About Sydani Group
Location: Abuja, Nigeria (with regional and international travel as required)
Contract Type: Full-Time
Job Description
Sydani Group is a leading international management consulting and advisory firm with deep expertise in international development, public sector transformation, systems strengthening, institutional reform, and donor-funded program delivery. As part of its strategic growth agenda, Sydani is building out the Sydani Institute for Research and Innovation (SIRI), moving it from a project-driven research unit into a recognised, independent institution with its own intellectual identity, research portfolio, partnerships, funding base, systems, talent pipeline, and reputation.We seek an experienced research and institutional leader to run SIRI as a high-performing, financially sustainable research and innovation entity within Sydani Group.
Job Purpose
The Head, SIRI is the most senior role for the Institute’s strategy, growth, research excellence, and overall management. This is a high-autonomy executive role: subject to Sydani Group’s strategic, financial, and governance framework, the Head has authority over day-to-day operations, structure, recruitment, research priorities, partnerships, business development, resource allocation, and external representation. The Partner provides strategic oversight and governance, not routine operational management.
Job Responsibilities
1. Institutional Strategy and Building
- Develop and own SIRI’s 3–5 year strategy and annual plans.
- Build the structure, governance, systems, and institutional identity needed for SIRI to run without constant Partner intervention.
- Establish a functional organisational and governance structure for the Institute.
2. Research Excellence and Innovation
- Set the research agenda and own portfolio quality, methodological rigour, and governance.
- Ensure research translates into policy-relevant knowledge products.
- Build a research-to-practice pipeline — digital tools, models, and commercialisable IP.
- Establish and maintain a research quality assurance and ethical compliance framework.
3. Business Development and Resource Mobilization
- Build a diversified funding pipeline across grants, commissioned research, consulting, training, and IP — with no single point of dependency.
- Lead proposals, partnerships, and funder relationships.
- Develop a resource mobilization strategy to sustain and grow the Institute.
4. Financial Management
- Own budgets, pricing, margins, cost recovery, and financial controls within Group governance.
- Build a sustainable institutional financial model.
5. People and Talent Leadership
- Own workforce strategy: recruit, develop, and retain a multidisciplinary research team.
- Build a high-performing core Institute team and leadership pipeline.
6. Partnerships and Thought Leadership
- Represent SIRI externally with governments, development partners, universities, foundations, and the private sector.
- Publish research and shape sector conversations, building SIRI’s intellectual brand and reputation.
7. Quality, Ethics and Knowledge Management
- Uphold research integrity and ethical compliance across the portfolio.
- Convert research outputs into accessible, usable knowledge products.
Key Working Relationships
Internal: Partner and Group Leadership, Sydani Consulting, Texis, SIID, Finance, HR & Operations, Communications and Business Development.
External: Government institutions, development partners and donors, universities and research institutions, foundations, private-sector organisations, and policy and civil-society networks.
Job Key Success Measures (KPIs)
First 12 Months
- A defined SIRI institutional strategy and a functional organisational/governance structure
- A research and innovation priority agenda
- A diversified research and funding pipeline
- A core portfolio of strategic research projects
- A resource mobilisation strategy
- A sustainable institutional financial model
- A high-performing core Institute team
- A research quality assurance framework and a visible thought leadership platform
Long-Term (Performance Dimensions)
- Institutional Growth: Portfolio growth, strategic partnerships, revenue/funding growth, reputation
- Research Excellence: Project quality and completion, publications, research uptake and utilisation
- Resource Mobilisation: Grants secured, funding pipeline, funder diversification
- Impact: Policies influenced, solutions adopted, measurable development outcomes
- People & Culture: Staff retention, engagement, leadership pipeline
- Financial Sustainability: Revenue growth, budget performance, cost recovery
Job Qualifications
Education
- Master’s degree or PhD in Research, Public Health, Social Sciences, Development Studies, Economics, Data Science, Policy, or a related field — a PhD is strongly preferred for this research-intensive profile.
Experience
- 12–15+ years of progressive experience in research, development, consulting, policy, or academia
- Including 7+ years in senior leadership or institutional management
- Demonstrated grant acquisition and donor partnership experience
- Proven multidisciplinary team and budget management experience
Core Competencies
Leadership
- Strategic leadership — sees beyond individual projects to a long-term institutional vision
- Institutional building — builds systems, structures, and teams that let an institution scale
- People leadership — attracts, develops, and retains high-performing professionals
Research and Innovation
- Research and analytical excellence — strong command of methodology, evidence generation, and interpretation
- Thought leadership — shapes sector conversations rather than simply joining them
Commercial and Partnerships
- Business and commercial acumen — identifies opportunities and ensures financial sustainability
- Resource mobilisation — cultivates and converts funding and partnership opportunities
- Partnership management — builds relationships across government, academia, donors, and industry
Application Deadline: Unspecified
METHOD OF APPLICATION
Interested and Qualified candidates should use link below to Apply.
CLICK HERE TO APPLY
