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About Light for the World

Light for the World is a global disability and development organisation whose vision is an inclusive society where no one is left behind. They enable essential eye health services and help empower people with disabilities in some of the world’s poorest regions. As an employer, Light for the World aims to foster a workplace where individual differences are recognised, appreciated, and respected in ways that utilise each person’s talents and strengths.

About the Role

The We Can Work programme will be running until 2030. It will use a system and mindset change approach to impact the lives of at least 1,000,000 young women and men with disabilities. The We Can Work programme will enable them to access dignified and fulfilling work and participate in society as respected economic actors in Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal and Uganda. This change will be driven by a generation of young, transformative leaders with disabilities acting as change agents. Organisations of Persons with Disabilities play a pivotal role in the programme, as do innovative entrepreneurship hubs. The three main intervention pillars are: 

• Supporting young women and men with disabilities to become role model economic actors and bring about system change toward a more inclusive society.
• Promoting disability inclusion as part of our partnersstrategies, portfolios and interventions, as well as among partner organisations and system actors.
• Ensuring meaningful participation of young women and men with disabilities in advocating for an inclusive policy environment.

Purpose of the Role

For the We Can Work Programme Director, Light for the World seeks an inspiring leader who embraces We Can Work’s vision and innovative character and is deeply committed to the principle of ‘Nothing about us, without us’ and to upholding disability rights values and principles. They will lead and guide We Can Work strategically and operationally, managing a dispersed team. The Programme Director is responsible and accountable for the delivery and quality of the overall programme results and quality. They operate as the account manager for the programme’s donors and other stakeholders, representing the programme on all levels concerning the results in policy, advocacy, dissemination, expertise and learning, both internally and externally. 

Duties and Responsibilities

• Be accountable to the values and principles of what Light for the World and We Can Work stand for.
• Manage external relationships and deliver commitments with partners, donors, government, and other stakeholders.
• Manage programme team with a commitment to an inclusive and participatory way of delivering results.
• Travel regularly to country programme sites. 

Skills and Experience

• Proven leadership and management skills based on vision, inspiration, trust and influence rather than hierarchy.
• Experience in programme and team management of complex and multi-country donor-funded projects, ideally across Africa.
• Experience working in an inclusive and participatory way. Solution-oriented and experienced in applying an adaptive management approach.
• Demonstrated ability to manage external relationships with donors, government and other stakeholders.
• The ability to think strategically and link operational learning to wider programme outcomes.
• Innovative and able to think ‘outside the box’ to solve challenging problems and make unorthodox connections and proposals.
• Professional expertise with up-to-date knowledge of social innovation, disability rights and inclusion (ideally through lived experience) and youth empowerment.
• Strong communication skills, verbally and written, and in the effective use of social media.
• Full professional proficiency in English and, ideally, French.
• Able and willing to travel regularly. Reasonable accommodation will be offered where needed.