About This Vacancy
Barnabas Aid is recruiting an exceptional leader to serve as Regional Programme Director for Asia. This is a senior leadership role within the International Programmes Team, sitting on both the Programmes Leadership Team and the Strategic Leadership Team, offering an outstanding opportunity to shape how BAI serves persecuted and suffering Christians across one of the world's most complex and spiritually significant regions.
The Asia region spans South Asia, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia — some of the most sensitive and complex contexts in which Barnabas Aid works. Many of the communities we serve face active persecution, operate in restricted environments, and depend on the careful, sensitive stewardship of their relationships with BAI and our partners.
The Role
The Regional Programme Director — Asia will provide strategic leadership for the development and delivery of Barnabas Aid's grant making and project management across the Asia Region. You will lead and develop a team of Programme Managers, build and sustain a strong partner network, and oversee a portfolio of high-quality, biblically grounded projects that deliver measurable impact for persecuted and suffering Christians.
As a member of both the Programmes Leadership Team and the Strategic Leadership Team, you will contribute to BAI's global Programmes strategy and to organisational strategy, culture, and effective cross-departmental working.
Key Responsibilities
Regional strategy and portfolio leadership
- Lead the development, review, and implementation of the global Programmes strategy within the Asia Region, translating strategic priorities into a clear regional plan and pipeline
- Maintain a balanced regional portfolio aligned with organisational priorities, donor intent, and restricted fund requirements
- Identify emerging needs, risks, and opportunities in the Region and recommend strategic responses
- Ensure the Region balances its portfolio according to the Country Classification framework
Grant making and programme cycle management
- Oversee the end-to-end grant making process, ensuring proposals are assessed, costed, and approved in line with delegated authority and Gate processes
- Take lead responsibility for one sub-region and/or a portfolio of countries, leading on partner engagement and the whole project management cycle
- Ensure robust needs assessments, project design, budgets, partner due diligence, risk assessments, and monitoring plans are in place before grants are committed
- Oversee project implementation including milestone tracking, reporting, learning, and close-out
Leadership and people management
- Provide clear leadership, coaching, and line management to the regional team
- Ensure capacity planning across the Region so workloads are realistic and risks are appropriately managed
- Lead recruitment, onboarding, and succession planning for the regional team
- Deputise for the International Chief Programmes Officer when requested
Partner engagement and external representation
- Build and sustain a strong partner network, with relationships that are effective, mutually accountable, and aligned with Barnabas Aid's mission and values
- Develop and implement a plan for regular partner engagement and capacity building
- Represent Barnabas Aid professionally with partners and other stakeholders
- Engage proactively with peer organisations and networks
Cross-organisational collaboration and governance
- Work closely with Outreach and Support departments to provide timely, high-quality project information
- Contribute to organisational planning through active membership of the Programmes Leadership Team and Strategic Leadership Team
- Prepare quality papers, dashboards, and narrative updates for internal decision-making and governance forums
Compliance, risk, and safeguarding
- Ensure compliance with Barnabas Aid policies and external requirements relevant to grant making and project delivery
- Maintain effective regional risk management, escalating issues promptly and recommending mitigations
- Champion safeguarding and ensure it is integrated into all aspects of partner engagement and project delivery
Occupational Requirement
There is a genuine occupational requirement for the post holder to be a practising Christian who is actively engaged in their local church. Applicants are expected to subscribe to Barnabas Aid's Vision, Mission, Values, and Statement of Faith, and their work may be viewed as vocational in nature.
About Barnabas Aid
Barnabas Aid is a Christian ministry supporting persecuted and suffering Christians around the world. Since 1993, we have funded projects in more than 100 countries, providing food aid, medical supplies, education, Bibles, disaster relief, and support for churches and pastors. We also advocate for religious freedom globally.
How to Apply
To apply, please submit your CV and a cover letter explaining how you meet the requirements of the role and the occupational requirement to be a practising Christian engaged in your local church. Both documents are mandatory — applications without a cover letter will not be considered.
Pay: £65,000.00-£75,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- On-site parking
- Private dental insurance
- Private medical insurance
- UK visa sponsorship
Work Location: In person
