Uganda Country Lead

• PositionUganda Country Lead
• CompanyInstiglio
• LocationKampala, Uganda (hybrid, minimum 2 office days a week)
• Job TypeFull-Time (80-100% flexible), 1-year renewable contract
• CategoryManagement Jobs in Uganda
• IndustryPublic Sector Advisory / Non-profit
• DepartmentProjects (reports to the Africa Director)
• DeadlineApplications reviewed on a rolling basis
• Start DateEarly 2027

Instiglio is a non-profit founded in 2012 that helps governments and public institutions perform better. It partners with leaders who want to tackle structural barriers to impact, so public institutions can deliver much bigger results for people and the planet, and keep delivering them.

Its work often focuses on results-based financing, performance management and reform inside government. Instiglio has around 85 staff and a regional team that has led much of its Uganda work from Nairobi.

In Uganda, Instiglio works with the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation on safe water in Lango, with the Ministry of Public Service on the Government Empowerment Network, and with the Office of the Prime Minister on refugee response coordination.

This is a new role, created so Instiglio’s Uganda portfolio is led from Kampala rather than from outside the country. You will hold overall accountability for the quality, timing and budget of every Uganda project, own workplans and deliverables, lead technical work in-country, manage and coach the Uganda team, and oversee funder reporting. A key goal is to turn three separately run projects into one coherent Uganda strategy.

You will be Instiglio’s senior representative in Uganda, working directly with Ministers, Permanent Secretaries, Commissioners and Heads of Agencies, guiding politically sensitive reforms and securing government approvals for the Hilton Safe Water programme. You will also build relationships with funders and DFIs, convene UN agencies and partners, and grow the pipeline by qualifying opportunities, shaping proposals and building consortia. Frequent travel across the continent is expected.

Project Delivery

• Hold overall accountability for the quality, timeliness and budget of Instiglio’s Uganda projects, resolving delivery risks early.
• Own workplans, priorities and deliverables independently, and lead technical and conceptual work in-country.
• Lead, coach and develop the Uganda team, including line management, performance reviews and staffing.
• Oversee funder reporting and lead internal reviews of performance against workplans and budgets.
• Build coherence across HSW, GEN and Refugees Uganda through shared relationships, learning and team capacity.

Government & Stakeholder Engagement

• Serve as Instiglio’s senior representative in Uganda, engaging with Ministers, Permanent Secretaries, Commissioners and Heads of Agencies.
• Build relationships with funders and DFIs in Uganda, including hosting funder visits and co-fundraising with government.
• Navigate politically sensitive processes, such as reforms needing senior government sign-off.
• Lead government engagement to secure approvals and institutionalise the Hilton Safe Water programme.
• Lead GEN relationship management and convene GEN Champions around reform priorities.
• Convene funders, UN agencies and implementing partners around government-owned agendas, including financing dialogues based on performance evidence.
• Lead in-country team members and consultants on government engagement with clear mandates.
• Represent Instiglio at sector forums and events in Uganda and the region.

Partnership Development

• Support the Uganda pipeline: identify, qualify and pursue opportunities with government, bilateral and multilateral funders, DFIs and philanthropies.
• Contribute to proposals, from go/no-go and positioning to technical writing, budgeting and client presentations.
• Build coalitions and consortia with implementing partners and local firms.
• Grow existing accounts, including extensions and follow-on phases.

Required Education

• Not stated in the advert. Check the Instiglio careers page.

Work Experience

• At least 15 years of relevant experience.
• Proven experience leading projects and senior engagement with Ugandan and international stakeholders.
• Proven experience at executive level (Permanent Secretary, Minister) in Uganda, with trusted advisory relationships, not only access.
• Proven experience leading and developing multi-disciplinary teams.
• Experience designing or strengthening performance management, results frameworks or coordination systems inside government.
• Experience managing advisory delivery against workplans that shift with government priorities.

Additional Requirements

• A consulting background, including public sector advisory and work with philanthropic funders, is essential.
• Desirable: partnership development, personally winning funded work, and coaching senior public servants through reforms.
• Preferable: RBF, WASH or government capacity building knowledge, Uganda’s decentralised local government system, and data governance.
• Must be eligible to work in Uganda and willing to travel frequently across Africa.

Technical Skills

• Public sector advisory: Reform, performance and coordination systems in government.
• Results-based financing: Designing and running RBF programmes.
• Project management: Workplans, budgets and funder reporting.
• Business development: Proposals, positioning and consortia.

Soft Skills

• Executive presence: Trusted by Ministers and Permanent Secretaries.
• Political judgement: Navigating sensitive reforms carefully.
• Leadership: Coaching and growing a multi-disciplinary team.
• Convening: Bringing funders, UN agencies and government together.

Health insurance, personal days, remote workdays, an end-of-year company holiday on top of vacation, and parental leave. The role is hybrid (at least two days a week in the Kampala office). Salary is not stated in the advert.

• A brand-new role: you set up Instiglio’s Uganda leadership.
• Direct work with Ministers and Permanent Secretaries.
• Lead a Hilton Foundation partnership running to 2029.
• Flexible 80-100% time commitment.
• Hybrid working and generous leave benefits.
• Shape a coherent Uganda strategy, not just run projects.

Apply online through Instiglio’s official careers page for the Uganda Country Lead: submit your CV in English and answer the application questions. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. See more management jobs in Uganda and international development jobs in Uganda.

• Name the senior government relationships you hold and how you built them.
• Show reforms you coached through government, with results.
• Mention results-based financing or WASH work if you have it.
• Give examples of funded work you personally won.
• Show you know Uganda’s decentralised local government system.
• Apply early: rolling review means interviews can start anytime.