Project Director (Ethiopia)

Location: Addis Ababa

Deadline: Jan 3, 2026

Job Description

We welcome applicants who are currently based in Addis Ababa.

The Job

Tiko is launching a major 5-year initiative to expand services for vulnerable adolescents and young women in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This large-scale program is built on three core pillars: livelihoods, education, and social protection. The aim is to achieve holistic empowerment and economic inclusion.

We are looking for a Project Director to lead this project, which includes:

Livelihoods: Providing sustainable livelihoods through targeted vocational training and job placement in high-growth industries.

Education: Supporting participants through education re-entry and TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) programs to ensure they have the foundational and technical skills required for successful long-term employment.

Social Protection: Offering comprehensive care, including safe housing support for the most vulnerable participants, alongside case management for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).

The Project Director will manage complex operations, secure strategic partnerships, liaise with the government during implementation, manage major contracts and specialist partners, and ensure strong measurement of results across education, livelihoods, and social protection.

Key Responsibilities

Upstream Leadership and Fiduciary Management

• Serve as the primary representative for the donor, government partners and senior external stakeholders in Ethiopia.

• Provide full fiduciary oversight of a multimillion-dollar budget, ensuring compliance with donor regulations, government procurement rules and Tiko’s financial policies, and lead all major financial and contractual reporting with accuracy and timeliness.

• Guide the strategic direction of the programme, evolving the theory of change and adapting implementation approaches based on evidence and learning.

• Lead policy and advocacy efforts to strengthen national and regional systems that support adolescent girls and young women facing extreme socioeconomic vulnerability.

Downstream Delivery and Execution

• Lead and support the implementation team to meet programme milestones, outputs and outcomes on time and within budget.

• Ensure rigorous tracking and measurement of results in education, livelihoods and social protection, maintaining clarity on integrated programme impact.

• Oversee partners, suppliers, construction or refurbishment and sub-award management, ensuring high-quality performance, contractual clarity and compliance, including building or rehabilitation work led by external technical partners.

• Promote the effective use of technology and digital systems to enhance quality, efficiency, monitoring and real-time decision-making.

Strategic Partnership Building

• Coordinate and oversee a diverse network of implementing partners and suppliers, including specialist NGOs focused on social protection (e.g., safeguarding girls) and private sector companies providing infrastructure (e.g., constructing safe houses).

• Ensure effective management of all subcontracts, including regular performance monitoring, technical assistance, and quality assurance across specialised delivery areas such as construction, education, or livelihood development.

About You

You combine the strategic instincts of a CEO with a hands-on approach to delivery. You have deep experience in at least two of the programme’s core pillars, which are education, livelihoods and social protection, and can confidently oversee the third through strong partner management.

You are resilient, analytical and comfortable working in high-pressure environments. You know how to measure results for integrated programmes and have experience with rigorous evidence frameworks. You are committed to equity, dignity and shifting the future of adolescent girls and young women facing extreme socioeconomic vulnerability, and you thrive in demanding, meaningful work.

Requirements

Master’s degree in international development, Public Administration, Business Management, or a related field.
At least 10 years in senior leadership roles managing large, complex, donor-funded programmes.
Proven track record overseeing multi-million-dollar projects and meeting major donor compliance standards.
Expertise in at least two core areas: education, livelihoods or social protection.
Experience managing building or refurbishment components or large technical contracts.
Strong government engagement experience, including co-financing and procurement.
Experience managing multi-country operations, including Ethiopia.
Experience working with highly vulnerable populations, especially adolescent girls and young women facing extreme socioeconomic vulnerability.
Strong external representation, donor engagement and partnership skills.
Strong affinity for using technology and digital systems.
Proven ability to lead high-performing teams.
Fluency in English.
Based in Addis Ababa, with frequent travel.
Comfortable working in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment.

In addition to your monthly salary, we offer you:

Health and accident insurance
Flexible work arrangements, including remote or hybrid options where applicable.
A personal development budget of €500 per year to invest in your professional growth – whether through training, certifications, or career advancement opportunities.
Comprehensive time-off package, including 5 days of wellness leave, all regional public holidays, maternity and parental leave according to local regulations, and unlimited holidays subject to team coordination.
The opportunity to shape a growing, impactful product and leave your mark on how we work.
A culture built on trust – we believe you’ll do your best without the need for unnecessary rules or micromanagement.

Tiko prioritizes integrity in our workplace and respects your privacy.

Tiko is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behaviour by its employees at work, including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and financial misconduct. This is why we will do reference and background screening checks on successful candidates before hiring.

Tiko also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. As part of this scheme, we will request information from your previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during your employment, or incidents under investigation when you left employment. By applying for this position, you confirm you have read and understood these recruitment procedures.

We value your privacy and understand the importance of safeguarding your personal data. We invite you to review our privacy notice for the recruitment process to understand how we collect, use, and protect your personal data during the recruitment process. Click Tiko – Privacy notice for the recruitment process 2025.pdf to view the document. By applying for this position, you acknowledge that you have read and understood our privacy notice.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and may decide to close the vacancy before the deadline.