Country Director Nigeria

We are SNV
SNV is a global development partner, deeply rooted in the countries where we operate. Driven by a vision of a better world where all people live with dignity and have equitable opportunities to thrive sustainably, SNV strengthens capacities and catalyses partnerships that transform agri-food, energy, and water systems. We help strengthen institutions and effective governance, reduce gender inequalities and barriers to social inclusion, and enable adaptation and mitigation to the climate and biodiversity crises. With 60 years of experience and a team of approximately 1,600 people, we support our partners in more than 20 countries in Africa and Asia, tailoring our approaches to different contexts to achieve large-scale impact and create more equitable lives for all.

Our CARE principles—Committed to Impact, Adaptive to Context, Respecting Differences, and Expertise in Practice—are at the heart of who we are and the work we do. These principles are embedded in our vision, mission, and strategy, which serve as our compass guiding us towards 2030.

To delve deeper into SNV's initiatives, explore our website at snv.org

We are currently recruiting for a Country Director Nigeria:

• Contract: National contract – initial two‑year assignment with the possibility of extension
• Location: Abuja, with frequent travel to Lagos

Position overview
The Country Director leads and enables the country programs through their teams and local implementation partners, focusing on upscaling and strengthening our country position with an ambitious strategy, ensuring high‑quality delivery of operations, and securing adequate funding to sustain and grow opportunities to deliver impact. In this role, you are the face of SNV in the country, ensuring a positive image and strong visibility. You will report to the Deputy Director of Country Programmes.

Your core assignment is to expand our network and funding opportunities by building strong relationships with embassies, donors, institutions, and the private sector, while providing clear leadership to a small team of about ten staff. You remain well informed about national and international development priorities and steer sectors and themes in response to these priorities.

Success in this role means growing SNV’s visibility, forging new partnerships and alliances with key national and international actors, stimulating collaboration for impact, and enabling teams to perform confidently and effectively. We are looking for a strategic, externally focused leader with strong negotiation skills, proven business development experience, and the ability to represent SNV at senior levels while frequently traveling between Abuja and Laos to build private‑sector engagement.
In this role you will also be responsible for the following tasks:

• Strategic leadership of the country and future programmes. Providing innovative leadership and encouraging people to take an active role in programme design and proposal development and ensuring quality and implementation in line with the strategic directions within the annual Plan and SNV’s global strategy;
• Strong and supportive people leadership enabling the country team: creating and nurturing an environment that supports high performance, continuous learning and teamwork at all levels;
• Representation and profiling: building partnerships and maintaining excellent relationships with donors, partners, local governments, businesses, policy makers and other relevant stakeholders;
• Oversight and quality assurance of project implementation (including project director roles) ensuring the delivery of impact to the satisfaction of key stakeholders and compliance with SNV’s and the donor’s financial standards and monitoring protocols;
• Business development to grow the country position and its programs, ensure financial sustainability of SNV and ensure a high-quality project design;
• Collaboration with other SNV countries to effectively exploit opportunities for synergy, deliver at scale (including multi-country projects), exchange knowledge and strengthen SNV’s position;
• In addition, the Country Director fosters innovation of SNV products and services: facilitates learning, documentation and evidence-based knowledge development in collaboration with SNV’s global team and partners; and ensures collaboration with renowned knowledge institutes and networks.

Your background

The ideal candidate brings a minimum of five years of relevant leadership experience at a senior, end- responsible level in Nigeria. We expect you to be a strong people leader with an understanding and curiosity for diversity and inclusion. You thrive in an environment where evidence building is required, and you are not shy to share that passion to motivate others. You have experience in cooperation with governments and partners as well as donor relations, and actors in SNV’s three sectors and core thematic areas. You have proven track record in project management including familiarity with donor-funded project procedures and processes.

You have strong business acumen accompanied by demonstrated business development experience on large tenders and grants from multilateral development agencies, banks and bilateral donors, but also a track-record in mobilising resources, including strong networking and positioning skills at multiple levels. You thrive in a complex multi-stakeholder environment, you have experience in fragile and conflict affected work environments, and you understand the sensitivity of the political economical context in Nigeria.

You have a people-centric focus and can mobilise teams against strategy and can coach, lead, stimulate, and inspire professionals in a development context, ability to manage remote leadership dynamics. Proficiency in both written and spoken English is required.

The ideal candidate brings a minimum of five years of relevant leadership experience at a senior, end‑responsible level in Nigeria and is a strong people leader with an understanding of and curiosity for diversity and inclusion. You thrive in an environment where evidence building is required and are not shy to share that passion to motivate others. You have experience working with governments, partners, and donor relations, as well as actors in SNV’s three sectors and core thematic areas and you bring a proven track record in project management, including familiarity with donor‑funded project procedures and processes.

You have strong business acumen supported by demonstrated business development experience on large tenders and grants from multilateral development agencies, banks, and bilateral donors, together with a track record in mobilising resources and strong networking and positioning skills at multiple levels. You thrive in a complex multi‑stakeholder environment, have experience in fragile and conflict‑affected work settings, and understand the sensitivity of the political and economic context in Nigeria. You have a people‑centric focus, can mobilise teams around strategy, and can coach, lead, stimulate, and inspire professionals in a development context, including managing remote leadership dynamics. Proficiency in both written and spoken English is required.

What you bring

To be considered for this role, you bring:

• A Master’s degree in Project Management, Development Studies, or a related field.
• A minimum of five years of relevant senior, end‑responsible leadership experience in Nigeria, ideally within international development.
• A proven track record in securing competitive funding and managing project portfolios of approximately USD 10 million.
• Excellent communication, networking and presentation skills, with experience profiling and representing an organisation.
• Experience in strategy and policy development within an international organisation.
• Experience managing multidisciplinary and multicultural teams.
• Strong strategic thinking, planning, and organisational skills, with the ability to work effectively in partnership networks.
• A result‑oriented mindset and the ability to perform under pressure.

Additionally, we value:

• An entrepreneurial mindset with demonstrated private‑sector experience.
• Strong business development capacity, including experience with Public‑Private Partnerships.
• Working experience in coastal countries beyond Nigeria.

Contract Type:                                  National contract – Full‑time (40 hours per week)
Contract Duration:                            Initial two‑year assignment, with possibility of extension
Location:                                           Abuja, Nigeria
Expected Start Date:                        1st May 2026

Working at SNV 
At SNV we challenge and inspire and offer continuous growth. We offer meaningful opportunities to shape the future, expand your skills, and collaborate with a vibrant, global network of experts. At SNV your contribution matter, and your development is our priority.

We are home to 57 cultures working in 22 countries, with about 95% of our team members holding the nationality of the respective countries we work in. We promote international career development. Our workforce consists of a mix of both people with longstanding tenure, willing to share their institutional knowledge, as well as people with local expertise and knowledge. All with an inquisitive view and united in ‘ONE SNV’ working towards our purpose.

Together, we are committed to the effective and efficient stewardship of resources and maximising positive, lasting impacts. Our ability to deliver results rests on our robust foundation of experience, technical knowledge, evidence and learning; our commitment to strengthening capacities and catalysing partnerships; and the relationships and trust of those we work alongside.

SNV is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse work environment and make recruitment decisions based on merit, competence, and organisational needs. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, nationality, marital status, or any other status protected by applicable law. Women, persons with disabilities, and candidates from under-represented backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.

How to apply 

If you meet the key requirements and feel inspired by this opportunity, we warmly welcome your application. Please submit your CV and motivation letter by 1st April 2026 via SmartRecruiters.

To ensure a focused and respectful recruitment process, we kindly ask that you apply only if you meet the essential qualifications and are available to work in the specified location.

If this role isn’t the right fit but you’re interested in joining SNV in the future, we invite you to follow us on LinkedIn and our career page Vacancies | SNV to stay updated on new opportunities that match your profile.

Reference and vetting check

At SNV, our belief in the CARE principles — Commitment to impact, Adaptive to Context, Respecting Difference and Expertise in Practice — shapes how we work with each other and every interaction we have with our colleagues, partners, and the communities we serve. These values guide how we welcome new team members, ensuring our workplace remains a place of trust, safety, and dignity for all.

As part of our commitment to a safe, inclusive, and respectful workplace, we carry out reference and background checks for all determined positions, with particular attention to safeguarding. You will be invited to provide the contact details of [two] referees, and we will only approach them once you have given your permission. We handle this process with care, empathy, and strict confidentiality, using the information solely for purposes related to your application and the role you have applied for.

SNV is committed to safeguarding and to protecting children and adults from all forms of harm, with zero tolerance for sexual exploitation, abuse, harassment, or any other form of misconduct. As part of creating a safe, respectful, and inclusive working environment, all staff, consultants, and partners are expected to uphold SNV’s safeguarding, child protection, ethical standards, and CARE principles. In line with these commitments — and as a participant in the Inter‑Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme (MDS) — SNV will request a Statement of Conduct from your previous employer(s), covering any substantiated findings of misconduct, to ensure a recruitment process that safeguards and protect the communities we serve.