About StrongMinds Zambia

StrongMinds Zambia (SMZ) is a non-governmental organisation providing scalable, community- and school-based solutions to close the mental health treatment gap in Zambia. Founded in 2019, we provide free, community-based group talk therapy (IPT-G) to treat depression to everyone that needs it most. Our model uses trained local health workers to deliver culturally relevant care through partnerships with the Government of Zambia, significantly reducing symptoms and improving lives. After proving the feasibility, effectiveness, and affordability of our treatment model, SMZ is focused on rapid and impactful scaling of these free, existing and tested community-based mental health solutions that have already served over half a million Zambians through effective and mutually beneficial government partnerships.

StrongMinds aims to provide mental health treatment to 420,000 Zambians in 2026 Exclusively through the Government of Zambia and reach millions more in the years ahead.

Job Title

Deputy Country Director (DCD)

Line Manager / Supervisor: Country Director

Duty Station: Lusaka, Zambia. (with in-country and international travel)

Job Purpose/ Position Summary

The Deputy Country Director (DCD) for StrongMinds Zambia, in collaboration with the Country Director, leads the implementation of StrongMinds’ program strategy in Zambia. The role oversees program teams and partners to adapt and scale StrongMinds’ model for treating depression, with overall oversight for ensuring technical soundness, quality care, model integrity, and cost-efficient implementation.

The DCD supports the Country Director in advocacy efforts to position StrongMinds’ approach as a sustainable solution for mental health recovery. The role also contributes to the design and continuous improvement of StrongMinds’ clinical approach, supports organisational learning initiatives, and helps design interventions that attract funding and strategic partnerships.

The DCD is a key member of the Zambia Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and shares responsibility for upholding the highest standards of leadership behaviour, programme outcomes, safeguarding, and organisational impact. The role is central to ensuring StrongMinds Zambia’s financial and operational excellence and driving its growth and impact nationally and regionally.

Key Areas of Responsibility

1. Strategic Leadership & Program Oversight

• Lead the development and implementation of the country-level strategy, ensuring alignment with StrongMinds’ global vision and objectives.
• Oversee the design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of SMZ’s depression and mental health programs.
• Ensure program quality, impact, efficiency, and value for money, including efforts to reduce cost per patient.
• Propose and recommend program adaptations, innovations, and new program areas based on research evidence and learning.
• Ensure adherence to StrongMinds’ quality standards, policies, and guidelines, including quality assurance systems.

2. Government Partnerships & Scale

• Scale SMZ’s work through partnerships with government institutions (MoH, MoE, MCDSS, MHA, and others) to expand access to mental health services.
• Strengthen integration of depression treatment into government-led systems and partner programming.
• Oversee implementation of StrongMinds’ model through partners, ensuring fidelity and quality.
• Strengthen adolescent and youth mental health programming and community mental health systems to support scale-up.
• Consolidate SMZ’s district model approach and track government contributions (cash and in-kind).

3. Team Leadership & Management

• Directly supervise senior program leaders, including Provincial Team Leads, Partnership Leads, and Program Leads.
• Lead, mentor, and build the capacity of SMZ program and partner staff to achieve program goals.
• Ensure staff have clear objectives, regular feedback, and development opportunities.
• Establish systems for technical supervision, training, and staff development to retain high-quality talent.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, innovation, and excellence across SMZ.
• Lead program-side accountability for resolving issues raised by internal and external stakeholders.
• Monitor program-related risks and report incidents and mitigation measures.

4. Research, Learning & Data

• Contribute to the design and delivery of research projects, baselines, and thematic studies to strengthen SMZ’s learning.
• Serve as the focal point for organisational learning across StrongMinds entities, including sharing and learning from StrongMinds Uganda.
• Lead efforts to collect, analyse, and use data to inform program improvements, adaptations, and innovations.
• Oversee timely and accurate reporting to donors, partners, and internal leadership, including monthly reports to the Country Director.
• Collaborate with the MERL team to strengthen data quality and field-level reporting systems.
• Contribute to the advancement of StrongMinds’ global programming and innovation agenda.

5. Partnerships, Advocacy & Representation

• Support the Country Director in building and maintaining relationships with donors, partners, and stakeholders.
• Oversee SMZ’s partnerships with the Zambian Government at national and sub-national levels.
• Participate in the design of new programs and funding applications.
• Support donor visits, donor reporting, and represent StrongMinds at relevant donor meetings where required.
• Represent SMZ at key forums, meetings, and advocacy events to enhance visibility and mobilise resources.
• Co-lead the development and implementation of advocacy and communication strategies to influence policy and integrate mental health into health and social systems.

6. Technical, Operational & Financial Oversight

• Contribute to the technical and clinical design and improvement of StrongMinds’ approach, including documentation for partnership scale-up.
• Provide technical support to SMZ scale-up initiatives.
• Work with the Country Director and Finance team to develop and monitor budgets, ensuring financial accountability and efficient use of resources.
• Oversee compliance with organisational policies, donor requirements, and local legal regulations.
• Support optimisation of operational support functions, including procurement, logistics, safety, and risk management.
• Actively monitor and mitigate program and operational risks.

Educational Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Public Health, Psychology, Social Work, International Development, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
• Master’s degree in a relevant field is a strong added advantage.

Experience & Competencies

• Minimum 8 years of relevant professional experience, including at least 4 years in senior management within an NGO, social enterprise, or similar organisation.
• Proven experience leading large-scale, multi-site programs and complex partnerships.
• Demonstrated experience working with government systems and public sector delivery structures.
• Strong strategic planning, program design, and budget management expertise.
• Excellent people leadership skills, with experience managing and mentoring senior teams.
• Strong analytical and data-driven decision-making capabilities.
• Proven ability to build and manage partnerships and donor relationships.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.
• High cultural awareness and ability to operate effectively in diverse, international environments.
• Strong computer literacy and documentation skills.
• Fluency in multiple languages including English, and local languages (Nyanja, Bemba, etc.)

• Lead the development and implementation of the country-level strategy, ensuring alignment with StrongMinds’ global vision and objectives.
• Oversee the design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of SMZ’s depression and mental health programs.
• Ensure program quality, impact, efficiency, and value for money, including efforts to reduce cost per patient.
• Propose and recommend program adaptations, innovations, and new program areas based on research evidence and learning.
• Ensure adherence to StrongMinds’ quality standards, policies, and guidelines, including quality assurance systems.
• Scale SMZ’s work through partnerships with government institutions (MoH, MoE, MCDSS, MHA, and others) to expand access to mental health services.
• Strengthen integration of depression treatment into government-led systems and partner programming.
• Oversee implementation of StrongMinds’ model through partners, ensuring fidelity and quality.
• Strengthen adolescent and youth mental health programming and community mental health systems to support scale-up.
• Consolidate SMZ’s district model approach and track government contributions (cash and in-kind).
• Directly supervise senior program leaders, including Provincial Team Leads, Partnership Leads, and Program Leads.
• Lead, mentor, and build the capacity of SMZ program and partner staff to achieve program goals.
• Ensure staff have clear objectives, regular feedback, and development opportunities.
• Establish systems for technical supervision, training, and staff development to retain high-quality talent.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, innovation, and excellence across SMZ.
• Lead program-side accountability for resolving issues raised by internal and external stakeholders.
• Monitor program-related risks and report incidents and mitigation measures.
• Contribute to the design and delivery of research projects, baselines, and thematic studies to strengthen SMZ’s learning.
• Serve as the focal point for organisational learning across StrongMinds entities, including sharing and learning from StrongMinds Uganda.
• Lead efforts to collect, analyse, and use data to inform program improvements, adaptations, and innovations.
• Oversee timely and accurate reporting to donors, partners, and internal leadership, including monthly reports to the Country Director.
• Collaborate with the MERL team to strengthen data quality and field-level reporting systems.
• Contribute to the advancement of StrongMinds’ global programming and innovation agenda.
• Support the Country Director in building and maintaining relationships with donors, partners, and stakeholders.
• Oversee SMZ’s partnerships with the Zambian Government at national and sub-national levels.
• Participate in the design of new programs and funding applications.
• Support donor visits, donor reporting, and represent StrongMinds at relevant donor meetings where required.
• Represent SMZ at key forums, meetings, and advocacy events to enhance visibility and mobilise resources.
• Co-lead the development and implementation of advocacy and communication strategies to influence policy and integrate mental health into health and social systems.
• Contribute to the technical and clinical design and improvement of StrongMinds’ approach, including documentation for partnership scale-up.
• Provide technical support to SMZ scale-up initiatives.
• Work with the Country Director and Finance team to develop and monitor budgets, ensuring financial accountability and efficient use of resources.
• Oversee compliance with organisational policies, donor requirements, and local legal regulations.
• Support optimisation of operational support functions, including procurement, logistics, safety, and risk management.
• Actively monitor and mitigate program and operational risks.

• Strong strategic planning, program design, and budget management expertise.
• Excellent people leadership skills, with experience managing and mentoring senior teams.
• Strong analytical and data-driven decision-making capabilities.
• Proven ability to build and manage partnerships and donor relationships.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.
• High cultural awareness and ability to operate effectively in diverse, international environments.
• Strong computer literacy and documentation skills.
• Fluency in multiple languages including English, and local languages (Nyanja, Bemba, etc.)

• Bachelor’s degree in Public Health, Psychology, Social Work, International Development, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
• Master’s degree in a relevant field is a strong added advantage.