Vice President, Africa Strategy & Execution

Who We Are
International Justice Mission (IJM) is the global leader in protecting vulnerable people from violence around the world. Our team of over 1,200 professionals are at work worldwide in over 30 offices. Together we are on a mission to rescue millions, protect half a billion, and make justice unstoppable.
We are a global community that cares for one another. We believe that the way we work is as important as the results we achieve. We provide professional excellence with joy and celebration to all those we serve.
The Need
For over 25 years, IJM has pioneered the work to protect vulnerable people from violence. 9 out of 9 times in the last decade, IJM’s Justice System Strengthening Projects have reduced slavery and violence between 50 and 85% for very large populations of people in poverty. As we grow to expand our impact to protect 500 million people from violence, we are seeking a Vice President, Africa Strategy & Execution to provide senior strategic, operational, and people leadership for IJM’s work across the Africa Region. Reporting to the Interim Regional President, the Vice President serves as a key member of the regional leadership team and a principal partner to the Regional President, helping to ensure continuity, health, strategic alignment, and effective execution across the regional portfolio.
This role supports the effective implementation of IJM’s global strategy in Africa through high-impact programs, healthy and high-performing teams, strong regional operating rhythms, and effective partnership with Country Directors, Regional leaders, Global Programs, Global People Support, and other Global Center functions. The Vice President will play a significant role in assessing regional program health, strategic opportunities, leadership capacity, and organizational effectiveness across the Africa portfolio.
The Vice President will hold a substantive, ongoing leadership portfolio that advances program excellence, regional effectiveness, leadership development, and mission impact. In partnership with the Regional President and Chief Program Officer, this role may assume responsibility for designated country, program, operational, or cross-functional portfolios based on regional priorities and organizational design.
In a highly collaborative and dynamic environment, the Vice President will model IJM’s Christian, Professional, and Bridge-Building values; foster a culture of spiritual health, integrity, accountability, and professional excellence; and help lead the Region in protecting people in poverty from violence in accordance with IJM’s theory of change and global strategy. The role is modeled on the regional leadership expectations reflected in IJM’s Regional President and Interim Africa Programs Leader descriptions: program health, strategic alignment, team leadership, operational rigor, and partnership across the global enterprise.
This position is hybrid and based in Nairobi, Kenya. It reports to the Interim Regional President, Africa, and is available only to candidates who are authorized to work in Kenya.
Responsibilities:
Regional Leadership and Team Health
Serve as a senior member of the Africa regional leadership team and as a principal partner to the Interim Regional President in leading the regional portfolio;
Provide leadership continuity, strategic support, and executive partnership across the Region, helping ensure coordinated decision-making, clear priorities, and sustained progress toward regional goals;
Lead and model a culture of Christian spiritual formation, prayerful leadership, integrity, humility, accountability, collaboration, and professional excellence across the Region;
Provide direct leadership, coaching, development, performance management, and accountability to assigned Country Directors, regional leaders, and/or other direct reports, as determined by the Regional President and Chief Program Officer;
Build and strengthen a diverse, healthy, and high-performing regional leadership bench by identifying, developing, retaining, and supporting high-potential leaders and successors;
Partner with the Interim Regional President to assess team health, leadership capacity, organizational design, staffing requirements, and succession risks across the Region;
Participate fully in regional leadership forums and enterprise processes, contributing a unified, mission-first perspective and helping translate global priorities into clear regional action; and
Uphold IJM’s safeguarding principles, Code of Ethics, Protection Against Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment Policy, security protocols, and all applicable organizational policies.
Regional Strategy, Program Health, and Execution
Partner with the Interim Regional President to develop, refine, and implement the Africa Region’s strategic priorities, operating plans, and performance objectives in alignment with IJM’s global strategy, theory of change, and investment decisions;
Conduct regular assessment of regional program health, strategic positioning, protection outcomes, scalability, organizational risks, and opportunities; translate findings into practical recommendations for the Interim Regional President, Chief Program Officer, and other relevant leadership forums;
Support Country Directors and regional leaders in establishing clear goals, plans, decision rights, milestones, and accountability mechanisms that improve program effectiveness and mission impact;
Contribute to the continuous improvement and contextualization of IJM’s protection models, evidence-based practices, and program frameworks in collaboration with the Global Programs Center for Excellence and relevant Global Center partners;
Lead or support regional strategic initiatives, special projects, organizational improvements, and change efforts as assigned by the Interim Regional President or Chief Program Officer; and
Provide strategic input on regional organizational design, staffing, leadership capacity, program direction, and resource prioritization based on evidence, program learning, and regional needs.
Regional Initiatives, Portfolio Support, and Execution
Provide senior leadership for designated regional, country, programmatic, or cross-functional priorities and initiatives, as assigned by the Interim Regional President and in partnership with relevant Global Center and regional leaders;
Support effective execution of regional priorities by coordinating cross-functional stakeholders, clarifying ownership and decision rights, monitoring progress, managing risks, and escalating barriers in a timely manner;
Partner with Country Directors and relevant regional leaders to support strong planning, implementation, and follow-through against strategic priorities, performance expectations, and agreed regional measures; and
Contribute to formal program assessments, comparative analyses, phase-gate processes, portfolio reviews, and other learning or decision-making mechanisms that inform regional strategy, program direction, and resource allocation.
Lead assigned cross-regional or enterprise projects from scope through implementation, ensuring appropriate stakeholder engagement, governance, timeline management, risk mitigation, and delivery quality.
Help identify, document, and advance opportunities to improve program quality, operational effectiveness, leadership capability, and alignment across the Africa portfolio.