lead with empathy, transparency, and emotional intelligence.
● Invest in staff wellbeing, leadership development, and growth.
● Model healthy and sustainable ways of working.
● Support teams through change with clarity and compassion.
3. External Leadership & Movement Building
● Serve as a leading public voice and ambassador for Pollicy.
● Strengthen relationships with funders, governments, civil society, academia, and
communities.
● Deepen Pollicy’s role within African and global digital rights and feminist
ecosystems.
● Represent the organisation in high-level policy and sector spaces.
4. Resource Mobilisation & Sustainability
● Lead fundraising and resource diversification efforts.
● Build and sustain strategic donor and partner relationships.
● Ensure responsible stewardship of organisational resources.
● Strengthen Pollicy’s long-term sustainability and resilience
5. Organisational Leadership & Operations
● Lead and support a diverse and distributed team.
● Strengthen systems that enable excellence, collaboration, and accountability.
● Oversee organisational risk management, compliance, and operational
effectiveness.
● Promote a culture rooted in trust, care, and shared leadership.
6. Governance & Accountability
● Work closely with the Board to ensure strong governance and strategic
alignment.
● Provide regular reporting on organisational performance, finances, and risks.
● Support board effectiveness and development.
● Participate in annual performance reviews, including structured staff and board
feedback processes.
7. Thought Leadership & Innovation
● Champion creative, interdisciplinary, and experimental approaches.
● Strengthen Pollicy’s intellectual and public influence.
● Position the organisation as a leading voice on feminist technology, ethical data
governance, and digital futures.
We Are Looking For Someone Who
● Is deeply people-centred and builds trust across diverse teams.
● Embodies feminist leadership principles in practice, not only in language.
● Balances accountability with compassion and humility.
● Leads with emotional intelligence and integrity.
● Navigates complexity with steadiness and clarity.
● Holds a long-term vision while delivering tangible results.
● Is comfortable working across disciplines, cultures, and geographies.
● Values creativity, experimentation, and collective leadership.
Essential Experience and Qualifications
● Significant leadership experience within nonprofit, research, policy, civic
technology, or social justice environments.
● Strong understanding of digital policy, technology ecosystems, data
governance, and/or social justice issues.
● Proven track record in fundraising and partnership development.
● Experience leading teams and organisational operations.
● Demonstrated commitment to equity, inclusion, and feminist principles.
● Experience working across African contexts or global development ecosystems.
● Familiarity with Pollicy’s intellectual traditions, including Afrofeminist approaches
to technology and creative methodologies.
Desirable
● Experience influencing public policy or regulatory processes.
● Background in research, technology, or interdisciplinary innovation.
● Experience leading distributed or remote teams.
● Public speaking and thought leadership experience.
Commitment and Location
● Full-time position (4 days per week).
● Flexible and remote-friendly within Africa.
● Four-week orientation in Kampala, Uganda.
● Occasional regional and international travel required.
