Country Director

• Graduate degree in a relevant field.

• At least 10 years of dynamically responsible international work experience, including leadership at the Country Director level of multi-site, multi-sectoral operations in a complex operating environment, supervising large teams.

• Experience working in conflict/post-conflict or disaster response situation.

• Professional fluency in written and spoken English.

Strategic Leadership & Representation

• Provide visionary leadership to shape and execute strategies that deliver high-impact, client-centered programs aligned with IRC’s global mission and Uganda’s evolving humanitarian context.

• Serve as IRC’s principal representative in Uganda, articulating the organization’s vision and priorities at national, regional, and global platforms—including donor briefings, inter-agency coordination bodies, and high-level policy forums.

• Lead the development and delivery of a country strategy aligned with IRC’s Strategy100 and Uganda’s evolving context while providing strategic leadership to develop and implement high-quality programs that meet client needs.

• Forge and sustain strategic partnerships with national NGOs, civil society actors, and community-based organizations to enhance program reach, local ownership, and sustainability.

Strategic Direction & Program Quality

• Collaborate with the Regional Vice President (RVP) and senior management team to implement the country program's strategic vision, ensuring high-quality programming tailored to the Uganda context and aligned with IRC’s Strategy 100.

• Drive program innovation and excellence, ensuring interventions are evidence-based, contextually relevant, and client-centered and high program quality is consistent throughout the country program.

• Actively seek out and pursue opportunities to expand humanitarian programming in Uganda to reach underserved and hard-to-reach areas.

• Foster learning, accountability, and adaptive management to strengthen program quality

Fundraising & Donor Relations

• Lead the design and execution of a diversified funding strategy, proactively engaging donors, cultivating strategic partnerships, and driving proposal development and negotiations to secure a broad range of sustainable funding streams.

• Proactively monitor donor priorities and position IRC for emerging opportunities, and stay updated on issues the program and partners and develop strategies to adapt to changing donor priorities.

• Maintain strong relationships with donors, government bodies, and coordination mechanisms by demonstrating program excellence, operational integrity and strategic alignment with donors and different stakeholders

Operational & Financial Management

• Ensure compliance with IRC’s global policies and standards for finance, supply chain, and operational systems.

• Oversee country program budgets, ensuring financial sustainability through accurate forecasting, funding gap analysis, and cost-effectiveness measures.

• Drive operational excellence for cost-effective and timely program delivery, while strengthening systems for transparency, accountability, and operational agility.

Governance and Compliance

• Champion a proactive risk management agenda that safeguards the organization’s people, assets, reputation, and operational capacity in Uganda’s complex and evolving context.

• Shape and embed a risk-informed strategy that aligns with organizational priorities, donor expectations, and the geopolitical landscape, ensuring resilience and adaptability.

• Integrate risk management into strategic planning and operational culture, fostering shared ownership across all teams .

Safety & Security

• Take primary responsibility for the overall management of safety and security for the country program, including appropriate response to emergencies and crises.

• Maintain a culture of safety and security throughout the country program and keep security, evacuation, and contingency plans current and accessible to country program staff.

• Coordinate closely with the Regional Safety and Security Director on emerging threats and access issues.

People & Culture

• Foster a high-performance, inclusive culture by ensuring a professional, forward-looking People & Culture function that aligns talent management with organizational strategy.

• Champion leadership accountability for creating and sustaining development pathways, ensuring every manager actively nurtures and advances their teams.

• Partner with regional and HQ P&C teams to design and execute innovative talent acquisition, retention, and succession strategies that anticipate future skills needs.