Country Director

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

Job Title: Country Director, Nepal 

Duty Station: Lalitpur, Kathmandu, with regular travel to program communities in Sindhuli, Khotang, Sunsari, Saptari, and Udaypur, especially rural and marginalized communities. 

Position Type: Full-time 

Reports To: Executive Director, dZi Foundation USA 

Eligibility: Must be a citizen of Nepal

About dZi Foundation

dZi Foundation is a US-based non-profit organization dedicated exclusively to Nepal. For more than two decades, dZi has worked alongside rural communities and local organizations to advance inclusive, locally led development and improve the lives of poor and marginalized families.

dZi's work increasingly focuses on helping communities build sustainable economic opportunities, increase household incomes, strengthen resilience, and improve quality of life, particularly in Eastern Nepal and the Koshi River Basin.

dZi is a small, focused international development organization. Its Nepal Country Office has fewer than 10 staff and manages an anticipated annual budget of approximately US$1–$1.5 million.

Position Summary

The Country Director will serve as dZi's senior leader in Nepal and will provide strategic, programmatic, organizational, and operational leadership for dZi's work in the country.

This is a hands-on leadership position with broad responsibility for dZi's strategic direction, programs, people, partnerships, government relations, finances, compliance, and organizational development. The Country Director will lead a small team and work closely with dZi's US-based Executive Director and Board to strengthen the organization's impact and support its next phase of growth.

The successful candidate will be an experienced development leader who combines strategic vision with strong management, relationship-building, and practical problem-solving skills.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic and organizational leadership

• Provide overall strategic leadership for dZi's work in Nepal and contribute to the organization's longer-term strategy for sustainable growth and impact.
• Lead and develop a strong, collaborative, accountable Country Office team.
• Translate organizational priorities into practical plans, actions, and results.
• Strengthen organizational systems, processes, and capacity to support effective program delivery and responsible growth.
• Work closely with dZi's US-based Executive Director and Board on strategy, organizational development, and major operational and programmatic decisions.

2. Program leadership and quality

• Provide strategic leadership for dZi's community empowerment and economic development programs.
• Ensure programs are designed and implemented to produce sustainable increases in household income and improvements in quality of life for poor and marginalized families.
• Oversee program quality, implementation, monitoring, learning, risk management, and results.
• Promote evidence-based decision-making and continuous learning to strengthen program effectiveness.
• Ensure that climate resilience and disaster risk considerations are integrated into relevant program strategies and investments.

3. Partnerships and stakeholder engagement

• Build effective and respectful relationships with communities, local implementing partner NGOs, municipalities, government agencies, private-sector actors, and other stakeholders.
• Strengthen dZi's partnerships with local organizations and promote locally led approaches to development.
• Represent dZi effectively with government, civil society, development partners, and other stakeholders.
• Represent dZi with the Social Welfare Council and Government of Nepal.

4. Government relations and project agreements

• Ensure effective implementation and compliance with dZi's current three-year Social Welfare Council project agreement.
• Lead development of dZi's next project agreement with the Social Welfare Council, in collaboration with dZi's US-based Executive Director and team.
• Maintain effective working relationships with relevant government institutions and ensure compliance with applicable government requirements.

5. Financial, operational, and risk management

• Ensure responsible financial and operational management of dZi's Nepal operations.
• Oversee effective use and stewardship of organizational resources.
• Ensure appropriate systems for financial management, compliance, risk management, procurement, and internal controls.
• Identify and manage organizational and programmatic risks and ensure timely action when challenges arise.
• Lead annual planning and budgeting and ensure implementation is aligned with approved plans and resources.

Qualifications and Experience

Education

• Advanced degree in international development, economics, public administration, business, or a related field is preferred.

Work Experience

• At least 10 years of experience with increasing levels of responsibility in international development.
• Demonstrated experience building and leading effective teams. Proven supervision and mentoring skills. 
• Strong experience in designing and managing community-based development programs.
• Demonstrated experience working with poor, rural, and marginalized communities.
• Experience developing programs that increase livelihoods, household incomes, and economic opportunities, especially for marginalized populations.
• Experience working effectively with local implementing organizations and government institutions.
• Experience managing programs, staff, budgets, partnerships, risks, and organizational systems.
• Demonstrated ability to use evidence and results to strengthen program design and decision-making.
• Strong experience building productive relationships across government, civil society, communities, donors, and other partners.
• Experience in Eastern Nepal is strongly preferred.
• Experience in agricultural livelihoods, market systems, value-chain development, enterprise development, rural economic development, financial inclusion, or community empowerment will be particularly valuable.
• Experience working with the Social Welfare Council or similar government regulatory and project-agreement processes is strongly preferred.

Applicants must be citizens of Nepal and must be fluent in both Nepali and English.

Skills & Abilities

• Strong strategic planning and organizational leadership skills.
• Strong people management, team building, coaching, and mentoring skills.
• Ability to translate strategy into practical plans and results.
• Strong understanding of community-based and locally led development approaches.
• Ability to think critically about how development investments translate into sustainable economic benefits for poor and marginalized households.
• Strong program management, financial management, and risk management skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in Nepali and English.
• Strong relationship-building, facilitation, and negotiation skills.
• Ability to work effectively with government, NGOs, communities, donors, private-sector actors, and other partners.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency in standard office and digital collaboration tools.

Core Competencies

• Strategic thinker with the ability to translate organizational priorities into practical action.
• Strong people leader who builds trust, accountability, teamwork, and a positive organizational culture.
• Community-centered and committed to locally led development.
• Results-oriented and experienced in thinking critically about sustainable economic and social impact.
• Decisive and adaptable, with the ability to make sound decisions, manage risk, and respond effectively when things do not go as planned.
• Collaborative relationship builder who can work effectively across communities, government, NGOs, donors, and private-sector partners.
• Committed to integrity, transparency, accountability, and responsible stewardship of resources.

Working Environment

The Country Director will be based at dZi's office in Patan, Kathmandu, with regular travel to program communities in Eastern Nepal.

Because dZi works exclusively in Nepal and has a lean Country Office, the position offers considerable breadth, responsibility, and autonomy. The successful candidate should be comfortable working in a small organization where senior leaders are expected to be both strategic and hands-on.

Compensation

dZi's compensation package is structured for a small, specialized international development organization and will not be comparable to compensation packages offered by substantially larger INGOs with much larger country programs and budgets in Kathmandu.

Compensation will be commensurate with qualifications and relevant experience.

Why dZi?

This is an opportunity for a senior Nepali development professional to lead a focused organization and have a direct and visible influence on strategy, people, partnerships, and results.

The Country Director will work closely with dZi's US-based Executive Director and Board and will play an important role in shaping the organization's future direction.

This is not a position within a large INGO bureaucracy. It is an opportunity to lead a small, focused organization, build a strong team, work closely with communities and local partners, and help shape programs intended to create lasting economic opportunity and improved quality of life for underserved families in Nepal.

Application Process

• Qualified candidates should complete an online application via this Google Link, which includes submission of the following: 
• A detailed CV highlighting relevant leadership and development experience. 
• A cover letter explaining suitability for the position, including examples of leadership, program management, team development, and work with communities or local partners. 
• Contact details for 3 professional references, including at least one former direct supervisor.
• Expected salary range.

Application deadline: October 30, 2026 

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Canvassing will result in disqualification. dZi reserves the right to accept or reject applications without assigning reasons.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement: dZi Foundation Nepal is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages applications from women, people from marginalized groups, and bilingual/bicultural individuals. Applicants shall not be discriminated against due to caste, religion, gender, ethnicity, age, disability, political affiliation, marital status, or sexual orientation.