Title: Regional Vice President for Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)
Department: Global Programs
Location: Remote with travel - candidate must be based out of - Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Africa, or Tanzania.
Travel: Must be willing and able to travel internationally on a regular basis.
Direct Reports: Yes
General Description:
The overarching purpose of this role is to drive the successful execution of Operation Smile’s strategic and programmatic goals across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).
Reporting to the Senior Vice President, Global Operations, the Regional Vice President (RVP), SSA will serve as the senior-most leader accountable for advancing all aspects of Operation Smile’s mission in the region. Acting as a “mini-CEO” for SSA, the RVP will provide comprehensive leadership across strategy, program delivery, partnership development, resource mobilization, infrastructure, and organizational culture. This individual will be the key decision-maker and escalation point for matters within SSA, responsible for navigating complex environments and ensuring regional efforts are aligned with global priorities.
The RVP will work in close partnership with functional leaders at Operation Smile Headquarters, including the Chief Strategy Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Development Officer, Chief Financial Officer, SVP of Global Human Resources, SVP of Global Programs. In addition, the RVP will maintain strong relationships with the Executive Directors of SSA-based foundations, ensuring shared accountability and local ownership of results.
A critical aspect of the role includes representing Operation Smile with host country governments, NGOs, and multilateral partners, while identifying and responding to internal and external factors that impact regional performance. The RVP will be a trusted advocate and champion for SSA foundations, ensuring that regional strategies are not only implemented but also deliver meaningful, measurable impact.
Essential Functions:
Regional Liaison: 20% Level of Effort (LOE)
- Act as spokesperson for Operation Smile in external settings, including conferences, press interviews, meetings, and diplomatic settings.
- Attend or delegate attendance to networking opportunities and regional events with strategic intention.
- Lead regional conferences for regional foundations incorporating leadership development and organizational strategy, as necessary.
- Facilitate effective internal communication within region between OSI headquarters, regional and national foundation stakeholders, and regional team members.
- Effectively communicate objectives at all levels of employees, public, and government entities.
- Encourage and direct focused collaboration of stakeholders within the organization to support foundation growth and development.
- Intervene when conflicts arise and help to build consensus, provide solutions, and keep teams on track toward common goals.
- Provide leadership and support to the foundations in the region to achieve sustainability, efficacy, and professionalism in all areas (Governance, Finance, Infrastructure and Resource Mobilization, Program Activity, Fundraising, and Marketing)
- Represent OSI to the foundations, and throughout the region, and implement standardization and quality in all aspects of business and operations.
- Provide updates on foundation and regional challenges / best practices.
- Assess and proactively address challenges within the region.
Strategic Planning: 15% LOE
- Working collectively with C-Suite and relevant Department leads, to develop and deliver a foundational strategic plan for SSA that sits within the OSI 10-year plan.
- Establish and monitor organizational progress towards strategic goals for OS Leadership and Board.
- Identify and deliver growth opportunities for the organization – new countries, new potential partners, strategic alliances, etc.
- Position Operation Smile in the region as an important stakeholder in the NGO community through strategic partnerships and through networking.
- Oversee regional and country specific strategic alliances to achieve set goals.
Implementation: 10% LOE
- Actively engage foundation teams, national Boards of Directors and OS functional leaders to maintain stability and appropriate governance within existing countries.
- Work closely with SVP of Programs, SVP of Operations, and regional staff to support the execution of multi-year country plans and program goals.
- Determine appropriate levels of investment and support for each foundation to encourage, support, and prepare for program and operational growth.
- Work to foresee and prevent potential conflicts within foundations and across region.
- Champion Global Standards of Care with all foundations and volunteers.
Leadership and Management: 10% LOE
This role will require exceptional political acumen within the federated structure of Operation Smile as well as strong leadership and management skills. The RVP has overall responsibility in the region for the efficient leadership of people, and to instill trust and to accomplish Operation Smile’s mission in the region. Key leadership and management functions include:
- Motivate, encourage, inspire, and support individual and professional development of members of regional and national foundation teams.
- Serve as the primary liaison for HR support to country teams and assist with recruitment processes in coordination with OSI. Provide direct supervision and conduct annual performance evaluations for direct reports, offering ongoing feedback and contributing to the performance management of indirect team members as needed. Take corrective action, when necessary, to deal with effects of a crisis.
Development/Fundraising: 30% LOE
Work closely with Development team to:
- Enhance in-country fundraising.
- Build and maintain strategic regional partnerships, securing funding and in-kind contributions that strengthen and expand programmatic efforts.
- Support regional marketing efforts by coordinating with country teams to facilitate interviews, photo and video shoots, and by contributing content and stories for use in global and regional marketing materials.
- Support the wider organizational goals.
- Work with all Partner Countries to support their fundraising activities and requests for funding opportunities.
Finance, Operations & Governance: 15% LOE
- Ensure communication and compliance with relevant OSI headquarters policies, practices and procedures within regional office and foundations as required.
- Develop/maintain/manage the collective regional budget, working with Regional Directors and Country Managers to ensure countries adhere to planned budgets and plan proactively.
- Recommend and support appropriate investment in finance and operational infrastructure within countries.
- Oversee workforce planning within the region and collaborate with OSI department leaders on assigned resource requirements.
- Align local policy with OSI policy and informs OSI leadership when conflicts in requirements exist.
- Ensure country offices are in compliance with local NGO, audit, and other relevant regulations.
Working Conditions:
This is a senior level management position based in the SSA region. The job also requires periodic and sometimes abrupt travel to the program countries. International travel including travel to the OSI headquarters in the United States is required. This role requires working extended hours including weekends and holidays as and when it becomes necessary.
Experience Required (education/work):
- Advanced Education: Master’s degree in a relevant field such as international development, global health, public administration, business, or a related discipline. A postgraduate or doctoral degree is strongly preferred.
- Global Program Leadership: Minimum of 10 years of progressive international experience designing, implementing, and evaluating large-scale, multi-country programs—preferably in healthcare, humanitarian, or development sectors. Direct experience leading medical or clinical initiatives is highly desirable.
- Executive-Level Leadership: At least 15 years of senior leadership experience, including regional or global oversight, organizational development, and cross-functional coordination in complex, matrixed environments.
- Regional Residency Requirement: Candidate must currently reside in Sub-Saharan Africa or be willing to relocate to the region. Deep contextual understanding of SSA’s geopolitical, cultural, and operational landscapes is essential.
- Cross-Cultural Team Management: Proven success managing diverse, multicultural, and geographically dispersed teams with cultural humility and an inclusive leadership style.
- Strategic Communication Skills: Demonstrated ability to synthesize complex programmatic and operational data into clear, actionable insights and deliver executive-level briefings to senior leadership, board members, and global stakeholders.
- Language and Mobility: Fluent in English (spoken and written); additional language proficiency relevant to SSA is a strong asset. Must be willing and able to travel internationally on a regular basis.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Strong diplomatic and political acumen, with a track record of building and managing high-level partnerships with host governments, multilateral agencies, donors, and in-country leaders.
Competencies:
Dynamic Leadership & Influence: Must demonstrate strong, values-driven leadership and exceptional project management skills. Able to inspire teams, embody and disseminate Operation Smile’s mission, and act as a cultural ambassador across diverse settings.
Inclusive and Ethical Team Culture: Consistently fosters a collaborative, high-performing, and inclusive work environment. Models ethical behavior, promotes shared ownership, and ensures team alignment with organizational values, while managing competing priorities with professionalism and grace.
Strategic Thinking & Operational Execution: Brings a strategic mindset with the operational discipline to lead through complexity. Skilled in problem analysis, decision-making, and driving timely, data-informed solutions that move initiatives from concept to execution.
Global Communication & Collaboration: Exceptional oral and written communication skills with the ability to effectively engage across geographies, functions, and levels—from field teams to executive leadership and board members.
Financial Acumen: Demonstrates strong budgeting capabilities and a deep understanding of financial controls, stewardship, and fiduciary responsibility—key to managing country-level operations and ensuring sustainability.
Cross-Cultural Agility: Proven success leading in multicultural, international environments. Understands the nuances of working across borders and adapts leadership style to build trust and engagement across diverse teams.
Language & Cultural Alignment: Proficiency in at least one language relevant to the SSA region preferred.
Mobility & Regional Commitment: Must reside in or be willing to relocate to Sub-Saharan Africa and travel frequently throughout the region. International travel to the United States and other key partner locations will also be required.
Global Employer Experience: Candidates must have experience working with or for a U.S.-based organization, with familiarity in navigating donor or HQ-related expectations and compliance standards. Must be able to obtain a travel visa to attend USA based meetings.