Africa Regional Director

About RestoringVision

RestoringVision is a global nonprofit dedicated to creating equitable access to vision services and eyeglasses for individuals living on less than $2 a day. Our work and vision interventions are at the intersection of global health, education, and economic development. In 2024, RestoringVision will reach over 5 million people in need, with a growth trajectory poised to reach more than 10 million people annually with our programs that transform lives with clear vision. We are committed to a future where everyone who needs glasses has them.

Overview of the Position

RestoringVision seeks an Africa Regional Director to provide strategic leadership for our work toward solving the vision crisis across the continent. The Africa Regional Director will drive expansion of RestoringVision’s impact by establishing and strengthening partnerships for programming and resourcing. Priority partners include national faith-based health systems, international and national NGOs, government ministries and agencies, and social enterprises.

The Regional Director will also provide oversight of RestoringVision’s portfolio of programming across the region, ensuring quality, accountability, learning, and continuous improvement. In close collaboration with the RestoringVision teams leading philanthropy, marketing, and communications, the Director will proactively engage with African philanthropies and other Africa-based donors. The Director will collaborate closely with the RestoringVision global teams in engagement with global donors supporting partners in Africa.

The Regional Director will engage actively in regional forums and groups to advocate for sustainable solutions and for prioritization of eye health and vision care – especially provision of reading glasses – as an essential, proven, and highly cost-effective way to improve health and development for people living in poverty.

The Regional Director will report to RestoringVision’s Vice President of Global Programs and Impact. The Director will be a strategic thought partner for the VP and the full Global Programs and Impact team, including the global Director of Monitoring, Evaluation, Evidence and Learning.

The Regional Director will bring solid experience in health, development, and/or humanitarian action; strong experience creating and nurturing partnerships with diverse organizations; a spirit of social entrepreneurialism; a passion to expand and sustain impact in the lives of people living in extreme poverty; and deep integrity and professionalism.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide overall leadership for all of the work of RestoringVision in Africa, including development of a strategic plan for expanding impact across the continent and creatively addressing opportunities and challenges as they arise
• Building on RestoringVision’s current collaborations in Africa, establish and strengthen partnerships for programming and resourcing. Priority partners include national faith-based health systems, international and national NGOs, government ministries and agencies, and social enterprises.
• Provide oversight of RestoringVision’s portfolio of programming across the region, ensuring quality, accountability, learning, and continuous improvement.
• Ensure effective monitoring, evaluation, reporting, and communication across all of RestoringVision’s Africa portfolio, with emphasis on evidence of impact and continuous learning.
• Engage actively in regional and global forums and groups to advocate for systemic, sustainable solutions and the prioritization of eye health and vision care – especially provision of reading glasses – as an essential, proven, and highly cost-effective way to improve health and development for people living in poverty.
• Proactively engage with African philanthropies and other Africa-based donors to mobilize resources for expansion of impact, in close collaboration with the RestoringVision global teams leading philanthropy, marketing, and communications
• Work effectively with RestoringVision’s global teams in engagements with global donors supporting partners in Africa

Requirements

The ideal candidate has impeccable integrity, is highly motivated to increase impact, has strong interpersonal and leadership skills, is a social entrepreneur, and is a creative and strategic thinker with a growth mindset. In addition, they have:

• At least 10 years of professional experience in Africa, including at least 5 years in a role working with multiple countries on the continent, providing a strong understanding of the diverse social, cultural, economic, and business contexts in the region
• Strong experience establishing and developing partnerships with a wide range of partners in African contexts, preferably including faith-based health systems, government, business, and international and national NGOs
• Clear track record in expanding impact through partnerships, advocacy, and resource mobilization
• Solid experience working with a range of donors and senior leaders in Africa and beyond
• Strong experience in grant management and reporting
• Proven track record in developing plans, budgets, and forecasts
• Strong ability to execute and work within project timelines and pivot as needed to address critical priorities
• Ability to persuasively articulate RestoringVision’s mission, vision, values, and strategic goals
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English
• Ability to work remotely in a collaborative team environment, as well as to be self-directed and work independently
• Strong management skills with excellent attention to detail
• Knowledge and familiarity with key software (e.g. Microsoft Office 365)

Preferred Experience and Skills

• Proficiency in one or more languages in addition to English; French competency is especially valuable for this role
• Experience living and/or working across east, west, and southern Africa
• Experience providing regional leadership for a NGO, donor agency, or similar organization
• Experience working for or with national faith-based health systems (e.g. Christian Health Associations or Islamic Health Associations)
• Experience with nonprofits focused on vision and eye health
• Experience in the import and management of in-kind donations

Qualifications

• Required: Bachelor’s Degree
• Preferred: Master’s degree or higher in public health, development, business administration, or a similar field relevant to the position

Location

Nairobi is the preferred location. Other locations with good travel connections to the rest of the continent can be considered.

The Regional Director will travel 30% or more of their time across Africa, with occasional travel to the US and other parts of the world.

Compensation and Safeguarding

This is a full-time position with competitive compensation commensurate with the role, qualifications, and experience.

RestoringVision is firmly committed to safeguarding of all those we seek to serve and to the highest standards of ethics and professionalism. Thorough background checks will be conducted for all final candidates.

More about RestoringVision

Over 1 billion people have a vision impairment that could have been prevented or is yet to be addressed. 80% or 826 million people suffer from vision impairment due to presbyopia – a common condition that can be easily corrected with a pair of reading glasses. 90% live in impoverished communities without access to vision care. That’s where we come in – and we won’t stop until everyone in the world can see clearly.

The lack of access to vision screenings, lack of channels for eyeglass distribution, and the inability for people to pay are significant barriers. For these individuals – a pair of glasses – a solution that has been around for 700 years – restores sight immediately and improves lives.

Our unparalleled network of over 3,000 NGOs and government agencies, along with our corporate and foundation donors who provide financial support, and the world’s largest optical companies who partner with us to ensure we have quality glasses add up to an all-hands-on-deck approach for advancing our mission of solving the global vision crisis. Since 2003, RestoringVision has reached more than 25 million people in 147 countries.