The Clean Air Fund is looking to recruit a Breathe Cities Lead in Addis Ababa. This is an exciting opportunity to join a rapidly growing organisation whose mission is to use philanthropic grants to catalyse a reduction in air pollution.
The role will lead the development and implementation of the Breathe Cities strategy for Addis Ababa, in collaboration with partners at C40 Cities. This involves identifying local needs and developing, contracting and managing a diverse portfolio of grants with local and international stakeholders that deliver across the strategic pillars of the Breathe Cities theory of change. Example grants to be scoped and funded include expansion of local air quality monitoring networks, campaigns to raise awareness about air quality, and technical capacity building initiatives.
The postholder will be responsible for ensuring an adequate level of management and oversight for the delivery, monitoring and reporting of the cities' grants, working closely with staff from C40 Cities to ensure coordination with the participating city and that lessons learnt are identified and shared across the wider programme. This position is Clean Air Fund's first hire in Ethiopia and as such the role will need to work with independence, supported by a junior position on a matrix management system.
What we're looking for:
- A successful track record of organisational leadership working on air quality or other environmental or public health policies in civil society, academia, or within government institutions in Ethiopia, ideally in an area relating to the Breathe Cities strategy (across data, campaign and community engagement, and city governance).
- Experience of strategy-to-implementation of a major programme or initiative; comfortable making rapid decisions in response to new opportunities or changing circumstances without losing sight of the strategic goal.
- Understands social change in theory and practice and is able to articulate a theory of change and the assumptions behind it.
- Experience of engaging successfully and influencing political leaders, policy makers, regulators, elected officials and funders; confidence and presence as a public speaker.
- Comfort in grant development, management and contracting.
- Experience of working in a range of cultural and socio-economic contexts, and collaboratively with partners in multiple offices and time zones.
- Fluent in English and other relevant local languages, with excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to work remotely and independently where immediate work mates may not be present.
- Proficient in Microsoft 365 and cloud-based platforms such as Teams and SharePoint, with a good understanding of basic cyber security and data protection hygiene.
Type of employment: Full-time, fixed-term contract until the end of June 2029. Salary: ETB 2,800,000.
Closing date: 23 August 2026
HOW TO APPLY:
Apply online via the Clean Air Fund candidate portal: https://candidate.cleanairfundcareers.org/319226CAF. The full job description is available as a downloadable file on the vacancy page. Closing date: 23rd August 2026.