Jobs & Careers

TERMS OF REFERENCE

EXECUTIVE COORDINATOR - ACE-AJ SECRETARIAT

Position	Executive Coordinator, ACE-AJ Secretariat
Host institution	Legal Aid Forum (LAF), Rwanda
Scope	Pan-African / multi-country
Reporting	ACE-AJ Founding Members, through the governance and hosting arrangements of ACE-AJ and LAF
Duty station	Kigali, Rwanda, with regular regional and international engagement
Contract	Full-time; terms to be specified in the employment contract

 

1. Institutional Background and Rationale

The African Centre of Excellence for Access to Justice (ACE-AJ) is a Pan-African platform established to

strengthen access to justice, legal empowerment, human rights and people-centred justice across Africa. Its

origins lie in a continentally grounded feasibility process undertaken in 2016 through consultations with

access-to-justice organisations in Kenya, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Malawi and South Africa. The feasibility

work examined the relevance, scope, sustainability, institutional form and operational requirements of a

continental centre and identified the need for a stronger African voice, systematic knowledge exchange,

research, learning, capacity development and collaboration among organisations working closest to

communities.

The feasibility process envisaged the Centre as more than a conventional project or secretariat. It was

conceived as a galvanising space for access-to-justice and legal-empowerment actors; a repository of

African practice and evidence; a platform for peer learning and exchange; a mechanism for strengthening

community-based justice; and a vehicle through which African organisations could develop collective

positions and speak with greater coherence on continental and global justice questions.

ACE-AJ was officially launched in Kigali, Rwanda, in 2017. Since its establishment, it has evolved into a

multi-country network bringing together civil society organisations and justice actors committed to

expanding access to justice for poor, vulnerable and marginalised communities. The Legal Aid Forum

(LAF), Rwanda, is a founding member and hosts the ACE-AJ Secretariat.

ACE-AJ’s Strategic Framework 2024–2030 provides the current institutional roadmap. It organises the

Centre’s work around five mutually reinforcing priorities: promoting holistic justice delivery; strengthening

capacity building; research and knowledge generation; advocacy and communication; and strengthening

ACE-AJ Secretariat hosted by LAF, Rwandathe ACE-AJ Secretariat. The Strategy also places substantial emphasis on monitoring, learning, institutional

visibility, membership growth, strategic partnerships and diversified resource mobilisation.

2. Purpose and Strategic Character of the Position

The Executive Coordinator is the principal executive and operational lead of the ACE-AJ Secretariat. The

purpose of the position is to provide disciplined continental coordination and executive leadership for the

implementation of ACE-AJ’s Constitution, Strategic Framework 2024–2030, decisions of the General

Assembly and Board, approved programmes and institutional commitments.

The Executive Coordinator will move ACE-AJ from strategy to implementation. The office holder will

connect a geographically dispersed membership, translate strategic priorities into annual and multi-year

plans, mobilise resources, coordinate multi-country programmes, strengthen governance and institutional

systems, generate and communicate evidence, develop strategic partnerships and position ACE-AJ as a

credible African platform on access to justice, legal empowerment and people-centred justice.

The position therefore requires a network builder and institutional entrepreneur, not only a programme

administrator. The Executive Coordinator must combine continental vision with implementation discipline;

diplomacy with accountability; strong member relations with external representation; and programme

leadership with fundraising, knowledge generation and organisational development.

3. Overall Accountability

• Serve as the principal executive focal point for implementation of ACE-AJ’s Strategic Framework 2024–

2030 and approved annual priorities.

• Ensure that decisions of the General Assembly and Board are translated into clear workstreams,

responsibilities, timelines, budgets, deliverables and measurable results.

• Lead the day-to-day work of the Secretariat and coordinate Secretariat personnel, consultants, technical

advisers and designated support from member organisations.

• Maintain effective operational coordination with LAF as host institution while safeguarding ACE-AJ’s

distinct continental identity, governance and member ownership.

• Provide timely, evidence-based advice to the Board on institutional development, programme

performance, partnerships, funding, risks and emerging access-to-justice trends.

4. Key Responsibilities

4.1 Continental Network Coordination, Membership and Movement Building

• Provide proactive day-to-day coordination of ACE-AJ as a Pan-African network and maintain

substantive engagement with members across countries, regions, legal traditions and languages.

• Develop an annual member-engagement architecture covering consultations, focal-person meetings, peer

exchanges, communities of practice, thematic working groups, institutional visits and regional or

continental convenings.

• Maintain structured two-way communication between the Secretariat, Board, General Assembly,

founding members, and strategic partners.

• Map and continuously update member expertise, innovations, community-justice models, research,

policy experience, institutional capacities and support needs.

• Strengthen member ownership by creating practical opportunities for members to lead research, training,

advocacy, convening and cross-country initiatives.

• Lead strategic membership growth, with particular attention to geographic balance and stronger

representation from underrepresented parts of the continent.ACE-AJ Secretariat hosted by LAF, Rwanda• Coordinate membership admission, onboarding, orientation, retention and an accurate, functional

membership database.

• Identify common challenges across jurisdictions and convert them into collective learning, research,

advocacy and programme initiatives.

4.2 Strategy Implementation and Institutional Performance

• Translate the 2024–2030 Strategic Framework into costed annual work plans, implementation matrices,

institutional calendars and measurable performance commitments.

• Coordinate implementation across all five strategic priorities and ensure that programme choices remain

connected to ACE-AJ’s mission, comparative advantage and member experience.

• Develop a Secretariat performance dashboard showing progress against strategic outcomes, programme

commitments, membership engagement, partnerships, fundraising, visibility and governance decisions.

• Institute quarterly implementation reviews and prepare concise performance briefs for the Board.

• Identify implementation bottlenecks, emerging risks and opportunities and recommend corrective

measures.

• Coordinate periodic strategy reviews and contribute evidence for the development of ACE-AJ’s post-

2030 strategic direction.

4.3 Holistic and People-Centred Justice

• Advance ACE-AJ’s agenda on holistic justice delivery by connecting formal, informal and community-

based justice actors and approaches.

• Promote recognition of community-based justice practitioners and strengthen their contribution to

accessible, affordable and responsive justice systems.

• Support member initiatives that demonstrate how legal empowerment, mediation, community justice,

legal aid and other people-centred approaches can complement formal justice institutions.

• Facilitate cross-country learning on enabling policy and regulatory environments for community-based

justice and paralegal practice.

• Ensure that the perspectives of poor, vulnerable and marginalised communities remain central to ACE-

AJ’s programmes, research, advocacy and institutional narrative.

4.4 Capacity Building and Peer Learning

• Develop and coordinate a continental capacity-building programme informed by member needs and the

Strategy.

• Organise practical peer-to-peer learning, mentorship, technical exchanges and cross-country exposure

among members.

• Develop partnerships with universities, legal aid clinics, professional bodies, judiciaries and specialist

institutions for training, research and professional development.

• Promote learning models that draw systematically on the experience of ACE-AJ members rather than

relying exclusively on external expertise.

• Support development of scalable training resources and, where feasible, longer and more intensive

learning programmes for community-based justice practitioners.

4.5 Research, Evidence and Knowledge Management

• Lead implementation of ACE-AJ’s research and knowledge-generation agenda, including practitioner-

driven and comparative research with continental policy relevance.

ACE-AJ Secretariat hosted by LAF, Rwanda• Coordinate documentation of best practices, innovations, impact case studies and lessons from member

organisations.

• Develop and maintain an accessible knowledge-sharing platform or e-repository for research, laws,

policies, tools, case studies and member resources.

• Promote common or compatible data-collection approaches across members to strengthen the African

evidence base on access to justice.

• Coordinate research partnerships with universities, research institutions and practitioners and ensure

appropriate ethical, data-protection and quality standards.

• Translate research into policy briefs, position papers, learning products, advocacy messages and practical

tools for members and decision-makers.

4.6 Continental Advocacy, Policy Influence and Representation

• Develop and coordinate ACE-AJ’s continental advocacy agenda, drawing on member evidence and

experience.

• Support development of coherent African positions on legal empowerment, community justice, legal aid,

people-centred justice and related emerging issues.

• Build structured engagement with the African Union, African Commission on Human and Peoples’

Rights, regional economic communities, United Nations mechanisms and other relevant regional and

global institutions.

• Identify opportunities for ACE-AJ and its members to contribute to justice-sector reform, policy

processes, legislative discussions and international forums.

• Represent ACE-AJ at authorised regional, continental and international engagements and prepare high-

quality briefs, statements and speaking points.

• Ensure that ACE-AJ’s advocacy elevates member expertise and community experience rather than

substituting for them.

4.7 Strategic Communication, Visibility and African Narrative

• Lead implementation of an institutional communication and visibility plan that establishes ACE-AJ as a

recognised source of African expertise on access to justice and legal empowerment.

• Oversee regular member updates, newsletters, website content, social media, publications and other

institutional communication.

• Develop a compelling evidence-based continental narrative demonstrating ACE-AJ’s added value and

the contribution of its members.

• Increase dissemination and citation of ACE-AJ research, policy products and member-generated

knowledge.

• Coordinate media engagement and ensure consistent branding, messaging and recognition of member

organisations.

4.8 Resource Mobilisation and Financial Sustainability

• Develop, maintain and drive a diversified resource-mobilisation strategy and funding pipeline aligned

with ACE-AJ’s strategic priorities.

• Map foundations, bilateral and multilateral partners, international organisations, corporate and

philanthropic actors and other potential supporters.

• Lead or coordinate high-quality concept notes, proposals, budgets, partnership submissions and donor

presentations.

ACE-AJ Secretariat hosted by LAF, Rwanda• Build and maintain long-term donor and strategic-partner relationships and coordinate due diligence,

negotiations, stewardship and reporting.

• Explore sustainable non-grant income approaches consistent with ACE-AJ’s mandate, governance and

applicable legal requirements.

• Work with the host institution and relevant governance structures to ensure sound grant management,

financial controls, compliance and transparent reporting.

• Strengthen ACE-AJ’s ability to demonstrate impact as a central element of fundraising and partnership

development.

4.9 Programme Development, Multi-country Implementation and Accountability

• Design and coordinate multi-country and network-wide initiatives from concept development through

implementation, monitoring, learning and reporting.

• Develop clear implementation arrangements with participating members, including roles, deliverables,

budgets, timelines, reporting requirements and decision-making arrangements.

• Track delivery across countries and intervene early where implementation is delayed or quality is at risk.

• Coordinate narrative and management reporting to the Board, members, partners and donors.

• Ensure programmes demonstrate clear value to participating members and contribute to ACE-AJ’s

strategic outcomes rather than operating as isolated projects.

4.10 Governance and Institutional Development

• Provide high-quality technical and administrative support to the Board and General Assembly.

• Coordinate AGMs, Board meetings and other governance processes, including agendas, briefing papers,

minutes, decision registers and systematic follow-up.

• Maintain constitutional, governance, membership, programme and institutional records.

• Support development, review and implementation of policies, manuals, procedures and internal systems

required for a credible continental institution.

• Ensure Secretariat operations comply with the ACE-AJ Constitution, approved policies, governance

decisions and relevant legal and contractual obligations.

• Support the establishment and effective operation of thematic working groups, committees, patrons or

other mechanisms provided for in ACE-AJ’s strategic and governance framework.

5. Expected Results and Performance Indicators

• ACE-AJ functions as an active, connected and member-owned continental network with demonstrably

regular and substantive member participation.

• Annual strategic priorities and governance decisions are implemented, tracked and reported

systematically.

• Membership expands strategically and becomes more geographically and linguistically representative.

• Regional and continental exchanges, working groups and joint initiatives produce documented learning

and collaborative action.

• ACE-AJ generates and disseminates credible African evidence, research, best practices and policy

products.

• ACE-AJ’s visibility and participation in relevant African and international justice platforms increases.

• A credible and diversified funding pipeline is maintained, with stronger donor stewardship and

institutional sustainability.

ACE-AJ Secretariat hosted by LAF, Rwanda• Multi-country programmes demonstrate timely delivery, accountability, learning and clear value to

participating members.

• Governance, programme, financial, membership, partnership and communication records are accurate,

current and accessible.

• ACE-AJ increasingly contributes an identifiable African voice to debates and policy processes on access

to justice, legal empowerment and people-centred justice.

6. Qualifications and Experience

• Master’s degree in law, Human Rights, Development Studies, Public Policy, International Relations,

Governance, Programme Management or a closely related field. A strong bachelor’s degree combined

with substantial relevant senior experience may be considered.

• At least 5 years of progressively responsible professional experience in access to justice, legal

empowerment, human rights, governance, civil society strengthening, international development,

network leadership or a closely related field.

• Demonstrated experience coordinating a network, coalition, secretariat, regional platform or multi-

country partnership. Substantial experience working across several African countries is strongly

preferred.

• Demonstrated ability to translate strategy into implementation plans, budgets, partnerships, programmes

and measurable results.

• Strong experience in programme design and management, monitoring and learning, budgeting, reporting

and institutional planning.

• Proven experience in resource mobilisation, proposal development and donor or strategic-partner

relationship management.

• Experience supporting governance bodies and organisational/institutional development.

• Experience in research, policy engagement, advocacy, knowledge management or capacity development

relevant to access to justice is highly desirable.

• Excellent written and spoken English. Working knowledge of French is a strong advantage; knowledge

of other widely used African languages is an asset.

7. Core Competencies and Leadership Profile

• Continental network leadership and movement building.

• Strategic execution and disciplined follow-through.

• Member engagement, coalition management and cross-cultural diplomacy.

• Resource mobilisation, partnership development and donor stewardship.

• Programme leadership and multi-country coordination.

• Governance, institutional development and accountability.

• Research literacy, evidence use and knowledge translation.

• High-level writing, communication, advocacy and representation.

• Sound judgement, political and institutional sensitivity, integrity and independence.

• Ability to work effectively across borders, time zones, institutions and professional cultures with limited

supervision.

8. Particular Profile Sought

ACE-AJ is seeking an Executive Coordinator who can build an institution and a continental network at the

same time. The successful candidate will be comfortable engaging organisational leaders, practitioners,ACE-AJ Secretariat hosted by LAF, Rwandacommunity-justice actors, academics, donors, governments, regional institutions and international partners.

The person must be able to create trust among members while maintaining delivery discipline and

accountability.

Candidates should demonstrate through concrete examples how they have coordinated networks or multi-

country partnerships; converted strategy into implementation; maintained active member participation;

handled competing institutional interests; mobilised resources; built strategic partnerships; convened

diverse actors; generated or used evidence for policy influence; and contributed to institutional growth,

visibility and sustainability.

9. Reporting, Supervision and Working Relationships

The Executive Coordinator shall report to the ACE-AJ Founding Members in accordance with the

Constitution and shall operate within the agreed hosting arrangements with LAF. The Executive

Coordinator will work closely with the Chairperson and other Board members, the General Assembly,

member organisations and designated focal persons. For hosted administrative functions, the Executive

Coordinator will maintain close operational coordination with the Executive Director and relevant

departments of LAF.

The Executive Coordinator will supervise ACE-AJ Secretariat personnel and coordinate consultants,

technical advisers, interns, service providers and staff designated by member organisations to support ACE-

AJ activities, subject to approved structures and budgets.

10. Eligibility and Right to Work in Rwanda

This recruitment is primarily intended for Rwandan nationals and non-Rwandan nationals who are already

legally resident in Rwanda and authorised to work in Rwanda. Due to the resources available for this

position, ACE-AJ/LAF will not provide international relocation, expatriate benefits, or sponsorship for

relocation to Rwanda. Applicants must therefore be able to take up the position in Kigali under an existing

lawful right to reside and work in Rwanda.

11. Application Requirements

Applicants should submit a curriculum vitae, a letter of motivation, copies of relevant degree(s) and

certificate(s), and two professional references. The motivation letter should specifically demonstrate

experience in coordinating networks, coalitions or multi-country partnerships and provide concrete

examples of continental or cross-country coordination, strategy implementation, convening, membership

engagement, partnership development and resource mobilisation.

Applications should be addressed to the Executive Director of LAF, as host of the ACE-AJ Secretariat, and

submitted by email to legalaidrwanda@gmail.com with a copy (cc) to ace.a2j@gmail.com The deadline

for submission of applications is 30 October 2026. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

ACE-AJ Secretariat hosted by LAF, Rwanda