The Network

Réseau des Femmes Leaders pour le Développement (RFLD) is a pan-African feminist network. Founded in 2013 and led by African women, we connect 670 women-led organisations across more than 35 African countries, with our deepest presence in francophone West Africa and the Sahel. We are registered in Ghana, Senegal, Benin, Nigeria and The Gambia, and we work from six offices: Porto-Novo and Dakar as francophone hubs, Accra as our Africa Office, Banjul for our liaison with the African Commission, Lagos in Nigeria, and Igolo for our member platforms.

We combine four kinds of work inside one organisation: rights-based advocacy at the African Commission and the African Union, open continental data through the DƎNÙESÈ Data Center, grassroots re-granting through the West African Feminist Fund, and community programmes delivered with our members. We hold NGOsource 501(c)(3) equivalency and ACHPR Observer Status N°553, we co-chair the GIZ/BMZ SEA-T Council, and our audited work is supported by partners including Sida, GIZ, the Packard Foundation, AmplifyChange, Expertise France and FJS.

The Opportunity

Europe is a decisive space for women’s rights funding and policy. The European Union and European foundations are among the largest supporters of gender equality and civil society in the world, and francophone African feminist organisations remain under-represented in those conversations. By AWID’s tracking, under 3% of global funding for women’s rights organisations reaches francophone West Africa, the region where RFLD is strongest.

RFLD is opening an EU Representative role to close that gap. You will carry our voice into European institutions and philanthropy, make RFLD visible where decisions and grants are made, and help our team turn European interest into durable, well-resourced partnerships. You will represent a network that already delivers, transparently and at scale.

Your Role

You are RFLD’s face across the European Union. You open doors, build trust, and hold relationships with EU institutions and European funders over time. You spot funding calls and policy openings early, and you help translate them into proposals and partnerships alongside our Africa-based team. You represent RFLD in senior settings without needing day-to-day direction, and you bring back clear intelligence on where Europe is moving. You report to and work closely with the Director of Strategy and Development, and you coordinate with the Africa Office and programme leads.

What You’ll Do

• Represent RFLD to EU institutions, including the European Commission (notably DG INTPA), the European Parliament, and the European External Action Service.
• Build and manage trusted relationships with European public and private funders, including foundations, bilateral agencies and pooled funds.
• Monitor EU funding calls, strategies and policy developments on gender equality, sexual and reproductive health and rights, civic space and human rights, and flag relevant opportunities early.
• Shape competitive proposals and concept notes for European donors, working with the Africa Office and the Director of Strategy and Development.
• Represent RFLD at conferences, coalitions, working groups and convenings across Europe, and build our presence in Brussels-based networks.
• Position RFLD’s francophone African feminist work in European policy and philanthropy conversations, drawing on our data, results and credentials.
• Prepare briefings and talking points for RFLD leadership ahead of European meetings and missions.
• Support due-diligence and compliance conversations with European funders, drawing on our audited systems and policy suite.
• Contribute to RFLD’s wider resource-mobilisation strategy and share European intelligence with the team.

What Success Looks Like

In your first year, we would expect you to have mapped the European institutions and funders most relevant to RFLD, opened a set of credible new relationships, and secured meetings that RFLD’s leadership can build on. You will have positioned RFLD in a few European networks and events, flagged and helped pursue concrete funding opportunities, and set up a simple, shared way of tracking the European pipeline with the Africa Office. Success is measured in relationships opened and opportunities created, not in the volume of cold outreach.

What You Bring

• An advanced degree or equivalent demonstrated experience in international development, gender equality, human rights, or philanthropy and partnerships.
• An established network across EU institutions, European development or human-rights funders, or feminist and civil-society coalitions.
• A track record of building institutional relationships and winning or supporting grants, ideally with European donors.
• A base in the European Union, with the right to live and work there. A base in Brussels is an advantage.
• Fluency in English and French, both essential given RFLD’s francophone anchor. Additional EU languages are an asset.
• Strong representation, writing and relationship skills, with the judgement to speak for RFLD in senior settings and to build partnerships without direct authority.
• Familiarity with EU development and gender funding instruments and processes is a strong advantage.
• A commitment to RFLD’s feminist, Afro-centred values and to our safeguarding and integrity standards.
• The ability to work independently and coordinate across time zones with a team based in Africa.

How You’ll Work With Us

This is a role for someone who works well on their own and stays close to a team on another continent. You will have regular check-ins with the Director of Strategy and Development, access to RFLD’s materials, data and leadership, and the backing of a network of 670 organisations. We value initiative, discretion and follow-through, and we will give you the context and the trust to represent us well. Some travel within Europe, and occasionally to Africa, may be part of the role.

Terms and Location

This is a representation role based in the European Union. The basis of the engagement, whether part-time, consultancy, or a voluntary ambassador arrangement, and any remuneration, will be agreed with the selected candidate according to experience and availability. You must have unrestricted authorisation to work in the country where you are based. RFLD does not provide immigration-related sponsorship for this role.

How to Apply

Apply through our online application form: forms.gle/pxDKkwz29XiCC1uU7. Please submit your CV and a short letter of motivation, in English or French, and tell us briefly about the European relationships you would bring.

Applications close on 31 December 2026. Because of the high volume of applications, we are unable to respond to individual emails. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for a conversation with RFLD’s leadership.

Inclusion and Safeguarding

RFLD is an equal-opportunity network. We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds and treat every applicant fairly, without regard to race, colour, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity, national origin, or marital status. Women and francophone candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. RFLD maintains a full safeguarding and PSEAH policy, and the selected candidate will be expected to uphold it in all representation of the network.