Director, NDI Gateway LLC, Kenya at University of… · Nairobi

Company Description

The University of Notre Dame is more than a workplace! We are a vibrant, mission-driven community where every employee is valued and supported. Rooted in a tradition of excellence and inspired by our Catholic character, Notre Dame is committed to fostering an environment of care that nurtures the whole person—mind, body, and spirit. Here, you will find a deep sense of belonging, a culture that prioritizes well-being, and the opportunity to grow your career while being a force for good in the world. Whether contributing to world-class research, shaping the student experience, or supporting the University’s mission in other ways, you will be part of a dedicated team working to make a meaningful impact on campus and beyond. At Notre Dame, your work matters, and so do you!

Job Description

The University of Notre Dame operates in Kenya and across the African continent through NDI Gateway LLC, its legal entity supporting regional academic, research, and institutional initiatives. As the executive leader for NDI Gateway LLC in Kenya, the Director provides strategic leadership to advance the University’s global mission in close alignment with Notre Dame Global leadership.

The Director holds primary executive oversight for the day-to-day legal, financial, and operational integrity of NDI Gateway LLC, ensuring full regulatory compliance while enhancing Notre Dame’s reputation among key external partners. Serving as a member of Notre Dame Global’s senior leadership team, the Director fosters cross-departmental collaboration, builds high-impact partnerships across higher education and the public/private sectors, and drives the University’s strategic priorities across the region.

Primary Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership & Regional Engagement: Advancing Notre Dame’s Academic and Research Presence (30%)

Serve as the primary regional leader and coordinator for the University’s academic and research initiatives across Kenya and the broader African continent. Ensure seamless integration across Notre Dame’s global network while maintaining alignment with core institutional priorities.

• Academic & Research Strategy: Provide strategic direction and executive oversight for faculty engagement, collaborative research initiatives, academic programs, and student experiences to ensure high impact and cross-global coordination.
• Institutional Alignment: Coordinate regional activities across diverse University stakeholders, ensuring full alignment with institutional priorities, legal frameworks, and operational standards.
• Stakeholder Coordination: Facilitate structured communication, cross-departmental coordination, and shared decision-making among internal and external partners participating in regional initiatives.
• Global Leadership Participation: Actively collaborate as a core member of the Notre Dame Global Leadership Team and Regional Teams to drive shared accountability, strategic decision-making, and divisional alignment.
• Executive Reporting: Prepare high-level strategic reports, risk assessments, and recommendations to inform decision-making by University senior leadership.

Operational & Financial Governance: Directing Compliance, Finance, and Local Operations (30%)

Provide executive oversight for NDI Gateway LLC in Kenya, ensuring safe, compliant, fiscally responsible, and highly efficient operations in close collaboration with Notre Dame Global and central campus administrative units.

• Entity Oversight & Legal Compliance: Direct NDI Gateway LLC’s local operations, ensuring strict compliance with Kenyan regulatory frameworks, labor laws, tax obligations, and University policies.
• Functional Partner Collaboration: Partner with central University subject-matter experts across Finance, HR, Legal Counsel, IT, Facilities, and Safety & Security to implement scalable operational models.
• Standardization & Policy Implementation: Drive the local execution of University operational standards, risk management protocols, and administrative policies.
• Risk Management & Mitigation: Proactively identify operational, legal, and security risks, collaborating with campus leaders to implement effective mitigation strategies.
• Financial Management: Exercise sound stewardship of financial resources, directing budgeting, financial planning, and audit preparation.
• Talent Development & Team Building: Lead regional workforce planning, recruiting, mentoring, and developing local talent to build an effective organizational team.

Stakeholder & External Relations: Cultivating High-Impact Regional Partnerships (30%)

Serve as the senior regional ambassador for NDI Gateway LLC and the University of Notre Dame, advancing institutional visibility, diplomatic engagement, and strategic partnerships throughout Africa.

• External Representation: Serve as the senior representative to engage government officials, higher education leaders, international NGOs, foundations, industry partners, Church leaders, and alumni networks.
• Strategic Partnership Development: Partner with Notre Dame faculty and leadership to cultivate high-value relationships that unlock research funding, academic exchanges, and student experiential opportunities.
• Opportunity Identification: Identify emerging academic, research, and institutional opportunities across Africa, evaluating their feasibility and strategic fit with University goals.
• Brand & Reputation Building: Elevate Notre Dame’s academic reputation, thought leadership, and Catholic mission throughout the region through strategic engagement.
• Delegation & Visit Oversight: Host and coordinate high-level visits by senior University officers, trustees, delegation groups, and faculty leaders

Team Leadership & Cross-Campus Alignment (10%)

Serve as an integral member of Notre Dame Global’s senior management team, bridging regional operations in Africa with campus-wide strategic priorities.

• Global Leadership Contribution: Participate in global leadership forums to shape division-wide strategies, operational standards, and multi-region collaborations.
• Campus Alignment: Bridge communication between the South Bend campus and the Nairobi location to maintain shared organizational culture and strategic clarity

Qualifications

Qualifications & Core Competencies

Minimum / Required Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree (4-year degree or equivalent)
• Work Authorization: Nairobi, Kenya, Republic of Kenya
• Executive Higher Education Leadership: Direct experience in international higher education administration and/or directing overseas university study/research centers.
• East African Legal & Operational Management: Deep operational, financial, and regulatory management experience specifically within Kenya and the broader East Africa region, including oversight of legal entities, labor compliance, and local tax frameworks.
• Institutional & Diplomatic Engagement: Proven history of building strategic partnerships with African universities, government ministries, international NGOs, research foundations, and Catholic Church leadership.
• Global & Intercultural Competence: High level of international experience and demonstrated intercultural fluency.
• Communication & Organization: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with strong planning, organizational, and multi-tasking abilities in deadline-driven environments.
• Collaborative Leadership & Innovation: Proven ability to innovate and build collaborative partnerships across diverse internal colleagues, external stakeholders, and international organizations.
• Mission Alignment: Demonstrated commitment to the core University values of accountability, integrity, teamwork, leadership in excellence, and leadership in mission.

Preferred Qualifications

• U.S. Higher Education Experience: Direct professional experience working within a U.S. university or college setting, with an understanding of American institutional governance, faculty engagement, and academic culture.
• Study Abroad Academic & Programmatic Management: Demonstrated experience administering, teaching, or evaluating university study abroad programming, including curriculum oversight, experiential learning, and academic program assessment in an international setting.
• Advanced Academic Credential: Post-graduate degree (Master's Degree, Doctoral Degree, or Professional Degree)
• Regional Language Competency: Proficiency in Swahili or other major regional languages applicable to operations and relationship-building across Africa.

Additional Information

This position will be accepting applications until September 30th.

Please note that our application system includes a standard, hard-coded question regarding U.S. work authorization. You may select any response to that specific question, as it does not apply to this position.

To complete your application, you will receive a job-specific supplemental question regarding your authorization to work in Kenya. Legal authorization to work in Kenya is a mandatory minimum requirement for this role.

The University of Notre Dame seeks to attract, develop, and retain the highest quality faculty, staff and administration. The University is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, sex, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or age in employment. Moreover, Notre Dame prohibits discrimination against veterans or disabled qualified individuals, and complies with 41 CFR 60-741.5(a) and 41 CFR 60-300.5(a). We strongly encourage applications from candidates attracted to a university with a Catholic identity.