The Organization

Since 1944, Heifer International has empowered over 46 million smallholder farmer families globally to overcome hunger and poverty while caring for the earth. Our goal is to close the Sustainable Living Income (SLI) gap for 10 million additional households by 2030.

Heifer Ethiopia’s contribution to this goal is to support 1 million smallholder families to achieve a sustainable living income by 2030 through its Signature Program focused on dairy, poultry, small ruminants, and horticulture — driving transformation and resilience in Ethiopia’s agricultural sector.

The Function

Reporting directly to the Africa Senior Vice President, the Country Director will lead the design and execution of Heifer Ethiopia’s country strategy, ensuring operational excellence, culture transformation, and delivery of Sustainable Locally Led Development (SLLD). The role will also drive long-term strategic partnerships, business growth, and impactful program delivery across Ethiopia.

The Country Director will serve as a visionary servant leader — fostering a high-performing, values-driven team, promoting shared leadership, and embedding Heifer Africa’s Value-Based Holistic Community Development (VBHCD) approach in all programs and operations.

The Person

The ideal candidate will hold a Master’s degree in Social Sciences, Business Administration, or a related field, with a minimum of 15 years of senior leadership experience, including at least 10 years leading diverse and multicultural teams.

They will bring proven expertise in agribusiness, market systems development, and community transformation, alongside strong business acumen, stakeholder engagement, and partnership-building skills. Experience working with major funders such as USAID, DFID, IFAD, AFDB, and FAO is essential.