RESPONSIBILITIES:

Strategy Development and Oversight

• Define Regional ambition and vision: Lead the development and articulation of a clear, compelling regional ambition aligned with the organization’s global strategy. Shape and communicate a shared vision that reflects the unique needs, opportunities, and aspirations of the region, while positioning the region to contribute meaningfully to global impact. Ensure this vision is informed by local realities, grounded in partnership with country teams and external stakeholders, and drives strategic alignment, resource mobilization, and innovation across the region.
• Lead the design and implementation of regional roadmaps and COs strategies to ensure alignment and coherence between regional, country program, and CARE-wide vision, mission, strategies and goals, while keeping abreast of constantly-shifting regional dynamics, trends, and international politics that influence the operational realities and opportunities on the ground.
• Guide and support the evolution of CARE’s role, presence, and changes to operating models within each country, including change to the most appropriate ‘footprint for CARE in East and Southern Africa COs (and regionally) and adapt as/where needed, to strengthen its legitimacy, local ownership, relevance, impact, and efficiency, prioritizing and strengthening local partnerships with civil society organizations, women led/rights organizations, private sector, donors, governments, etc.
• Provide guidance to COs and stay engaged with key regional stakeholders to ensure that CARE has consistent and safe humanitarian access, and has timely and relevant information and capacity to manage security, bureaucratic, administrative impediments in the region.
• Management Excellence and Accountability
• Support Country Directors and coordinate with other parts of CARE US and CARE Member Partners (CMPs) to ensure COs are ready and have capacity to (i) design and implement quality and impactful development programs, and also (ii) respond to emergencies, and provide effective leadership to the country offices’ response during emergencies.
• Support COs humanitarian response in the region and ensure Program Strategy and Innovation technical teams engagement with COs.
• Provide high-level financial oversight to support proper stewardship of CARE’s resources within the region
• Work closely with CARE USA functional teams (Programs, People & Culture, Finance and Operations, Legal, Digital and Internal Audit) to ensure program quality and impact, and compliance with internal and donor policies, and that risks are managed, financial management is effective, and appropriate training and support services are provided to COs and the region
• Monitor country and regional programmatic and financial performance on key performance indicators and hold Country Directors and other direct reports accountable for performance against key operational and enterprise level performance indicators.
• Representation, Stakeholder Engagement and Resource Acquisition
• Represent CARE at regional and global levels, through external stakeholder engagement (with government officials, donors, private sector, partners, community leaders, and other organizations, etc.), advocacy, media and public relations, strategic communication to convey the organization’s mission, values, and impact to East and Southern Africa’s stakeholders
• Lead on, and contribute to the development and implementation of a comprehensive regional advocacy agenda, with a particular focus on humanitarian advocacy, to drive policy changes and influence decision-making that address urgent humanitarian needs and challenges within the region
• Lead the design and execution of regional resource mobilization strategy to fund development and humanitarian programs and organizational priorities, in collaboration with Resource and Development, and Program Technical Teams.
• Promote and identify new and creative resource streams, particularly focused around increasing funding from private sector partners and for regional/ multi-country opportunities.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with local partner networks at regional level, peers, government agencies, donors, private sector partners and other stakeholders, advocating for shared objectives and collaborative solutions
• Develop and execute a comprehensive strategy for engaging private sector partners, fostering mutually beneficial relationships that contribute to the organization’s goals and impact
• Identify opportunities for innovative partnerships that leverage the expertise, resources, and networks of major stakeholders to address pressing development and humanitarian issues and challenges in the region.
• People & Culture, Talent Development and Succession Management
• Directly supervise, guide and support Country Directors, and senior program, operations and Humanitarian Directors through planning, communication, and feedback
• Hold Country Directors and other direct reports accountable for performance against key operational and enterprise level performance indicators
• Ensure that appropriate succession and development plans are implemented for senior management and other key talent in COs and the region
• Ensure staff with relevant skills and competencies are readily available to uphold high quality standards of operations across the region.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (e.g., International Development, Business Administration, Social Sciences)
• Over 7 years with proven results in senior management and leadership experience working in development and complex humanitarian operations, including in East and Southern Africa
• Proven ability to navigate a highly complex and matrixed global organization
• Proven experience overseeing operational risk and staff safety in fragile, conflict contexts
• Proven experience in high level engagement, including with private sector, and advocacy
• Proven ability to navigate a highly complex and matrixed global organization
• Extensive experience developing and securing funds for programs and services, from regional and global institutional donors such as USG, EU, private sector and foundations, philanthropists.
• Strong gender experience/ expertise. Experience in working with women movements.
• Good network of and experience in engaging with and influencing leaders in Southern Africa (donors, government authorities, leaders from private sector and international organizations, etc.).
• Effectively develop, lead and provide strategic direction to a diverse and inclusive team of leaders across a vast/diverse region. Consistently demonstrate your commitment to gender equality, diversity, equity and inclusion.
• Soft skills. Adaptive management skills to deal with different styles of leadership..
• Understanding of the basics of financial oversight and institutional donors compliance.
• English required.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in a relevant field (e.g., International Development, Business Administration, Social Sciences)
• Knowledge about and extensive work experience in East and Southern Africa is highly desired, including established regional relationships and a networking-base in the region (with donors, peers, government authorities, leaders from private sector, local organizations, etc)