Regional Director Horn, Eastern, Central and Southern Africa (HECSA)

Cordaid is an international organisation for development and humanitarian assistance, working especially in fragile and conflict-affected regions. Guided by Christian values of human dignity, justice and compassion, we work towards a world without poverty and with equitable opportunities for all. More than 1.9 billion people live in fragile contexts where access to essential services and opportunities is limited. Together with our partners, we support locally led programmes that strengthen healthcare, education, agrifood and justice systems. When crises occur, we work alongside local organisations to provide humanitarian assistance. Cordaid is headquartered in the Netherlands and operates in 15 countries across Africa and Asia. Our organization operates through a domain-based model, where regional teams work closest to partners and context, supported by specialized domains that provide technical expertise, quality standards, donor engagement, and compliance. This interdependent way of working enables us to combine local ownership with strong organizational standards and deliver effective, context-driven programs. Regional Director Horn, Eastern, Central and Southern Africa (HECSA) (Fulltime, based in the HECSA region) As our experienced and strategically minded Regional Director HECSA, you will lead our Regional Core for the Horn, Eastern, Central and Southern Africa. As a key member of Cordaid’s Senior Leadership Team, you will provide senior executive leadership across a diverse multi-country portfolio. Your mission is to ensure our regional work is partner-centered, locally relevant, financially sustainable, and fully aligned with the highest organizational and integrity standards. You report directly to the International Director, Programs and Impact. What you do Regional Strategy & Leadership: Lead the HECSA regional strategy and ensure alignment with global strategies and locally led development commitments. Set regional priorities, guide portfolio and resource choices, resolve cross-functional bottlenecks, and contribute to organization-wide leadership through the Senior Leadership Team. Partner Ecosystem & Locally Led Development: Set the strategic direction for partnership practices and ecosystem development. Ensure mutual accountability through clear expectations, performance dialogue, and transparent feedback mechanisms, creating an enabling environment for equitable, context-driven partnerships. External Representation & Political Engagement: Represent Cordaid at the highest levels with governments, institutional donors, regional networks, civil society platforms, and private-sector actors. Use contextual, political, economic, and security analysis to inform organizational positioning and decision-making in sensitive environments. Portfolio Performance & Financial Resilience: Hold overall accountability for the financial health and performance of the regional portfolio against agreed KPIs (quality, partner satisfaction, risk management). Set priorities and make strategic trade-offs across countries, partners, investments, and opportunity pipelines. Humanitarian Preparedness & Response: Provide strategic oversight of the regional humanitarian portfolio, preparedness, and response readiness. Provide strategic direction during crises to ensure coherent regional decision-making and alignment with core international humanitarian standards. Risk, Safeguarding, Safety & Compliance: Ensure regional risks are identified, addressed, and escalated in a timely manner. Provide strong safety and security leadership, including duty of care for staff and partners, and collaborate with Shared Services to uphold formal compliance, legal, procurement, and HR policies. Quality, Evidence & Learning: Ensure that evidence, learning, partner feedback, and performance information are structurally embedded into regional decision-making, portfolio reviews, and strategic priority settings. People Leadership & Change Management: Lead, support, and develop the senior regional management team. Shape an entrepreneurial, open, and accountable regional culture, driving the implementation of new ways of working and embedding clear decision-making processes. Who you are You have an Advanced degree (Master’s or equivalent) in International Development, Political Science, Public Administration, Humanitarian Studies, or a related field. At least 10 years of senior leadership experience in Horn, Eastern, Central, or Southern Africa, or comparable fragile and politically complex contexts. Strong experience in regional leadership, strategic partnership stewardship, external representation, portfolio oversight, and resource mobilization. Demonstrated experience engaging with senior political, donor, government, civil society, and private-sector network actors. A strong understanding of locally led development, partner-led programming, humanitarian preparedness, risk management, safeguarding, safety, and compliance in fragile settings. In-depth knowledge of the application of Core Humanitarian Standards (CHS), Sphere standards, Pledge for Change, and Grand Bargain commitments. Proven ability to build strategic partnerships, support co-creation, strengthen funding pipelines, and lead multi-country or distributed teams through organizational change. You are fluent in English. Knowledge of French, Arabic, Portuguese, or relevant regional languages is a distinct asset. You recognize yourself in Cordaid’s mission and values. What we offer A high-profile senior leadership position within an international, professional organization with a focus on social impact. A varied, highly impactful, and autonomous role where strategic initiative and vision are essential. A global organization with a strong commitment to social entrepreneurship and locally led impact. Good international working conditions and excellent secondary benefits. An initial contract for 1 year with the intention of extending, based within the HECSA region. Hybrid working conditions and a market-conform contract with employment terms and conditions aligned with the responsibilities of the position.

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