Careers

Duty Station: Moshi, Kilimanjaro  |  Reports to: Executive Director / Chief Executive Officer  |  Position Type: Full-time  |  Start Date: Immediate

Position Summary

Faraja Forward seeks an entrepreneurial Chief Operating Officer (COO) to help build one of Tanzania’s leading disability inclusion organizations.

Working closely with the Chief Executive Officer/Executive Director, the COO will strengthen organizational systems, oversee day-to-day operations, ensure excellence in grant implementation, build a high-performing team, and develop the organizational capacity needed to support Faraja Forward’s continued growth and national impact.

This is a unique opportunity for a proven builder who enjoys creating systems, developing people, and helping an ambitious organization move from a successful early-stage nonprofit to a mature, high-performing institution.

About Faraja Forward

Faraja Forward is a Tanzanian-led nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of children with disabilities by strengthening the systems that support them. Rather than creating parallel services, Faraja Forward works alongside government, healthcare providers, schools, universities, community health workers, faith leaders, disability advocates, and families to expand access to healthcare, rehabilitation, education, assistive technology, child protection, and social inclusion.

Recognizing that thousands of children with disabilities—particularly those living in rural communities—remain isolated from essential services, Faraja Forward brings support directly into underserved communities through mobile outreach, caregiver training, community-based rehabilitation, advocacy, and systems strengthening. The organization identifies children earlier, connects families to services, builds local capacity, and promotes policies and practices that ensure every child has the opportunity to participate fully in community life.

The Position

Faraja Forward is entering an exciting stage of organizational growth. With expanding institutional partnerships, increasing national visibility, and ambitious plans to scale its impact, the organization is seeking a dynamic Chief Operating Officer to help lead its next phase of development.

This is not a traditional operations role. We are looking for someone who thrives in building organizations—developing systems, mentoring staff, strengthening internal capacity, and translating strategy into execution. The COO will be responsible for creating the operational excellence that allows Faraja Forward to grow responsibly while maintaining high standards of quality, accountability, and innovation.

Working in close partnership with the CEO/ED, the COO will oversee the organization’s internal operations while the CEO focuses primarily on strategic partnerships, fundraising, government relations, advocacy, and external leadership.

Key Responsibilities

Organizational Leadership

• In partnership with the ED, lead the day-to-day operations of the organization.
• Translate strategic priorities into annual operating plans and measurable objectives.
• Build organizational systems that support sustainable growth.
• Strengthen communication and coordination across departments.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.

Program Management

• Oversee implementation of organizational programs.
• Ensure projects are delivered on time, within budget, and at a consistently high standard.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams to achieve organizational objectives.
• Identify and resolve operational challenges before they affect program delivery.

Organizational Capacity Building
The COO’s primary responsibility is to build the organization’s internal capacity by:

• Strengthening organizational systems and processes.
• Developing management systems that support growth.
• Establishing performance management systems and clear accountability.
• Improving planning, coordination, and decision-making.
• Building leadership capacity throughout the organization.

Grants, Finance and Compliance
Working closely with the Finance Manager and program leaders, the COO will:

• Oversee implementation of institutional grants.
• Ensure compliance with donor requirements and reporting deadlines.
• Improve budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning.
• Strengthen procurement systems and internal controls.
• Develop organizational dashboards and performance reporting.
• Support audit readiness and organizational risk management.

Human Resources

• Lead recruitment and onboarding.
• Develop staff performance management systems.
• Foster a positive organizational culture.
• Support professional development.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning
Faraja Forward is committed to becoming a learning organization. The COO will:

• Strengthen monitoring, evaluation, and learning systems.
• Promote data-informed decision-making across the organization.
• Ensure programs measure meaningful outcomes and organizational impact.
• Collaborate with research institutions to generate evidence that improves programs and informs disability policy and practice.

Partnerships
Work collaboratively with:

• Government ministries and local government authorities
• Healthcare and rehabilitation providers
• Universities and research institutions
• Community-based organizations
• Faith leaders
• International development partners

The Ideal Candidate

We are seeking someone who has helped take an organization from its early stages to its next phase of growth. The successful candidate will have:

• A bachelor’s degree required; a master’s degree preferred in Business Administration, Project Management, Public Health, International Development, Organizational Development or a related field.
• 7–10 years of progressively responsible management experience in the nonprofit, health, humanitarian, public, or international development sectors.
• Demonstrated success building organizational systems, teams, or processes within a growing organization.
• Experience supervising multidisciplinary teams.
• Strong financial management and operational planning skills.
• Experience managing institutional donor-funded programs.
• Excellent project management, organizational, and communication skills.
• Fluency in English and Kiswahili.

Personal Attributes
The successful candidate will be:

• A builder who enjoys creating systems rather than maintaining the status quo.
• Comfortable working in a dynamic, entrepreneurial environment.
• Highly organized with exceptional follow-through.
• A collaborative leader who develops and mentors others.
• Humble, emotionally intelligent, and committed to teamwork.
• A strategic thinker who is equally comfortable with hands-on implementation.
• Passionate about improving the lives of children with disabilities and strengthening Tanzanian institutions.

Compensation

Competitive and commensurate with experience. A full benefit package is included.

How to Apply

Please send your resume and cover letter to info@farajaschool.org by September 30, 2026. Applications submitted without a cover letter will not be considered.