Executive Director

WE ARE HIRING AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR! ABOUT TICAH TICAH is a feminist organization that works to promote health, equitable relationships, and community action. We dream of safe and just societies where barriers to equitable health and social outcomes are removed including for the most marginalized populations, where rights are realized, holistic health is attained and where the beauty of culture and diversity is celebrated. Our definition of health recognises the links between health, values and culture, the role of art in activism and social change and the elevation of marginalised voices and ideas, that there is much to be gained by engaging with our traditional cultures, that access to quality health information services is critical and the power of nutrition and herbs in overall wellness cannot be overlooked. We work toward communities driving and owning all implementation through our tried and tested methodologies: Listening and Co-Creation of interventions with communities, Creation of Safe Spaces for Values Clarification and Training of Trainers; Advocacy, where we raise our voices to advocate for better laws, policies and practices to protect rights, access to holistic health services, freedom of expression and sexual & reproductive health rights. We celebrate the beauty and diversity of ideas, ethnicities, religions, sexuality, music, art, genders, indigenous cultures, and traditions as expressions of a healthy society. Our priority areas are Gender Justice, Climate Justice and Holistic Health. TICAH’s 4 program areas are: Art for Connection & Healing: Working with artists and through arts practices to build community, raise marginalized voices, activate and revitalize public spaces, and find healing and wellness. Healthy Households working with households to build wellness and prevent illness by incorporating practical, affordable, and sustainable practices by focusing on food and herbal remedies. Indigenous Knowledge and Culture: Working closely with cultural practitioners and elders to bring positive indigenous knowledge, practice and culture into holistic health and solving community challenges. Our Bodies, Our Choices, a SRH program encouraging more honest and healthy approaches to sexual life through curricula, trainings, peer discussions and a hotline. With like-minded organizations we advocate for comprehensive sexuality education, and access to safe legal abortion. From our beginnings in 2003, TICAH has been rooted in health, healing, culture, and justice. Deeply embedded in the communities we work with, ours has always been a story of us, for us - walking alongside communities, listening, staying curious, and learning as we go. We wanted to be an organization that itself embodies the values and tenets of wellness, rights, and connection that we aimed for in our work.This grounding continues to shape how we work, how we lead, and where we are going next. Over the years, TICAH has evolved from providing information and programs to empowering communities to take control of their health, rights, and futures. Our early work connected health with culture, rights, relationships, and indigenous knowledge, fostering open conversations on sexuality, HIV, nutrition, traditional medicine, and social justice. By 2019, we further strengthened our focus on women and girls, gender equality, community leadership, and advocacy. We’ve seen impact not just in numbers reached, but in people making informed choices, changing practices at home, indigenous women leading, artists driving social change, and communities shaping policies. By 2025, communities were reorganizing after disruptions, young women were influencing policy, families were blending nutrition with local knowledge, indigenous women were leading on land and climate justice, and artists were creating spaces for healing. In addition, TICAH also plays a strategic movement-building role, convening and hosting networks advancing SRHR and other rights nationally and regionally, including MAMA Network (a regional network of 70+ organizations in 26 African countries), and various national networks in Kenya. In so doing TICAH creates the connective infrastructure that enables organisations and activists to organise, learn, respond and act collectively. Through these networks, we help turn individual organisations and community action into collective power capable of influencing systems at scale. The 2022-2026 Strategic Plan further solidified TICAH's commitment and methodology for building power and systems change. With a team of 25, TICAH’s work has impacted over 407,000 people, equipping them with the knowledge, agency, and collective power to lead change. In this period, TICAH began to see communities not just as participants, but as leaders with collective power and agency. Our focus has thus moved from providing information to supporting informed choices, advocacy, and collective action. Our programs have become more integrated, connecting health, rights, gender, climate, art, and indigenous knowledge through an intersectional approach. This has led to greater influence on policies and systems at all levels. By the end of the strategy, TICAH’s role will be less about delivering solutions and more about creating conditions for communities to lead, systems to listen, and people to shape their own futures. As our current Strategic Plan comes to an end, we are looking ahead with ambition and curiosity, asking ourselves what is possible as TICAH enters its next strategic plan cycle: how do we hold on to the depth, creativity and community-rootedness that have always defined us, while growing our ability to scale and influence the systems that shape people’s health and lives. How do we build an even stronger, more resilient and sustainable organisation, one that can navigate an increasingly complex political and funding environment, deepen our impact, strengthen our partnerships and continue to challenge conventional ways of thinking about health and wellbeing? TICAH’s next Executive Director will have the exciting responsibility of helping us imagine, shape and lead this next chapter building on more than two decades of learning and impact while taking the organisation boldly into its future. Learn more: https://www.ticahealth.org/ TICAH’S SHARED LEADERSHIP MODEL: TICAH has adopted a shared leadership model where the Executive Director and Deputy Executive Director share responsibility, authority, and decision-making for the organization. Rather than a traditional hierarchical structure centered on a single leader, shared leadership emphasizes collaboration, mutual accountability and complementary strengths. In addition, shared leadership is embedded in TICAH’s DNA through listening and consensus- building, trust and delegation, a highly collaborative Leadership Team and cross-functional committees that steer program development, MEL, fundraising, communications, staff welfare, procurement and more. This model is deeply aligned with TICAH’s values in a number of ways: Shared leadership reflects feminist values by promoting shared power, equality, and inclusive decision-making. Indigenous principles emphasize collective leadership, inclusive stewardship, and respect for relational decision-making. Sustainability: Sharing leadership responsibilities reduces burnout, builds institutional memory, and supports healthier, more stable operations over time. Better outcomes for communities: Shared Leadership brings complementary skills and insights, enhancing strategic thinking, innovation, and the overall impact of TICAH’s mission. As a result, the ED role includes both, shared leadership responsibilities and areas of sole ownership, which are outlined below to provide clarity on roles and accountability. ROLES SHARED BETWEEN ED & DEPUTY ED (20%): Strategy Development Lead the expansion of TICAH’s vision & advance opportunities to realise its unique mission & approach in Kenya, regionally and globally. Hold the SP’s vision and goals, steer implementation and learning through 2027–2030, and lead the development of the SP 2030+. Provide technical leadership for the annual reviews of the Strategic Plan. Ensure all Programs and MELS strategies, frameworks, and SOPs align with the Strategic Plan and its revisions Provide effective representation of TICAH’s transformative agenda and goals to influence relevant actors and actions in Kenya, regionally and globally. Governance / Board Management & Development Lead board development as needs evolve. Coordinate Board Meeting Schedule. Prepare for, attend and ensure follow-up from board meetings. Ensure board decisions are documented and implemented. Legal Oversee the organization’s legal and compliance matters, including emerging issues and risk management, working closely with legal counsel and the board as needed. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ROLES: Fundraising & Donor Communication & Engagement (25%): Hold overall accountability for TICAH’s fundraising and donor engagement, working closely with the Head of Partnerships and Deputy Executive Director to ensure adequate, sustainable and values-aligned resource mobilisation. In collaboration with the Head of Partnerships, cultivate and steward strong relationships with current and prospective donors, effectively communicating TICAH’s distinctive value, impact and relevance to health and social justice priorities in Kenya, the region and globally. Ensuring donor relationships are held by the organisation rather than concentrated in any one individual. Donor relationships may be primarily led by the Executive Director, Deputy Executive Director, Head of Partnerships or other relevant team members, while ensuring that each key donor has meaningful relationships with more than one person within TICAH. Provide strategic leadership for the retention of existing donors and Cultivation and progressing onboarding of new donors in close collaboration with HoPa to ensure that donors understand the value and relevance of TICAH’s uniqueness to a range of current topical health and social issues in Kenya, regionally and globally. Ensure adequate funding to support the SP through Donor Relations with all current donors and high-value prospects. (progressive onboarding of new donors and retention of current donors) Ensure strategy- and value-aligned communication with all donors through the review of key donor communication tools (grant applications, donor reports, annual reports, pitch decks). Maintain overall oversight of TICAH’s donor portfolio and relationships, including those managed day-to-day by other members of the team, and ensure emerging opportunities, risks and relationship needs are appropriately managed. Organizational Leadership, Talent & Culture (20%): In collaboration with the Leadership Team, spearhead the organizational design, talent management strategy, culture, and structure in service of our Mission and Strategic Plan, in line with our values. Ensure wellness, self-care and collective care are deeply embedded in the organizational culture through policy and practice. Oversee staff development to realize TICAH’s strategic plan, strengthen its ability for impact and growth, and stay responsive to evolving realities and needs. Support and manage the Deputy ED, Head of Partnerships and Head of Finance and Operations, and enable them to drive the organizations results through their teams. Committees of the ED: Actively participate in the Communications and Fundraising Committee and opportunity to join MELS or Programs Committee as needed. External Influence, Communications & Visibility (10%): In collaboration with Head of Partnerships & Communications: Lead effective representation of TICAH’s transformative agenda and goals to influence relevant actors and actions in Kenya and the region and globally. Build relevance and visibility in key spaces by representing TICAH and our beliefs, and provide thought partnership externally through strategic speaking engagements, industry networking, and collaboration on op-eds, articles, research, publications, reports, media engagements, etc. External Communications Oversight: Ensure strategic and value-aligned external communications. Provide strategic leadership in moments of crisis communication. Act as the main spokesperson and ensure oversight of external communications by the team. Strategic Internal Communication: In collaboration with the leadership team ensure that information flows transparently, clearly and consistently across teams, fostering collaboration, alignment, and a strong organisational culture Partner & Stakeholder Engagement (15%): Engage regularly with diverse audiences and communities across our programs and methodologies, building relationships, deepening understanding of our work in action, and staying grounded in community realities through presence and listening. Cultivate relationships with partners and stakeholders to ensure they understand the value and relevance of TICAH’s unique approach to current topical health and social issues in Kenya, the region and globally. Grow non-funding partnerships in service of Strategic Goals, e.g., replication of our model, advocacy efforts, organizational and technical learning, etc. Steward relationships with strategic partners hosted by the organization, ensuring strong collaboration, alignment and mutual value creation. Join strategy committees, oversee operational plans and staff as needed. Financial Management (10%): In collaboration with the Head of Finance; Oversee the overall budgets, grant management, and systems that comprise TICAH’s financial direction, sustainability, and practice. Provide strategic oversight of TICAH’s financial health and stewardship of resources, ensuring funds are used responsibly, effectively, and in alignment with organizational priorities, while the DED leads operational decisions related to grants, expenditures, and reporting Steward a long-term financial sustainability strategy, including diversifying revenue streams through innovative models such as social enterprise, strengthening reserves and investment strategies, and ensuring the organization is positioned for long-term resilience and independence. WHO ARE LOOKING FOR: We are looking for a deeply mission-aligned, bold feminist leader with demonstrated conviction and experience in rights-based programming and advocacy, who believes communities own their challenges, solutions and decisions and is committed to self- determination, bodily autonomy, holistic health, human rights, and addressing the intersections of health, culture, art, climate, and inequality. You have a robust understanding of SRHR issues in East Africa and in-depth knowledge of relevant laws, policies, regulations, and trends, including anti-rights actors and are comfortable working on access to safe abortion and the rights of LGBTQI+ people. You embody a deeply relational worldview: You have a deep appreciation for culture and creativity and understand the interconnectedness of people, community, wellbeing, justice, truth, beauty, and everyday life. And you bring this whole-person perspective to leadership and in how you listen, create and lead decisions on the role of the creative sector in social change. And you move fluently across worlds: You have lived and worked across diverse contexts, and cultures and know how to move between with humility, curiosity, and ease. EXPERIENCE & TRACK RECORD: Fundraising: You have successfully led fundraising across a diverse portfolio of institutional, philanthropic, and individual donors, including securing significant multi- year and unrestricted funding, and worked closely across fundraising and programme teams to translate programme priorities into compelling funding opportunities and proposals. Relationship-led donor stewardship: Demonstrated track record of representing an organization compellingly, building and retaining long-term donor relationships, with strong retention while building the credibility and partnerships needed to resource complex systems-change work. Recognizes that fundraising at TICAH is fundamentally relationship-based rather than proposal-based. Strategic resource mobilisation: Understands the changing funding landscape, thinks beyond traditional fundraising and explores diverse approaches to resource mobilisation and long-term organisational sustainability. Team size: You have experience leading an organisation of 20+ staff, including a senior leadership team of at least three people, with an appreciation for building and managing well motivated and self-driven diverse teams and navigating organisational transitions and evolving leadership structures. People leadership: Strong influencing, coaching, conflict resolution and performance management skills, with the ability to support managers lead and build self-driven motivated, healthy teams that achieve their goals Experience promoting a culture of wellness, self- and collective care through practices that support staff well-being, while modeling these values through your own leadership and working style. Financial Management: Sound understanding of financial management, budgeting, planning, accountability, and organizational systems, with a track record of ensuring resources are used effectively and sustainably towards organization’s strategic goals. Has managed an organisational budget of at least $1M, ideally in an organisation of comparable size and complexity. Demonstrated long-term thinking about organisational financial sustainability and resilience, with an interest in diversifying revenue and exploring innovative approaches to building greater financial independence. Programme complexity: Experience working across multiple, multidisciplinary programmes, ideally spanning areas such as SRHR, health, food systems, climate justice, art and culture. Programmatic curiosity and credibility: Brings sufficient depth in at least one of TICAH's areas of work and stays connected to the wider conversations, networks and emerging thinking shaping holistic health, gender justice, climate justice and rights-based work. Working with indigenous communities is an added advantage. Program leadership: Ability to provide strategic leadership to ensure TICAH’s programs evolve with learning, respond to emerging opportunities and needs, and remain deeply aligned with the organization’s mission, strategy and long-term vision. Movement building: Experience working within or alongside diverse social Justice movements and advocacy spaces, particularly in SRHR and gender justice, including navigating politically complex environments and advancing work beyond conventional approaches. Government & policy: Experience engaging with government ministries, technical working groups and/or policy spaces, and bringing technical or programmatic expertise into these spaces. Conference & network engagement: Demonstrated ability to use conferences and convenings strategically for fundraising, partnerships, and influence. LEADERSHIP SKILLS: 1. Strategic and grounded leadership You have a track record of 10+ years of leadership advancing social justice work in East Africa, with experience working alongside community-focused organizations. Strategic leadership: You have proven senior leadership experience, ideally as an ED or equivalent, with the strategic thinking and judgment to guide TICAH through its next stage of growth and deepen its contribution to systems change. Complexity & adaptability: You have proven ability to hold complexity and connect the dots across global, national, and local contexts, balancing scale and systems change with TICAH’s bespoke, community-centred approach. You know when to challenge, when to steady and when to listen and learn before changing. Organizational stewardship: You have the ability to translate strategy into effective planning, execution and ways of working, while strengthening organisational systems and maintaining high standards of accountability, transparency, financial stewardship and operational effectiveness. 2. Relationship-centred, people-powered leadership Trust-based and developmental: You intentionally build trust, listen deeply, understand people and their strengths, and create an environment where the team and all stakeholders feel supported, connected to leadership and empowered to grow. Shared and participatory: You believe in shared leadership and distributed power, with the emotional intelligence and facilitative skills to navigate difficult conversations, bring diverse perspectives together and enable collective decision-making. 3. Deep cultural and values alignment Humility, integrity & generosity: You lead with authenticity and integrity, and bring generosity to colleagues, partners and allies. Learning & growth: You are curious and committed to your own development, with the self-awareness to reflect, learn and evolve their leadership and ways of working. People & organisational wellbeing: You care deeply about the long-term sustainability of the organisation and the conditions in which people thrive, creating psychological safety, transparency and an environment where people can do their best work. 4. Movement-builder and ecosystem leader Movement-minded: You understand TICAH’s distinctive role across feminists, indigenous, SRHR, health and social justice movements, and its role as a convener, weaver and incubator. Builds across boundaries: You bring people together around shared purpose, build coalitions and lasting relationships, and inspire collective action beyond organisational boundaries. Generous collaborator: You have proven ability to nurture relationships, including inherited ones and you see collaboration (not competition) as a way to strengthen the wider movements and ecosystem. OTHER INFORMATION: Anticipated start is the first half of 2027. The role will be based in our Karen office with two days working from home flexibility. The role will involve regular travel within Kenya, regionally and internationally (approximately 5 international and 7 local/regional trips annually, in addition to regular engagements in/around Nairobi) to engage with communities, partners, donors, movements and other strategic spaces relevant to TICAH’s work. We are looking for candidates who are excited to make a long-term commitment in seeing TICAH through its next level of growth. There will be a six-month probationary period and we will agree on performance and learning objectives.