Executive Director

Peace Canal

 Location: Juba, South Sudan, with regular travel to field locations

Reports to: Peace Canal Board

Contract: One year, renewable subject to performance and Board approval

Overview

Imatong Employment Solutions (IES) is a South Sudanese human resource company, registered and operating in South Sudan since 2015. We are working together with Peace Canal to identify a qualified South Sudanese professional for the role of Executive Director for the organisation.

About Peace Canal

Peace Canal is a South Sudanese peacebuilding organisation working alongside communities to reduce violence, strengthen local systems for managing conflict, and support practical pathways towards peace.

Our work is grounded in local leadership and community ownership. We work with chiefs, women, youth, government authorities, faith leaders, and communities to support locally-led solutions to complex challenges.

We are now looking for an Executive Director who can lead the organisation through its next stage of growth and sustainability.

The Opportunity

This is not primarily an administrative role.

We are looking for a leader who can build relationships, create opportunities, strengthen systems, develop teams, and help Peace Canal become a stronger, more sustainable organisation.

The successful candidate will be equally comfortable meeting a donor, engaging a community leader, reviewing a budget, leading a management meeting, and following up on agreed actions.

While experience in peacebuilding is valuable, we are interested in exceptional organisational leaders from a wide range of backgrounds who share a commitment to locally-led change.

What Success Looks Like

Over the next three years, the Executive Director will help Peace Canal to:

• Strengthen its reputation as a credible and trusted South Sudanese organisation.
• Diversify and grow its funding base.
• Build strong systems for planning, accountability, learning, and decision-making.
• Develop and support a high-performing management team.
• Maintain strong relationships with communities, government, donors, and partners.
• Deliver high-quality programmes that contribute to sustainable peace and community resilience.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Provide overall leadership and direction for the organisation.
• Translate strategy into clear priorities, plans, and results.
• Lead organisational decision-making and ensure follow-through on key actions.
• Promote innovation, learning, and continuous improvement.

External Relations and Resource Mobilisation

• Serve as Peace Canal’s principal representative.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with donors, partners, government, communities, and other stakeholders.
• Identify and pursue funding opportunities.
• Lead proposal development and donor engagement.
• Help position Peace Canal as a leading South Sudanese peacebuilding organisation.

Organisational Development

• Strengthen organisational systems, processes, and accountability.
• Ensure decisions are documented, tracked, and implemented.
• Improve planning, reporting, and organisational performance.
• Support the organisation to become increasingly sustainable and resilient.

Programme Oversight

• Ensure programmes are strategically relevant, community-driven, and well managed.
• Promote strong analysis, learning, and adaptation.
• Ensure reporting and communications are timely, accurate, and useful.
• Maintain focus on quality, impact, and community ownership.

Governance and Accountability

• Work closely with the Board to support effective governance.
• Provide regular reporting on performance, finance, risk, and organisational priorities.
• Ensure compliance with organisational policies, donor requirements, and legal obligations.
• Promote transparency, integrity, and responsible stewardship of resources.

People and Culture

• Lead and support the Senior Management Team.
• Foster a culture of initiative, accountability, collaboration, and learning.
• Set clear expectations and support staff performance and development.
• Create an environment where people can do their best work.

Who We Are Looking For

We are interested in people who have successfully led organisations, teams, programmes, businesses, social enterprises, civil society organisations, public institutions, or similar initiatives in challenging environments.

You do not need to have spent your entire career in peacebuilding or humanitarian work.

More important is your ability to lead people, build organisations, create opportunities, and deliver results.

Essential Experience

• Significant leadership experience in a complex operating environment.
• Experience managing teams, budgets, and organisational systems.
• Demonstrated success in building partnerships and maintaining external relationships.
• Experience securing funding, developing business opportunities, or mobilising resources.
• Strong understanding of governance, accountability, and organisational management.
• Excellent written and spoken English.

Highly Desirable

• Knowledge of South Sudan and its social, political, or conflict context.
• Experience working with communities, civil society, government, or peacebuilding initiatives.
• Spoken Juba Arabic and/or relevant South Sudanese languages.
• Experience supporting organisational growth or institutional development.

Personal Qualities

We are looking for someone who is:

• Proactive and self-motivated.
• Highly organised and dependable.
• Comfortable taking initiative and making decisions.
• Skilled at building trust and relationships.
• Curious, adaptable, and open to new ideas.
• Able to balance strategic thinking with practical action.
• Committed to accountability and follow-through.
• Respectful of local leadership and community ownership.

What Will Set You Apart

We are particularly interested in candidates who have demonstrated the ability to:

• Build organisations, not just manage them.
• Turn ideas into practical action.
• Create opportunities rather than wait for them.
• Maintain strong systems while remaining flexible and adaptive.
• Deliver results through others.
• Build trust across very different groups of people.

Application Process

Interested South Sudanese candidates are asked to provide their current CV and detailed cover letter expressing their motivation for applying and their relevant experience/expertise, and copies of academic certificates.

The applications are to be submitted to:

For online application please click here.

Hard copies may be dropped to the Imatong Employment Solutions office in Thong Ping.

Please contact +211 921 277 383 for queries.

Applications should reach us no later than 24 July 2026 at 5pm.

We appreciate the time and effort all applicants invest in applying for this position. However, due to the volume of applications, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Peace Canal is committed to locally led peacebuilding and encourages applications from qualified South Sudanese candidates, including candidates from outside the traditional NGO and humanitarian sectors.

To view the approved advert from the South Sudan Ministry of Labour please click here.