COUNTRY DIRECTOR - SOUTH SUDAN

JOB SUMMARY Lead with vision. Drive transformational change. Empower communities. CARE is seeking a Country Director (CD) to provide bold leadership and strategic direction for our operations in South Sudan. This is an extraordinary opportunity to advance CARE’s mission to save lives, defeat poverty, and achieve social justice in one of the world’s most dynamic and challenging contexts. As Country Director, you will be CARE’s senior representative in South Sudan—leading strategy, program quality, operations, and partnerships. You will inspire a diverse and committed team, champion innovation and inclusion, and position CARE South Sudan as a trusted, values-driven organization making a transformative difference for women, girls, and vulnerable communities. What We’re Looking For We seek a visionary, courageous leader whose approach, experience, and behaviors reflect these core attributes: Leads with Purpose and Clarity – sets a clear direction and mobilizes others to deliver results. Adapts to Complex Contexts – thrives in fragile, fast-changing environments with resilience and agility. Demonstrates an Entrepreneurial Mindset – pursues new opportunities and creative approaches to sustainability. Models Integrity and Accountability – leads with transparency and ethical responsibility. Builds and Empowers Diverse Teams – fosters inclusion, collaboration, and high performance. Engages and Influences Externally – cultivates partnerships and advocates with authority. Drives Operational Discipline and Risk Awareness – ensures compliance, security, and organizational resilience. RESPONSIBILITIES Strategy and Execution Lead the development and execution of the Country Office’s multi-year strategy, ensuring alignment with CARE’s global and regional priorities while responding to the national development agenda. Drive organizational transformation and entrepreneurial innovation in roles, systems, and approaches, ensuring the CO remains agile, relevant, and competitive in a fast-changing environment. Exercise adaptive and opportunity-driven leadership, tailoring strategies to shifting political, social, and economic contexts while leveraging emerging opportunities. Build organizational capacity for strategic foresight and scenario planning, enabling evidence-based decision-making and resilience to shocks. People Leadership and Development Provide visionary leadership to a diverse team, cultivating a culture of innovation, inclusion, collaboration, accountability, and alignment with CARE’s values. Champion a results-oriented environment by setting clear expectations, monitoring performance, and driving continuous improvement. Identify and develop exceptional talent, ensuring robust succession planning, leadership pathways, and entrepreneurial thinking across all levels. Strengthen resilience and organizational continuity through innovative knowledge transfer and capacity-building processes. Resource Mobilization & Representation Design and implement comprehensive resource mobilization strategies to secure diversified funding from institutional, multilateral, philanthropic, and private sector partners. Cultivate and expand relationships with traditional and emerging donors, government institutions, civil society, and private sector actors. Apply business-minded leadership to explore innovative financing models, including impact investments, CSR partnerships, social enterprises, and local resource generation, to strengthen sustainability. Represent CARE externally, positioning the CO as a credible and influential partner, enhancing its visibility, and shaping donor and policy agendas. Operational Excellence & Risk Management Oversee operational systems to ensure efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and compliance with CARE global standards. Lead risk management and safeguarding efforts to protect staff, partners, and program participants, ensuring strong security, fraud mitigation, and regulatory compliance. Ensure financial sustainability through effective budgeting, cost recovery, and prudent allocation of resources. Monitor and adjust management structures to remain fit-for-purpose and proportionate to income. Program Quality and Impact Ensure that programs are evidence-based, community-centered, and innovative, leveraging technology, entrepreneurial models, and digital solutions to deliver scalable and transformative impact. Ensure compliance with program quality standards, M&E systems, and timely delivery of high-quality projects. Foster local ownership by strengthening civil society capacity, co-creating solutions, and advancing CARE’s localization agenda. Leverage partnerships with government, private sector, and communities to scale innovation and deepen program impact. #LI-AM2