Deputy Country Director - Programs
2026-03-17T08:49:21+00:00
CARE International
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FULL_TIME
Lusaka
Lusaka
10101
Zambia
Professional Services
Management, Social Services & Nonprofit, Business Operations
2026-03-31T17:00:00+00:00
8
Background information about the job or company (e.g., role context, company overview)
CARE International works around the globe to save lives, defeat poverty, and achieve social justice. We seek a world of hope, tolerance, and social justice, where poverty has been overcome and all people live with dignity and security. We put women and girls at the center because we know that we cannot overcome poverty until all people have equal rights and opportunities.
CARE Zambia, an International Non-Governmental relief and development organization with various projects in Eastern, Muchinga, Luapula, Lusaka, Northern, and Southern provinces of Zambia, has the following vacancy at Head Office in Lusaka;.
Responsibilities or duties
The Deputy Country Director is responsible for ensuring that CARE's programmes in Zambia tackles poverty and injustice with the overarching aim of reaching transformative social and economic equality for women and girls. The DCD will assist the Country Director maintain a high profile for CARE International in Zambia as a leader in bringing about long lasting social and economic change. As a member of the CARE International in Zambia country office senior leadership team, the Deputy Country Director will contribute to country programming and leadership priorities. This position will lead program strategic meetings, as well as provide input and feedback on key issues. By engaging with key regional and HQ stakeholders, the Position will support overall leadership and key program functions of the Country Office. He/she will oversee the country office compliance with the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse, and anti-fraud policies in particular, and reinforce this behavior with staff and partners in the line of duty.
The Deputy Country Director will maintain CARE Zambia’s Humanitarian response capacity and provide timely support and direction to the Emergency Response team as well as interact with the CARE Emergency Response team as and when necessary.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Leadership & Strategy:
The Deputy Country Director will be a key member of the Country Office Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and is responsible for leading and as well as supporting the SLT uphold the highest standards of behavior, programme outcomes and impacts.
The DCD is required to emulate the behaviors required of an International Organization and ensure all staff in their line of duty perform to those high standards.
The Deputy Country Director will be expected to provide innovative leadership and encourage staff to take an active role in programme design and proposal development in line with the strategic directions within the CARE Zambia Business Plan.
This direction should be broadly in line with the Southern Africa Food and Nutrition Security and Climate Change strategy (FNS-CC), the SA Regional Road map and the CARE Vision 2020, as they exist now.
The DCD will have a strong understanding of women and girls’ equality issues and what inclusive programming means in Zambia.
S/he will form strong relationships with national and local government representatives.
S/he will foster donor relationships both within Zambia and overseas.
Programme Quality and Resource Mobilization:
The successful candidate will be responsible for driving data-based decision-making at all levels, with a specific focus on ensuring that both humanitarian and development programs designed and implemented by CARE Zambia meet the minimum standards as laid out in the Program Quality Standards.
The DCD will be key in pursuing an aggressive resource mobilization strategy for the Country office.
The role requires tracking business opportunities for new projects and programmes and maintaining the pipeline at a minimum of USD10m annual goal.
The DCD will promote strategic relationships with CARE, donors of all types, CSO partners and the Government of Zambia in line with the 7th National Development Plan. The Country Director (CD) will support and be active in this area, and the CD and DCD will work together to promote and exploit all opportunities possible.
Relationships, Networking and Capacity Building:
The DCD will work closely with, and will be supported by, the programme units at CARE Canada and colleagues in the Southern Africa region as well by CARE International members who work with CARE Zambia (CARE UK, CARE USA, CARE Deutschland, CARE Netherlands, CARE Austria).
He/She will be expected to form close relationships with all CARE members to enhance CARE Zambia’s profile as a preferred Country Office to work with.
They will be required to inspire innovative designs from programme and project staff through regular programme meetings and open discussions and capture ideas from staff in the field.
In addition, the DCD will seek and foster new donors and will be expected to liaise and maintain positive relations with current donors.
Build the capacity of CARE Staff and Implementing Partners to manage financial resources according to good accounting practice and in compliance with Donor & CARE International standards,
Support the development and implementation of strategies for bridging the partner capacity gaps that are identified during partner assessments.
Liaise with Department Heads and the HR staff to understand financial capacity building needs of CARE staff, ensuring the development and roll-out of any required professional development initiatives.
Ensure that CARE Staff and Partners fully understand what is expected of them and are equipped to manage awards and sub-awards according to best practice, policies, and procedures.
Deploy the team of Awards & Sub-Awards Staff to the project teams; ensuring that they provide all necessary support, and carry out monitoring visits according to the project plan
Communication & Coordination:
The Deputy Country Director will encourage Project Managers and staff to engage with their project work as part of the Knowledge Management and Learning Framework where accountability, gender transformation and resilience will be among the markers of change and impact.
The DCD will foster communication between projects and programmes and inject a spirit of unity across the CO programme teams. Key programme and project staff with the responsibility for Knowledge Management, Learning and innovation will be directed in maintaining and improving key databases for measuring program impact and reach, and ensure that Program Impact data is captured, documented, and sent to CARE in a timely manner each year.
The Position will coordinate closely with the Programme Support Manager and the Finance Manager to ensure that programme and project staff understand the Country Office Finance Manual and any CARE International finance directions such as the CARE Shared Programme Costs (SPC) Policy as well as understanding the concept of the Direct Programme Costs (DCP) and costed work planning (CWP).
The role will ensure that Project budgets are managed tightly and responsibly to avoid losses and/or underspending.
Qualifications or requirements (e.g., education, skills)
Experience needed
Seven (7) or more years of relevant work experience in a senior management position.
Relevant work experience in International Non-governmental Organizations operations or relief/Development field.
Experience in establishing and maintaining collaborative relationships with donors and government counterparts.
Demonstrated experience with proposal development with a range of international donors (i.e. USAID, EU, FSCD, GAC, UN Agencies)
* Leading and supporting the SLT uphold the highest standards of behavior, programme outcomes and impacts. * Emulating the behaviors required of an International Organization and ensuring all staff in their line of duty perform to those high standards. * Providing innovative leadership and encouraging staff to take an active role in programme design and proposal development in line with the strategic directions within the CARE Zambia Business Plan. * Having a strong understanding of women and girls’ equality issues and what inclusive programming means in Zambia. * Forming strong relationships with national and local government representatives. * Fostering donor relationships both within Zambia and overseas. * Driving data-based decision-making at all levels, with a specific focus on ensuring that both humanitarian and development programs designed and implemented by CARE Zambia meet the minimum standards as laid out in the Program Quality Standards. * Pursuing an aggressive resource mobilization strategy for the Country office. * Tracking business opportunities for new projects and programmes and maintaining the pipeline at a minimum of USD10m annual goal. * Promoting strategic relationships with CARE, donors of all types, CSO partners and the Government of Zambia in line with the 7th National Development Plan. * Working closely with, and being supported by, the programme units at CARE Canada and colleagues in the Southern Africa region as well by CARE International members who work with CARE Zambia (CARE UK, CARE USA, CARE Deutschland, CARE Netherlands, CARE Austria). * Forming close relationships with all CARE members to enhance CARE Zambia’s profile as a preferred Country Office to work with. * Inspiring innovative designs from programme and project staff through regular programme meetings and open discussions and capturing ideas from staff in the field. * Seeking and fostering new donors and liaising and maintaining positive relations with current donors. * Building the capacity of CARE Staff and Implementing Partners to manage financial resources according to good accounting practice and in compliance with Donor & CARE International standards. * Supporting the development and implementation of strategies for bridging the partner capacity gaps that are identified during partner assessments. * Liaising with Department Heads and the HR staff to understand financial capacity building needs of CARE staff, ensuring the development and roll-out of any required professional development initiatives. * Ensuring that CARE Staff and Partners fully understand what is expected of them and are equipped to manage awards and sub-awards according to best practice, policies, and procedures. * Deploying the team of Awards & Sub-Awards Staff to the project teams; ensuring that they provide all necessary support, and carry out monitoring visits according to the project plan. * Encouraging Project Managers and staff to engage with their project work as part of the Knowledge Management and Learning Framework where accountability, gender transformation and resilience will be among the markers of change and impact. * Fostering communication between projects and programmes and injecting a spirit of unity across the CO programme teams. * Directing key programme and project staff with the responsibility for Knowledge Management, Learning and innovation in maintaining and improving key databases for measuring program impact and reach, and ensuring that Program Impact data is captured, documented, and sent to CARE in a timely manner each year. * Coordinating closely with the Programme Support Manager and the Finance Manager to ensure that programme and project staff understand the Country Office Finance Manual and any CARE International finance directions such as the CARE Shared Programme Costs (SPC) Policy as well as understanding the concept of the Direct Programme Costs (DCP) and costed work planning (CWP). * Ensuring that Project budgets are managed tightly and responsibly to avoid losses and/or underspending. * Maintaining CARE Zambia’s Humanitarian response capacity and providing timely support and direction to the Emergency Response team. * Interacting with the CARE Emergency Response team as and when necessary. * Overseeing the country office compliance with the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse, and anti-fraud policies.
* Innovative leadership * Proposal development * Data-based decision-making * Resource mobilization * Relationship building * Capacity building * Financial management * Knowledge management * Communication * Coordination
* Bachelor's Degree in a relevant field or equivalent work experience. * Master's degree in a relevant field is desired * Seven (7) or more years of relevant work experience in a senior management position. * Relevant work experience in International Non-governmental Organizations operations or relief/Development field. * Experience in establishing and maintaining collaborative relationships with donors and government counterparts. * Demonstrated experience with proposal development with a range of international donors (i.e. USAID, EU, FSCD, GAC, UN Agencies)
JOB-69b91591f3588
Vacancy title:
Deputy Country Director - Programs
[Type: FULL_TIME, Industry: Professional Services, Category: Management, Social Services & Nonprofit, Business Operations]
Jobs at:
CARE International
Deadline of this Job:
Tuesday, March 31 2026
Duty Station:
Lusaka | Lusaka
Summary
Date Posted: Tuesday, March 17 2026, Base Salary: Not Disclosed
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JOB DETAILS:
Background information about the job or company (e.g., role context, company overview)
CARE International works around the globe to save lives, defeat poverty, and achieve social justice. We seek a world of hope, tolerance, and social justice, where poverty has been overcome and all people live with dignity and security. We put women and girls at the center because we know that we cannot overcome poverty until all people have equal rights and opportunities.
CARE Zambia, an International Non-Governmental relief and development organization with various projects in Eastern, Muchinga, Luapula, Lusaka, Northern, and Southern provinces of Zambia, has the following vacancy at Head Office in Lusaka;.
Responsibilities or duties
The Deputy Country Director is responsible for ensuring that CARE's programmes in Zambia tackles poverty and injustice with the overarching aim of reaching transformative social and economic equality for women and girls. The DCD will assist the Country Director maintain a high profile for CARE International in Zambia as a leader in bringing about long lasting social and economic change. As a member of the CARE International in Zambia country office senior leadership team, the Deputy Country Director will contribute to country programming and leadership priorities. This position will lead program strategic meetings, as well as provide input and feedback on key issues. By engaging with key regional and HQ stakeholders, the Position will support overall leadership and key program functions of the Country Office. He/she will oversee the country office compliance with the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse, and anti-fraud policies in particular, and reinforce this behavior with staff and partners in the line of duty.
The Deputy Country Director will maintain CARE Zambia’s Humanitarian response capacity and provide timely support and direction to the Emergency Response team as well as interact with the CARE Emergency Response team as and when necessary.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Leadership & Strategy:
The Deputy Country Director will be a key member of the Country Office Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and is responsible for leading and as well as supporting the SLT uphold the highest standards of behavior, programme outcomes and impacts.
The DCD is required to emulate the behaviors required of an International Organization and ensure all staff in their line of duty perform to those high standards.
The Deputy Country Director will be expected to provide innovative leadership and encourage staff to take an active role in programme design and proposal development in line with the strategic directions within the CARE Zambia Business Plan.
This direction should be broadly in line with the Southern Africa Food and Nutrition Security and Climate Change strategy (FNS-CC), the SA Regional Road map and the CARE Vision 2020, as they exist now.
The DCD will have a strong understanding of women and girls’ equality issues and what inclusive programming means in Zambia.
S/he will form strong relationships with national and local government representatives.
S/he will foster donor relationships both within Zambia and overseas.
Programme Quality and Resource Mobilization:
The successful candidate will be responsible for driving data-based decision-making at all levels, with a specific focus on ensuring that both humanitarian and development programs designed and implemented by CARE Zambia meet the minimum standards as laid out in the Program Quality Standards.
The DCD will be key in pursuing an aggressive resource mobilization strategy for the Country office.
The role requires tracking business opportunities for new projects and programmes and maintaining the pipeline at a minimum of USD10m annual goal.
The DCD will promote strategic relationships with CARE, donors of all types, CSO partners and the Government of Zambia in line with the 7th National Development Plan. The Country Director (CD) will support and be active in this area, and the CD and DCD will work together to promote and exploit all opportunities possible.
Relationships, Networking and Capacity Building:
The DCD will work closely with, and will be supported by, the programme units at CARE Canada and colleagues in the Southern Africa region as well by CARE International members who work with CARE Zambia (CARE UK, CARE USA, CARE Deutschland, CARE Netherlands, CARE Austria).
He/She will be expected to form close relationships with all CARE members to enhance CARE Zambia’s profile as a preferred Country Office to work with.
They will be required to inspire innovative designs from programme and project staff through regular programme meetings and open discussions and capture ideas from staff in the field.
In addition, the DCD will seek and foster new donors and will be expected to liaise and maintain positive relations with current donors.
Build the capacity of CARE Staff and Implementing Partners to manage financial resources according to good accounting practice and in compliance with Donor & CARE International standards,
Support the development and implementation of strategies for bridging the partner capacity gaps that are identified during partner assessments.
Liaise with Department Heads and the HR staff to understand financial capacity building needs of CARE staff, ensuring the development and roll-out of any required professional development initiatives.
Ensure that CARE Staff and Partners fully understand what is expected of them and are equipped to manage awards and sub-awards according to best practice, policies, and procedures.
Deploy the team of Awards & Sub-Awards Staff to the project teams; ensuring that they provide all necessary support, and carry out monitoring visits according to the project plan
Communication & Coordination:
The Deputy Country Director will encourage Project Managers and staff to engage with their project work as part of the Knowledge Management and Learning Framework where accountability, gender transformation and resilience will be among the markers of change and impact.
The DCD will foster communication between projects and programmes and inject a spirit of unity across the CO programme teams. Key programme and project staff with the responsibility for Knowledge Management, Learning and innovation will be directed in maintaining and improving key databases for measuring program impact and reach, and ensure that Program Impact data is captured, documented, and sent to CARE in a timely manner each year.
The Position will coordinate closely with the Programme Support Manager and the Finance Manager to ensure that programme and project staff understand the Country Office Finance Manual and any CARE International finance directions such as the CARE Shared Programme Costs (SPC) Policy as well as understanding the concept of the Direct Programme Costs (DCP) and costed work planning (CWP).
The role will ensure that Project budgets are managed tightly and responsibly to avoid losses and/or underspending.
Qualifications or requirements (e.g., education, skills)
Experience needed
Seven (7) or more years of relevant work experience in a senior management position.
Relevant work experience in International Non-governmental Organizations operations or relief/Development field.
Experience in establishing and maintaining collaborative relationships with donors and government counterparts.
Demonstrated experience with proposal development with a range of international donors (i.e. USAID, EU, FSCD, GAC, UN Agencies)
Work Hours: 8
Experience in Months: 12
Level of Education: bachelor degree
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