Job Title: Community & Partnerships Lead
Location: Remote (with a preference for African candidates)
Job Type: Full-time (Consultant)
Compensation: Negotiable
This position is open for applications until 9 March, 2025. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and we encourage early submissions.
About Masakhane
Masakhane is a pan-African initiative aimed at tackling the under-representation of African languages in natural language processing (NLP) and AI. Our mission is to bring together researchers, technologists, linguists, and community members from across the continent to collaborate on AI that is inclusive and representative of Africa’s linguistic diversity. By working collectively, we are democratizing access to cutting-edge AI research and contributing to the global growth of African NLP.
About the Masakhane AI Hub for African Languages
The Masakhane AI Hub for African Languages (“the Hub”) is a new initiative to address the critical under-representation and misrepresentation of African languages in artificial intelligence (AI). Anchored by the Masakhane Research Foundation (MRF), the Hub will develop datasets, models, and use cases to catalyze innovation in sectors such as healthcare, education, and agriculture. With a vision to unlock AI's benefits for over 1 billion Africans, the Hub fosters community-driven approaches and long-term, sustainable partnerships across the African NLP ecosystem.
Our mission is to empower marginalized communities, build local capacity, and ensure African languages and cultures are fully represented in the AI-driven future.
Position Overview
The Community and Partnerships Lead will build strategic collaborations to advance the mission of the Hub. The Hub is a new effort to bring together a broad range of actors around the shared challenge of representative and accessible data and models for AI development. As such, early communications will need to clearly articulate the role of the Hub in a crowded and emerging space. This role is pivotal in enhancing the Hub's visibility, fostering community engagement with the African AI and NLP community, and building a network among stakeholders to promote AI for African languages.
This role involves connecting with diverse stakeholders and negotiating partnership agreements that enable the Hub to unlock the transformative potential of AI for African languages across data, models, and use cases. Reporting to the Hub Director, you will work closely with the Hub’s leadership team to leverage partnerships as a key driver for the Hub’s success.
Key Responsibilities:
Partnerships Strategy & Development
In the first six months of the role, develop a partnerships strategy to identify, evaluate, and engage potential partners, including academic institutions, NGOs, startups, and private sector organizations.
Build and manage a pipeline of partnerships aligned with the Hub’s mission and strategic objectives.
Negotiate partnership agreements, MOUs, and funding arrangements that maximize mutual benefit and impact.
Develop an onboarding and retention plan for new partners.
Serve as the primary liaison between the Hub and its partners, ensuring effective communication and alignment.
Regularly assess partnership performance and explore opportunities to deepen engagement. Develop a framework for regularly assessing the Hub’s comparative advantages to ensure it focuses on areas of greatest impact.
Community Engagement & Growth
Cultivate and maintain relationships with African NLP researchers, linguists, technologists, and grassroots organizations.
Organize events, webinars, and forums to foster innovation, collaboration, and knowledge exchange.
Develop strategies to encourage local ownership and leadership within the African NLP ecosystem.
Drive initiatives that strengthen collaboration across researchers, startups, and interest groups within the Masakhane network.
Resource Mobilization
Collaborate with the Hub Director and Grant and Operations Manager to identify and secure funding opportunities from institutional donors, private foundations, and corporate partners.
Develop compelling partnership proposals, presentations, and pitch decks to attract investment and support.
Advocacy and Communications
Craft and execute comprehensive communication plans to elevate the Hub's profile and effectively convey its mission and achievements.
Produce and oversee the development of engaging content, including blog posts, press releases, newsletters, and social media updates, tailored for both technical and non-technical audiences.
Ensure consistency in branding and messaging across all platforms and communications.
Represent the Hub at regional and international forums, positioning it as a leader in African NLP and AI innovation.
Advocate for the inclusion of African languages in global AI initiatives through strategic partnerships.
Internal Collaboration
Work closely with the Program Manager to ensure partnerships are aligned with the Hub’s activities and goals.
Provide strategic input to the Hub’s leadership team on emerging partnership opportunities and risks.
Contribute to cross-functional initiatives that enhance the Hub’s operational and strategic effectiveness.
Requirements:
Experience
Minimum of 3 years experience in partnership development and/or community engagement, preferably in the AI, technology, or development sectors.
Experience working with international or culturally diverse communities, especially in Africa or the Global South.
Track record of securing funding or resources through partnerships or donor engagement.
Strong communication, negotiation, and relationship-management skills, with the ability to build trust and rapport with diverse stakeholders
Excellent written and verbal communication skills (in English).
BS/MS degree in a related field, such as non-profit management, data science, marketing or communications.
Familiarity with content management systems, social media platforms, and e-learning tools.
Familiarity with natural language processing (NLP), AI, or linguistics.
Existing network in African technology, development, or academic ecosystems.
Knowledge of open-source principles and community-driven development models.
Proficiency in one or more African languages is a strong advantage.
Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in a remote, multicultural environment.
Values & Mindset:
A passion for languages and the transformative potential of technology to advance underrepresented cultures.
A proactive, self-starter who is comfortable working remotely and independently.
Strong interpersonal skills with a commitment to inclusivity, collaboration, and cross-cultural understanding.
Why Join Us:
Be part of a cutting-edge initiative that is pioneering the future of African languages in AI.
Work in a collaborative and mission-driven environment with experts from across Africa and around the globe.
Enjoy the flexibility of remote work with opportunities to connect with a vibrant community of innovators.
Contribute to a project that promotes inclusivity, social good, and the democratization of AI technologies.
Competitive salary and benefits, with opportunities for professional development.
Application Process:
Please send your CV and a brief cover letter explaining why you are interested in this role and how you would contribute to building and sustaining Masakhane’s community by sharing them via this form. Include any relevant work samples or links to previous community initiatives you’ve managed in your cover letter and/or CV.