Regional Director – Africa International Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR)Location: Nairobi, KenyaEmployment Type: Full-timeLevel: Senior Manager / SupervisorApplication Deadline: 15 January 2026 (5:00 PM ET) About IIRR The International Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR) is one of the world’s leading rural development organizations, with more than 65 years of community-led engagement across Asia, Africa, and Latin America. IIRR partners with rural communities to build resilient livelihoods, climate-smart food systems, and sustainable pathways out of poverty. To date, IIRR’s work has positively impacted more than 68 million rural lives, reflecting a long-standing commitment to scalable, inclusive, and community-centered development. IIRR is now entering a bold new phase of growth and expansion across Africa. The Opportunity IIRR is seeking a Regional Director – Africa, based in Kenya, to lead the organization’s next decade of impact across East and Southern Africa. This senior leadership role offers a unique opportunity to shape regional strategy, expand partnerships, strengthen country operations, and significantly scale IIRR’s footprint and influence. Reporting to global leadership, the Regional Director will provide strategic, programmatic, and operational leadership across multiple countries, positioning IIRR as a leading voice in rural transformation and climate-resilient development in Africa. Key Responsibilities The Regional Director – Africa will: Drive ambitious year-on-year revenue growth and build a robust regional funding pipeline Lead the design, implementation, and scale-up of flagship multi-country programs in food systems, livelihoods, youth engagement, and climate resilience Forge and manage high-value partnerships with governments, bilateral and multilateral donors, development finance institutions (DFIs), foundations, private sector actors, and research institutions Strengthen program quality, monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) systems, and ensure operational excellence across country programs Represent IIRR externally as a thought leader and advocate for community-led rural development and climate-resilient solutions in Africa Build on IIRR’s legacy to expand impact well beyond the 68 million lives reached to date Candidate Profile Required Experience and Qualifications Bachelor’s and/or Master’s degree in a relevant field Kenyan national or candidate with a legal right to work in Kenya 10–20+ years of professional experience in rural development, agriculture, food systems, climate resilience, livelihoods, or related sectors Demonstrated multi-country leadership experience in Sub-Saharan Africa, with strong preference for East and Southern Africa Proven ability to raise or manage USD 5–10 million or more annually from institutional donors, foundations, or corporate partners Senior leadership experience in roles such as Regional Director, Country Director, Deputy Regional Director, Head of Africa, or Chief of Party Core Competencies Strong partnership-building skills with donors, governments, private sector actors, and research institutions Strategic thinker with an entrepreneurial and growth-oriented mindset Proven ability to lead and motivate distributed, multicultural teams Strong execution skills, with the ability to translate opportunities into scalable, high-impact programs Deep commitment to inclusive, community-led, and sustainable rural development Application Requirements Interested candidates should submit the following: Updated CV (maximum 4 pages) Highlighting senior leadership experience, multi-country work, and fundraising achievements Cover Letter (1–2 pages) Explaining motivation for the role Demonstrating alignment with IIRR’s mission and community-led development approach Outlining how experience and skills match the role’s responsibilities Three Professional References Including name, title, organization, relationship, and contact information References will not be contacted without prior consent Proof of Eligibility to Work in Kenya Required for all applicants Optional: Portfolio or Evidence of Impact Examples may include major programs led, partnerships developed, publications, or innovations in rural or agricultural development Application Process The application deadline is 15 January 2026 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time (ET). Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and early submission is strongly encouraged. APPLY HERE IIRR is committed to building a diverse and inclusive organization and welcomes applications from qualified candidates of all backgrounds. Interested candidates are encouraged to follow IIRR on LinkedIn for updates on career opportunities. For more opportunities such as these please follow us on Facebook, Instagram , WhatsApp, Twitter, LinkedIn and Telegram Disclaimer: Global South Opportunities (GSO) is not the seeking organization. For any inquiries, please contact the official organization directly. Please do not send your applications to GSO, as we are unable to process them. Due to the high volume of emails, we receive daily, we may not be able to respond to all inquiries. Thank you for your understanding.