Purpose
The Regional Director, Africa, is the senior executive entrusted with expanding Women for Women International’s revenue streams, fostering partnerships, and strengthening the organization’s strategic footprint throughout the continent. Additionally, they oversee the provision of line management, coordination, and leadership support to Country Directors across the region.
The position enhances WWI’s unified approach by fostering greater coordination among country strategy, program execution, operational efficiency, and revenue generation across the African region. The Regional Director, Africa, will oversee the development and implementation of a multi-year regional strategy, integrating philanthropic initiatives, institutional funding, corporate collaborations, diaspora contributions, high-net-worth donations, and strategically selected earned-income or investment-aligned ventures.
The Regional Director, Africa is tasked with driving regional revenue growth while providing essential leadership through the mentorship and management of Country Directors, fostering cross-country collaboration, and reinforcing planning and performance discipline. Additionally, the role involves proactively identifying opportunities and mitigating risks in close partnership with Programs, Operations, Finance, Risk, Compliance, and Communications to ensure timely and coordinated action.
This position acts as WWI’s key external liaison for Africa, engaging with the Global Revenue Team and other pertinent global platforms while spearheading regional partnership initiatives and market expansion efforts throughout the continent.
We are seeking a dynamic Engagement professional to drive meaningful connections and foster ongoing relationships with our stakeholders. In this role, responsibilities include developing tailored engagement strategies, executing targeted outreach initiatives, and analyzing feedback to enhance satisfaction and loyalty. The ideal candidate will possess strong interpersonal skills, a customer-centric mindset, and proficiency in CRM tools. A proven track record in stakeholder management, excellent communication abilities, and the capacity to interpret data insights are essential. Additionally, experience in designing and implementing engagement campaigns that resonate with diverse audiences is required.
Act as the principal liaison between Women for Women International (WWI) and external stakeholders across Africa, engaging with regional donors, corporate entities, philanthropic networks, intergovernmental organizations, and key strategic partners.
Devote significant effort to fostering external relationships, cultivating partnerships, and enhancing WWI’s regional visibility to secure essential funding and expand its influence.
Work collaboratively with Country Directors and global colleagues to align and execute integrated regional planning initiatives.
Regularly collaborate with the CEO, CPP, COO, and other key leadership stakeholders to discuss regional priorities, evaluate risks, monitor performance metrics, and address support requirements.
Foster and sustain robust connections with African philanthropic, corporate, institutional, and diaspora networks to establish WWI as a trusted and influential regional partner.
Oversee and execute core duties encompassing strategic planning, team leadership, and operational efficiency to drive organizational success. Collaborate with cross-functional departments to align initiatives with company objectives, ensuring seamless integration of processes. Develop and implement policies and procedures to enhance productivity, compliance, and risk management. Monitor performance metrics, analyze trends, and present actionable insights to senior leadership to inform data-driven decision-making. Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement while mentoring team members to maximize individual and collective potential. Ensure adherence to industry regulations, ethical standards, and best practices to maintain organizational integrity and reputation.
A dependable and efficient delivery professional is sought to ensure timely and accurate transportation of goods to designated locations. The successful candidate must possess a valid driver’s license, a clean driving record, and the ability to operate delivery vehicles safely and responsibly. Responsibilities include loading and unloading shipments, maintaining vehicle cleanliness and functionality, and adhering to delivery schedules while providing courteous service. Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to work independently are essential. Prior experience in delivery or logistics is preferred.
Develops and executes strategic initiatives and comprehensive plans to drive organizational growth and operational excellence. Conducts in-depth market analysis, evaluates competitive landscapes, and identifies emerging trends to inform data-driven decision-making. Collaborates with senior leadership to align business strategies with long-term objectives, ensuring sustainable development and resource optimization. Formulates actionable roadmaps, monitors key performance indicators, and adjusts strategies as needed to meet evolving market demands and internal goals.
Direct the formulation and implementation of a cohesive Africa regional strategy, ensuring alignment with the Global Revenue Strategy and tailored to specific country conditions.
Develop a practical regional strategy by aligning global priorities with market opportunities, country-specific plans, and the organization’s program capacity and operational readiness.
Develop and implement annual priorities, objectives, and evaluation frameworks to assess regional revenue performance and enhance Country Director leadership coordination.
Ensure Africa plays a pivotal role in advancing WWI’s revenue objectives, all while maintaining a balanced approach that prioritizes practical execution, robust risk mitigation, and alignment with local conditions.
Driving revenue growth, cultivating strategic partnerships, and expanding market presence stand as key responsibilities in this role. The position demands expertise in identifying and seizing high-impact opportunities to enhance business performance through innovative revenue strategies. Additionally, the role requires the ability to forge and maintain robust collaborations with external stakeholders, ensuring alignment with organizational goals. Market development initiatives must also be spearheaded, leveraging data-driven insights to penetrate new markets and drive sustainable growth. Strong analytical skills and a results-oriented mindset are essential to execute these responsibilities effectively.
Spearhead a multi-year revenue strategy for Africa, encompassing philanthropic initiatives, corporate partnerships, institutional funding, diaspora contributions, and select earned-income ventures.
Develop and oversee a robust regional donor and partner pipeline, prioritizing engagement with African philanthropic organizations, corporate social responsibility initiatives, regional institutions, development finance institutions, and diaspora networks.
Engage proactively with affluent African investors, family trusts, regional enterprises, and multi-country institutions to uncover and nurture lucrative prospects.
To bolster and diversify revenue streams across Africa, ensuring the region achieves greater resilience and reduces its reliance on conventional donor markets.
Champion WWI’s program offerings and value proposition within the region, maintaining a cohesive and compelling narrative for donors, partners, and external stakeholders to ensure alignment and clarity.
Deliver exceptional stewardship, reporting, and donor engagement across all regional partnerships and revenue streams.
Our organization seeks to establish and maintain robust institutional and regional partnerships to drive collaborative initiatives and enhance collective impact. We are looking for professionals who excel in building and nurturing strategic alliances across diverse sectors, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and fostering mutual growth. The ideal candidate will possess strong interpersonal and negotiation skills, along with a proven ability to manage complex stakeholder relationships. Additionally, experience in developing cross-sectoral partnerships, securing funding opportunities, and executing collaborative projects is highly desirable. This role demands adaptability, cultural sensitivity, and a passion for creating sustainable partnerships that deliver tangible benefits to all parties involved.
Develop and nurture a robust pipeline of institutional engagements with African development banks, regional organizations, bilateral donors, and regional donor platforms.
Facilitate or assist in collaborative initiatives with regional and national stakeholders to enhance competitiveness, deepen the quality of partnerships, and reinforce localization credibility.
Ensure alignment of proposals and partnership models with Women for Women International (WWI) standards, monitoring and evaluation frameworks, and the operational realities of country-level delivery.
Forge strategic partnerships with key institutions, including the African Development Bank, African Union system, regional economic communities, and relevant United Nations agencies and regional platforms.
Maximizing earned income while fostering innovation is a key priority, as these elements drive sustainable growth and competitive advantage. This role demands a strategic approach to revenue generation, requiring consistent performance against financial targets and a commitment to exploring new opportunities. Innovation must be embedded in daily operations, encouraging creative problem-solving and the implementation of cutting-edge solutions to meet evolving market demands. Individuals in this position should thrive in dynamic environments, leveraging their expertise to identify gaps, capitalize on trends, and deliver measurable results that enhance profitability and long-term success.
Evaluate and expand revenue-generating or market-driven prospects that align with WWI’s mission, such as Village Savings and Loan Associations (SLAs), market systems development, curriculum or training solutions, digital innovations, and other pertinent models.
Support country teams in evaluating, testing, and expanding revenue-generating strategies that demonstrate sound unit economics and operational viability.
Cultivate strategic alliances with private sector entities, financial technology firms, agribusinesses, and market linkage platforms across Africa to enhance WWI’s strategic objectives and bolster women’s economic empowerment outcomes.
As the Country Director, you will be responsible for providing strategic leadership and ensuring effective coordination across all initiatives. Your role will involve overseeing program implementation, fostering partnerships with stakeholders, and aligning efforts with organizational goals. Additionally, you will manage a diverse team, drive operational excellence, and ensure compliance with relevant policies and standards. Strong communication, exceptional leadership, and the ability to navigate complex environments will be essential for success in this position.
You will oversee the performance, accountability, and professional growth of Country Directors across Africa, providing direct line management to ensure their success in these roles.
Deliver tailored coaching, mentorship, and strategic counsel to Country Directors, focusing on leadership enhancement, organizational planning, fundraising strategies, partnership cultivation, and cross-functional collaboration.
Enhance collaboration and knowledge exchange among African country offices while fostering a more cohesive and unified regional strategy.
Proactively identify and escalate critical country-specific risks, dependencies, and support requirements to the appropriate global teams for timely resolution.
Facilitate the harmonization of national strategies with regional prospects, organizational objectives, and existing resource allocations to ensure cohesive and effective implementation.
Facilitate strategic performance management initiatives, succession planning frameworks, and leadership development programs throughout the Africa region in collaboration with the PCC.
Cross-Functional Integration
Collaborate effectively with the Chief Procurement and Policy Officer (CPP) and Chief Operating Officer (COO) to ensure alignment between regional revenue objectives and program quality, delivery feasibility, staffing requirements, regulatory compliance, operational preparedness, and financial governance.
Collaborate with Finance, PCC, IT, Risk, Compliance, and Communications teams to ensure robust country and regional implementation.
Ensure rigorous forecasting, strategic planning, and systematic performance evaluations are implemented consistently across the region.
Foster innovative approaches to operational practices that enhance synergy between country-based teams and global departments.
Governance, Risk, and Stewardship encompass the oversight, management, and accountability frameworks essential for ensuring organizational integrity, regulatory compliance, and sustainable decision-making. This role requires meticulous attention to regulatory requirements, robust risk assessment methodologies, and strategic stewardship to safeguard assets and uphold ethical standards. Key responsibilities include establishing governance structures, identifying and mitigating potential risks, and promoting transparency and accountability across all levels of the organization. Strong analytical skills, a deep understanding of compliance frameworks, and the ability to communicate complex concepts effectively are critical for success in this position.
Ensure adherence to stringent safeguarding protocols, donor compliance requirements, financial integrity standards, and ethical partnership management throughout the region.
Direct regional oversight of market, partnership, funding, operational, and delivery risk assessment and escalation processes is required.
Maintain clear and consistent communication with global leadership regarding developing issues, proposed mitigation strategies, and necessary support.
Demonstrate responsible management of donor resources, partnerships, and organizational reputation by making disciplined decisions, maintaining clear accountability, and escalating issues appropriately.
We champion representation and cultivate thought leadership to drive meaningful conversations and innovations within our organization and across the industry. By elevating diverse perspectives and fostering expert insights, we position ourselves as a forward-thinking authority, shaping the future of our field through strategic vision and collaborative engagement. This commitment ensures our influence extends beyond internal operations, inspiring change and setting industry benchmarks.
Position Women for Women International as a respected and impactful leader in advocating for women’s economic empowerment, gender equality, financial inclusion, and market-driven solutions across the African continent.
Represent Women for Women International in policy dialogues at the regional level, engage in donor forums, philanthropic networks, corporate alliances, and strategic partnerships.
Develop strategic partnerships with international non-governmental organizations, local non-profits, private sector entities, and academic research institutions to enhance WWI’s regional influence and effectiveness.
Facilitate enhanced visibility and establish thought leadership while strengthening strategic communications through collaboration with the pertinent global teams.
Drives the development and nurturing of high-performing teams while fostering an inclusive, collaborative culture that aligns with organizational values and enhances employee engagement.
Develop and manage a top-performing regional team across Africa, establishing transparent objectives, enforcing accountability, and fostering opportunities for professional advancement.
Develop and sustain an environment that emphasizes high performance, teamwork, continuous learning, and rigorous execution.
Facilitate alignment between country and regional teams to demonstrate how their contributions directly support regional objectives and the overarching goals of the global organization.
Champion inclusive leadership and cultivate robust cross-functional relationships throughout the Africa region and globally.
Overseeing a range of operational duties, the role involves ensuring compliance with established policies, managing routine administrative tasks, and supporting team objectives through effective coordination. The position requires meticulous attention to detail, strong organizational abilities, and the capacity to prioritize workloads efficiently. Additionally, the individual will be responsible for maintaining accurate documentation, facilitating smooth communication among departments, and troubleshooting issues as they arise to uphold productivity and service standards.
Perform any supplementary tasks as directed by the International Chief Executive Officer whenever necessary.
Uphold the Women for Women International (WWI) Code of Conduct, Safeguarding policies, and core organizational values—namely, Empowerment, Integrity, Respect, and Resilience.
Exemplify the Women for Women International leadership principles through decisive action, unwavering accountability, courageous decision-making, adaptability in challenging circumstances, and a commitment to fostering an inclusive environment.
A thorough understanding of relevant competencies and specialized knowledge is essential for this role. The position demands a robust skill set, including both technical and interpersonal abilities, to effectively perform the required tasks. Prior experience in similar positions is highly valued, as is familiarity with industry-specific tools and methodologies. The ideal candidate will possess a combination of educational background and practical expertise to meet the challenges of the position.
Requirements
Your covering letter must comprehensively address all criteria designated as (A) in the application; failure to do so will result in the application being disregarded.
Based in an African nation where the candidate possesses the legal authorization to work, as outlined by the employment terms in that specific country (A).
A master’s degree is a mandatory qualification for this position.
With at least a decade of senior leadership expertise, the ideal candidate will have a proven track record in fundraising, strategic partnerships, business development, international development, or closely related disciplines.
Skilled in interpreting donor trends and revenue prospects across Africa, with a strong emphasis on aligning insights with WWI’s mission, alongside a proven ability to secure at least $5 million annually from two or more donor categories, such as corporate entities, in support of social impact initiatives, including women’s empowerment.
Demonstrates extensive expertise in market-driven revenue models, social enterprise frameworks, or blended finance methodologies, substantiated by prior professional experience.
Proven expertise in forging and executing strategic partnerships focused on Africa, in collaboration with regional and global development organizations, accompanied by measurable and successful results.
Overseeing multi-country programs across Africa demands expertise in strategy formulation, budget planning, revenue forecasting, team leadership, financial reporting, and coordination with a global office.
Engagement in strategic forums and networks dedicated to women’s rights and economic empowerment is essential.
Demonstrated success in obtaining substantial financial support from philanthropists, corporate entities, foundations, institutions, and strategic partners across Africa or similar regions.
Proficient knowledge of African philanthropic ecosystems, corporate social responsibility trends, diaspora contributions, and institutional funding frameworks is required.
Proven track record in designing and executing multi-year strategic initiatives that achieve quantifiable growth objectives.
Exceptional aptitude for leading, developing, and coaching teams, along with a track record of fostering high-performing individuals and driving organizational growth.
Demonstrates exceptional abilities in cultivating strong professional relationships, conducting effective negotiations, and representing the organization externally with professionalism and confidence.
Proficient in written and spoken English, with fluency in additional African languages considered a valuable asset.
Demonstrates a strong dedication to advocating for women’s rights and gender equality, alongside upholding the highest standards of ethical fundraising practices.
Capable of undertaking regional and international travel as necessary.
Enjoy a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your well-being and professional growth, including health, dental, and vision insurance coverage, a generous retirement savings plan with company matching contributions, paid time off and holidays, flexible work arrangements, and access to wellness programs. Eligible employees may also qualify for additional perks such as tuition reimbursement, employee assistance programs, and career development opportunities. These benefits reflect our commitment to fostering a healthy, engaged, and motivated workforce.
We provide a highly competitive compensation package that is adjusted according to the local job market and tailored to the candidate’s level of experience.
Qualifications
MBA/MSc/MA
Experience Required
10 years
