Food for the Hungry is a Faith-Based organization that delivers both humanitarian and development interventions that aim to serve communities challenged by poverty, marginalization and injustice.
All we do, and how we do it, seeks to promote God’s beauty, goodness, and truth in a broken world. As such, we are defined by our ability to make people’s lives measurably better; our ability to deliver impact is the measure of our collective success. For we know that we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God has already prepared in advance for us to do. At Food for the Hungry, we operate under a set of values called Heartbeat Values.
Position title: Country Director Ethiopia
Duration of contract: One year contract (renewable, with 60 working days probation period)
Duty Station: Addis Ababa
Closing date: December 21, 2025
The Country Director serves as FH’s chief representative in Ethiopia. Provides leadership to and manages all FH programs and staff in Ethiopia. Within the framework of the FH Heartbeat Values, is responsible for designing, developing and delivering catalytic solutions that enable children, families and communities to be resilient and flourish. S/he ensures that the delivery of our programs in Ethiopia is in line with FH’s organizational strategy and supports the government’s efforts to improve the quality of life for its people.
Principal Responsibilities
Key Result Area #1 Leadership, Vision, and Staff Development
Promotes and models a healthy and visionary organizational culture that promotes a harmonious and effective workforce.
Champions our Heartbeat Values and exercises spiritual leadership, modeling and promoting the mindsets, skills, and behaviors that contribute to a rewarding, empowered organizational culture.
Facilitates a learning environment that enables staff to develop professionally and spiritually.
Attracts, acquires, retains, motivates, and promotes qualified talent.
Coaches, develops, counsels, and ensures accountability of the senior leadership team.
Provides leadership, direction, and vision in managing change initiatives within country, bridging different ways of working, and diverse working cultures within the teams.
Articulates, promotes and advances FH global initiatives, priorities and systems that enable the organization to achieve its vision and mission, consistent with local context.
Ensures that the Ethiopia office is always planning and executing strategically in alignment with FH’s organizational direction.
In collaboration with senior leadership, and consistent with corporate strategic priorities, develops country operating plans and related goals, outcomes, and objectives.
Identifies and secures the appropriate resources (personnel, funds, materials, and partnerships) needed to accomplish the country's operating plan through field, Affiliates, and other donor contacts.
Ensures that the development of annual work plans and associated project activities, objectives and key results are aligned with the organizational strategy and targets.
Ensures FH makes strategic investments in time, resources and planning that will position FH for greater impact and effectiveness into future.
Key Result Area #2 Strategy Realization
Ensures that the Ethiopia office is always planning and executing strategically in alignment with FH’s organizational direction.
In collaboration with senior leadership, and consistent with corporate strategic priorities, develops country operating plans and related goals, outcomes, and objectives.
Identifies and secures the appropriate resources (personnel, funds, materials, and partnerships) needed to accomplish the country's operating plan through field, Affiliates, and other donor contacts.
Ensures that the development of annual work plans and associated project activities, objectives and key results are aligned with the organizational strategy and targets.
Ensures FH makes strategic investments in time, resources and planning that will position FH for greater impact and effectiveness into future.
Key Result Area #3 Business Development
Oversee the ethical and sustainable growth of the funding portfolio, ensuring alignment with FH’s mission and operational capacity.
Identify funding priorities, growth opportunities, and innovative approaches to enhance FH’s sustainability and impact.
Ensure a strong value proposition to investors (donors) and partners.
Lead post submission reviews to assess gaps, refine proposal strategies and strengthen future funding success.
Key Result Area #4 Programmatic and Administrative Excellence
Ensure FH keeps its promises and fulfills its vision and mission by executing projects and supportive functions with the highest level of excellence.
Ensures FH projects are implemented effectively and with the highest quality standards in compliance with FH and donor requirements.
Ensures FH achieves stated outcomes, objectives, and results of its projects and that they are delivered on time, on budget.
Promote performance monitoring and evaluation, ensuring data and learning are maximized to assist in the achievement of stated objectives.
Ensures the organization complies with all international, national, and local laws and labor regulations as well as the policies and requirements of the partnerships to which FH belongs and the best practices of our sector.
Ensures close collaboration between business units and implementing partners through regular planning and performance meetings and reporting, especially focused on the link between program performance and financial compliance and accountability of the organization and program burn rate.
Promotes innovative and breakthrough programming by facilitating the development, testing and growth of new approaches, effectively balancing incremental innovation with core program models.
Key Result Area #5 Representation and Partnerships
Encourages, promotes, and expands appropriate and value-added partnerships and collaboration with external organizations and groups.
Keeps abreast of the trends and priorities of the relief and development community in Ethiopia, including environmental, economic, social, political, and religious conditions, by participating in working groups, tasks forces and other bodies.
Promotes FH brand, abilities and programs to donors, partners, and the public.
Identifies, cultivates, establishes, and maintains relationships with partners which may directly or indirectly contribute to the advancement of FH’s strategic priorities, funding opportunities or FH implementation objectives. These include but are not limited to bilateral and multilateral aid agencies, foundations, private businesses, churches, Affiliates, and alliances to which FH is a member.
Serve as FH’s “chief of mission” at official functions, advocating its mission and priorities to enhance visibility and cultivate strategic partnerships that drive funding opportunities.
Ensures appropriate protection and well-being of FH staff, community partners, assets, and organizational reputation.
Ensures that children and vulnerable adults are protected from safeguarding issues by all staff and FH representatives in the delivery of projects and programs in the country.
Ensure that systems, policies, and procedures are properly developed and implemented to strengthen safety and security of all staff and FH resources.
Actively identifies, mitigates, and monitors all risks to the organization and initiates corrective action where organizational gaps or weaknesses heighten risk.
Key Result Area #6 Safeguarding and Risk Management
Ensures appropriate protection and well-being of FH staff, community partners, assets, and organizational reputation.
Ensures that children and vulnerable adults are protected from safeguarding issues by all staff and FH representatives in the delivery of projects and programs in the country.
Ensure that systems, policies, and procedures are properly developed and implemented to strengthen safety and security of all staff and FH resources.
Actively identifies, mitigates, and monitors all risks to the organization and initiates corrective action where organizational gaps or weaknesses heighten risk.
Other duties as assigned.
Safeguarding Policy
FH strives to provide an environment free from sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment in all places where relief and development programs are implemented. FH holds a zero-tolerance policy against sexual exploitation abuse and harassment. FH expects its employees to maintain high ethical standards, protect organizational integrity and reputation, and ensure that FH work is carried out with honest and fair methods, in alignment with the FH Heartbeat and safeguarding and associated policies. Violations of stated policies will be subject to corrective action up to and including termination of employment.
Gender Responsibility
Provide adequate time to staff to participate in gender sensitivity workshops and related events.
Through observation, interviews, and spot-checks, ensure that the staff planning process is gender sensitive.
Build a better gender balance in staffing through affirmative action.
Observe if women staff are as involved as men in high-profile activities such as interaction with visitors and chairing meetings and take corrective action if warranted.
Encourage female staff to participate in external networks (local and regional), as well as seminars and cross visits.
Facilitate open and regular discussions with staff on about the work environment, policies, and values convenient to gender issues
Safety & Security Responsibility
Encourages compliance of Safety and Security principles and policies of the organization by all staffs.
Visiting project Offices and operational areas periodically to meet staff and making sure that all staff members are aware of the safety and security procedures.
Explains to staffs the reasoning behind the organization’s safety and security policies and procedures
Organizing local training sessions, such as First Aid, Fire Safety, and Defensive Driving for staff members. If possible, he/she should conduct briefing and training sessions himself/herself;
Ensures that safety and security objectives are added to performance reviews and evaluations of all staff members;
Encourages staffs to adopt safe and secure practices. Ensuring that updated personnel information related to safety (Record of Emergency Data) and security management are kept in Human resources
Job Requirements
Education and Experience
Bachelor’s degree, in International Development, Business Administration or a related field.
Master’s degree in international development, Business Administration or a related field is preferred.
At least 10 years of experience in relief and development or relevant industry.
Minimum 7 years of experience as a senior-level manager overseeing complex, multi-sector relief and development programs; experience in overseeing intercultural complex, matrixed organization.
Experience in Ethiopia is highly preferred.
Prior experience in a complex, matrixed organization, with the ability to scale processes in a global, professional, service organization.
Non-profit ministry experience a plus.
Job Level Specifications
Spiritual wellbeing: Demonstrated personal Christian commitment to serving those who are challenged by poverty and marginalization and in full agreement with FH Christian foundation and beliefs.
Strategic and Operational Leadership: Demonstrated experience working in leadership positions including the development of organizational strategy, ability to exercise budgetary / financial and internal controls systems analysis, and capacity building policy development and enforcement.
Programmatic proficiency: Demonstrated knowledge of field-based health and nutrition, risk and resilience, and food security and livelihoods sectors in a relief and development context; Proven ability to create and execute organizational strategy that advances corporate values, vision, and purpose.
Representation: Proven ability to build relationships, negotiate and partner with national and international governments, aid agencies, non-governmental organizations, and private sector.
Relational skills: Able to relate to understand, appreciate, and effectively communicate with people from different cultures, diverse backgrounds and perspectives and make them feel welcome, included, and valued. Demonstrated appreciation for and familiarity with a relational style of work and management.
Communication: Effective oral and written communication and presentation skills.
Integrity: Ability to lead with integrity, candor, honesty, and sensitivity.
Wellbeing: Experience developing organizational resilience, employee engagement and wellbeing initiatives.
Managing change: Substantial proven ability in successfully managing and leading organizational development and change, including culture change.
Diversity and inclusion: Substantial experience with leading, promoting and working in a diverse, inclusive, cross-cultural environment.
Organizational skills: Excellent organizational skills; ability to plan and coordinate the efficient flow of projects and processes.
Analysis: Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
Medical fitness: Fitness to live and travel in rural and urban areas with extreme conditions and limited medical support.
Travel: Ability to travel up to 25% of time in the Ethiopia and internationally, to fragile contexts, and/or locations.
Technological proficiency: Demonstrated computer operating skills, including proficiency in Microsoft Office products, Google platform, and virtual conference technologies.
Distinguishing Competencies
Interpersonal Skill Requirements: Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to work in a multi-disciplinary team setup; ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with NGOs,
Ability to work in a complex environment with multiple tasks, short deadlines and intense pressure
Ability to work proactively, organize and manage own work and assist others to do the same
Language
Proficiency in spoken and written English, Amhara, and desirable local ethnic languages. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the public.
Supervisory Responsibility
Directly supervises Senior Leadership positions. Carry out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization’s policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints, resolving problems, etc.
How To Apply
Qualified female candidates are encouraged to apply.
Competent candidates can apply using THIS LINK
