We are looking for a motivated, committed and capable leader who is not afraid of challenges

You will take on a business-critical role in Norwegian Church Aid (NCA), managing and overseeing our work in Eastern Africa. This is a region shaped by rapid change, complex crises and long-term partnerships where leadership matters.

You will lead a team of highly competent and dedicated staff in Oslo, as well as our Country Directors across the region. In this role, you will be part of the Department of International Programmes Management Team, and represent NCA in selected external forums, including close collaboration with partners and ACT Alliance members.

Travel to countries with a high security risk must be expected.

In NCA, we look for leaders who are motivated by our vision, our work and our values. If this resonates with you, keep reading.

Why this role exists
The Department of International Programmes is entering a period of significant change. A new strategy is being implemented. The global setup is evolving. At the same time, the context in Eastern Africa is becoming more complex, shaped by conflict, climate-related crises and shifting funding landscapes.

Your role is to create clarity, prioritise effectively, and ensure progress across countries, teams and stakeholders.

What will your work look like
Some weeks will be about long-term direction and strategic choices. Others will require crisis management, difficult decisions and immediate action. Often, both at the same time.

You will lead experienced Country Directors and a highly skilled team in Oslo. You will follow up strategy, programme quality, risk and financial performance, and represent NCA towards donors, authorities and partners.

You stay close enough to understand what is happening, while focusing on key developments and progress towards organisational goals. Your role is to support, challenge and enable others to perform.

Who you are

• You think about systems and connections. You see how strategy links to operations, and how decisions in one place affect another.
• You build trust. You listen, involve and follow up on your staff, also when situations are demanding.
• You are resilient. You can handle complexity, pressure, and responsibility over time.
• You are comfortable with disagreement and take responsibility for moving things forward.
• You make decisions when it matters. Not rushed, but clear.

What you bring into the role
You have led people and understand what leadership demands in practice. You bring international experience, preferably from humanitarian or development contexts, and have worked in complex environments such as crisis settings, conflict situations or periods of organisational change. You are comfortable navigating both strategy and day-to-day operations, and have experience engaging with donors, partners or public authorities. You communicate clearly and confidently in English, both written and spoken. Norwegian language skills are an asset.

What you get
You get a role where you influence direction, not just execute it. You will work with highly competent colleagues in Norway and across the region, in an organisation built on strong values and long-standing partnerships. You will take on responsibility that will challenge and develop you over time, both professionally and as a leader. This is a demanding role. It will at times require availability beyond standard working hours. It is important that this is a conscious choice for you.

How to apply
You do not need to meet every single point to apply. But if you recognise yourself in the challenges, responsibility and the way of leading, we would like to hear from you.

You can easily apply through our electronic recruitment portal. Here, you will register your CV, answer a question about your motivation for the position, and upload any relevant documents. You do not need to submit a cover letter. Instead, we ask you to briefly share what motivates you to apply for this role.

Please note that we only consider applications submitted through the recruitment portal. All candidates will receive feedback after the application deadline.

Ethical commitments
Norwegian Church Aid is committed to high ethical standards in all our work. All employees are required to sign the following upon employment:

• ACT Alliance Code of Conduct
• Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, Harassment, and Child Safeguarding Policy

These are mandatory commitments for all staff. We encourage you to review them before applying. You can find the documents on our website: https://www.kirkensnodhjelp.no/en/accountability

In accordance with core humanitarian principles, NCA implements a range of safeguards to prevent or reduce the possibility of humanitarian aid falling into the wrong hands. This includes individuals and groups subject to sanctions by the United Nations Security Council. As part of this process, NCA will screen the details of the successful candidates for this post against sanctions lists maintained by the UN and by some of NCA's governmental donors.