Lead ADD International’s next chapter in advancing disability justice.
The Opportunity.
ADD International is seeking an exceptional leader to guide the next chapter of our journey as a participatory grant-maker for disability justice. This is a unique opportunity to lead a bold and values-driven organisation that is transforming the aid sector by shifting power and resources directly to disability justice activists and organisations in the Majority World.
As Chief Executive Officer, you will provide strategic leadership to an international organisation committed to challenging ableism and advancing the rights, inclusion and leadership of disabled people. Building on the significant transformation achieved in recent years, you will lead the organisation through its next phase, translating the ambitions of the Mtiririko strategy into sustained impact, learning and organisational effectiveness.
Reporting to the Co-Chairs and accountable to the Board of Trustees, you will lead and support a recently established Senior Leadership Team, fostering a culture of empowerment, collaboration and accountability across a globally distributed workforce. You will champion disability justice, strengthen relationships with activists, donors and partners, and help secure the resources needed to achieve our vision.
This role offers the opportunity to influence the wider development and philanthropy sectors, demonstrating how participatory approaches can create more equitable and effective systems of change. As the first single CEO based in the Majority World following a period of co-leadership, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring that ADD’s leadership, decision-making and impact remain centred on the communities and movements we exist to support.
Job Details.
Contract: Full time and permanent contract. At ADD we work a 4-day week, Monday to Thursday 30 hours per week.
Location: In line with the commitment in our strategy to ensuring power is distributed more effectively across One ADD, this role is open to applicants based in the Majority World. You must have an existing right to work in the country you are to be based.
If you are based in a country where we have an existing office you can choose to work from the office, from home, or a combination. We currently have offices in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and the UK. If outside of these countries, you will be expected to work from home. In that case we would use an Employer of Record to employ you on our behalf.
Salary: USD 119,394 per annum. This will be converted and paid in local currency dependent on location. This role will be paid at the rate for Grade H in our Global Salary Scales. We do not negotiate on salary.
Closing date: 25 October 2026, 9am UK time
Ideal Characteristics.
- Deep commitment to disability justice and decolonisation, with lived experience of majority world priorities.
- A track record of leading organisational development and culture successfully.
- An effective communicator capable of representing the organisation publicly and with local and international partners and responding to opportunities to influence.
- Experience of successful, values-based income generation.
- An open and responsive leader who can meet the demands of a fast-paced global organisation, respond to diverse emergent issues and opportunities while delivering long term strategic priorities.
- A collaborative leader who can foster a culture of empowerment, trust, and mutual accountability.
- An effective decision taker who can make hard choices at pace and set strategic direction in conjunction with staff, the Board and stakeholders.
- Commitment to the principles of local leadership, modernising approaches to development and empowering communities to lead.
- Excellent people skills, with experience of building effective cohesive teams.
- Strong financial management and administrative skills.
- Ability to manage diverse teams across geographical boundaries.
Please see the job descriptions below for full details of the role and what is required.
How to apply.
At ADD International, we are committed to equity, inclusion and safeguarding. Our recruitment process is designed to be accessible, fair and transparent.
If you need the job description in an accessible format other than that provided, please contact recruitment@add.org.uk and specify which format you require.
- Application deadline: Monday 26 October 2026 9am UK time
- First round of Interviews will be held during the week commencing 16 November 2026 with second interviews likely to be held during the week commencing 23 November 2026.
Interested applicants should complete the online application form, including:
- Your CV/resume (maximum 3 pages).
- A cover letter explaining why you are interested in the role and how your skills and experience make you a strong fit. This can be submitted as a written statement (maximum 1,000 words), or an audio or video recording (maximum 6 minutes).
At ADD International we are committed to accessibility. Audio and video submissions will be transcribed for shortlisting purposes.
Application Guidelines.
To apply please complete the online form below. You will be asked a series of questions as follows so please ensure you have the necessary information ready in order to complete your application:
- Eligibility. You will be asked to confirm that you have the right to work in the country where the role is based. Please note that ADD International cannot sponsor work permits unless stated otherwise.
- About You. Please provide your name and contact details. You will also be asked to upload your CV (maximum of 3 pages) and a cover letter explaining why you are interested in the role and how your skills and experience make you a strong fit.
- Equal Opportunities Monitoring. ADD International is committed to equity and inclusion. You will be invited to complete an equal opportunity monitoring form, which is used for monitoring purposes only. This information is not shared with shortlisting or interview panels.
Personal data that you share as part of your application will be processed in accordance with our Job Applicant Privacy Notice.
Incomplete applications will not be accepted. Due to the high volume of applications received, we are unfortunately only able to get in touch with candidates who have been shortlisted.