Job Title: Executive Director
Employer: Mkombozi Centre for Street Children (Mkombozi is one of the leading child-focused agencies in northern Tanzania, working with over 1,000 vulnerable children and families a year in Kilimanjaro and Arusha Regions. Mkombozi's mission is to help vulnerable children and youth to grow in mind, body and spirit and to build a more caring society for all. We capture local potential through learning and reflection and act as a catalyst for holistic development. Mkombozi's vision is a world where all children and youth are prioritized and can access opportunities to become well rounded, inquiring and productive people who are working towards a more just and democratic society.)
Job Specification:
The Executive Director will be responsible for moving Mkombozi through its next phase of growth with a passion that is driven by the urgency and outrage at the failure to protect children. The Executive Director will be responsible to oversee the development and delivery of quality programs to children and communities, while continuing to nurture and develop the passion for our vision in all Mkombozi staff.
Mkombozi seeks an Executive Director ready and able to take the organization through its next period of growth. The Executive Director will be responsible for promoting Mkombozi's mission and developing a culture of delivering superior service and value to Mkombozi's clients. The Executive Director must be a skilled leader, facilitator and negotiator, with the ability to both lead and serve. S/he must listen to the views of our stakeholders, scan our environment, carefully consider different perspectives and opinions; and act as a creative problem-solver and consensus-builder. The qualities of strategic vision, personal integrity and passion for social justice are essential. Consider that Mkombozi is an airplane. The plane needs a pilot. The pilot determines the destination and the best route to it, checks the plane?s systems before and during the flight, and intervenes whenever those systems need adjustment. Pilots fly the airplane; they don?t make the airplane fly. Your mission is to be Mkombozi's pilot.
Responsibilities will include:
Organisational health and development
- The Executive Director is accountable to the Board of Trustees for Mkombozi's full organizational performance. This includes the accumulated and total contributions of your management team and the entire product and behaviour of Mkombozi.
- Provide leadership, mentorship, coaching and feedback to the Senior Management Team to ensure that the strategic vision and mission of Mkombozi are realized and your accountability to the Trustees is honoured. Effectively mobilize the Senior Management Team to ensure Mkombozi reaches its strategic objectives.
- Program Oversight: including developing program objectives, assisting in program monitoring and evaluation and supporting programme staff in making key decisions.
- Facilitating leadership development both of your Senior Management Team and staff throughout the organization; through counseling, coaching, and feedback. You will invest in people and create empowered subordinates who accept responsibility for themselves, for their team, and for their contributions to the organization. You need to ensure that managers at every level do the same for their those staff working under and with them.
Strategy - Strategic Partner
As the 'Face of the Organization' you will communicate and advocate Mkombozi's vision, mission and objectives at the highest levels with government, donors, other agencies and stakeholders as well as internally.
- You will lead the short and long-term strategic planning process and the development of a 3-5 year strategic plan to ensure Mkombozi is at the forefront of quality child rights programming and advocacy the protection of children in Tanzania.
- You will work to ensure that the sustainability and the future growth of Mkombozi are realized through effective networking and donor development while providing oversight to ongoing fundraising activities and initiatives.
- You will develop effective alliances with other organizations to efficiently and effectively deliver services to vulnerable children and youth. You will maintain close cooperation with local and national government authorities, especially in matters related to children?s rights.
- You will communicate effectively with the Trustees of the UK Charity Friends of Mkombozi so that they may service potential on behalf of Mkombozi in Tanzania
Organizational Leadership
- Oversee the implementation and continued development in initiatives, on behalf of our child client, both in Community Engagement, Children's Programming and Advocacy.
- Create opportunities to present concept proposals that support the future development of programmes within Mkombozi.
- Create along with the External Relations Manager, effective and targeted communication on the positive impact of Mkombozi on child rights and on other agencies as Mkombozi contributes to their capacity.
- Develop and identify future donor relationships that foster shared opportunities for growth and development.
- Develop strategic partnerships with other agencies that leverage opportunities in realizing Mkombozi's vision and mission.
- Provide oversight to ensure that there is little disconnect between what Mkombozi preaches and its practice with children. Ensure that Quality Assurance is at the heart of Mkombozi's work.
Leadership - Employee Champion
Leadership is required at every level of Mkombozi, a concept we call 'distributed leadership', which we define as the presence of capable leadership in different units and at different levels of the organization. Distributed leadership is found at the edges of an aligned organization, among men and women who are both empowered to act and knowledgeable about what needs to be done. Your role is to facilitate Mkombozi to be aligned and to act with a commitment to its core purpose and with a level of organic effort. This includes:
- Energize the system from top to bottom. Motivate employees, adjust strategies and processes as the situation needs. Look for opportunities to innovate. Spend at least 75% of your time interacting with people at every level and every function both inside and outside of Mkombozi.
- Develop people in thinking holistically in their decisions and actions, so that they can see the larger environment in which Mkombozi operates.
- Rewarding and recognizing people for their efforts that aspire in realizing the fullness of Mkombozi vision.
- Always keeping people connect to the vision and mission of Mkombozi (Mkombozi's ends policy).
- Consult regularly with the Senior Management Team and visit programs/sections to gather information that supports the development of work plans and strategy.
- Provide effective and clear communication on business and work plans, and address emerging issues
- You will work with the HR & Staff Development Manager to ensure that Mkombozi implements the principles of redundancy and requisite variety and ensures that the appropriate structure, systems and staff are in place to realize strategy.
- Ensure appropriate structure, systems and staffs are in place to realize strategy.
Finance & Administration
- Monitor and evaluate organization impact, through consultation and review of progress reports, and taking corrective action when necessary.
- Oversight of the Finance Manager to ensure that internal controls are functioning, effectiveness and efficiency in budget allocation achieved and that short and long range financial planning takes place.
- Oversee major infrastructure upgrades and operational aspects of the organization.
Qualifications and Experience:
A proven track record of a leading non-profit organization, working with a board of directors / trustees within a policy governance framework and fund development on a national or international level is vital to the position. A professional background in child rights and / or organizational development will be a significant advantage. The ability to appreciate and articulate the distinctive ethos of Mkombozi, to lead staff, and to work independently and within a culturally diverse organisation will be critical to the success of this post.
Qualifications:
- Masters degree or higher, preferably in the field of social sciences, management or law.
- Evidence of on-going professional development after graduation and self-initiated learning.
Skills and Experience:
- At least ten years of previous management experience.
- At least 5 years working within child rights programmes in an African context. A background and experience in working with diverse and vulnerable populations is strongly desired.
- Willing to take risks and challenge the status quo with respect to the traditional regard for and treatment of children in Tanzania.
- Exceptional communication (written and verbal) and interpersonal skills, with evident emotional intelligence and compassion.
- A high degree of openness and self-understanding.
- Innovative, entrepreneurial spirit and passion for the Mkombozi model and mission, and for the work of civil society.
- Experience managing people and budgets on a scale comparable to Mkombozi.
- Strong leadership abilities and the ability to demonstrate significant previous leadership experience.
- Ability and flexibility to work in context of both service and leadership roles with many players, constituencies, and widely varying roles.
- Proven track record of success in an environment where influence comes indirectly through strong communication and relationships, rather than hierarchical authority.
- An 'execution mentality,' with strong project management skills and willingness and ability to understand, direct and participate in the activities of the organization.
- Demonstrable skills in participatory approaches to facilitation (World Cafes, Open Space Technology, Appreciative Inquiry).
- Ability to appreciate the importance of, and to advance, Mkombozi?s brand identity as a determined, proactive and leading NGO in the field of child rights.
- High level strategic thinking and planning skills.
- Availability for travel (probably 25%)
- Fluency in Kiswahili and English
- Tanzanian applicants will be prioritized
As a child focused organization, Mkombozi is committed to the protection of children; therefore all selected candidates will have successfully participated in a Child Protection screening. Additionally all successful candidates must receive background checks acceptable for 'working with vulnerable people' in accordance with Mkombozi Child Protection Policies and Procedures.
Vacancies Contact
director-job@mkombozi.org
Reference Code: RW_7FFK5N-1
APPLICATION DEADLINE: 18 Jul 200
