Vice President, Africa Strategy & Execution

Qualifications:  

• Graduate degree in international development, law, public policy, business administration, organizational leadership, or a related field preferred; an equivalent combination of bachelor’s degree and significant relevant leadership experience will be considered; 
  
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive leadership experience in international development, justice-system strengthening, human rights, government, nonprofit, public policy, or a related field; 
  
• Minimum of seven years of experience leading and developing high-performing teams in direct and matrixed environments, ideally including senior leadership of country-level, regional, or multi-country teams; 
  
• Demonstrated experience driving strategy, organizational effectiveness, program delivery, or operational improvement across complex and culturally diverse environments; 
  
• Demonstrated experience leading through change, building alignment across multiple stakeholders, and translating strategy into sustained execution; 
  
• Experience working in Africa, including familiarity with the East Africa context, is strongly preferred; 
  
• Experience engaging senior government officials, justice-sector stakeholders, funders, faith leaders, civil-society organizations, and/or other agents of change is preferred; 
  
• Experience with budget planning, financial stewardship, and resource allocation in a complex operational environment is required; 
  
• Strong strategic and systems thinking, with the ability to assess complex program and organizational information, identify risks and opportunities, and develop actionable recommendations; 
  
• Demonstrated knowledge of international development, human rights, justice-system strengthening, violence prevention, public-sector reform, or related programmatic fields; 
  
• Ability to interpret program, financial, operational, and people data and use it to improve decisions, performance, and accountability; 
  
• Strong program and portfolio management capability, including planning, governance, monitoring, evaluation, risk management, and continuous improvement; 
  
• Proven ability to manage budgets and resources responsibly, including financial planning, forecasting, and compliance with internal controls; 
  
• Exceptional written, verbal, and executive communication skills, including the ability to produce clear analyses, recommendations, briefings, and presentations; 
  
• Ability to work effectively within matrixed structures and clarify cross-functional roles, accountabilities, and decision rights; and 
  
• Professional fluency in English is required. Proficiency in Swahili or another relevant African regional language is preferred. 
  

Critical Qualities: 

• Mature orthodox Christian faith with a demonstrated commitment to Christian spiritual formation, personal integrity, prayerful leadership, and IJM’s Core Values: Christian, Professional, and Bridge-Building; 
  
• Mission-first servant leadership characterized by humility, courage, emotional intelligence, resilience, sound judgment, and a strong service ethic; 
  
• Exceptional relationship-building and collaboration skills across cultures, functions, levels of seniority, and geographies; 
  
• High adaptability and comfort navigating ambiguity, evolving priorities, complex stakeholder environments, and significant organizational change; 
  
• Ability to build trust, foster psychological safety, manage conflict constructively, and hold teams accountable with clarity and grace; 
  
• Strong cultural awareness and appreciation for difference, with demonstrated effectiveness working across diverse national, cultural, professional, and faith contexts; and 
  
• Tenacity, initiative, and disciplined follow-through in pursuing mission-critical goals and delivering high-quality results. 
  

Qualifications:  

• Graduate degree in international development, law, public policy, business administration, organizational leadership, or a related field preferred; an equivalent combination of bachelor’s degree and significant relevant leadership experience will be considered; 
  
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive leadership experience in international development, justice-system strengthening, human rights, government, nonprofit, public policy, or a related field; 
  
• Minimum of seven years of experience leading and developing high-performing teams in direct and matrixed environments, ideally including senior leadership of country-level, regional, or multi-country teams; 
  
• Demonstrated experience driving strategy, organizational effectiveness, program delivery, or operational improvement across complex and culturally diverse environments; 
  
• Demonstrated experience leading through change, building alignment across multiple stakeholders, and translating strategy into sustained execution; 
  
• Experience working in Africa, including familiarity with the East Africa context, is strongly preferred; 
  
• Experience engaging senior government officials, justice-sector stakeholders, funders, faith leaders, civil-society organizations, and/or other agents of change is preferred; 
  
• Experience with budget planning, financial stewardship, and resource allocation in a complex operational environment is required; 
  
• Strong strategic and systems thinking, with the ability to assess complex program and organizational information, identify risks and opportunities, and develop actionable recommendations; 
  
• Demonstrated knowledge of international development, human rights, justice-system strengthening, violence prevention, public-sector reform, or related programmatic fields; 
  
• Ability to interpret program, financial, operational, and people data and use it to improve decisions, performance, and accountability; 
  
• Strong program and portfolio management capability, including planning, governance, monitoring, evaluation, risk management, and continuous improvement; 
  
• Proven ability to manage budgets and resources responsibly, including financial planning, forecasting, and compliance with internal controls; 
  
• Exceptional written, verbal, and executive communication skills, including the ability to produce clear analyses, recommendations, briefings, and presentations; 
  
• Ability to work effectively within matrixed structures and clarify cross-functional roles, accountabilities, and decision rights; and 
  
• Professional fluency in English is required. Proficiency in Swahili or another relevant African regional language is preferred. 
  

Critical Qualities: 

• Mature orthodox Christian faith with a demonstrated commitment to Christian spiritual formation, personal integrity, prayerful leadership, and IJM’s Core Values: Christian, Professional, and Bridge-Building; 
  
• Mission-first servant leadership characterized by humility, courage, emotional intelligence, resilience, sound judgment, and a strong service ethic; 
  
• Exceptional relationship-building and collaboration skills across cultures, functions, levels of seniority, and geographies; 
  
• High adaptability and comfort navigating ambiguity, evolving priorities, complex stakeholder environments, and significant organizational change; 
  
• Ability to build trust, foster psychological safety, manage conflict constructively, and hold teams accountable with clarity and grace; 
  
• Strong cultural awareness and appreciation for difference, with demonstrated effectiveness working across diverse national, cultural, professional, and faith contexts; and 
  
• Tenacity, initiative, and disciplined follow-through in pursuing mission-critical goals and delivering high-quality results.