Director Strategy and Innovation

• PositionDirector Strategy and Innovation
• CompanyEast African Development Bank (EADB)
• LocationKampala, Uganda
• Job TypeFull-Time
• CategoryBanking Jobs in Uganda
• IndustryDevelopment Finance
• DepartmentStrategy and Innovation (Job Grade E1)
• DeadlineFriday, 23 October 2026

The East African Development Bank is a regional development finance institution founded in 1967 by Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania under the then East African Co-operation. After the Co-operation collapsed in 1977, the Bank was re-established under its own Charter in 1980 with a wider mandate covering a broad range of financial and advisory services.

Today EADB is owned by four member states (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda, which joined in 2008) alongside several development finance institutions and commercial banks. It provides long-term finance to public and private sector projects that drive socio-economic development and regional integration across the East African Community.

The Bank is headquartered at EADB Building, Plot 4 Nile Avenue in Kampala, with country offices in Nairobi, Dar es Salaam and Kigali. As an organ of the EAC, it plays a catalytic role in regional integration through development finance.

The Director Strategy and Innovation leads the review, alignment and delivery of EADB’s corporate strategy so that the Bank grows its lending, puts its capital to productive use and delivers on its development mandate in every member state. The role holder turns strategy into funded annual plans, tracks delivery against clear targets and measures the Bank’s performance and development impact.

The position reports to the Senior Director Research Strategy and Innovation and leads a team that includes the Manager Strategy and Innovation, an Impact Evaluation Specialist, an ESG Manager and a Researcher. It also owns the Bank’s data and analytics agenda, so that strategy and Board decisions rest on reliable evidence. The job is mainly office based in Kampala, with travel across the member states and occasional extended hours around strategy reviews and Board reporting.

Strategy Review and Stewardship

• Lead the midterm review of the 2024 to 2028 corporate strategy and the formulation of future strategies, aligned with the Bank’s development mandate, regional integration priorities and the needs of each member state.
• Recommend clear choices on the countries, sectors, products and transaction sizes the Bank will prioritise, including activities it should scale back or stop.
• Test the growth plan with Finance and Treasury to confirm that it fits within the Bank’s capital, liquidity and funding limits.
• Track regional, global and sector trends, and bring market research and ideas for new products and business models into the strategy.

Strategy Delivery

• Translate the strategy into the annual business plan and budget, working with Finance, so that resources follow priorities.
• Maintain a single record of all strategic initiatives, each with an accountable owner, milestones, a budget and measurable results.
• Run a regular delivery review with senior management, coordinate departments and country offices, identify obstacles early and escalate unresolved issues.
• Lead the change management needed to embed the strategy, and promote a culture of innovation and continuous improvement across the Bank.

Performance and Impact Measurement

• Design and maintain the corporate scorecard, including a target for external capital mobilised alongside the Bank’s lending, and align departmental and country office targets with it.
• Work with Human Resources to link individual performance objectives to corporate targets.
• Lead the Bank’s development impact measurement framework, covering jobs, small businesses, women, climate and regional integration.
• Prepare strategy, performance and impact papers for senior management, the Board and its committees, and reports for funding partners.

Data and Analytics

• Develop and lead the Bank’s data strategy and, with ICT, Finance and Risk, set common definitions, named owners and quality standards for one trusted source of portfolio, pipeline, financial and impact data.
• Build an analytics and data science capability covering management and Board dashboards, portfolio and pipeline analysis, forecasting and scenario modelling.
• Raise data skills in every department and country office, and ensure proposals to senior management and the Board are supported by data and analysis.
• Lead and manage the Strategy and Innovation team, including its work plan and performance.

Required Education

• Master’s degree in Strategic Management, Organisational Development, Economics, Finance, Business Administration, Statistics, Data Science, Development Studies, Public Policy or a related field.
• Bachelor’s degree in a related discipline.
• A professional qualification in finance or investment, such as CFA, ACCA or CPA, is an added advantage.
• Certification or training in strategy development, innovation management, project management, data analytics or performance management is an added advantage.
• Membership of a relevant professional body, for example the Strategic Management Society, PMI or AAPM, is a plus.

Work Experience

• At least 10 years of progressive experience in corporate strategy, strategy delivery or corporate performance, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role, preferably in a multilateral development bank, financial institution or development organisation.
• A demonstrated record of delivering a strategy, transformation or turnaround with measurable results.
• Experience leading strategy formulation, organisation restructuring, innovation initiatives and cross-functional teams, including a restructuring process for a development bank or commercial bank.
• Experience of business planning and budgeting in a bank or other financial institution, working with finance and treasury teams on capital, liquidity and funding plans.
• Experience of using data and analysis to guide strategy, and of building data or analytics capability in an organisation.
• Experience of preparing papers for, and presenting to, senior management and a Board of Directors.

Additional Requirements

• Desirable: experience in a multilateral development bank or development finance institution, including how transactions move from pipeline to approval and disbursement.
• Desirable: experience in strategy consulting or a corporate strategy function.
• Desirable: experience working with government shareholders in more than one country.
• Fluency in English. Kiswahili or French is an added advantage.

Technical Skills

• Strategic thinking: Strong analytical, problem-solving and strategic thinking skills.
• Financial fluency: Able to read a development bank’s balance sheet and model growth against capital, liquidity and credit rating constraints.
• Data literacy: Able to frame the right questions, interpret analysis and test the numbers, with working knowledge of analytics, data science, data governance and reporting tools.
• Programme and change management: The discipline to track delivery across programmes and projects.
• Corporate strategy design: Expertise in business planning, performance monitoring and impact measurement.
• Development finance knowledge: Sound understanding of development finance and the economies of the East African Community.

Soft Skills

• Board-level communication: Excellent writing, presentation and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Results orientation: The persistence to see initiatives through to completion.
• Integrity and accountability: High standards in a public development institution.
• Constructive challenge: The courage to challenge at all levels, backed by evidence.
• Influence: Able to inspire colleagues and stakeholders without direct authority.
• Leadership and adaptability: Strong team building, collaboration and openness to change.

EADB has not published a salary for this E1-grade role and asks applicants to state their expected gross salary. As a senior director at a regional development bank, you would shape the Bank’s corporate strategy at Board level, lead a specialist team and work across four East African member states.

• Lead the midterm review of EADB’s 2024 to 2028 corporate strategy.
• Work directly with senior management, the Board and its committees.
• Build a data and analytics function for a regional development bank.
• Lead a team spanning strategy, impact evaluation, ESG and research.
• Measure real development impact on jobs, small businesses, women, climate and regional integration.
• Gain multi-country exposure across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda.
• Stay in Kampala at the Bank’s headquarters while working regionally.

Send your application letter and a detailed CV by email to [email protected] with “DIRECTOR STRATEGY AND INNOVATION” as the email subject. State your expected gross salary in your application. The deadline is Friday, 23 October 2026. The full job description is available on the official EADB advert. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. See more jobs in Kampala.

• Use the exact subject line “DIRECTOR STRATEGY AND INNOVATION”. EADB asks applicants to follow its guidelines.
• Include your expected gross salary. Leaving it out may count as an incomplete application.
• Quantify a strategy, transformation or turnaround you delivered, with measurable results.
• Show your experience planning against capital, liquidity and funding limits with Finance and Treasury.
• Give a concrete example of building a data or analytics capability, not just using reports.
• List any Board papers or presentations you have led, and name CFA, ACCA, CPA or PMI credentials if you hold them.
• Mention Kiswahili or French if you speak either. Both are stated advantages.