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Position Summary
The VP, Regional Programs for West Africa plays a pivotal senior leadership role within FHI 360, providing strategic vision and direction to drive measurable impact on development and humanitarian challenges. This role ensures the delivery of high-quality, evidence-informed programs and research, advances locally led solutions, and stays attuned to evolving country contexts, adapting organizational approaches in response to risks and opportunities. The VP supports project and country-level teams in implementing company-wide policies and practices, meeting annual revenue targets, ensuring staff safety and well-being, and mitigating organizational risk. Additionally, the VP interacts with internal and external executive-level management, negotiates critical matters, influences policymaking, and partners with the executive leadership team to drive innovation and solutions across the company.
Candidates located in and/or from the region in a country where FHI 360 has offices will be favorably considered.
Responsibilities / duties
Complexity & Problem Solving:
• Oversee workforce planning and staffing models, considering multiple and interrelated initiatives.
• Contribute to change management work for business and process improvements.
• Coordinate regional budget analysis, forecasts, and progress reviews.
• Handle abstract concepts across business functions, evaluating intangible variables to pinpoint underlying issues.
• Offer strategic guidance for the region, enhancing work planning processes, using project service platforms, and generating actionable business intelligence on potential new opportunities, funder directions, local context, and potential local implementing partners.
• Provide solutions to complex, difficult, and/or unusual situations.
• Demonstrate a responsive customer service orientation.
Discretion & Impact:
• Shape and implement the company’s overarching strategy, translating it into multidimensional objectives for the region.
• Ensure consistent performance in meeting/exceeding programmatic targets, achieving revenue targets, and maintaining responsible stewardship of donor funds.
• Advance organizational strategy through effective award execution.
• Work with staff to identify, manage, and mitigate organizational and program risks, including safeguarding of program participants.
• Ensure strong financial stewardship and accountability for programmatic and technical quality, funder/customer satisfaction, and achievement of planned results.
• Provide leadership in emergency situations for assigned projects as required.
Collaboration & Interaction:
• Establish, serve, and maintain partnerships with internal and external stakeholders to achieve strategic goals.
• Interact with key internal and external stakeholders, negotiating critical matters and shaping policy and strategy through effective communication.
• Collaborate with the executive leadership team to align their area with company objectives.
• Engage with donors to secure continued funding for awards and contribute to new business development.
• Participate in global fora to share lessons and raise/maintain the organization’s global leadership reputation.
• Contribute to a regular stream of impact stories, blogs, and activities that enhance organizational capabilities and reputation.
Management & Supervision:
• Oversee a region through directors and managers, ensuring successful operations.
• Guide teams in developing new methods and addressing company-wide issues.
• Support performance management and professional development of direct reports, including ongoing feedback, coaching, and career support.
• Cultivate a diverse and inclusive workforce where everyone benefits from opportunity, mutual respect, and a sense of belonging.
• Set goals and budgets for projects and lead the region in achieving strategic goals.
• Manage Portfolio Directors, Project Directors, and support teams.
• Ensure the region consistently meets annual expense/revenue targets and on-time completion of quality deliverables.
• Adopt additional duties as assigned, actively contributing to the multifaceted and evolving responsibilities of the team.
Qualifications
Knowledge & Skills:
• Develop strategy, vision, and direction for the region.
• Implement company-wide policies and practices and advise executive management.
• Demonstrated management skills in organizational management, financial planning, and personnel management.
• Experience with financial and contractual management of USAID contracts and cooperative agreements.
• Extensive leadership, change management, and project management skills.
• Superior public relations and diplomacy skills and experience.
• Superior verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent critical thinking and problem-solving skills to plan, organize, and manage resources for successful project completion.
• Experienced at motivating, influencing, and collaborating with others.
• Demonstrated sensitivity in diverse, cross-cultural settings.
• Strong financial and human resources management skills.
Minimum Qualifications
• Bachelor’s Degree or its International Equivalent in Business Administration, International Development, Civil Society, Social Marketing, Economic Development, Education, Environment, Gender, Health, Nutrition, Research, Technology, Youth, or a related field.
• Minimum of 18 years of relevant experience in project management, overseeing complex portfolios of programs/projects that are strategic in nature and national/international in scope; or 15 years and a master’s degree; or 12 years and a PhD; or equivalent combination of relevant education and experience to perform job responsibilities effectively.
• Minimum 9 years of leadership and line management skills, leading and supervising teams in complex settings.
• Proven success in meeting program targets and revenue goals.
• Experience managing financial and human resources.
• Experience working in a non-governmental organization (NGO).
• Must be able to read, write, and speak fluent English.
• Must be advanced to fluent in French.
Preferred Qualifications
• Master’s degree or its International Equivalent in a related field.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification or other recognized project management certification.
• Additional certifications in their area of expertise.
• Additional language used in the region is a plus.
• We encourage candidates with other relevant certifications or their international equivalents.
Travel
• Greater than 25% travel required.
• Typical physical demands
• Typical office environment.
• Constantly uses a computer and other office productivity machinery, such as a calculator, copy machine, and computer printer.
• Must be able to remain in a stationary position 50% of the time.
Technology
Computer/Laptop, Microsoft applications (i.e., Office 365, SharePoint, Skype/Zoom/Teams),
This job posting summarizes the main duties of the job. It neither prescribes nor restricts the exact tasks that may be assigned to carry out these duties. This document should not be construed in any way to represent a contract of employment. Management reserves the right to review and revise this document at any time.