Area Director Sahel

About NCA in Sahel

NCA Sahel operates in Mali and Burkina Faso, and works with WASH, GBV and Peacebuilding. Our work- both in terms of humanitarian response and long-term development- contributes to the successful implementation of safe water supplies and mobilizes communities to combat GBV and promote family planning and reproductive health rights. Our Peace Programme strengthens local peace-structures and works to include women and youth in the peace-processes. All of this is made possible through close partnership with legitimate local civil society actors, ensuring ownership, relevance and lasting impact

Role Summary

As Area Director, you become a central leader for NCA’s teams, partners and the communities we serve. You set direction in uncertainty, connect people and perspectives across borders, and ensure that our work translates into real, measurable change

You will be responsible for guiding NCA’s presence across Mali and Burkina Faso, shaping a portfolio that is locally rooted, conflict‑sensitive and able to adapt to a shifting landscape.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and adjust strategic direction for the Sahel portfolio to ensure relevance, conflict sensitivity and alignment with NCA’s global strategies.
• You lead through a senior management team (Finance Manager, Operations Manager, Program Manager and Head of Mission) and build a culture of clarity and accountability.
• Strengthen partnerships with authorities, donors, networks, embassies and regional structures, including growing engagement in Dakar.
• Ensure program quality, financial stewardship, compliance and cross‑country coordination.
• Lead security management, risk monitoring, incident response, safeguarding and staff wellbeing.

What We Offer

• A strategic leadership position at the intersection of humanitarian action, development work and political complexity.
• A central role in localized humanitarian response through legitimate local partners in WASH, GBV and peacebuilding.
• The opportunity to shape and support a strong senior management team.
• Close collaboration with government actors, donors and regional partners.
• You join a team whose culture is built on solidarity, accountability and innovation, values developed collectively by staff across Mali and Burkina Faso

Who You Are

You are a relationship‑builder who leads with clarity and humility. You make sound decisions in uncertain and high‑pressure environments, and you bring people together through listening, structure and trust. You adapt your leadership to context, empower others to take responsibility, and stay steady when situations shift rapidly

Qualifications

• Relevant university degree, preferably in international development, political science, management or similar.
• Minimum 4 years of experience as Country Director or equivalent senior leadership role in humanitarian or high‑risk settings.
• Strong understanding of how programme, operational, financial and security functions influence and depend on one another.
• Demonstrated experience leading through other leaders, particularly in multicultural and conflict‑sensitive environments.
• Proven experience cultivating donor and diplomatic relationships and representing an organisation in political and humanitarian coordination spaces.
• Fluency in French and English.

Strong assets

• Background working in the Sahel region
• Understanding of local civil society dynamics and political/cultural context

Practical & Security Information

• This is a non‑family duty station, requiring ability to live and work independently in a high‑risk context.
• This position is for expats only.
• HEAT (Hostile Environment Awareness Training) must have been completed within the last four years, or within the first three months of employment.

How to apply

How to Apply

We encourage candidates from diverse backgrounds to apply. If this role resonates with your experience and values, we would be glad to hear from you. Apply through our recruitment portal: register, upload your CV and respond to three screening questions. Only applications submitted through the electronic system can be considered. To apply for the position, click this link. You can change the language on this page in the top right corner, then click apply job above the advert.

Before submitting your application, we kindly ask you to read the ACT Code of Conduct for the prevention of misconduct, including corruption, fraud, exploitation and abuse, including sexual; and to ensure child safeguarding and NCA’s Policy on Protection from Sexual Harassment, Exploitation and Abuse and Child Safeguarding policy. These documents outline our commitment to preventing misconduct, including corruption, fraud, exploitation, abuse, and safeguarding children. All staff are required to sign both the Code of Conduct and the Protection Policy as a condition of engagement with NCA.

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 those individuals and groups who are 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 the sanction’s lists maintained by the UN and by some of NCAs governmental donors.