Country Director - Mali

About MSI

MSI Reproductive Choices is one of the world’s leading providers of sexual and reproductive healthcare. We believe that everyone should have the right to choose. From contraception to safe abortion and life-saving post-abortion care, we are committed to delivering compassionate, affordable, high-quality services for all.

Today, our organisation has almost 9,000 team members working in 36 countries across the world. Our success lies in the fact that MSI teams are locally led, entrepreneurial and results-driven, and are passionate about delivering high quality, client-centred care in their own communities. As a social business, we focus on sustainable delivery, efficiency, and funding models that are built to last, so that the women and girls we serve today will have a choice in the future too.

We know that access to reproductive choice is life changing. For some, it can mean the ability to complete an education or start a career. For others, it means being able to look after the family they already have. For everyone, it means the freedom to decide their own future, creating a fairer, more equal world.

About the programme

Since 2008, Marie Stopes Mali (MSMALI), a branch of MSI Reproductive Choices (MSI), has provided voluntary family planning (FP) information and services across Mali, with a focus on high-quality long-acting and permanent methods (LAPM), to increase method choice and complement existing access and availability to short term methods. MSMALI has quickly developed into Mali’s largest and most specialised family planning and reproductive health organisation.

Over the last 5 years MSMALI has reached over 1.6 million women, men, adolescents, and young people with high quality, client-centered voluntary FP services. In 2023 alone, MSMALI served over 516 thousand voluntary FP clients, generated over 721 thousand FP couple-years of protection (CYPs), averting an estimated 304 thousand unintended pregnancies and 1,100 maternal deaths. We estimate that more than 30% of the total demand for FP1 in Mali in 2023 was satisfied by services supported by MSMALI, contributing to an increase in the modern contraceptive prevalence rate.

MSMALI’s programming is specifically designed to meet the needs of the most vulnerable groups, with a focus on adolescents, those living in poverty, those without alternative access to care, and other marginalized groups, such as people with disability, and survivors of gender-based violence. In 2022, 25% of MSMALI’s clients were under 20 years old. 30% were living in severe poverty and 36% were adopters of FP according to 2023 client exit interview data.

MSMALI differentiates itself from others in the sector through our: client-centred care; clinical expertise; focus on service delivery at scale; use of evidence to constantly improve; and our emphasis on ensuring last-mile voluntary contraceptive access, beyond the reach of existing health infrastructure.

As a service delivery organization MSMALI is well placed to gain community, facility, and client-level insights on what works for those with the greatest need.

We currently operate, 5 mobile outreach teams serving remote rural populations in partnership with government providers, 22 MS Ladies providing voluntary FP and sensitization activities in the urban and peri-urban area of Bamako, some of them specialising in reaching adolescents in schools and Universities and provide support to over 300 public sector facilities, through our proven health systems strengthening program. MSMALI also engages a network of community-based mobilisers and peer educators to raise awareness of services. They provide SRH information using various strategies such as community talks, focus groups, and health talks in secondary and tertiary institutions, and are equipped with sensitisation tools and inclusive FP job aids.

All service delivery channels are supported by MSMALI’s toll-free ’80 00 11 88’ contact centre hotline for clients, which provides information on voluntary FP services, follow up care for clients and referrals for voluntary FP.

About the Role

The Country Director, Mali, is responsible for delivering results for women and their families, driving programmatic excellence, and implementing best practice at scale in Mali. They provide high quality services where they are needed the most, and their work directly contributes to preventing maternal deaths and making a sustainable impact on the lives of thousands of people every year. The CD is also responsible for ensuring Mali’s social business model has a strong footing on both the social and business side.

The Country Director, Mali is a key leadership position. The CD represents the organisation in Mali and is responsible for the overall strategy, management (programmatic, financial, and administrative), and development of Mali’s national family planning and SRH programmes. CD is leading skilled, professional country teams to deliver life-saving services through clinical centre, mobile outreach teams, MS Ladies, public sector support, and social marketing.

In addition, CD is responsible for preparing and executing annual budgets, marketing plans and work plans; developing new business opportunities; overseeing financial, administrative, and logistical resources; ensuring adherence to MSI minimum standards; and assuring quality operations in line with annual and long-term strategic goals and objectives. The Country Director manages for results, valuing and rewarding high performance, accountability, speed and efficiency and innovation, while keeping the client at the heart of everything we do.

The Country Director is Mali’s senior representative in the country of assignment. Reporting to Africa Regional Office of MSI, MSI Mali is an implementing partner of the MoH, with whom MSI Mali works closely across all its projects and service delivery channels partnering at national, provincial, district and facility

About You

For us, it’s vital that every MSI team member believes in and is committed to our organisational mission, vision and values.

This means that we will only accept applications from candidates who are unequivocally pro-choice.

Our values act as guiding principles, providing us with a clear direction. They set the tone for how we approach our work, interact with others and align ourselves as ‘One MSI’. It’s important that our team members truly resonate with our values and demonstrate them consistently, in all that they do.

We recruit talented, dynamic individuals with diverse backgrounds who share our mission and are focused on delivering measurable results. As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where everyone can participate and contribute meaningfully. We value open-mindedness, curiosity, resilience, and a solutions-oriented mindset, alongside a commitment to promoting equality and safeguarding the welfare of both team members and clients.

We seek exceptional communicators who are self-motivated, solutions-driven, and aligned with MSI’s mission and entrepreneurial mindset. You should be dedicated to driving social change in an environment focused on sustainable impact, both locally and globally, and comfortable working with diverse teams in an ambiguous setting.

To perform this role, you’ll need the following skills:

• Proven experience of driving impact, quality and sustainability in programmes and improving operational standards
• Effective interpersonal skills, with the ability to lead, motivate and guide Country Programmes. Proven ability to effectively communicate ideas, proposals, issues, and implications at senior level.
• Excellent project management skills related to organisational development projects and international, cross- functional teams with a proven history of delivering results.
• Highly developed problem solving, diplomatic, networking and negotiation skills.
• Demonstration of ‘making things happen’, operating at pace and delivering effectively through others.
• High capability on change management within fast-paced environment

To perform this role, you’ll need the following experience:

• Experience of developing and successfully implementing business plans and growth strategies, with a track record of aligning resources with key priorities, keeping management teams focused on critical milestones and consistently achieving results.
• Experience of communicating a range of complex issues with the ability to convey an inspiring vision and purpose both within operations and where appropriate across other business functions.
• An understanding of major policies/ issues of large bilateral/multilateral donors strong working knowledge of business practices
• An international mind-set, with an understanding of, and empathy for, the development sector, together with an appreciation for cultural differences
• Experience in leading a social business preferably in a developing country.
• Experience of formulating and controlling budgets to ensure effective monitoring takes place.
• Understanding of the issues surrounding provision of reproductive health care services internationally
• A reputation for ‘making things happen’, operating at pace and delivering effectively through others.

Formal education/qualification

• Energy, drive and unwavering commitment for MSI’s mission, with the ability to push boundaries, and make tough decisions and challenge others in line with our mission.
• Passionate about our clients and strives to consistently meet and exceed expectations, putting the clients at the centre of everything, and ensuring we deliver high quality, high impact services that meet their individual needs.
• Highly motivated with the ability to motivate and develop the skills of the team and inspire individuals and teams through situational leadership and by providing clear direction.
• Works as part of a team, providing support and flexibility to colleagues, demonstrating fairness, understanding and respect for all people and cultures.
• Ability to influence key stakeholders at all levels both internally and externally within the organisation. Acts as a true MSI ambassador.
• A commercial mind-set, understanding the levers for profitability for success within the marketplace. Focuses on results, ensuring long term sustainability and increased impact.
• Takes accountability for the decisions made and the behaviours demonstrated.
• Aware of the emerging developments within our sector, with the ability to focus and articulate a vision of the future which inspires and excites others, while understanding the detail and looking for the evidence
• Highest levels of integrity, and a strong ethical sense
• Knowledge and experience of the region
• Ability to travel throughout Africa and internationally to represent the cluster both internally and externally.

Please click here to view the job framework

Location: Bamako, Mali

Full-time: 40 hours per week

Contract type: 3 year fixed term contract.

Salary: The salary will be banded within the national context.

Salary band: BG 11

Closing date: 31^st December (midnight GMT). Interviews may take place before this date for exceptional candidates.

For internal employees applying from an MSI country programme, the role will be positioned within the existing salary structure of the country. Local terms and conditions of the country will apply.