Vice President, Economic Opportunity

Job Summary

We are seeking a visionary and strategic Vice President, Economic Opportunity to lead a dynamic global implementation portfolio focused on advancing economic opportunity and sustainable development.

About the Role

This executive leadership role is responsible for driving program excellence, ensuring technical quality, strengthening learning and impact, and advancing Economic Opportunity (EO) strategy, partnerships, positioning, and growth in collaboration with organizational leaders and stakeholders.

What You'll Do

• Strategic Leadership
  Co-lead with Strategic Resource Mobilization and other relevant institutional leaders the development and execution of a multi-year Economic Opportunity strategy aligned with organizational priorities and growth objectives.
  Lead the evolution of technical approaches, evidence-based programming, and learning agendas across the portfolio.
  Collaborate with institutional leaders to identify emerging trends, implementation insights, and opportunities in workforce development, market systems, education, international exchanges, and other EO-related areas that inform portfolio learning, positioning, and growth.
  Promote innovation and continuous improvement to strengthen organizational impact and market positioning.

• Portfolio & Program Management
  Oversee a global EO portfolio of projects and programs, ensuring excellence in implementation, technical quality, financial stewardship, compliance, learning and impact.
  Provide strategic guidance on resource allocation, partnership priorities, and portfolio growth.
  Drive accountability for revenue targets, donor deliverables, and program outcomes.
  Support research collaboration and knowledge generation that advances the field of economic opportunity.

• Business Development & External Engagement
  Serve as a senior representative of FHI 360 with EO clients, partners, and implementation stakeholders, and contribute to broader institutional EO engagement in partnership with senior organizational leaders.
  Contribute technical leadership, portfolio evidence, implementation experience, and strategic insights to support resource mobilization, partnership development, and opportunity shaping.
  Support engagement with funders and strategic partners related to the EO portfolio and contribute to organizational relationship-building efforts in collaboration with business development and institutional leadership.
  Represent FHI 360 in industry forums, global conferences, and thought leadership initiatives, elevating EO implementation experience, technical learning, and portfolio impact while advancing the organization's visibility and influence.

• People Leadership
  Lead and mentor senior directors, directors, managers, and project teams across multiple countries and regions.
  Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, and professional growth.
  Build organizational capacity and leadership pipelines to support future growth.
  Champion inclusive leadership and cross-functional collaboration.

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree in international development, Economics, Economic Development, Workforce Development, Business Administration, Public Policy, Public Administration, or related field.

• 15+ years of progressively responsible experience managing complex national or international development programs and portfolios (or 12+ years with a PhD).

• At least 9 years of senior leadership experience managing large, complex portfolios and teams.

• Demonstrated success leading global teams and managing significant financial and human resources.

• Experience working within international NGOs or mission-driven organizations.

• Strong expertise in project management, strategic planning, financial management, and organizational leadership.

Preferred Qualifications

• PhD or other advanced doctoral degree.

• PMP or equivalent project management certification.

• Experience engaging and partnering with U.S. Government donors, philanthropic organizations, and private-sector partners to advance strategic priorities and growth objectives.

• Expertise in one or more of the following: Workforce development in an AI-enabled economy, market systems development, public-private partnerships, education systems development, blended finance, social enterprise, resilient value chains.

• Demonstrated success in advancing business development, donor engagement, external positioning, and portfolio growth.

Key Competencies

• Executive leadership and strategic thinking.

• Relationship building and stakeholder engagement.

• Financial and operational management.

• Change leadership and innovation.

• Communication, influence, and diplomacy.

• Cross-cultural collaboration and team development.

• Problem-solving and decision-making in complex environments.