Role purpose

Ipas ASR Director is responsible for leading all strategic, programmatic, and operational aspects of the program in the ASR portfolio of countries (Malawi, South Africa & Zambia) and contributes to the global leadership of the organization. The Regional Director leads a team of multidisciplinary professionals in developing and achieving long-term strategic goals as well as in planning, implementation, and monitoring of a range of projects to improve sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). S/he is responsible for developing and implementing sound strategies, annual operational plans and budgets, and fund raising. S/he ensures good stewardship of Ipas funding and compliance with the Ipas’s global policies and quality standards.

The ASR Director works to maintain Ipas's technical leadership, ensure robust results of the program, and foster strong collaboration with diverse partners. S/he supports the Ipas which is built on the tenets of shared leadership and mutual accountability. S/he models the Ipas values, promoting equity and inclusion, fostering learning, and collaborating with other teams across the world. The ASR Director is the senior representative of Ipas in the region, and this position is based in the region.

Duties and Responsibilities

Program Leadership

• Maintain and strengthen Ipas’s position as a sector leader primarily in Malawi, South Africa, and Zambia, including technical assistance for select scopes of work within the region.
• Lead design and implementation of the Ipas Malawi, South Africa, and Zambia strategic plan, in line with Ipas's strategic plan, global vision and mission.
• Work closely with Ipas’s global teams to ensure that regional/country programming meets Ipas Network standards and supports and is supported by the global organization.
• Develop and lead the implementation of business development plans with the support of the Ipas’s global teams, to ensure the maintenance and growth of the country programs in the region.
• Lead and support the country program teams, including strengthening programmatic and operational capacity of staff as needed.
• Model and foster a high-trust, positive management, high-performance work culture in the country offices, based on Ipas core values and organizational culture.

Program Management

• Ensure robust systems and processes are in place in region & country programs to support strong project and award management, including work planning, budgeting, and regular datadriven reviews of progress and problem-solving efforts.
• Ensure full donor contractual compliance for each project in the country portfolios, as well as compliance with Ipas's network standards and policies and procedures.
• Promote evidence-based decision-making and lead in the adoption of innovative solutions to improve regional and country program effectiveness and efficiency.
• Ensure quality is maintained through the development of and support of a quality monitoring process for continuous quality assurance.

Finance and Governance

• Ensure each country program entity meets good governance requirements, including support for strategic engagement with local boards.
• Ensure that the Ipas ASR node stays in compliance with relevant government laws and requirements, including nonprofit registration requirements, labor laws, tax and other laws and obligations.
• Ensure that human resource (HR) systems and policies are aligned with best practices and local laws, and that accountability is built into HR management processes and systems (e.g., annual performance goals, performance reviews).
• Lead in revenue growth and increased efficiency, basing strategic and operational plans on sound financial and programmatic results data.
• Ensure strong financial management aligned with Ipas’s financial compliance policies and award requirements, monitoring and sharing financial performance through regular reviews and follow-up actions.
• Responsible for ensuring robust internal controls are in place to minimize and manage risk.
• Monitor safety and security issues in the region and ensure country offices comply with Ipas safety and security standards and policies.

External Relations and Resource Mobilization

• Build and nurture strong partnerships with government, donors, health institutions, local organizations, media, and other stakeholders.
• Lead in developing and implementing a program development and resource mobilization strategy.
• Represent Ipas and our mission at the country/regional/international level, advocating for women's reproductive health and rights.

Profile

Essential

• Commitment to sexual and reproductive health and rights, especially safe abortion and access to contraception.
• Respect and credibility as an advocate for reproductive health and rights, strong advocacy and speaking skills in a context with stigma and opposition.
• Knowledge of the issues and context of women's sexual and reproductive health and rights in the region.
• Proven ability to lead and motivate teams and create a positive work environment through supportive supervision, strong communication and teamwork, and shared leadership approaches.
• Proven ability to build and maintain positive working relationships with a variety of partners, including government officials, partner organizations, and regional or global donors

Minimum

• Master's level degree or higher preferred, in a relevant field such as Public Health, Medicine, International Development, Gender Issues, Policy, Administration or Related Studies.
• A minimum of 10 years of increasing responsibility in Team Leadership and Program Management, preferably with an NGO / INGO and in the SRHR sector.
• Strategic leader with sound general management skills; previous experience as a Country Director/ Country Manager for an international NGO preferred.
• Experience and demonstrated success in fundraising and maintaining relationships with donors.

Preferred Requirements

• Experience managing grants, funds, and/or budgets.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills
• Ability to work with clear targets with minimum supervision.
• Ability to coordinate with multiple stakeholders
• Ability to travel for up to 30% time (domestic, regional, and global)

Terms of Appointment

• Reports to Director, Program Support Team

Role Location

• South Africa, Zambia or Malawi

How to Apply

To apply for this position, please ensure you complete the Application Form provided below by 16 January 2026 (23:59 hrs, GMT +2). It is essential that you submit your CV in English, specifically in Microsoft Word format (.doc/.docx), not exceeding 10MB.

Applications in other languages or formats will not be considered.

Rest assured, all information will be handled with the utmost confidentiality.

SRI Executive is exclusively retained by Ipas to undertake this assignment.