Executive Director, SHOC

About this role

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) is seeking to appoint an Executive Director for its Humanitarian and Emergency Operations Centre (SHOC), a regional mechanism established to coordinate humanitarian and emergency support across Southern Africa. SHOC came into force in April 2024 and currently has 11 State Parties, comprising Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The Executive Director will provide strategic leadership and overall management of SHOC, directing the coordination of humanitarian and emergency operations when Member States are affected by disasters. Core responsibilities include overseeing the development and implementation of regional disaster response frameworks, building partnerships with regional and international humanitarian actors, and ensuring SHOC delivers on its mandate of disaster risk reduction and resilience building across the SADC region.

The ideal candidate will hold a Master's degree in Disaster Management, Humanitarian Studies, Public Administration, International Relations, or a related field, with extensive senior-level experience in humanitarian coordination, emergency management, or peace and security within a regional or international context. Strong familiarity with SADC structures and frameworks, demonstrated capacity for multi-country programme and stakeholder management, and fluency in English are essential requirements. The appointment is offered on a fixed-term basis of four years, renewable for a further four-year period subject to satisfactory completion of a six-month probation and ongoing performance. 70 per annum.

The duty station is Gaborone, Botswana, with possible relocation to Nacala, Mozambique. Applications must be submitted to the SADC National Contact Point in the applicant's country of nationality not later than 24 July 2026, accompanied by a cover letter, an updated CV of no more than five pages, certified copies of academic credentials, and a duly completed SADC Application Form. SADC actively encourages applications from female candidates and persons with disabilities.