Special Projects Lead (Chief of Staff to the COO)

The Special Projects Lead at ALX Africa will serve as a strategic and operational partner to the COO, focusing on driving high-priority initiatives, cross-functional coordination, and ensuring effective execution of organizational projects.

Responsibilities

• Lead or support cross-functional projects across ALX.
• Translate strategic priorities into clear project plans, owners, milestones, risks, and decision points.
• Drive execution of special projects that cut across multiple teams or regions.
• Identify bottlenecks, escalate risks, and ensure timely resolution.
• Prepare project updates, decision memos, and executive briefings.
• Ensure priority initiatives maintain momentum and do not get stuck between functions.
• Support the design and management of org-level dashboards, operating reviews, and performance routines.
• Track progress against key strategic priorities and surface risks early.
• Coordinate follow-ups from leadership meetings and ensure clear ownership of next steps.
• Help teams move from discussion to decision to delivery.
• Support quarterly and sprint planning, retrospectives, and execution reviews.
• Support workstreams connected to fundraising, partnerships, Corporate Training and other emerging revenue priorities.
• Coordinate cross-functional inputs needed to unlock revenue opportunities.
• Prepare materials for internal decision-making, partner conversations, and funder engagement.
• Track execution against priority revenue initiatives and ensure dependencies are clear.
• Prepare briefing notes, talking points, leadership updates, and presentation materials.
• Synthesize complex information into clear recommendations.
• Conduct research, analysis, and problem-solving on ambiguous business questions.
• Help the COO prepare for key internal and external meetings.
• Capture decisions and ensure follow-through after leadership discussions.
• Build strong relationships with functional and regional leaders.
• Facilitate alignment across teams with different priorities, constraints, and timelines.
• Clarify roles, responsibilities, decision rights, and escalation paths.
• Support sensitive or high-priority initiatives that require discretion, judgment, and strong stakeholder management.

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience in strategy, operations, consulting, project management, business operations, startup operations, or a similar role.
• Experience managing complex, cross-functional projects from ambiguity to execution.
• Excellent structured thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare executive-level materials.
• Comfort working with senior leaders and influencing without formal authority.
• Strong project management discipline, including owners, timelines, risks, dependencies, and follow-through.
• High judgment, discretion, and emotional intelligence.
• High confidentiality.
• Ability to operate in a fast-moving environment with shifting priorities.
• Strong analytical skills and comfort working with metrics, dashboards, and performance reviews.
• Deep alignment with ALX's mission and commitment to creating opportunity for young Africans at scale.
• Strong proficiency in Google Workspace, especially Sheets, Slides, and Docs.