Regional Director, Africa (Remote)

WHO WE ARE

Thousand Currents believes the answers to the most entrenched societal challenges around the world rest in the hands of directly affected frontline communities. For nearly 40 years, we have learned from and invested more than $31 million to 1,000 grassroots groups and social movements, working in the areas of food, economic, and climate justice. Currently, we support over 130 women-, youth-, and Indigenous-led groups, alliances, and movements across Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean with core, flexible, long-term grants and wrap-around support.  

Thousand Currents is also committed to ensuring philanthropy is rooted in justice and equity. We are a vocal and visible advocate for grassroots-led social change, bridging emerging approaches and learnings from the Global South with philanthropic models and practices in the Global North. We seek to question hierarchical and rigid structures within philanthropy and offer alternate models of supporting and showing solidarity with movement leaders and groups working within the larger realm of climate, food and economy.

OUR VALUES

At Thousand Currents, we envision a world in which self-determined and connected peoples share and uphold the abundance of life. To realize this vision, we embrace and practice a clear set of values: 

• Courage - We confront injustice and inequality with love, strength, conviction, and integrity.
• Humility - We are part of a greater whole. We are one among many currents. We recognize our place among many forces for good and change that exist in the world.
• Experimentation - In order to take principled actions together, we prioritize learning, commit to self-reflection, embrace trial and error, and honor multiple ways of knowing.
• Creative collaboration - We share power, practices, and resources to reimagine new ways of living.
• Interdependence - With our futures intertwined, we respect all beings and build authentic relationships to move forward together.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

The Regional Director, Africa leads and drives Thousand Currents’ regional strategy with vision and purpose, serving as a strategist, steward, weaver, and leader. They align program choices with organizational vision, while stewarding financial, relational, and intellectual resources to support movement resilience and advance movement solutions. As a thought leader, they bring sharp political and ecological analysis to discourse on food, climate, and the economy. And as a collaborator, they weave networks and strengthen cross-team and cross-regional connections, ensuring that communities, organized as movements are central to the pursuit of justice. As a team leader, they nurture both individual growth and collective effectiveness.  Reporting to the Vice President of Global Programs, the Regional Director - Africa supervises two Regional Program Managers. As a member of the Global Programs Team, they work in close collaboration  with the Regional Directors for Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as Grants Operations and Learning.

Application Deadline Tuesday, October 7, 2025 

Key Details: Compensation, Location, Travel, & Benefits

Title:  Regional Director, Africa

Position: Full time, Exempt

Team: Global Programs

Location: Remote, Anywhere in Africa

Supervises: Program Managers

Travel: Up to 30%

Position Reports to: Vice President, Global Programs

Compensation: $132,225 USD annually
Benefits: 

• Health, Dental, and Vision cost reimbursement or stipend for employee + dependents, and out of country medical travel insurance for employee 
• 10 paid annual holidays + open paid time off policy allowing flexible time off with supervisor pre-approval 
• Up to 16 weeks of paid parental leave
• Up to $1,000 stipend to set up work space
• Up to $2,000 per fiscal year in wellness stipend, $1,500 per fiscal year for work from home expenses, and up to $2,000 per fiscal year for learning and development 
• Retirement contribution paid monthly as a 4% salary boost 
• Possibility of sabbatical leave after seven years of employment

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Leadership (30%)

• Lead the team in advancing the regional strategy through strategic choices, effective planning, and thoughtful coordination. 
• Provide thought leadership and content expertise in one of our strategic focus areas (agroecology, stewardship of the commons, energy democracy) in both internal and external collaborations. 
• Weave a network of relationships across movements, ecosystem actors, and funders to shift power and build solidarity to advance systems change. 
• Identify and facilitate strategic partnerships that support innovation and experimentation to advance movement solutions.  
• Represent Thousand Currents in regional and global fora to amplify the leadership and voices of movements within regional and international fora on systems change and  philanthropic practice.

Management and Collaboration (40%)

• Lead the development and implementation of the annual workplan aligned to the strategy and monitor related budget to facilitate progress against strategic goals.
• Guide the team in building and stewarding a portfolio of movement and movement support partners advancing systems change in agroecology, stewardship of the commons, and energy democracy, with solidarity economy and macroeconomic justice as cross-cutting areas.
• Advance movement solutions by curating time-bound initiatives providing transformation resources to cohorts of partners to seed, strengthen, or scale solutions under the strategic focus areas, with support for collaboration, learning, and storytelling. 
• Support movement resilience by resourcing strategies that strengthen movements, thinking creatively about sustainability and adaptive capacity. 
• Build knowledge of and strong relationships with partners through regular check-in calls, partner visits, and spaces for shared learning and reflection. 
• Convene and facilitate solidarity spaces where movements share learning, build alliances, and shape collective strategies. Share learning across the organization and outside the organization using both verbal and written communications.
• Foster a culture of ongoing learning by continuously deepening understanding of relevant work, movements, and networks. Remain up to date on current political dynamics, systems change trends, and work in our thematic priorities in Africa and around the globe. 
• Facilitate collaboration with the learning, grantmaking operations, and other regional teams. 
• Remain attentive to and proactively facilitate  the flow of information from the regional team to the Philanthropic Partnerships and Influence team, the Center for Transforming Philanthropy, as well as the Executive Team and the Board.

• Contribute to the development of and implementation of the necessary systems, processes, and tools to facilitate gathering, analysis, sensemaking, as well as application and sharing of knowledge generated by the Africa regional team.
  

Team Leadership, Development and Support (20%) 

• Attract, develop, coach, and retain high-performance team members, empowering them to elevate their level of responsibility, span of control, and performance. Set clear expectations, define roles, and articulate decision-making processes.
• Build collective agency by fostering collaboration, inclusive processes, shared ownership, and mutual accountability within the team. 
• Promote a positive organizational culture of continuous learning, experimentation and improvement, supporting professional development pathways for staff.
• Thoughtfully navigate power differentials, inviting feedback and practicing self-awareness
• Integrate political analysis into team strategy and decision-making, connecting local realities to broader justice struggles. 
• Effectively support flow of information from the team to the organization and the organization to the team.
• Use regular individual and team check-ins to support management of the team, build connection, and center wellbeing as part of leadership practice.
• Support consistent application of organizational policies, identifying gaps or challenges requiring further attention.
• Model and facilitate practices of care and support for realistic workloads.
• Foster a collaborative, aligned, and joyful work environment. 

Participate in organization-wide learning, cross-program partnership, & administrative efficiency:10%

• Show up fully for organizational activities, including staff meetings, retreats and training.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues as necessary for cross-program activities and functions.
• Support organization-wide activities such as the Thousand Currents Academy, annual events, fundraising drives, etc.
• Manage regular personal administration, including timely submission of receipts, reimbursement requests, scheduling, travel planning, filing HR paperwork etc.
• Take up additional responsibilities as assigned.
  
  

Thousand Currents is committed to responding flexibly to changing circumstances and priorities which means that the expectations of every position are dynamic. This description reflects the assignment of essential functions, but does not proscribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned.

Skills & Attributes
Passionate advocate for Thousand Currents’ mission and values. You believe in the power of leveraging resources, knowledge, and relationships to strengthen social justice movements in the Global South. 

Movement centered. You center the voice and vision of movements in any strategic decision making that you lead. You tune in to movement priorities to design bold strategies, plan with precision, and manage with integrity.

Bridge and connector. You are connected to movement networks. You bring deep political analysis and experience in supporting movement building. Your insights, analysis, and relationships in movement networks make you a trusted ally. 

Steward. You are rooted in Africa’s context and history, carrying a deep grasp of the region’s cultures, struggles, and civil society landscapes, and how they shape today’s justice agendas. You have seen what is possible when communities define their own food systems, protect their land, forests, and rivers, and define their own goals for a just energy transition. 

Strategic thinker and pragmatic implementer. You have a sharp political and analytical mind, turning ideas, critiques, and visions into coherent strategies and impactful programs. You are skilled at navigating complexity, managing diverse relationships with both diplomacy and courage, trust and accountability. You hold long-term purpose and vision while steering daily operations of a regional team.

Network weaver. A natural in creating spaces of connection, care, and solidarity. You are skilled at bringing  diverse perspectives into dialogue and weaving them into shared direction and collective action  in ways that build trust, deepen collaboration, and amplify collective power.

Justice advocate. You understand that every funding decision is a choice about whose voices are amplified, whose futures are resourced, and which systems are challenged or sustained. You are grounded in justice-centered grantmaking, paying attention to leveraging this role to distribute power and resources to those who often don’t have access or visibility even though they are leading the effective systems change work. 

Flexible, mature, and helpful team member. You are at home in a fast-paced environment with the ability to stay focused and nimble in the face of growth and change. You adapt to changing circumstances, pitch in where needed, and bring strong judgment and discretion in handling sensitive information. You are able to receive feedback and act on it with humility and care. 

Attuned people manager. You build effective teams, coach and foster a culture of collaboration, problem solving, and accountability. You ensure that roles are defined and differentiated, expectations are clear, and that individuals and teams receive the support they need to reach their potential.

Role Requirements 

• 7+ years experience with and deep knowledge of:
  • Movement organizing related to food sovereignty, climate justice and economic justice, specifically in agroecology, stewardship of the commons, and/or energy democracy on the continent of Africa.  
  • Working with movements and movement support organizations on the continent of Africa. 

• 5+ years experience in:
  • A leadership role, to include management of initiatives and staff. 
  • Management of a partner portfolio focused on systems change. 
• Cross-cultural competency, with prior experience working in and with multi-national or international organizations. 
• Depth of knowledge and network connections related to political, ecological, and social justice movements in Africa. 
• Compelling public speaker and representative, able to tailor messaging to diverse audiences, driving engagement, alignment, and action across stakeholder groups.
• Fluency in written and spoken English.
• Maintain a valid passport, ability to travel nationally and internationally up to 30% of the time.
• Remote work location based on the continent of Africa.   
• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field or equivalent experience. 

The following skills are highly desirable

• Computer skills – MAC environment, MS office; comfortable and confident working independently and remotely as well as part of a team in a collaborative environment
• Proficiency in written and spoken English is required and proficiency in additional language(s) is an asset, especially French and Portuguese.
• Strong judgment and discretion in dealing with sensitive information. 
• Oriented to solving problems and identifying new and clever ways to improve systems and processes. 
• Excellent planning and project management skills. 
• Prior experience in philanthropy is a plus. 

Physical Requirements

The physical demands of this position are light and may require walking or standing to a significant degree.  The position requires frequent computer use at a workstation. As Thousand Currents staff work in a number of locations and come together for meetings on occasion, all staff must be able to travel by car and plane to meetings at locations nationally and internationally. Availability to travel and maintenance of a valid passport is required. National or international travel represents approximately 30% of the time for this position. Thousand Currents will make reasonable accommodations in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. This job description and its physical requirements will be reviewed periodically as duties and responsibilities change with business necessity.  Essential and marginal job functions are subject to modification.

Equal Employment Opportunity 

Thousand Currents is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants shall not be discriminated against because of race, religion, sex, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, color, marital status, or medical condition including acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and AIDS-related conditions."  Would you like that to become consistent moving forward, or hold the line encouraging applications from women, people of color, etc.

To Apply
Submit your resume, and responses to the application questions by Tuesday, October 7, 2025.

Thousand Currents is interested in building a high-performing diverse team. In order to do that we approach hiring a little differently. Rather than analyzing resumes in an attempt to determine potential for success, instead we have built a recruitment process that actively removes unconscious bias and relies on proven talent predictors and targeted skills assessments. The first step in this process is an analysis of your responses to a series of short question prompts. So rather than drafting a cover letter, instead, we ask you to put your application energy and time into responding to the application question prompts.  

Deadline to apply: Tuesday, October 7, 2025.
If you are in need of any accommodations during the application or recruitment process please let us know by emailing samantham@thousandcurrents.org.