Director, Social Development, Culture and Sports at African Union

The African Union (AU) is a continental body consisting of the 55 member states that make up the countries of the African Continent. It was officially launched in 2002 as a successor to the Organization of African Unity (OAU, 1963-1999). We are an Integrated, Prosperous and Peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Director, Social Development, Culture and Sports

Requisition ID: 2844
Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Reports to: Commissioner HHS 
Directorate / Department / Organ: Health, Humanitarian Affairs & Social Development
Division : Social Development, Culture and Sports
Number of Direct Reports: 2
Number of Indirect Reports: 1
Job Grade: D1
Number of Positions: 1
Contract Type: Regular

Purpose of Job

• To provide strategic leadership in planning, developing, and implementing strategic policies of the Directorate while promoting inter- directorate/department collaboration.

Main Functions

• Develops and maintains operating rules and procedures.
• Provides technical leadership and ensure efficient functioning of all Divisions within the department/directorate.
• Manages the work of the Department/Directorate and supervise direct reports to ensure their effective performance as per organization’s performance management policy and system.
• Leads the directorate/department and ensure effective management of personnel, budget, performance, quality, employee’s relations matters, and training in conformity with relevant organization’s applicable rules and procedures.
• Determines, develops and executes the overall strategy for the department and ensure alignment with organizational overall strategy.
• Designs and develops business continuity plan to address unforeseen circumstances.
• Develops and oversees policy development and guidelines according to the organizations legal framework.
• Designs policies consistent with the AU’s goal to address the pertinent issues in the relevant area.
• Manages risks and recommend mitigation strategies.
• Prepares and oversees integrated programmes projects of overall activities of the organization.
• Builds and maintains a strategic plan to form good working relations with another directorate/department.
• Develops and maintains regular working relations with top level stakeholders in appropriate agencies of Member States and partners.
• Organizes, coordination meetings between the organization and other relevant partners.
• Prepares periodic financial and budget execution reports and other reports.
• Oversees the collection of contributed funds to the organization.
• Initiates and takes necessary actions to collect funds of and for the African Union as a whole.
• Provides strategic, innovative, and operational leadership for the implementation of the programmes of the Department and ensure the departmental contribution to the overall AU Strategies and Vision.
• Proposes training programmes relating to programme designing and coordination.
• Promotes awareness and training of best practices in area of expertise.

Specific Responsibilities

• Provides technical guidance and supervise the preparation and formulation of appropriate programs, policies and strategies related to Social Development, labour, employment, migration, Culture, Sport, drug control and crime prevention etc.at the continental level and follow up on their implementation. 
• Supervises the activities of the Specialized Agencies and Institutions of the African Union within the Department working in the areas of social development, labour, employment, sports, and culture.
• Facilitates interactions with the other Director within African Union including the Agencies and Institutions in charge of migration,
• Supervises the preparation and management of Ministerial Conferences and other relevant high-level meetings and engagements in the areas of the Directorate.
• Develops and promotes a rights-based approach framework for each thematic programme of work within the Department.
• Provides technical guidance in the analysis of problem situations and major trends, and harmonization of related development programmes and issues for the realization of an inclusive society where all human beings, including those in vulnerable situation- such as older persons, persons with disabilities including albinism, children, indigenous people- have an equal say and standing in Members States.
• Provides quality assurance in the programmes by ensuring that they meet the overall objective of the Department.
• Develops and maintains appropriate working relations with partners of the African Union, on social and development issues.
• Supervises, guides, and delegates Heads of Divisions in their duties, ensuring departments policies and guidelines are clearly communicated while assessing, managing, and resolving problematic developments and situations.

Academic Requirements and Relevant Experience

• Master’s Degree in Sociology, Arts, Law, International studies, Public Administration or other related Human and Social Science studies.
• A minimum of 15 years of relevant experience in at least one of the following fields: social development, labour, employment, migration, culture, sport, drug control and crime prevention. 
• Eight (8) and five (5) out of the total 15 years of experience should have been obtained at managerial and supervisory levels respectively.  

Required Skills:

• Managerial skills 
• Ability to work effectively with people from various backgrounds and create an environment where diversity is respected. 
• Ability to collaborate and communicate effectively with top level stakeholders. 
• Ability to identify key strategic opportunities and risks. 
• Ability to actively seek, identify and apply appropriate technology to improve program delivery. 
• Ability to delegate the appropriate responsibility, accountability, and decision-making authority with regard to performance management and professional development. 
• Proficiency in one of the AU working languages, fluency in another AU language is an added advantage 

Leadership Competencies:

• Strategic Focus
• Developing Organizational Capability
• Change Leadership
• Strategic Risk Management

Core Competencies:

• Building Partnerships
• Drives Accountability Culture
• Learning Orientation
• Communicating with impact

Functional Competencies:

• Conceptual Thinking
• Job Knowledge Sharing
• Drive for Results
• Fosters Innovation.

Languages:

• Proficiency in one of the AU working languages (Arabic, English, French, Kiswahili, Portuguese, and Spanish) is mandatory and fluency in another AU language is an added advantage.

Remuneration

• Indicative basic salary of US$ 78,138.00 (D1 Step1) per annum plus other related entitlements e.g. Post adjustment (46% of basic salary), Housing allowance US$ 26,208.00 (per annum), and education allowance (100% of tuition and other education-related expenses for every eligible dependent up to a maximum of US$ 10,000.00 per child per annum), for internationally recruited staff and a maximum of $3,300 per child per annum for locally recruited staff.

Tenure of Appointment:

• The appointment will be made on a regular term contract for a period of three (3) years, of which the first twelve months shall be considered as a probationary period. Thereafter, the contract will be for a period of two years renewable, subject to satisfactory performance and deliverables.

Application Closing Date
8th January, 2026; 11:59 PM EAT.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online