Kilimo Afya Trust | Building Resilient Agricultural Communities | Tanzania

Position Details

• Title: Managing Director
• Grade / Level: Executive / C-Suite
• Department: Executive Office
• Reports To: Board of Trustees
• Direct Reports:
  • Head of Programs & Impact
  • Head of Finance & Admin
  • Head of Governance, Risk & Compliance
• Date of Issue: 18th June, 2026
• Employment Type: Full-Time, Contract
• Location: Tanzania (national coverage)

Role Purpose

The Managing Director (MD) is the chief executive officer and highest-ranking member of staff at Kilimo Afya Trust. The MD provides transformational leadership, sets the strategic direction of the Trust, and holds ultimate accountability for program delivery, financial integrity, governance compliance, and institutional performance.

Reporting directly to the Board of Trustees, the MD translates the Trust’s mission into operational reality, builds a high-performance organization, and ensures that every function; from medium farms beneficiary programs to Board reporting; Support and promote sustainable agricultural practices such as organic farming and agroecology and permaculture, accessibility to agricultural products and capacity building of agriculture stakeholders across the value chain. Operates to the highest standard of excellence, accountability, and impact, in alignment with the Strategic Plan of the Trust.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic Leadership & Institutional Direction

Strategic Planning

• Lead the development, implementation, and periodic review of the five-year Strategic Plan, ensuring alignment across all departments.
• Translate strategic priorities into annual workplans, budgets, and institutional targets.
• Monitor and report on achievement of strategic milestones; adapt plans based on emerging evidence and context.

Organizational Governance

• Ensure full compliance with the Trust Deed, Board directives, governance instruments, and applicable Tanzanian law at all times.
• Interpret governance policies and advise functional heads on their obligations and implications.
• Lead the preparation and presentation of the Annual Report to the Board and key stakeholders.

Institutional Innovation

• Champion institutional learning, adaptive management, and evidence-based decision-making.
• Identify opportunities to innovate program models, delivery mechanisms, and operational systems.
• Promote knowledge sharing, benchmarking, and integration of sector best practices.

2. Program Management & Impact Delivery

Program Oversight

• Provide executive oversight of all agricultural development, and beneficiary-facing programs.
• Ensure programs are designed and implemented using evidence-based, results-focused methodologies.
• Approve program frameworks, theory of change, and MEAL architectures; review MEAL data and adjust priorities accordingly.

Loan Portfolio Management

• Provide strategic oversight of the loan portfolio, ensuring portfolio health, adequate provisioning, and risk-adjusted growth.
• Approve credit policies and monitor non-performing loan (NPL) ratios, repayment rates, and portfolio-at-risk (PAR) levels.
• Ensure robust borrower selection, credit appraisal, and delinquency management systems are in place.

Safeguarding & Beneficiary Protection

• Champion safeguarding as a non-negotiable organizational commitment across all programs.
• Ensure all staff are trained, incident reporting mechanisms are in place, and all allegations are handled appropriately.
• Hold program leadership accountable for zero tolerance to safeguarding breaches.

3. Financial Stewardship & Resource Mobilization

Financial Management

• Hold ultimate accountability for the Trust’s financial health, controls, and compliance.
• Develop annual budgets and ensure expenditure remains within authorized limits and aligned to approved activities.
• Ensure timely preparation and audit of financial statements in compliance with IFRS and applicable donor requirements.

Resource Mobilization & Donor Relations

• Lead the Trust’s fundraising and grant acquisition strategy; identify and pursue funding opportunities from donors, development finance institutions, and impact investors.
• Maintain and deepen relationships with existing donors; ensure full contractual compliance and timely reporting.
• Develop compelling grant proposals, concept notes, and donor pitches in collaboration with program and finance leadership.

Asset Safeguarding

• Ensure institutional assets (financial, physical, reputational, intellectual) are protected and managed responsibly.
• Oversee procurement integrity; ensure all expenditure achieves value for money and follows the Procurement Policy.
• Respond promptly and decisively to any instances of fraud, misappropriation, or financial misconduct.

4. Board Engagement & Governance Reporting

Board Relations

• Act as the primary executive interface with the Board of Trustees; maintain a transparent, high-trust relationship.
• Prepare, present, and defend quarterly and annual Board reports covering programs, finance, loan portfolio, safeguarding, risk, and compliance.
• Support the Board in discharging its fiduciary and oversight duties; proactively raise matters requiring Board decision.

Committee Support

• Ensure functional heads provide timely, accurate, and well-structured papers to Board committees (Audit & Risk, Programs, Finance).
• Follow up on all Board resolutions and ensure full implementation within agreed timelines.
• Coordinate the scheduling and logistics of all Board and committee meetings, retreats, and special sessions.

Governance Systems

• Ensure all governance instruments (Trust Deed, Board Charter, Committee Terms of Reference, Policy Manual) are current, accessible, and adhered to.
• Lead periodic governance reviews; recommend improvements to governance structures and processes.

5. Human Capital & Organizational Culture

People Leadership

• Lead, inspire, and develop the Senior Management Team (SMT); build a cohesive, high-performing leadership culture.
• Set clear performance expectations for all direct reports; conduct regular performance reviews and hold leadership accountable for results.
• Champion professional development, succession planning, and talent retention across the organization.

HR Governance

• Ensure organizational HR practices comply with Tanzania’s Employment and Labour Relations Act (ELRA, Cap. 366) and all applicable labor regulations.
• Oversee recruitment and onboarding of senior roles; ensure all HR processes are fair, transparent, and consistent through all levels.
• Manage disciplinary matters at SMT level with integrity, procedural fairness, and due process and ensure integrity and fairness across the Trust.

Organizational Culture

• Model and embed organizational values (accountability, integrity, safeguarding, impact) across all levels.
• Foster a culture of learning, open feedback, psychological safety, and professional excellence.
• Conduct annual all-staff engagement surveys; act on findings to sustain a motivated, committed workforce.

6. Stakeholder Engagement & Institutional Partnerships

Government & Regulatory Liaison

• Represent Kilimo Afya Trust at the executive level to government ministries, regulatory bodies, and policy forums.
• Ensure all statutory filings, licenses, and regulatory obligations are met on time without exception.
• Engage proactively in national and regional policy dialogue on agriculture, microfinance, and rural development.

Donor & Partner Engagement

• Cultivate and sustain strategic partnerships with development partners, co-implementers, NGOs, and private sector actors.
• Represent the Trust at sector conferences, multi-stakeholder platforms, and international forums.
• Ensure institutional visibility, communication, and positioning reinforce the Trust’s credibility and mission.

Community & Beneficiary Accountability

• Ensure the Trust maintains direct accountability to the communities and smallholder farmers it serves.
• Oversee beneficiary feedback mechanisms and ensure insights drive program adaptation.
• Champion participatory approaches to program design, monitoring, and evaluation.

Minimum Qualifications & Experience

Academic Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Development Studies, Project Management, Agriculture, Finance, Business Administration, Public Administration, Law, Economics, or a related field (required).
• Additional executive leadership certifications are a strong advantage.

Experience

• Minimum 10 years of progressive experience, with at least 5 years in a senior executive leadership preferably in agriculture, development, microfinance, or nonprofit management.
• Demonstrated leadership of multi-disciplinary teams in agriculture, development finance, microfinance, or the nonprofit sector.
• Proven track record in entrepreneurship, strategic planning, financial stewardship, fundraising, and donor relationship management.
• Direct experience working with or reporting to a Board of Trustees or equivalent governance body.
• Hands-on experience in programme management, MEAL, and impact measurement in complex organizations.
• Strong financial acumen — budgeting, IFRS reporting, audit management, and donor compliance.
• Proficiency in MS Office suite; working knowledge of accounting or ERP platforms.
• Fluency in written and spoken English and Kiswahili (required).

Core Competencies

Strategic Vision & Leadership

Sets compelling direction; aligns teams to shared goals; leads through complexity.

Governance & Accountability

Upholds fiduciary duty; ensures transparency; holds self and others to the highest standards.

Financial & Resource Stewardship

Manages resources prudently; ensures value for money; drives fundraising and financial sustainability.

Stakeholder & Partnership Building

Builds trust with Boards, donors, government, and communities; is a credible external ambassador.

People & Culture Leadership

Develops leaders; nurtures high-performing teams; champions diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Impact Orientation

Relentlessly focused on beneficiary outcomes; uses evidence to improve program effectiveness.

Integrity & Ethical Conduct

Models the organization’s values; acts with honesty, fairness, and courage in all circumstances.

Adaptive Thinking

Navigates uncertainty; learns quickly; adjusts strategy based on evidence and context.

Send your CV to:

Email: :[email protected]

Subject Line: APPLICATION FOR THE POSITION OF MANAGING DIRECTOR

Deadline: 2nd July, 2026