United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Executive Director

Full Time Post: Executive Director

Based in London, United Kingdom

Well Grounded is looking for a dynamic, inspirational Executive Director to lead our team of experienced Organisation Development Practitioners. You’ll bring your passion for environmental and social justice to the work and you can translate that passion into action, making sure that Well Grounded continues to enable African civil society organisations to have real and lasting impacts.

As Executive Director, you will ensure that Well Grounded has the resources it needs to deliver on its mission and that it accounts for them. Your dynamism will build our profile and visibility. You’ll be a strategic thinker, someone with vision, and a fantastic communicator, comfortable in both English and French. You will be an experienced leader and manager, who relishes working with a strong, self-motivated team and whose style of leadership is inclusive. You will be ready and willing to travel extensively, particularly within the Congo Basin and Liberia.

Job Purpose

The Executive Director is responsible for the successful leadership and management of Well Grounded according to the values, vision and strategic direction as set out by the organisation’s Directors and team members. Their primary responsibility is to oversee the management and development of Well Grounded and its team in order to ensure the quality and impact of its work. Note that the Well Grounded team is currently made up of six people: an Executive Director; three Organisation Development Practitioners; a Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Coordinator; and an Operations Manager. We plan on recruiting three additional Organisation Development Practitioners over the next year, so the team will soon grow to nine people including the ED.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

Leadership and strategy

• Oversee implementation and regular review of Well Grounded’s strategy


• Ensure that Well Grounded has the resources required to deliver on its strategy


• Ensure that Well Grounded communicates its vision, values, approach and impact effectively and that the organisation’s communications are of a high quality


• Oversee development and implementation of the organisation’s monitoring, evaluation and learning strategy


• Act as a liaison between Well Grounded Directors and Well Grounded team members


• Foster an effective work dynamic with team members and between team members

Operational management

• Oversee the day-to-day operation of the organisation while maintaining an overview of Well Grounded’s strategic goals and objectives


• Ensure that policies and procedures are developed, implemented and regularly reviewed


• Ensure that the organisation complies with all relevant national legislation, (UK and Cameroon), including oversight of the annual audit process

Programme management

• Ensure that the services offered by Well Grounded contribute to the organisation’s mission and priorities


• Coordinate the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the organisation’s work


• Support Organisation Development Practitioners in managing relationships with clients


• Ensure that the work is reported on to the appropriate donors, partners and clients on time and to a high standard

Human resources management

• Oversee implementation of human resources policies, procedures and practices


• Contribute to the recruitment and selection process of new team members and ensure that they receive appropriate induction


• Ensure that all team members have clear and agreed roles and responsibilities and receive appropriate management support to be able to fulfil them


• Ensure that all team members have access to relevant professional development opportunities

Financial planning and management

• Provide financial oversight and quality control for the organisation, ensuring that sound bookkeeping and accounting procedures are followed (ex. supervise work of the Operations Manager which includes approving monthly financial reports, validating cash flow forecasts and bank transfers, approving client contracts, etc.)


• Work with Well Grounded team members and Directors to prepare a comprehensive annual budget


• Work closely with the Operations Manager to ensure that Well Grounded team members and Directors are provided with regular and comprehensive updates of the organisation’s financial situation

Networking and alliance building

• Ensure that regular communication takes place with all stakeholders to keep them informed of the work of Well Grounded and to ensure that the organisation continues to respond to real needs


• Develop links with other organisations that offer support to African civil society organisations with a view to ensuring that Well Grounded complements the work of others


• Establish and maintain good working relationships and collaborative arrangements with clients, funders, international organisations and others


• Represent Well Grounded at meetings, seminars, workshops, etc., as appropriate

Person specification

Essential

Knowledge

• Some knowledge of organisation development and capacity strengthening


• An understanding of the challenges faced by African civil society organisations


• An understanding of the financial management of small organisations, including an ability to read and understand a balance sheet

Experience

• At least five years of experience of working in or with civil society organisations


• At least five years of experience working in a leadership and management role


• Experience of inclusive decision making processes


• Experience of developing successful funding proposals


• Experience of ensuring appropriate donor reporting, including at least one major bilateral or multilateral donor and at least one private foundation


• Experience of developing and monitoring organisational budgets

Skills

• Strategic and analytical thinking and planning


• Excellent communication skills, both written and spoken, in both French and English


• Well developed networking and relationship building skills

Behaviour and attitudes

• Committed to and able to articulate the value of organisation development


• Committed to social and environmental justice


• Consultative style of leadership and management including an ability to support team members who work relatively autonomously


• Commitment to consensus-based decision making


• Openness and commitment to learning – as an individual and to foster a learning environment within the organisation


• Willingness to travel extensively, particularly in the Congo Basin and Liberia, but also in Europe and North America spending about three months a year outside the UK on trips of 1-3 weeks at a time

Desirable

• A degree or higher degree in a relevant subject


• Formal training or extensive knowledge of organisation development


• Experience of mentoring, coaching or training


• An understanding of issues affecting natural resource governance and local communities in the Congo Basin and Liberia, in particular current policy processes and key issues related to forest governance


• Experience working on projects or programmes funded by DfID


• Experience of living and/or working in Africa


• Ability to speak one or more national languages spoken widely in one or more countries targeted: Swahili, Lingala, Sango, etc.


• People from the Congo Basin or Liberia are particularly encouraged to apply

Salary and benefits: Well Grounded offers a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package based on the UK system. The exact salary for this position will be determined by the skills and experience of the individual selected and in line with our salary scale and policy.

Start date: January 2016 (permanent contract with a six-month probation period)

How to apply:

Application process:

Please complete the application form, either in hard copy or electronic form and send EITHER by post to:Well Grounded, The Hub, 5 Torrens Street, London EC1V 1NQ, United Kingdom OR by email to: admin@well-grounded.org

PLEASE NOTE:We will only consider applications submitted using the Well Grounded application format. CVs will not be accepted.

Closing date: Before 10 am British Summer Time (9 am GMT)on Monday October 5^th 2015

The first round of interviews, which will be held by telephone or Skype, will be held during the week beginning October 19^th 2015. A small number of shortlisted applicants will be invited to a face-to-face interview,to take place in Europe during the week beginning 23^rd November 2015.

Enquiries: Please send any enquiries about the post to admin@well-grounded.org