Cordaid is an international organisation for development and humanitarian assistance, working especially in fragile and conflict-affected regions. Guided by Christian values of human dignity, justice and compassion, we work towards a world without poverty and with equitable opportunities for all.  

More than 1.9 billion people live in fragile contexts where access to essential services and opportunities is limited. Together with our partners, we support locally led programmes that strengthen healthcare, education, agrifood and justice systems. When crises occur, we work alongside local organisations to provide humanitarian assistance. Cordaid is headquartered in the Netherlands and operates in 15 countries across Africa and Asia.  

Our organisation operates through a domain-based model, where regional teams work closest to partners and context, supported by specialised domains that provide technical expertise, quality standards, donor engagement and compliance. This interdependent way of working enables us to combine local ownership with strong organisational standards and deliver effective, context-driven programmes. 

Regional Director Middle East and Afghanistan (MEA) 

(Fulltime, based in the MEA region) 

As our experienced, visionary, and strategically minded Regional Director MEA, you will lead our Regional Core for the Middle East and Afghanistan. As a key member of Cordaid’s Senior Leadership Team, you will provide senior executive leadership in a complex, fragile, and strategically critical region. Your mission is to lead regional strategy, external high-level representation, partner stewardship, opportunity development, and portfolio performance, ensuring our work is locally led, partner-centered, financially sustainable, and fully aligned with the highest organizational and integrity standards. You report directly to the International Director, Programs and Impact. 

What you do 

• Regional Strategy & Leadership: Define and execute the MEA regional strategy, setting operational priorities and driving resource choices that align with Cordaid’s global strategy and commitments to locally led development. 

• Partner Stewardship & Ecosystems: Strengthen local partner networks to advance context-driven, mutually accountable programming; integrate partner feedback directly into strategic opportunity development and learning. 

• External Representation & Diplomacy: Represent Cordaid at the highest levels with governments, institutional donors, civil society platforms, and private-sector actors, navigating politically sensitive, fragile operating environments with principled impartiality. 

• Portfolio Performance & Financial Resilience: Oversee regional portfolio quality and financial health, steering multi-country opportunity pipelines to ensure full-cost coverage, risk management, and robust funding. 

• Humanitarian Preparedness & Response: Provide strategic direction over the humanitarian portfolio, ensuring rapid response readiness and locally grounded emergency action in line with core international humanitarian standards. 

• Risk, Safeguarding & Compliance: Maintain sharp regional risk awareness, coordinating closely with Shared Services and global functions to ensure absolute alignment with legal, procurement, financial, HR, and due diligence frameworks. 

• Quality & Operational Coherence: Champion structural MEAL (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning) systems and manage regional governance rhythms to optimize cross-domain collaboration and programmatic quality. 

• People & Cultural Leadership: Directly manage and mentor Regional Core staff—including Business Development, Humanitarian, Finance & Operations, and Country Representatives—cultivating an entrepreneurial, accountable, and trust-based organizational culture. 

Who you are 

• You have an Advanced degree (Master’s or equivalent) in International Development, Political Science, Public Administration, Humanitarian Studies, or a related field. 

• Minimum of 10 years of senior executive leadership experience in the Middle East, Afghanistan, or comparable politically complex, fragile, and conflict-affected environments. 

• A proven track record in regional portfolio oversight, partner ecosystem stewardship, multi-million euro resource mobilization, and managing distributed or multi-country teams. 

• Demonstrated network and relationship-building experience with senior political figures, major international institutional donors, and civil society networks. 

• A deep conceptual and operational understanding of Locally Led Development (LLD), partner-led programming, and risk management in high-risk settings. 

• In-depth, expert application knowledge of Core Humanitarian Standards (CHS), Sphere standards, Pledge for Change, and Grand Bargain commitments. 

• Exceptional skills in adaptive leadership, organizational change management, diplomatic negotiation, and strategic communication. 

• You are fluent in English. Proficiency in Arabic is considered a strong asset. 

• You recognize yourself in Cordaid’s mission and values. 

What we offer 

• A high-profile senior leadership position within an international, professional organization with a focus on social impact. 

• A varied, highly impactful, and autonomous role where strategic initiative and vision are essential. 

• A global organization with a strong commitment to social entrepreneurship and locally led impact. 

• Good international working conditions and excellent secondary benefits. 

• An initial contract for 1 year with the intention of extending, based anywhere in the MEA region. 

• Hybrid working conditions and a market-conform contract with employment terms and conditions aligned with the responsibilities of the position. 

More information 

Applications including a motivation letter and CV in English for the attention of Christèle Coutureau, HR Advisor, including the contact details of references at the last two employers can be uploaded through our website by clicking on below red button 'Apply now'

For information on the content of the advertised position you may contact Claudine Mensah Awute, through [email protected]. 

Your application must be received by 16 August2026 at the latest.  

Cordaid is fully committed to a safe working environment and the highest integrity standards. To read more on our commitment to Integrity, click here: https://www.cordaid.org/en/who-we-are/integrity-and-code-of-conduct/  an integrity screening will be part of this application procedure. Cordaid signed up to the IASC Misconduct Disclosure Scheme.  

An assessment and / or a presentation of a “case study” can be part of the selection procedure.  

For more information about Cordaid, please visit our website: www.cordaid.org