Country Director - Nigeria

Position Start Date: 18.10.2026

Type of contract: CDM

Duration: 24 months

Location: Abuja (50%), with regular travel in Benue State and Borno State (50%).

Status: Accompanied

Terre des hommes does not set closing date for this position. Recruitment is on-going until the position is filled

Tdh:

Terre des hommes (Tdh), founded in 1960, is an independent, neutral and impartial Swiss organization committed to bringing meaningful and lasting change to the lives of children and youth, especially to those most exposed to risks. To make a difference, we focus on the areas of maternal and child health, children and youth migration, and access to justice.

Context:

Terre des hommes Foundation (Tdh) is an independent, neutral and impartial Swiss organisation founded in 1960, dedicated to bringing about significant and lasting change in the lives of children and young people, particularly those most at risk. Tdh works in 32 countries across humanitarian and development contexts. Nigeria is one of Tdh's most strategic programmes in Africa, requiring strong strategic vision, operational leadership and the ability to manage complex humanitarian and development portfolios.

Tdh has been present in Nigeria since 2008. It established its operational base in Maiduguri in 2017 and reopened a base in Benue State in 2025. Today, Tdh operates across five states (Borno, Benue, Nasarawa, Ondo and Cross River), implementing programmes in health, WASH, migration, access to justice, education, and child protection. Our interventions combine prevention and response to child protection risks, with a strong emphasis on safeguarding children in complex humanitarian settings.

In addition, Tdh implements an innovative Child Rights in Business programme in Nigeria. This initiative aims to prevent and address child labour in cocoa-producing communities by improving access to quality education, strengthening community-based child protection mechanisms, and engaging local authorities, communities and private sector actors to promote respect for children's rights.

Tdh's approach is based on close collaboration with government authorities, local communities and civil society partners. As a result, the organisation enjoys strong recognition and credibility among communities, public authorities and key institutional and private donors, including SDC, ECHO, OCHA, IOM, DRA, CDCS, and Barry Callebaut.

Like many international organisations operating in Nigeria, Tdh experienced a contraction of its portfolio in 2025 following changes in the humanitarian funding landscape. The Country Director will therefore play a critical role in consolidating the existing portfolio, strengthening strategic positioning, expanding partnerships and securing new funding opportunities, while ensuring the delivery of high-quality programmes and maintaining strong compliance and operational excellence.

Tdh operates in both humanitarian and development settings, including areas affected by insecurity. The safety and security of staff are a top organisational priority. The successful candidate must be willing and able to travel regularly to field locations, lead by example in promoting a strong security culture, and ensure that all teams consistently comply with the organisation's security policies and procedures.

In terms of Responsibilities:

• Under the supervision of the Africa Regional Director, he/she ensures the proper functioning of operations at the national level; as such he/she represents the Foundation in Nigeria
• He/She directs and supervises all activities connected to the Tdh projects in his/her assignment country in line with the SP (Strategic Plan) and strategic orientations and represents Tdh (including legally) and promotes the entirety of its remit in Nigeria.
• He/She demonstrates ethical and exemplary leadership in order to maintain the Foundation’s good reputation and leads all the delegation’s collaborators in a shared vision in compliance with the Foundation’s strategic orientations. In collaboration with the programs and expertise, he/she develops the Strategic Plan of the Delegation’s operations in compliance with the general reference framework.
• He/She develops and guarantees the implementation of the Delegation’s Annual Operational Plans (AOPs) in compliance with the Strategic Plan and internal processes (budgetary management, HR and logistics management, quality and accountability).
• He/She ensures the Delegation’s internal and external communications, and feels accountable to the beneficiaries, collaborators and donors
• He/She supervises and supports all staff attached to the Delegation and is responsible for the security of the Tdh teams under his/her responsibility and is in charge of the security rules and the contingency plans of the country or countries under his/her responsibility
• He/She guarantees the implementation of an operational risk-management system for the Delegation.
• He/She makes sure that his/her teams and partners have learned the security policies and the general code of conduct and comply with them at all times.

He/She manages and assumes ultimate responsibility for the risks and access aspects of the mission.

The full job description will be shared with the candidates selected to start the recruitment process.

Conditions offered:

• Swiss contract
• Gross monthly salary between 5500 CHF and 6500 CHF x13,36 months
• Insurances: sickness, accident, repatriation
• Annual leaves: 25 days/year
• Transport: Flights to duty station and back

Education :

Master in relevant field or training / experience considered as equivalent

Profile:

• At least 5 years previous experience of seniority in an NGO at a management position in the field (expatriation) and in a similar context.
• Successful track record of developing strategies in humanitarian context (if also in development context will be a plus).
• Successful track record of securing high levels of funding from institutional donors (USAID including BHA, DFID, AFD, CDCS, ECHO, DEVCO/INTPA, UN, etc.).
• Extensive project management experience (management, budgeting, grants management, planning, staff development and training skills) in emergency and or development context.
• Successful track record in drafting project proposals.
• Management experience (including management of expatriate teams) and strong team leadership qualities.
• Knowledge on Child protection.
• Ability to work well and punctually under pressure.
• A commitment to excellence, attention to detail.

Languages

English and local languages, French is an asset

IT Knowledge

Mastery of the usual tools

Tdh Global Code of Conduct and Risk Management Policies:

• Fully complies with Tdh’s Global Code of Conduct and systematically reports any breach to the Code through the whistleblowing procedure, raises awareness within the Foundation on abuse and violence and the rights deriving therefrom, respecting the rights and dignity of children, members of the communities and our own Staff
• Commits to respecting Risk Management Policies including: Safeguarding Policies (Child Safeguarding Policy, Policy on the Protection against Sexual Exploitation and the Directive on Staff Misconduct at the Workplace), Safety and Security Policy and Anti-Fraud/Corruption and Prevention of the Financing of Criminal Activities Policies
• Commits to reducing the risk of abuse and harm by developing a culture of open and informed leadership within the organization and in our work with children and the communities in which we intervene in.

We offer an exciting and varied work, useful and meaningful, in a team that wants to make a difference for vulnerable children.