Project Director, Chad Child Survival Programme

Millar Cameron is supporting Nutrition International to recruit a Project Director, Chad - Child Survival Programme , a senior country leadership role responsible for leading delivery of Nutrition International’s Child Survival programme and maintaining strong government partnerships.

About Nutrition International

Nutrition International is a global nutrition organisation that has spent more than three decades delivering low-cost, high-impact nutrition interventions to the people who need them most, with a particular focus on women, adolescent girls and children.

Headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, and working in more than 60 countries across Africa and Asia, Nutrition International acts as an expert ally to governments, providing technical assistance, research, advocacy and programme support that strengthens national systems rather than running parallel ones.

In Chad, Nutrition International supports the Ministry of Health to deliver its Child Survival programme, including biannual vitamin A supplementation campaigns and the prepositioning of zinc and low-osmolarity ORS. The programme has been running for more than five years and is now preparing to add a diarrhoea treatment component from 2027.

About the Role

The Project Director is Nutrition International’s lead representative and focal point in Chad. The role is accountable for delivering the Child Survival programme with the Ministry of Health, leading a small in-country team, managing the programme budget and donor reporting, and ensuring country operations remain compliant with local legal, financial and security requirements.

This is a hands-on country leadership role centred on delivery, ownership and readiness for what comes next. The successful candidate will lead the next vitamin A supplementation rounds and post-event coverage surveys, use data to drive corrective action, maintain strong government ownership of the programme, and prepare the team and government partners for the launch of the diarrhoea treatment component in 2027.

Deep understanding of Chad’s health system, institutions and communities is a real advantage in this role.

Key Responsibilities

External Relations and Representation

• Lead Nutrition International’s representation in Chad, building strong relationships with national and sub-national government, donors, UN agencies, NGOs, the private sector, academia and communities.
• Position Nutrition International as a key actor in nutrition and public health through national task forces, alliances and conferences.
• Engage in advocacy to influence government policy and partner investment in nutrition.
• Harmonise Nutrition International’s work with other partners and actively support government leadership and ownership.
• Identify opportunities to leverage and mobilise additional resources to expand Nutrition International’s work in Chad.

Programme Management and Delivery

• Be accountable for achieving agreed results, programme quality and disbursement targets within agreed timelines.
• Lead delivery of biannual vitamin A supplementation campaigns and post-event coverage surveys.
• Use survey findings and programme data to identify gaps and drive corrective action.
• Manage the performance of partners and sub-contractors, negotiating corrective action where needed and assessing value for money.
• Monitor workplans and performance frameworks and prepare reports for donors and stakeholders.
• Plan, cost and build government ownership of the 2027 diarrhoea treatment component.

Financial Management

• Ensure country resources are managed in line with Nutrition International policies and within approved budgets.
• Guide the team in costing, budgeting, expenditure forecasting, variance analysis and value-for-money reporting.
• Maintain accurate and timely budgets, forecasts and donor reporting.

Team Leadership and Country Operations

• Lead and develop the country team of three Senior Programme Officers and one Project Officer.
• Set clear roles and performance expectations across the team.
• Manage country operations, including compliance with legal and financial regulations in Chad.
• Keep staff informed of programme progress and ensure contributions are recognized.

Safety, Security and Duty of Care

• Own or co-own security risk assessments and context-specific management plans.
• Integrate safety and security considerations into programme design, budgeting, staffing and partner selection.
• Uphold Nutrition International’s safeguarding standards and code of conduct across the team and partners.

Skills and Experience

Essential

• Master’s degree in public health, nutrition, international development, management or a related field.
• At least 10 years of programme or project management experience in public health, nutrition, international development or a related field.
• A public health or nutrition background.
• Professional fluency in both English and French.
• Demonstrable negotiation and stakeholder-navigation skills, particularly with government.
• Knowledge of Chad; one to two years of in-country exposure is acceptable.
• Strong delivery discipline and attention to detail, with a track record of using data to drive corrective action.
• Experience managing complex budgets and diverse teams in progressively senior roles.
• Clear commitment to safeguarding and to organisational codes of conduct.

Desirable

• Previous experience as a Country Manager, Country Director or Project Director (or equivalent) with an international organisation or NGO.
• Experience delivering results on large, complex donor-funded programmes, including those supported by USAID or other bilateral and multilateral donors.
• Experience navigating government ministries and international partners, including WHO and UNICEF.
• Experience elsewhere in the Sahel or the wider region - for example Nigeria, Mali, Burkina Faso, Cameroon or the Republic of Congo.
• Chadian nationals are strongly encouraged to apply, including Chadian professionals who have built their careers abroad and are ready to return home.
• Fluency in one or more local languages of Chad.
• Postgraduate certification in project management, or a certificate in research or monitoring and evaluation.

Role detail

• Location: N’Djamena, Chad
• Programme: Child Survival Programme, including vitamin A supplementation and zinc and low-osmolarity ORS from 2027
• Direct reports: 4
• Travel: Approximately 30% in-country travel

To apply for this position, please send your CV by 20 October 2026. Due to high application volumes, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

At Millar Cameron, we are committed to supporting our clients in building diverse and inclusive teams. If you are enthusiastic about this role but do not meet every requirement, we still encourage you to apply.