Country Director

Job Description:

LEAD WITH PURPOSE. DRIVE IMPACT. SHAPE THE FUTURE

CARE Rwanda is seeking an exceptional Country Director (CD) to provide bold, values-driven leadership and strategic direction for our country program. This is a unique opportunity to lead a high-impact organization advancing gender equality, resilience, and locally led solutions for vulnerable communities—particularly women and girls.

We are looking for a visionary, entrepreneurial leader who thrives in complexity, inspires high performance, and positions CARE as a trusted, influential partner in Rwanda’s development landscape. CARE strongly encourages applications from qualified Rwandan nationals and will prioritize hiring on a local contract for this role. International candidates will only be considered if a suitable local candidate cannot be identified.

Role Summary

As Country Director, you will have overall accountability for strategy, programs, people, operations, and risk management, ensuring excellence across all functions while aligning with CARE’s global mission to save lives, defeat poverty, and achieve social justice. You will serve as CARE’s senior representative in Rwanda, cultivating high-level relationships with government, donors, civil society, and the private sector. You will champion innovation, mobilize diversified resources, and drive sustainable impact in an evolving political, economic, and social environment.

This role calls for a leader who:

• Leads with purpose and clarity
• Adapts confidently to complex and dynamic contexts
• Demonstrates an entrepreneurial and opportunity-driven mindset
• Models integrity, accountability, and ethical leadership
• Builds, empowers, and inspires diverse teams
• Engages and influences at the highest levels
• Drives operational discipline, risk awareness, and resilience

Key Responsibilities

Strategy and Execution

• Lead the development and delivery of CARE Rwanda’s multi-year strategy, aligned with global priorities and Rwanda’s national development agenda.
• Drive organizational transformation, innovation, and agility to ensure continued relevance and competitiveness.
• Exercise adaptive leadership in response to shifting political, social, and economic dynamics.
• Strengthen strategic foresight, scenario planning, and evidence-based decision-making.

People Leadership and Organizational Development

• Inspire and lead a diverse, high-performing team, fostering a culture of inclusion, accountability, learning, and safety.
• Set clear performance expectations and champion results-based management and continuous improvement.
• Identify, develop, and retain top talent, ensuring succession planning and leadership pipelines.
• Strengthen organizational resilience through effective knowledge management and capacity building.

Resource Mobilization and External Representation

• Design and execute ambitious resource mobilization strategies with diversified funding streams.
• Build and deepen partnerships with donors, government institutions, civil society, and the private sector.
• Explore innovative financing models, including private sector partnerships, impact finance, CSR, and locally generated resources.
• Represent CARE Rwanda externally, elevating its profile and influencing policy and donor agendas.

Operational Excellence and Risk Management

• Ensure efficient, compliant, and cost-effective operational systems aligned with CARE global standards.
• Lead safeguarding, security, and risk management to protect staff, partners, and communities.
• Oversee financial sustainability, budgeting, cost recovery, and responsible resource allocation.
• Continuously assess and adapt management structures to remain fit-for-purpose.

Program Quality and Impact

• Ensure programs are evidence-based, community-centered, and innovative, delivering transformative and scalable impact.
• Uphold program quality standards, robust MEAL systems, and timely project delivery.
• Advance CARE’s localization agenda by strengthening civil society capacity and locally led solutions.
• Leverage partnerships to scale innovation and deepen long-term impact.

In summary, this is what we are looking for:

• Senior leadership experience in humanitarian and/or development contexts, preferably in Rwanda or the region.
• Strong track record in strategic leadership, organizational transformation, and resource mobilization.
• Demonstrated success engaging government, donors, and private sector partners at senior levels.
• Proven ability to lead complex operations with strong risk management and compliance oversight.
• Deep commitment to gender equality, locally led development, and inclusive leadership.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with the ability to innovate, adapt, and lead through change.

Why Join CARE Rwanda?

• Lead a respected organization with a strong national footprint and global influence.
• Shape innovative, locally owned solutions with lasting impact.
• Work with a passionate, values-driven team committed to equity and social justice.
• Influence policy, partnerships, and practice at national and regional levels.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in a related field
• 6-8 years in a senior management position in the development field.
• Partnership Development: Expertise in cultivating, managing, and leveraging partnerships across sectors, including government, NGOs, and local organizations.
• Advocacy: Strong skills in influencing government policy and representing CARE’s interests in various forums.
• Team Management: Proficiency in recruiting, developing, and managing teams, including the ability to build the skills of existing staff and manage diverse teams across different contexts.
• Risk Management: Ability to identify, assess, and mitigate risks to ensure the safety and effectiveness of programs.
• Resource Mobilization: Experience in engaging with donors and securing funding to support program initiatives.
• Program Oversight: Strong skills in overseeing program implementation, ensuring innovation, quality, and alignment with strategic objectives.
• Cross-Sectoral Coordination: Ability to coordinate efforts across multiple sectors to achieve common goals.
• Operational Management: Managing operations, particularly in direct implementation contexts, to ensure efficient and effective service delivery.
• Diplomacy & Representation: Strong diplomatic skills, with experience working within cluster systems and representing the organization to external stakeholders.
• External Relations: Ability to foster cooperation with local and international actors, ensuring that partnerships contribute to organizational objectives.
• Change Management: Strategically planning, implementing, and communicating changes to ensure that they are well-received, adopted, and integrated by employees and stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's Degree in a related field
• Sector-Specific Knowledge: Familiarity with the sectors CARE operates in, including health, education, food security, and emergency response.
• Communication Skills: Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to articulate complex ideas clearly and persuasively.
• Networking: Established network within the international development sector, particularly with potential donors and partners.
• Monitoring & Evaluation: Knowledge of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) frameworks to track program impact and outcomes.
• Financial Management: Strong financial acumen, including budgeting, financial reporting, and ensuring cost-effective use of resources.
• Crisis Management: Experience in managing crises and responding to emergencies in challenging environments.
• Digital Literacy: Successfully adopts and champions new technology (digital solutions) to the relevant context. Is aware of technological trends and improves or solves business challenges by identifying, applying, or creating technological solutions.

Skills Required:

• Economics / Statistics
• Political / Science / Ir
• Sales / Marketing / Business / Management
• Social / Science / Project / Management / Development