Country Director
Kampala, Uganda
Full Time
Senior Manager/Supervisor
The Country Director, Opportunity International Uganda, serves as the most senior executive leader for Opportunity International Uganda as a branch office of Opportunity International US (OIUS). This position demands a creative, confident, proactive, mission-driven individual, adept at representing Opportunity International and engaging with private and institutional donors. This role carries the strategic, operational, and fiduciary responsibility for Opportunity International’s vision, growth, and impact in Uganda. The Country Director is responsible for the management of all operational and strategic activities and the day-to-day running of the business. They must also coordinate with global program leads across the different programs available in the country, ensuring that each program strategy is developed, localized, communicated, and understood by country teams, and aligned with a unified country vision.
As the principal representative to government bodies, donors, and strategic partners, the Director is tasked with elevating the national presence of Opportunity International and ensuring program excellence, financial integrity, and long-term sustainability.
In addition to coordinating both Programs and Projects with a disciplined, outcome-driven approach, the Director may be required to hold a Board-level seat with OBUL (Opportunity Bank Uganda Ltd), ensuring integrated leadership across Opportunity’s financial and non-financial services. This role also acts as a key liaison to local and regional governments, fostering high-level relationships critical to policy influence, scale, and systems change.
This is a role for a seasoned leader—visionary yet pragmatic, globally minded yet locally grounded—who is passionate about sustainable development, driven by results, and capable of inspiring high-performing teams to deliver measurable impact at scale.
RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned.
Strategic Leadership and Governance
Opportunity International is a global leader in innovative financial solutions and sustainable development, working across 30+ countries to empower people living in poverty to transform their lives, their children’s futures, and their communities. Through strategic investments in agriculture, education, financial services, and digital inclusion, we serve millions with dignity and purpose.
Opportunity International Uganda (OIUg) is positioned to play a critical role in this mission by deploying high-impact, community-focused programs and financial tools that enable marginalized individuals and entrepreneurs across Uganda to build resilient livelihoods. With an expanding footprint, strong institutional partnerships, and a national mandate, OIUg is poised for transformative growth.
CHILD PROTECTION COMMITMENT
Opportunity believes that all children have a right to protection from any form of abuse regardless of gender, culture, ethnicity, age, religion, sexual orientation, or ability. Opportunity operates in line with international best practices for child protection and recognizes its responsibility to ensure that all employees meet this requirement. This policy applies to anyone acting on behalf of Opportunity or is involved in its programs in any capacity. All employees are subject to background checks, which include criminal checks and sex offender list checks, as allowed by local law.
As the principal representative to government bodies, donors, and strategic partners, the Director is tasked with elevating the national presence of Opportunity International and ensuring program excellence, financial integrity, and long-term sustainability.
In addition to coordinating both Programs and Projects with a disciplined, outcome-driven approach, the Director may be required to hold a Board-level seat with OBUL (Opportunity Bank Uganda Ltd), ensuring integrated leadership across Opportunity’s financial and non-financial services. This role also acts as a key liaison to local and regional governments, fostering high-level relationships critical to policy influence, scale, and systems change.
This is a role for a seasoned leader—visionary yet pragmatic, globally minded yet locally grounded—who is passionate about sustainable development, driven by results, and capable of inspiring high-performing teams to deliver measurable impact at scale.
RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned.
Strategic Leadership and Governance
- Provide visionary leadership for Opportunity Uganda’s national strategy, programs, and partnerships with collaboration on a matrix basis with all Program Heads as well as Global Support Members of Opportunity International.
- Serve as the public face and primary spokesperson for OIUg to national stakeholders, international donors, and the Opportunity global network.
- Represent OIUg on the OBUL Board, providing governance oversight and strategic direction aligned with Opportunity’s mission.
- Develop, implement, and continuously refine OIUg’s multi-year strategy, aligned with Opportunity International’s global goals and Uganda’s development priorities with alignment with Program Heads.
- Direct the design and execution of all programs and projects, ensuring they are delivered on time, on budget, and with measurable impact.
- Champion a culture of data-driven decision-making, monitoring and evaluation, and learning across all project cycles.
- Lead internal and external reviews, ensuring alignment with global best practices and donor expectations.
- Act as the primary representative to Uganda’s government ministries and agencies.
- Build and sustain trusted relationships with policymakers, regulatory authorities, and other public institutions.
- Influence the enabling environment for inclusive finance, agriculture development, and education innovation in Uganda.
- Lead and inspire a cross-functional team, fostering a culture of alignment, collaboration, innovation, and performance.
- Oversee day-to-day operations, including finance, HR, IT, and risk management, ensuring operational efficiency and compliance.
- Ensure fiscal discipline, financial transparency, and stewardship of donor and institutional funds.
- Lead fundraising strategy for OIUg, crafting compelling cases for support and cultivating relationships with institutional donors, foundations, and private sector partners.
- Collaborate with Private Philanthropy and Corporate / Institutional funding representatives for donor engagements and road shows.
- Generate leads for domestic and regional private philanthropy pitches and participate in the same.
- Partner with Opportunity International fundraising teams globally to align resource mobilization with programmatic goals.
- Oversee donor compliance and reporting, ensuring adherence to contractual and performance standards.
- Host international insight trips and represent OIUg at regional and global events.
- Actively contribute to global Opportunity International strategy and learning forums.
- Build and maintain deep relationships with the local private sector, development partners, community organizations, and academia.
- Supervise and develop a high-performing local country team.
- Champion talent development, coaching, and leadership capacity building.
- Lead by example in upholding Opportunity International’s values, standards, and code of conduct.
- Bachelor's degree in International Development, Business, Public Administration, or related field. Master's preferred.
- Minimum 15 years of progressive leadership experience in development, microfinance, or social enterprise with at least 7 years in senior management roles.
- Proven experience managing complex programs or portfolios, with strong project management and delivery skills.
- Demonstrated success in fundraising and stakeholder relationship management.
- Experience in managing functionally diverse teams and business units while fostering synergy.
- Executive presence and excellent communication skills—able to influence, inspire, and represent at the highest levels.
- Experience in board governance, either as a director or board advisor, is highly desirable.
- Experience working in a matrix reporting environment in a multi-site, multi-national organization. Preferred experience in an international NGO.
- Strong financial acumen, including budget oversight and donor compliance.
- Willing to commit to all levels of work, from administrative to strategic.
- Demonstrate deep empathy and cultural sensitivity to effectively collaborate with diverse teams and vulnerable communities with dignity and understanding.
- Deep commitment to Opportunity International’s mission and Christian motivation of empowering people to work their way out of poverty.
- Deep abiding passion for the mission of Opportunity International and its commitment to economic, spiritual, and social transformation.
- Written and verbal fluency in English, additional 1 or 2 local languages required. Must be able to attend & fully participate in meetings conducted in English.
- Ability and willingness to travel 25% -50% -- country and regional travel, global travel as requested
- Local travel to meet with prospective partners, community leaders, ministry officials, etc.
- Travel throughout Uganda and the target communities regularly to evaluate, monitor, and assist officers and/or deliver programs as necessary.
- Regional travel for training opportunities, to share best practices with other OI Country Offices, and to build knowledge and resources for Opportunity Uganda.
- Regional/global travel for fundraising and conferencing meetings as required.
Opportunity International is a global leader in innovative financial solutions and sustainable development, working across 30+ countries to empower people living in poverty to transform their lives, their children’s futures, and their communities. Through strategic investments in agriculture, education, financial services, and digital inclusion, we serve millions with dignity and purpose.
Opportunity International Uganda (OIUg) is positioned to play a critical role in this mission by deploying high-impact, community-focused programs and financial tools that enable marginalized individuals and entrepreneurs across Uganda to build resilient livelihoods. With an expanding footprint, strong institutional partnerships, and a national mandate, OIUg is poised for transformative growth.
CHILD PROTECTION COMMITMENT
Opportunity believes that all children have a right to protection from any form of abuse regardless of gender, culture, ethnicity, age, religion, sexual orientation, or ability. Opportunity operates in line with international best practices for child protection and recognizes its responsibility to ensure that all employees meet this requirement. This policy applies to anyone acting on behalf of Opportunity or is involved in its programs in any capacity. All employees are subject to background checks, which include criminal checks and sex offender list checks, as allowed by local law.
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