Regional Director - Africa | ReliefWeb

Position: Regional Director - Africa

Location: Nairobi, Kenya with travel to multiple field locations in the Africa Region

Reports to: Senior Vice President, International Programs (SVP)

About RI: Relief International is a leading nonprofit organization working in 20 countries to relieve poverty, ensure well-being and advance dignity. We specialize in fragile settings, responding to natural disasters, humanitarian crises and chronic poverty.

Relief International combines humanitarian and development approaches to provide immediate services while laying the groundwork for long-term impact. Our signature approach — which we call the RI Way—emphasizes local participation, an integration of services, strategic partnerships, and a focus on civic skills. In this way, we empower communities to find, design and implement the solutions that work best for them.

Position Summary:

Relief International is seeking experienced candidates for the position of Regional Director (RD) for Africa. The Regional Director will have significant management and international experience, a passion for humanitarian relief and development work, and be capable of successfully leading program teams and operations in four countries currently (Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia and Uganda) as well as exploring potential new programs in the region. Relief International currently employs 600 staff in the region and has a range of emergency response and development programs valued at 25 million USD which is expected to grow and reflect quality improvements in the years to come.

The RD will provide guidance, supervision and support to country directors and senior managers. He/she is directly responsible for the overall regional and country strategic planning, successful program delivery and performance management of country programs within his/her region, as well as oversight of the program support operations (security, finance, HR, operations). In addition, the RD is responsible for strengthening regional-level external relations and coordination. For his/her region and countries the RD will identify, and take steps to mitigate organizational risk. He/she will collaborate closely with all departments and support the Country Directors by making resources from the regional support team available, in order to ensure that programs meet stated objectives, are in line with RI’s mission, approach and strategy, meet the needs of partner communities, and are implemented to the highest standards, on time, and within budget. The RD also supports all efforts at the regional and country-level in new program development, ensuring that new programs fit within RI’s strategy, are technically sound and meet budgetary requirements.

The Regional Director (RD) will also serve on RI’s global Leadership Team and provide insight and guidance on global-level strategy, approach, systems effectiveness and improvements, and help strengthen the alignment of senior management and the CEO with our work in the field. The RD will ensure strong leadership of all members of the RI Regional Team so as to build team spirit, cohesion, motivation, commitment, quality performance and fulfillment of all agency functions and compliance with all agency policies and procedures, as well as commitments to our stakeholders.

Skills, Experience, Knowledge:

• Demonstrated belief in RI’s core values


• Ten years experience in relevant management positions in development or humanitarian organisations with focus on Africa.


• Proven ability to set strategic direction, manage high performing teams and lead change processes


• Adequate mixture of field and HQ experience.


• Practical experience of applying development issues at a project or community level coupled with impact assessment and evaluation of poverty reduction and social change.


• Substantial experience in the financial management of budgets, including preparing financial projections, general financial management and reporting.


• Proven expertise of leading in fundraising, seeking and securing new donors,


• Demonstrated success at proposal writing as well as management of large and complex grants;


• Evidence of understanding the challenges of donor and grant/contract management and the implications for program management


• Demonstrated team leadership experience, particularly multi-cultural teams.


• Experience of working effectively as a team member with colleagues based outside the country.


• Sufficient computer comfort level to learn new relevant software tools.


• Proficient English language writing and verbal skills. Ability to communicate in French or Arabic is a plus.

RI Values:

We uphold the Humanitarian Principles: humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and operational independence.

We affirmatively engage the most vulnerable communities.

We value:

• Inclusiveness


• Transparency and Accountability


• Agility and Innovation


• Collaboration


• Sustainability