Executive Director (National General Secretory) – Young Men’s Christian Association, Ethiopia

Internal and External Vacancy

Background of YMCA and the Position

The Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA Ethiopia) is one of the 125 YMCAs around the world which was first established in 1951. It’s a non-patrician, non-religious youth focused movement which strives for empowering young people for the renaissance of Africa.  YMCA is re-registered under the revised Civil Society Law Proclamation Number 113/2019 as a Local Organization.

YMCA Ethiopia envision empowering youth for the renascence of Africa with a mission to develop young people and the whole community for the holistic transformation in body, mind and spirit through innovative program strategies and services.

YMCA Ethiopia is looking for National General Secretory/Executive Director/who will based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The candidate of this position should have the knowledge, motivation, and skills to drive forward YMCA’s ambitious Strategic Plan within the broader context of the global youth empowerment movement. Working closely with the executive board through its chairperson and standing committees, the candidate will ensure YMCA remains well-governed and in the foreground of the sector and regulatory changes.

Alongside the Head of Programs, the candidate will maintain the organization’s reputation of excellence with high-quality programs and partnerships in Ethiopia. The candidate will live the values of YMCA and always keep the best interests of the partners, beneficiaries, and the country to support at the heart of decision making. The candidate’s excellent leadership skills will ensure he/she can foster a strong, self-reliant small team and established organizational culture within YMCA, the key to its success to date. The candidate can see both the big picture and long-term goal alongside the detail-oriented path he/she needs to follow to get there. The candidate should be results-oriented, thrive in a busy, dynamic environment.

JOB PURPOSE

• Working alongside the Executive Board to Deliver YMCA’s mission, vision, and values by providing inspiration, leadership, and cohesion in setting and implementing long-term strategic and operational plans.
• Driving operating performance and ensuring legal/fiscal compliance
• Ensure long-term sustainability of YMCA through solid management of resources, effective fundraising, and high-quality program delivery.
• Drive forward and enhance YMCA’s impact and profile locally and internationally

Key Accountability

Deliver YMCA’s Mission, Vision, and Values by providing leadership in setting and implementing long-term strategic and operational plans. 

Working alongside the Executive Board to Deliver YMCA’s mission, vision, and values by providing inspiration, leadership, and cohesion in setting and implementing long-term strategic and operational plans.

• Develop and deliver against YMCA’s strategic and operations plans.
• Inspire and mobilize staff, volunteers, members, community members and partners to deliver the YMCA’s mission
• Champion YMCA’s established organizational culture …., set up the organizational delivery structure and human resource strategies including a continuous capacity building
• Establish and monitor key indicators of YMCA’s impact and operations.
• Develop and maintain strategic partnership and networking with affiliation, World and African YMCAs, and Strategic partners worldwide.
• Ensure YMCA dishware liaising role between Africa Union Youth division and Africa Alliance of YMCAs.

Work alongside the Board of Directors to ensure that the organization is well managed and meets its governance obligations. 

• Build effective working relationships with the Board of Directors and all standing sub-committees chairpersons.
• Ensure the Board of directors have regular access to accurate and transparent information to allow it to fulfill its legal, statutory, and regulatory responsibilities; prepare reports for the Board and its Subcommittees.
• Monitor key changes in the sector and external environment, ensure Board of Directors have up to date information to meet their governance responsibilities, identify risks and capitalize on opportunities.
• Working alongside the Board of Directors, lead on the identification and mitigation of critical risks to the organization.
• Prepare and monitor YMCA’s annual budget, ensuring delivery against spend and income targets set by the Board of Directors.
• Working alongside the Board of Directors, set and comply with YMCA’s policies, financial controls and procedures; ensure the compliance of others.
• Ensure the timely preparation and submission of annual audited accounts, annual reports, and annual filings with regulatory bodies.
• Ensure YMCA meets its responsibilities in collecting, storing, and using donor/beneficiary data.
• Manage the relationship with partner organizations, locally and internationally.
• Manage stakeholders’ dedicated time and resource for visibility and organizational diplomacy.

Ensure long-term sustainability of YMCA through solid management of resources, effective fundraising, and high-quality program delivery. 

• Ensure the proper and effective management of YMCA’s resources, both human and financial; provide the necessary accountability for their use.
• Establish sustainable and scalable core operational systems and procedures.
• Be accountable to Board of Directors and donors for the overall financial health and stewardship of the organization.
• Develop, advance and deliver against an ambitious unrestricted fundraising strategy; build relationships and increase sustainable income from individual and corporate sources in particular.
• Supervise and support the Head of Programs, oversee a sustainable restricted funds pipeline to deliver against strategic objectives and financial targets.
• Supervise and support the Head of Programs, oversee YMCA’s program quality, including partner relations and project delivery.
• Carry out from time-to-time other duties as required for the advancement of YMCA.

Drive forward and enhance YMCA’s impact and profile locally, regionally, and nationally. 

• Ensure a culture of, and be accountable for, monitoring, evaluation, and learning throughout YMCA.
• Develop and maintain strong strategic relationships with YMCA’s key donors and stakeholders.
• Drive existing advocacy strategies and identify opportunities to increase YMCA impact through strategic advocacy and influencing.
• Develop and promote YMCA’s public communications strategy, activities, brand, and external image.
• As the primary external face of YMCA, act as an ambassador at vital external events, meetings, conferences, and publicity opportunities.
• Contribute to critical working groups, advocacy networks, and consortia in which YMCA engages.
• Travel overseas as required (approx. 4-6 weeks per year) to support and advance existing projects or for the development of new projects or partnerships

Benefit package

Basic salary :-

• 52,297.00 birr
• Vehicles with fuel
• Unlimited data(internet) package
• Monthely mobile card-600 birr
• Medical assistance 3000 birr per annual

Essential

• Degree in a relevant field
• 12 or more years’ experience in a relevant senior management or organizational leadership roles in the NGO sector
• Proven experience at a senior level managing growth, organizational development and/or change
• Proven ability to lead teams to achieve results, including remotely
• Experience of building strong collaborative relationships across sectors with a range of stakeholders
• Track record developing and delivering strategies, operational plans, and projects to time and budget.
• Experience supporting projects through the entire project lifecycle in a related field including aspects of; project design, planning, implementation, evaluation, and learning
• Demonstrated success securing funding, through grants and/or corporate and/or high net worth individual engagement

Desirable

• Masters or Higher Education Degree in social science or related fields
• 6 or more years’ experience in a relevant senior management or organizational leadership roles in international development within the NGO sector
• Experience driving change and/or growth at an organizational level
• Experience of serving as a Trustee or working closely with a non-executive trustee board or committees
• Experience of working in an organization focusing on disability and/or other minority groups
• Experience of working in an organization focusing on child rights and/or experience of working directly with youth and children.
•  Experience of having lived and worked/ volunteered in a developing country, preferably in Africa

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES

Essential

• Proven ability to think laterally and creatively, balancing an eye for detail with big picture strategic thinking
• Proven ability to make and act on critical decisions
• A working knowledge of charity governance, administration, and regulations
• Strong budgetary skills and ability to interpret financial data; competency in using Excel to manage financial tracking and reporting
• Excellent influencing and negotiation skills with diverse stakeholders
• Strong understanding of Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) in a related field
• Proven ability to thrive in a fast-paced dynamic environment.
• Excellent prioritization, delegation, and multi-tasking skills
• Strong knowledge of child safeguarding
• Good understanding of advocacy and its role in international development
• Ability to foster a productive and collaborative relationship with the Board of Trustees
• Strong management of stakeholder relations and ability to act in ambassadorial role
• Excellent oral and written communication skills; ability to tailor these to different audiences
• Demonstrated ability to work in genuine and collaborative partnerships to deliver activities
•   IT literate with good knowledge of Microsoft Office

Desirable

• Knowledge and understanding of the issues affecting youth development, youth engagement in Africa
• Knowledge of three or more key program areas including education, health, sexual and reproductive health and rights, physical well-being, mental health, child / youth participation, livelihoods, youth employment, child safeguarding and community engagement
• Working knowledge of communications; ability to maintain a strong brand, create effective communication material and raise the profile of an organization
• Knowledge of how to measure, understand, use, and communicate impact at an organizational level, preferably in international development
•  A strong understanding of donor compliance principles and expectations
• Strong understanding of advanced financial management concepts such cash flow, value for money, variances, and foreign exchange
•   Demonstrated ability to work in genuine and collaborative partnerships, at a distance, to deliver activities

PERSONAL QUALITIES

Essential 

• An understanding of, and commitment to, YMCA’s vision, mission, values, and approach
• High level of personal integrity and commitment
• Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills, resilience, and gravitas
• Tenacious and self-reliant approach; willingness to get involved in all areas of a small organization
• An ability to foster positive working relationships with a diverse range of people; an empowering leadership style and enthusiasm for working with a small team
• Independent, self-motivated, and adaptable
• Innovative, creative, critical thinker; a quick learner and action-oriented problem solver
• Self-reliance to work under pressure to priorities and manage varied workload and competing deadlines; attention to detail
• Willingness and ability to travel for work purposes for up to six weeks per annum
•  Willingness to work outside core hours, infrequently but as needed, to meet the requirements of the role