Regional Manager – Head of Subunit Financing & Recipients Relations At GIZ Rwanda

Job Description

A. Background

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is a federally owned international cooperation enterprise for sustainable development with worldwide operations. The GIZ Office in Kigali covers GIZ’s portfolio in Rwanda and Burundi. GIZ Rwanda/Burundi implements projects on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, the European Union and other commissioning authorities in the following priority areas: Sustainable Economic Development; Good Governance; Climate, Energy and Sustainable Urban Development; Digital Transformation and Digital Economy; and regional projects in the Great Lakes Region. 

As Team Lead and Head of Subunit Financing & Recipients Relations is responsible for the strategic and operational leadership of the unit managing financing arrangements and partner contracts. The role ensures that all advisory, preparatory, contractual and governance processes leading to the establishment, implementation and closing of financing arrangements are delivered efficiently, consistently and in compliance with GIZ policies and procedures (P+R), applicable legal frameworks and compliance standards.

The position provides leadership to a team of specialists, collaborates with several units in, drives continuous process improvement, ensures high-quality service delivery to projects and partners, and safeguards GIZ’s contractual and fiduciary interests throughout the lifecycle of financing arrangements.

B. Main Tasks and Responsibilities

• Provide leadership to the staff assigned to you in accordance with the GIZ’s leadership principles, including addressing all staff-related issues in a professional and timely manner and taking decisions if and as needed
• Lead, coordinate and manage the unit responsible for providing advice to projects on financing arrangements, including Local Contribution Contracts, Grant Agreements, Financing Agreements and other contractual instruments, as well as Integrated Development Partnerships with the Private Sector (iDPP) and construction contracts during the planning stage, in line with GIZ’s internal policies and procedures (P+R), applicable laws and compliance standards.
• Guide and supervise the team in assuming process responsibility for the preparation and quality assurance of the Legal and Commercial Eligibility Check (KEP).
• Coordinate and oversee the processing and validation of incoming requests for financing arrangements, ensuring that the team applies the required quality and compliance standards and observes applicable threshold limits before requests are submitted to the contract processing units.
• Manage and coordinate the team’s activities related to contract amendments, extensions and closeout procedures, ensuring consistent application of relevant contractual and procedural requirements.
• Provide strategic and professional guidance to the team in supporting recipients throughout contract implementation and in organizing appropriate capacity development measures.
• Ensure that the team systematically monitors reporting deadlines, supports recipients during reporting phases, and conducts quality checks of documentation prior to submission to the responsible unit.
• Oversee and coordinate the team’s activities to ensure that contractually required external audits are conducted and that audit contracts are prepared in a timely and compliant manner.
• Guide and coordinate the team in safeguarding GIZ’s interests throughout the auditing process, including the coordination of auditors and recipients and participation in audit opening and closing meetings, as appropriate.
• Ensure that the team follows up on audit findings, irregularities and instances of non-compliance and that appropriate corrective measures are initiated, monitored and documented.
• Ensure that records management is properly organized and implemented within the group, including the systematic and compliant maintenance of relevant contractual, financial, audit and process documentation.
• Strengthen cooperation structures with other units at headquarters and in the country office.

C. Required Qualifications, Competences and Experience

1. Qualifications and professional experience

A university degree in Business Administration, combined with experience in various commercial and technical roles in the field of development cooperation – preferably within GIZ. 

• Several years’ experience in the line management of diverse teams in various cultural contexts, as well as experience in remote management
• Several years’ experience in financial management, including (large-scale) EU co-financing, as well as experience in conducting internal audits
• Customer focus and the ability to collaborate, combined with assertiveness, adaptability to a changing portfolio, commitment, reliability, diplomatic skills, gender competence and intercultural understanding of the region
• In-depth familiarity with the new SAP software and confident use of MS software
• Business fluency in German and English

2. Other knowledge and additional competences

• The ability to provide direction and motivation in shaping the new landscape of roles and collaboration
• Strong conceptual and analytical skills in designing efficient processes, whilst avoiding duplication and bottlenecks.
• Several years’ experience in managing change processes.
• A basic knowledge of French or Kinyarwanda is an asset. 

D. How to apply

Interested candidates should submit their application (motivation letter, updated CV, certificates and references) via our electronic job portal by using the button “apply”; until 7th September 2026 at 4:00 PM. All attachments should be put together in one PDF file not larger than 2 MB. The cover letter should be limited to one page and the CV to a maximum of two pages. Otherwise, the application will not be considered. 

If qualified national candidates are identified, priority will be given to national candidates under an NMA contract.

Applications are assessed on a rolling basis as they are received. Early application is 

therefore encouraged, as the recruitment process may be concluded before the stated 

deadline.

Application Link:https://www.giz-jobs.com/rwanda/