Country Director – Ethiopia (Addis Ababa)

The Country Director provides overall strategic and programmatic leadership including business development, fundraising, compliance and risk, financial and people management to ensure the success and growth of the country programme.

Organization: Right To Play

Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (Must be legally eligible to work in Ethiopia without sponsorship)

Job Type: Full-Time (40 hrs/week), 1-Year Fixed Term (Renewable)

Salary: ETB 508,934 per month (before taxes) + competitive benefits package

Target Start Date: January 2027

Application Deadline: October 20, 2026 at 23:59 EAT

About Right To Play

For over 25 years, Right To Play has protected, educated, and empowered millions of children annually across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and North America. We harness the power of play to help vulnerable children in host, internally displaced, and refugee communities build life skills, access quality education, and overcome adversity.

Role Overview

Right To Play is seeking an experienced and vision-driven Country Director to lead our program in Ethiopia. Based in Addis Ababa, you will provide strategic, operational, and programmatic leadership. You will oversee donor relations, fundraising, financial management, team leadership, and governance to expand our reach and impact across the country.

Key Responsibilities

Governance & Representation (20%): Serve as Right To Play’s legal representative in Ethiopia. Manage organizational risk and represent the NGO with key government authorities, UN agencies, donors, and humanitarian partners.
Fundraising & Communications (20%): Lead resource mobilization, direct proposal development, build strategic donor relationships, and raise the organization’s public profile.
Strategic Leadership & Implementation (15%): Drive the strategic vision for the Ethiopia country office, ensuring alignment with national priorities and global goals.
Programmatic Oversight & Innovation (15%): Guarantee high-quality delivery of play-based education and psychosocial support programs. Champion evidence-based practices and monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL).
Operational & Financial Management (15%): Supervise operational compliance, budgeting, grant management, audits, and safeguarding protocols.
People & Workplace Management (15%): Mentor and manage a diverse team, fostering a supportive, inclusive, and high-performance workplace culture.

Key Qualifications & Skills

Education: Master’s degree in Business Administration, Social Sciences, Development Studies, or a related field.
Experience: Senior leadership experience in an international development NGO, managing large-scale programs, donor budgets, and teams in stable and fragile contexts.
Fundraising Success: Proven track record of securing major donor grants and executing strategic partnerships.
Languages: Fluent in written and spoken English and Amharic.
Legal Eligibility: Must have current legal authorization to work in Ethiopia.
Desirable: Prior leadership experience within child-focused international non-governmental organizations (INGOs).

What We Offer

Competitive Salary: ETB 508,934/month before taxes.
Allowances & Bonus: 10% temporary allowance (Oct–Dec 2026), plus transportation and communication allowances.
Health & Security: Comprehensive medical coverage for employee and eligible family members, plus life insurance.
Paid Time Off: 20 annual leave days, 3 personal days, and 5 dedicated Learning & Development (L&D) days per year.
Workplace Culture: Flexible working arrangements in an inclusive environment committed to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB).