Director – East Africa at Sayara International

Position Description:

The Director – East Africa is responsible for Sayara’s growth and development in the East and Horn of Africa region. The incumbent will report to the CEO. The ideal candidate for this position has strong market knowledge, specifically in areas related to social and behavioral change communication (SBCC) and/or monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning (MERL). Our major clients include UK and U.S. government agencies such as the FCDO and USAID. The incumbent is expected to deploy organizational resources to capture new business in the region based on Sayara’s global growth plan. 

The Director – East Africa will contribute to the work Sayara does to build positive change in societies that most need it. You will be working as part of a welcoming and diverse international team of experienced professionals.

Responsibilities:

• Oversee regional program delivery team to ensure client expectations are met and exceeded. 
• Champion Sayara’s corporate values with internal and external stakeholders. 
• Grow Sayara’s business in the East Africa region in line with Sayara’s global growth strategy.  
• Develop formal market analyses and an associated growth plan for the region. 
• Pursue and generate opportunities in the region. 
• Liaise with Sayara’s global team to ensure global resources are allocated optimally against East Africa opportunities. 
• Work closely with the Business Development and Communications teams to generate public facing knowledge products to highlight Sayara’s work in the region. 
• Lead client outreach meetings. 
• Support the drafting of programmatic bids for clients including FCDO, USAID, EU, UN, and others. 
• Collaborate with Sayara’s senior management on visioning new programs and framing programmatic proposals to meet client interests in the region. 

Desired Qualifications/ Skills:

• 10+ years in international development, with a minimum of 5 years in East Africa. 
• Proven success in business development and growth. 
• Master’s degree in the social sciences (or similar field). 
• Legal right to reside and work in Kenya. 
• Technical experience in MERL and/or SBCC. 
• Prior experience with USAID, FCDO, and NGOs. 
• Must possess skills such as but not limited to effective leadership skills, strategic thinking, problem-solving, and excellent communication skills. 
• Financial and budgeting knowledge.