The Jane Goodall Institute
Mission: the Jane Goodall Institute’s mission is to inspire and empower people to take informed, compassionate action to make the world a better place for people, animals and the environment ( www.janegoodall.org).
Vice President (VP), Africa Programs Position Description: the Jane Goodall Institute, Vice President, Africa Programs
Location: VP, Africa Programs, will work for 4-6 months with the team in Arlington, Virginia, prior to taking up the position in Dar es Salaam.
Position
The VP, Africa Programs will have overall strategic and operational responsibility for all program areas. The position will be an integral part of JGI’s senior management team that drives the overall strategy for the organization and represents the Institute on a national and global basis. With operations in four sub-Saharan African countries and a program budget of $5 million and a staff of 150+, the VP, Africa Programs will initially develop deep knowledge of each project, program operations, and business plan, and will focus on the following three areas: program leadership and management, external relationships, and knowledge management.
This position requires exceptional leadership, vision, integrity, and excellence in execution. S/he will also play the leading role in building and motivating project teams as well as engaging the JGI-US Arlington, Virginia, staff to ensure financial and operational support. The ideal candidate will have technical experience in species conservation, community-based conservation and/or projects linking and balancing conservation and sustainable development in Africa.
Responsibilities:
Program Leadership & Management:
Strategic, program, technical and operational guidance and advice to all JGI-US supported organizations and activities in sub-Saharan Africa.
Enhance, flesh out, and implement organizational vision as established in JGI’s Strategic Plan as well as Africa Programs strategy as a component of that.
Ensure that financial controls meet accepted accounting principles.
Develop metrics and evaluation to support fundraising and communications.
Develop and implement timelines and resources needed to achieve the program goals.
Attract, develop, coach, and retain team members, empowering them to elevate their level of responsibility, span of control, and performance.
Work with staff to develop systems to ensure consistent, data-driven project management.
Provide leadership in development of inter-team communication and cohesiveness, promoting an Institute-wide collaborative mission and results-driven culture.
Support staff during organizational change and growth.
Provide budget guidance, review and approval for all Africa Programs activities and operations in the U.S. and sub-Saharan Africa, including the approval and allocation of program and operating/capital budgets.
Mentor staff, seeking out appropriate educational opportunities to enhance Africa Programs staff skills.
External Relationships:
Expand revenue generating and fundraising activities in Africa to support existing programs and the growth of the Jane Goodall Institute; cultivate existing relationships and develop new funder relationships.
Manage relationships with partner organizations and the conservation community.
Knowledge Management:
Develop the necessary systems, processes, and tools to better support the collection and
sharing of knowledge that is generated by the programs.
Develop dissemination system to share organizational learning with a broad range of communities.
Ensure that key project outcomes are evaluated for their policy, advocacy, and legislative implications and leveraged appropriately for maximum community and organizational impact.
Work collaboratively with the senior management team to integrate cross program activities and functions.
Qualifications
The VP, Africa Programs will be thoroughly committed to the Jane Goodall Institute’s strategy and mission. All candidates should have demonstrated leadership, coaching, and relationship management experience and strong demonstrated success in managing funder relationships.
Program Leadership and Management: This individual will have taken a hands-on approach in leading a variety of community-based conservation and development initiatives in Africa. The ideal candidate will have a track record of effectively leading a performance-based and outcome-based program and staff. S/he will have developed and operationalized strategies that have taken a program or organization to the next stage of growth.
Team Building and Development: The successful candidate will have recruited, managed, and developed a strong team of staff, program/project managers, and development professionals.
Exceptional Communication and Influencing Skills: As a voice/advocate of JGI, the VP, Africa Programs will have strong written and verbal communication skills. S/he will be a persuasive, credible, and polished communicator with excellent interpersonal and multidisciplinary project skills. This individual must work collaboratively with internal as well as external partners and other organizations, providing exposure for program impact in a variety of professional journals and other media outlets. Ideally, this person will have served as an effective spokesperson at the national level.
Other qualifications include:
Advanced degree, with at least 10 years of management experience.
At least 10 years of implementing conservation programs on the ground in Africa, including financial management/oversight.
Working fluency in French, knowledge of Swahili a plus.
Familiarity with conservation tools methodologies and measuring conservation success.
Familiarity with developing technologies used in conservation and sustainable development, including GIS, mobile services.
Demonstrated experience and success in working across various sectors and operating models.
Unwavering commitment to quality programs and excellence in organizational and project management with the ability to achieve strategic objectives.
Strong budgeting acumen and, in particular, skills in managing a budget within organizational constraints to ensure financial sustainability.
Strong demonstrated fundraising experience with the ability to engage a wide range of stakeholders including advisory groups, coalitions, forums, trade associations, foundations, corporate sponsors, and practitioner groups.
Ability to lead and work effectively in collaboration with diverse groups of people.
Integrity and a self-directed, positive attitude with demonstrated passion for JGI’s mission.
Ability to work collaboratively with a management team of senior professionals.
Solid judgment and leadership skills.
A team player, who can interrelate and operate effectively with peers.
An individual who is able to handle a variety of constituencies, manage multiple tasks simultaneously and thrive in a complex environment with multiple priorities
Impeccable integrity.
Strong analytical skills; understanding of basic business practices.
Strong work ethic.
In exchange for your skills and talent, we offer a competitive benefits package including medical, dental, prescription, life insurance, long term disability, 401(k) and FSA.
For immediate consideration, forward your resume and salary requirement to jobs@janegoodall.org.
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