Vice President, Country Programs, Hybrid, Home based

About Us

Fika exists to innovate cost-effective rural infrastructural solutions through advocacy, evidence and technical assistance to promote safe access for geographically isolated communities through partnership with governments and donors.

We provide flexible work arrangements, comprehensive mental and physical wellness support, and annual salary reviews aligned with our compensation policy. Additionally, we offer opportunities for professional growth, allowing individuals to shape their own career paths through targeted development programs.

Job Purpose

The Vice President, Country Programs is a senior leadership role responsible for the effective management and delivery of Fika's four active country programs. Reporting to the Chief Program Officer, this role provides strategic direction and operational oversight to Fika's Country Directors, ensuring that country programs deliver high-quality rural access initiatives, primarily the design and delivery of rural infrastructure programs in close collaboration with, and ultimately led by, national governments.

The VP, Country Programs, is a leadership role for someone with the seniority, judgment, and interpersonal skills to coach and enable country leaders to thrive. The VP, Country Programs partners closely with the Chief Program Officer, the Advisory Services Department, and the Engineering Department, as well as Fika's Advocacy and Strategic Partnerships functions, to ensure that country program delivery is technically excellent, strategically coherent, and aligned with Fika's broader mission.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Program Delivery and Oversight

• Hold overall accountability for the quality, timeliness, and impact of Fika's four country programs, ensuring programs meet their annual goals and multi-year targets.
• Directly line manage Fika's four Country Directors, providing coaching, performance management, and professional development support.
• Foster a culture of accountability, learning, and collaboration across country teams, consistent with Fika's values.
• Support Country Directors in translating country strategies into executable annual work plans and budgets.
• Oversee program monitoring, evaluation, and learning at country level; ensure programmatic lessons are captured, synthesized, and shared across countries.
• Ensure country programs produce internal and external reports to the required quality and on schedule.
• Ensure appropriate health, safety, and environmental safeguards are embedded in program operations.
• Partner with the Engineering Department to ensure bridge projects, from site selection through design, procurement, construction, and handover, are delivered on time and within budget.
• Partner with the Advisory Services Department (without line management authority) to access technical expertise for program design and delivery, ensure Advisory Services resources are prioritized effectively across countries, and provide Advisory Services with the country-level context needed to be most effective.
• Collaborate with procurement teams to ensure country programs follow appropriate procurement practices and have the materials needed to meet delivery targets.
• Support succession planning at the country leadership level.
• Review and approve country program budgets in collaboration with Country Directors and the Chief Program Officer, ensuring budgets are realistic, aligned with strategic priorities, and financially prudent.
• Monitor country program expenditure and financial performance, escalating issues to the Chief Program Officer as needed.
• Support Country Directors in identifying and accessing country-level funding sources, including government co-financing and donor opportunities, in coordination with Fika's fundraising function.
• Ensure country programs maintain strong financial controls and comply with donor requirements.
• Identify, monitor, and mitigate programmatic and operational risks across country programs, in line with Fika's enterprise-wide risk management approach.
• Represent country programs in relevant organizational risk forums.
• Ensure safeguarding standards and procedures are embedded in country operations; support the investigation and escalation of safeguarding concerns in line with Fika policy.
• Represent country programs on the organizational Crisis Management Team.

2. Country and Organizational Strategy

• Lead the process for developing, periodically reviewing, and delivering five-year country strategies for each of Fika's four country programs, with Country Directors owning the development of their respective strategies.
• Ensure country strategies are grounded in rigorous needs assessment and reflect the realities of each national context, government priorities, and Fika's theory of change.
• Partner with the Advisory Services Department to commission and oversee country-level rural infrastructure needs assessments, helping Fika and government partners understand the full scope of rural access needs across their territory.
• Ensure country strategies are coherent with Fika's 2026-2030 organizational strategy and contribute meaningfully to its three themes: prioritization, funding, and national ownership.
• Support Country Directors in identifying strategic opportunities and risks within their country contexts and adjusting plans accordingly.

3. Government Relations and Partnerships

• Support Country Directors in building, maintaining, and elevating high-trust relationships with national government partners, including Ministries of Infrastructure, Transport, and Rural Development.
• Lead and support the development, negotiation, and renewal of Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) and other government agreements that underpin Fika's country programs.
• Position Fika as a trusted, long-term government partner, one that strengthens national capacity rather than creating dependency.
• Cultivate relationships with multilateral institutions (e.g., World Bank, African Development Bank, UN agencies) that are relevant to country program objectives.
• Engage with government partners on rural access prioritization, helping embed Fika's indicators and standards in national planning and budget frameworks.

4. Advocacy and Strategic Partnerships Alignment

• Work closely with Fika's Advocacy team to ensure country strategies and government relationships actively support regional and global advocacy objectives, including embedding rural access in national development plans and international frameworks.
• Collaborate with the Strategic Partnerships team to ensure country-level activities surface opportunities for larger strategic partnerships and that country programs are well-positioned to benefit from partnership outcomes.
• Represent the country programs perspective in cross-organizational strategy conversations, ensuring the realities of on-the-ground delivery inform Fika's advocacy and partnership approach.

Qualifications

Qualifications include:

• Bachelor's degree in International Development, Civil Engineering, Infrastructure Planning, or a related field. Master's degree preferred.
• At least 10 years of senior leadership experience in international development, infrastructure, or a closely related field.
• Proven track record of managing and coaching high-performing country or field teams in a multi-country context.
• Significant experience in rural infrastructure programming in Africa, with a strong understanding of government partnership models.
• Demonstrated success developing and maintaining high-trust relationships with national government counterparts, including Ministries and senior civil servants.
• Experience negotiating and managing MOUs and government agreements.
• Strong experience in country strategy development, five-year planning, and delivery against strategic goals.
• Experience managing program budgets and financial oversight across multiple geographies.
• Familiarity with multilateral development institutions and their role in rural infrastructure financing.
• Practical knowledge of rural infrastructure delivery, ideally bridge construction or rural transport, including design, procurement, and construction oversight.

Working Conditions

Based in Sub-Saharan Africa, in one of Fika's program countries: Rwanda, Uganda, Zambia, or Ethiopia. Hybrid work arrangements available, with a blend of office, field, and remote work.

Significant travel is required, primarily for country program oversight and management, including regular visits to program sites and government offices across Fika's four program countries.

Physical Requirements

This position requires occasional international travel (i.e. long-haul flights).

Direct Reports

• Rwanda Country Director
• Uganda Country Director
• Zambia Country Director
• Ethiopia Country Director

Application Guidelines

• Fika is committed to creating an inclusive work environment. We welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds and strive to provide accommodations for individuals with disabilities during the application and employment process. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in our hiring process or to perform the essential functions of your job, please include this information in your application and we will work with you to ensure your needs are met.
• To apply we require
• A max one-page motivation letter
• A CV following these guidelines:
  • Length: Maximum 2 pages.
  • Education: Highlight relevant diplomas, degrees and recognized certifications
  • Exclude: personal information (photos, gender, religion, marital status, number of dependents), non-certified training.