REGIONAL DIRECTOR EAST AND SOUTHERN AFRICA
About the job
JOB SUMMARY:
Location: Flexible within the ESA region
Are you ready to lead transformative change across one of the most dynamic and complex regions in the world where you will provide Global Impact and provide Humanitarian & Development Leadership?
CARE is seeking a Regional Director for East and Southern Africa (ESA) — a bold, visionary leader who will guide our teams and partnerships to achieve greater impact, drive humanitarian excellence, and help redefine how we work in the region. This is more than a leadership role — it’s a chance to shape the future of CARE’s work across a region facing urgent humanitarian crises and unprecedented opportunity for innovation, equity, and change.
Your Mission
As the Regional Director, you will provide strategic, operational, and thought leadership to CARE’s presence across East and Southern Africa (12 country offices). You’ll oversee the performance and impact of country offices and regional teams, ensuring alignment with CARE’s global strategy and bold humanitarian commitments. From steering humanitarian response to reimagining CARE’s presence through locally led partnerships, you’ll serve as a key architect of transformation and equity.
This role reports directly to the Vice President, International Programs & Operations (IPO) and sits on both the IPO Senior Management Team and the CARE US Global Leadership Team (GLT).
Key Responsibilities
Strategy & Impact
Define a bold and future-ready vision for the ESA region aligned with CARE’s global mission.
Lead the design and delivery of regional and country strategies that are responsive, adaptive, and grounded in local realities.
Reimagine CARE’s footprints and operational models to maximize impact, relevance, and local leadership.
Humanitarian Leadership
Ensure CARE is ready to respond at scale to protracted and rapid-onset humanitarian emergencies.
Champion CARE’s principled humanitarian action and ensure strategic advocacy to shape regional and global responses.
Strengthen coordination, access, and response effectiveness across volatile contexts.
Operational Excellence
Oversee programmatic, financial, and risk performance across the region.
Support Country Directors and senior leadership teams to ensure high-quality program design, delivery, compliance, and impact.
Build and sustain organizational resilience in the face of operational complexity and political change.
Partnerships & Advocacy
Represent CARE in high-level external forums, with donors, governments, regional bodies, and private sector actors.
Drive a bold regional advocacy and influencing agenda on issues affecting women and vulnerable communities.
Lead a forward-thinking regional resource mobilization strategy, including private sector engagement and regional funding opportunities.
People & Culture
Directly manage, mentor, and empower Country Directors and regional leadership.
Build inclusive, high-performing, and values-driven teams that reflect CARE’s commitment to equity and justice.
Lead strategic talent development and succession planning across the region.
Who You Are
A strategic and compassionate leader with deep experience in international development and humanitarian response.
Adept at navigating complex political, economic, and humanitarian landscapes in Africa.
Skilled in high-level representation, advocacy, and resource mobilization.
A champion of locally led solutions, gender equality, and transformational partnerships.
Known for your decisiveness, emotional intelligence, and cross-cultural agility.
Comfortable with significant regional travel and engagement with diverse stakeholders at all levels.
Why Join CARE?
This year, CARE and partners worked in 121 countries, reaching 53 million people through more than 1,450 projects. As Regional Director, you won’t just lead leaders— you’ll help shape a more just and resilient world.
Ready to lead with purpose and impact?
Apply now and be part of a global movement advancing social justice, humanitarian excellence, and transformative leadership across East and Southern Africa.
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