KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Strategic Leadership & Vision

• Develop and lead the implementation of CARE Zimbabwe’s country strategy, aligning with CARE’s global priorities and the specific development and humanitarian needs of Zimbabwe.
• Anticipate, analyze, and respond to the changing context in Zimbabwe, ensuring CARE remains responsive, innovative, and impactful in addressing poverty, gender inequality, and humanitarian crises.
• Ensure that programs are climate-smart, gender-sensitive, and locally led, contributing to CARE’s mission to achieve lasting change for the most vulnerable.

Program Development & Quality

• Oversee all programmatic activities, ensuring they meet CARE’s high standards for quality, impact, and compliance with donor requirements.
• Lead the development of innovative and scalable programs that address complex humanitarian and development challenges, with a particular focus on gender equity and the empowerment of women and girls.
• Strengthen CARE Zimbabwe’s monitoring, evaluation, and learning systems to showcase the impact of our work and guide continuous improvement.

Partnership Building & Advocacy

• Serve as CARE’s legal representative in Zimbabwe, building strong relationships with government entities, donors, civil society, and the private sector.
• Influence national policy agendas through proactive engagement with key stakeholders, ensuring CARE’s mission to tackle poverty and injustice is represented at the highest levels.
• Lead CARE’s participation in national coordination forums, especially within humanitarian coordination mechanisms, and advocate for the rights and needs of women and marginalized communities.

Financial Management & Resource Mobilization

• Oversee CARE Zimbabwe’s financial health, ensuring the effective management of resources, sound financial planning, and compliance with donor regulations and CARE’s internal policies.
• Develop a robust pipeline of funding opportunities, cultivating relationships with donors, partners, and other stakeholders to secure sustainable funding for CARE Zimbabwe’s operations and programs.
• Ensure responsible stewardship of financial resources, maximizing cost recovery and maintaining transparency in financial reporting.

People & Team Leadership

• Build and lead a diverse, high-performing team committed to CARE’s core values of inclusion, respect, and accountability.
• Promote a positive organizational culture that emphasizes teamwork, staff development, and employee well-being, while ensuring that CARE Zimbabwe’s human resource policies reflect global best practices and local legislation.
• Champion diversity, equity, belonging, and inclusion across the organization, ensuring CARE Zimbabwe’s workforce reflects the communities we serve.

Safety, Security, & Risk Management

• Ensure the safety and security of CARE staff, assets, and operations by maintaining robust risk management processes and regularly updating the country office’s risk register.
• Work closely with CARE’s global security teams to safeguard CARE’s mission and protect its people in a challenging operational context.
• Ensure full compliance with CARE’s safeguarding policies, ensuring the protection of vulnerable populations and upholding the highest ethical standards.

QUALIFICATIONS:

1. Bachelor’s degree in development studies, Social Sciences, or a related field. A Master’s degree is highly desirable.
2. Minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in international development or humanitarian leadership roles, with significant experience managing complex, multi-sector programs in a cross-cultural setting.
3. Proven leadership skills, with experience managing multi-disciplinary teams and navigating challenging environments.
4. Strong financial management capabilities, including budget oversight, donor compliance, and internal/external audit follow-up.
5. Experience building strategic partnerships with governments, donors, civil society, and the private sector.
6. Demonstrated success in resource mobilization and program development.
7. A deep commitment to gender equality, social justice, and the empowerment of marginalized communities.