Deputy Regional Director – Programs and Impact, Africa

Position title : Deputy Regional Director – Programs and Impact, Africa
Manager/Supervisor title : Regional Director, Africa
Position type : Full-time fixed term
Work environment : On-site

About This Role
The Deputy Regional Director Programs and Impact Africa (DRDP&I-A) will provide strategic, programmatic, and operational leadership for ChildFund’s programs in Africa. Reporting to the Regional Director, the DRDP&I will supervise Country Directors and guide program design and implementation, ensuring program quality and effective strategy delivery. The DRDP&I is responsible for driving results including quality and innovation and developing new opportunities in the region. Acting as an ambassador for organizational priorities, the DRDP&I will support country programs in implementing ChildFund’s Strategy through their Country Strategic Plans (CSPs). This role emphasizes collaboration for quality delivery, partnership, business development, monitoring, evaluation and learning. A significant portion of the DRDP&I’s time will be dedicated to driving performance and results, strategic plan monitoring and business development activities.
To be considered, candidates must have current residence and work authorization in a West African country where ChildFund has physical presence (Senegal, Guinea Conakry, The Gambia, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, or Sierra Leone).

Required Experience and Education
- A minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience in design and delivery of programs in development and humanitarian settings, or other related area is required.
- Experience working on development and humanitarian coordination at a senior management role is required.
- Experience in acquiring and managing large and complex grants
- Experience in a humanitarian context within the UN Common System or other comparable international organization is desirable.
- Experience in the Africa region is required.
- Experience with child sponsorship is an advantage.
- Extensive experience living and working in the international development community.

Required Competencies
ChildFund’s Core Competencies
- Teamwork: the ability to work effectively and collaborate with others; values and respects individual differences.
- Communication: demonstrates empathy and tact when communicating with others and uses a storytelling approach when appropriate.
- Results orientation gets things done; takes proactive steps to achieve organizational goals and quality standards.
- Decision making: uses good judgement, critical thinking, and non-traditional ways to evaluate problems and opportunities; reflects and innovates to improve decisions and outcomes.
- Resilience: thrives and grows in rapidly changing, demanding, and complex environments.
- Digital literacy: adopts and champions new technology to relevant contexts, stays aware of technological trends and embraces technological solutions to business challenges.

Other Required Competencies
- The ability to speak, read, and write fluently in both French and English.
- Demonstrated strong knowledge of the political and cultural context of Africa.
- Demonstrated technical expertise in program and project management.
- Demonstrated technical expertise in budget management.
- Strong leadership skills, including fostering teamwork, developing and motivating others, managing change, and conflict resolution.
- Strong fundraising and business development abilities; attracting local and international resources by engaging with various donors and developing proposals.
- Demonstrated relationship-building skills, with sensitivity to cultural, ethnic, social, and political issues.
- Excellent coalition building and partnership building abilities.
- Commitment to child development and protection as well as knowledge and understanding of the international child rights conventions and systems.
- Familiarity and knowledge about working with community development approaches and through local partner organizations.
- Good strategic planning skills, with the ability to anticipate and pragmatically solve problems, plan a course of action, and allocate resources based on data inputs and analysis.
- Innovative mindset; demonstrates support for innovation and organizational change and reacts positively and rapidly to changing conditions.
- Demonstrated experience in grants management and knowledge of donor requirements, particularly USG, EU, UN and other bi-lateral donors.