Chief Executive, Pakistan
July 2024
About Malala Fund
Registered in the U.S., U.K, Nigeria, and Pakistan, Malala Fund is working toward a world where all girls can learn and lead. Malala Fund advocates for resources and policy changes needed to give all girls a secondary education. The girls we serve have high goals for themselves and we have high expectations for leaders who can help them. We invest in local education leaders and front-line organizations, the people who best understand girls in their communities in regions where most girls are missing out on secondary school. We give girls the tools they need to advocate for education and equality in their communities and a platform for the world to hear their voices. We believe girls should speak for themselves and tell leaders what they need to learn and achieve their potential.
The Role
Role: Chief Executive, Pakistan
Location: Islamabad, Pakistan
Salary: Competitive
Malala Fund is seeking a passionate and visionary leader to join our Executive Leadership Team (ELT) as the Chief Executive (CE), Pakistan. The executive selected for this newly created role at Malala Fund will help us to fulfill our mission to secure 12 years of free, safe, quality education for all girls so they can learn and lead without fear. The CE will report directly to the CEO, serve as a member of the ELT, and serve as an organization-wide leader for Malala Fund globally while also directly leading Malala Fund’s team in Pakistan and the strategic direction of our work in Pakistan. The CE works hand in hand with all departments at Malala Fund to build strategic advocacy and partnerships for meaningful impact for girls’ education.
Responsibilities
As our first country of operation, Pakistan is one of Malala Fund’s priority countries, with the largest portfolio of grants. We are seeking an experienced professional to guide our strategic direction and lead our team in-country, with hands-on senior management experience in grantmaking, advocacy, policy, and communications. They must have a strong track record as an executive, able to motivate and lead teams and provide pro-active representation among our stakeholders, including grantee partners, government, and international policy-makers. They must also demonstrate sound financial and operational management skills and have solid experience leading and managing a team in highly complex operating environments. Finally, they must be well-versed and well-networked in the education sector in Pakistan and be committed to advancing increased rates of girls enrolling in and completing their education.
The successful candidate has exemplary, demonstrated leadership abilities and deploys strong communications and interpersonal skills effectively, both internally and externally. They will be a strategic thinker and enjoy contextual analytical skills with an ability to translate the impact of geopolitical events to our day-to-day strategy and operation. They will focus on growing the grantmaking portfolio of the country program to maximize scale, reach and impact by building a strong network of diverse partnerships to further impact girls’ education. They will be directly responsible for the overall coordination and strategic direction of the country program staff and across the organization; providing oversight and coaching for senior managers; leading country program teams to identify, design and deliver responsive, high-quality grants and advocacy; ensuring efficient management of donor funds for results, focused, timely reporting; and ensure sound financial management and compliance. They will cultivate and mobilize Pakistan grantees in service of collective global action for girls’ access and completion to secondary education in Pakistan.
Representation of Malala Fund in Pakistan
As Chief Executive, you are responsible for Malala Fund’s representation in Pakistan as the senior leader in the country - and within the organization. That means you will be accountable for:
Externally:
• Representing Malala Fund and liaising with local and national authorities, nonprofit partners, international stakeholders, to promote the organization’s advocacy objectives and grant-making programs,
facilitate successful coordination of activities and ensure transparency and accountability to all stakeholders.
• Serve as the principal liaison with stakeholders on matters related to the country office to ensure financial and programmatic accountability.
• Establishing and maintaining strategic partnerships with other organizations and coalitions to amplify our impact.
Internally:
• Providing timely updates of all operational, situational and project developments to the rest of ELT.
• Ensuring clear and consistent feedback loops across the organization to promote a culture of impact and learning.
• Collaborating with the Executive Office (via Chief Advisor) to ensure that the co-founders are kept abreast of latest work and challenges in Pakistan; that their voice and time are strategically leveraged in service of Pakistan team goals; and that Malala Fund’s Pakistan work is aligned with co-founders’ wider advocacy and communications efforts as they relate to Pakistan.
• Ensuring policy and advocacy positioning and communications messaging are aligned with global strategy and with org-wide messaging guidelines and identify opportunities to amplify country advocacy in global spaces
• Developing strong relationships with and secure the trust and confidence of board members, staff, and others critical to organizational fundraising efforts.
• Coordinating with the MEL team to ensure impact data related to advocacy and communications is captured and that team is on track to achieve strategy/impact goals.
External Affairs
As Chief Executive, you are responsible for the external affairs portfolio in Pakistan: communications, government relations, advocacy, and grantmaking. That means you will be accountable for:
• Developing and overseeing the execution of country specific strategic and operational plans for Pakistan in line with Malala Fund’s global strategy and operational framework, considering country priority needs and in collaboration with ELT.
• Overseeing a Director of External Affairs, the development of a comprehensive plan to measure the effectiveness of the organization’s external engagement communication strategy in
Pakistan; messaging/positioning/campaigns, as well as outreach to and engagement of key audiences.
• Building upon Malala Fund’s strategic plan, leverage Malala Fund’s brand, network and track record to build and lead a high-level advocacy and communications strategy in Pakistan; identifying the actions, audiences, coalitions, and investments required to improve access and completion of girls’ secondary education.
• Ensuring that the way the Pakistan team captures, accesses, and uses grantmaking enhances programmatic and operational decision-making, produces accurate reports of grantmaking results, enhances grantee/ grant seeker relationships, and enables learning.
• Ensuring that Malala Fund’s impact towards its strategic objectives is measured across its operation in Pakistan and communicated to the wider organization.
Operational Oversight
• Overseeing safety and safeguarding for team members and grantees in Pakistan.
• Ensuring compliance with regulatory policies and frameworks in-country.
• Managing Malala Fund Pakistan’s budgets and resources while maintaining accountability and compliance with regulatory policies and frameworks.
• Providing mentorship and supportive management to the Pakistan team while ensuring team members have clear and realistic goals and objectives that advance in line with the country strategy.
Organization-Wide Leadership
As Chief Executive, you are responsible for setting the overall direction of the country strategy and its operation as well as the day-to-day management of the wider organization. That means that you will be accountable for:
• Partnering with the ELT in developing annual organizational goals and key results, budgets, revenue projections; present updates at Board meetings, and collaborating with senior staff members on other relevant organization-wide initiatives.
• Building a culture of excellence based on our core values; setting strategic direction in the country within the framework of Malala Fund’s global strategy.
• Ensuring an open and trust-based dialogue through regular working groups across the organization to ensure alignment with the overall global strategy.
Qualifications
Essential
• Passion for our mission and a commitment to using your skills to make a positive impact on behalf of girls.
• 15+ years of experience in a senior leadership role within Pakistan in advocacy, communications, and/or government relations.
• Deep understanding of the education landscape in Pakistan as well as the key stakeholders among government and civil society.
• Skilled and well-networked stakeholder manager - ability to develop and maintain relationships with policymakers, activists, non-profits, academic thinkers and researchers, private sector leaders, journalists, media agencies and others.
• Strong political instincts and the ability to identify timing and messaging that appeals to advocacy targets in support of the organization’s grantmaking and advocacy aims.
• Impeccable cross-cultural sensitivity, diplomacy, communicative skills, and discretion.
• A deep understanding of the geopolitical landscape and national policy making practices in Pakistan and the region.
• A creative, open, and innovative mind energetically searching for new solutions.
• Demonstrate highly motivated, adaptable, and strong culture fit. Build strong relationships
across all departments. Build and lead a highperforming team.
• Deep understanding of policy development, legislative processes, and stakeholder engagement in Pakistan.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build trust and relationships with diverse audiences.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with experience in crafting compelling messaging and managing media relations.
• Fluency in written and spoken English, as well as fluency in Urdu and at least one regional language.
• Ability to work flexible hours as part of a global leadership team.
Desirable
• Ability to travel internationally approximately 25% of the time.
• Experience working with or for high-profile principals or organizations.
• Practical field/project operation experience ideally in diverse geographical locations in Pakistan and a demonstrated experience of working with diverse partners. Specific familiarity with the global education and/or girls’ rights sectors is a plus.
Living our Values
We aim to center girls in all we do and create a supportive environment where people excel in their craft while never compromising our organizational values:
We aim high.
Inspired by the girls we serve, we set ambitious goals for ourselves and push others to do the same. We focus on impact and delivering tangible, purposeful results.
We dare to be brave.
We speak truth to power and hold leaders accountable to their commitments to girls. We have the difficult conversations, say yes to tough projects and aren’t afraid to take risks.
We value differences.
Our best work happens when we bring many voices to the table. We embrace diverse perspectives and open dialogue. We strive for equity in all we do and are always learning from others.
We think creatively.
Getting all girls in school requires innovative thinking and solutions. We are resourceful and seek unconventional approaches to overcoming challenges.
We act with integrity.
The relationships we build are grounded in trust and accountability. As an organization and with each other, we endeavor to do what’s right and respectful.
If challenging the status quo that limits girls’ potential excites you, we might be the perfect fit!
How to Apply
All correspondence, at this stage, should be via Oxford HR. To apply for this post, click on the “Apply” button on the job advert page, complete our online application form, and submit your CV and cover letter as two different documents, which should be prepared before applying as they will be considered in the application process. The cover letter should be no more than two pages long and explain why you are interested in this post and how your skills and experience make you a good fit.
The document should be saved in PDF in the following format: Your First Name-Your Last Name-Document Name-Date (mmyy) e.g., PatJones-CV-072024-MalalaFund or Pat-JonesCoverLetter-072024-MalalaFund.
Timeline
Closing Date: 18th August 2024 First stage interviews: TBC Final interviews: TBC
Selection Process
All candidates will receive an update regarding their application after the closing date. We advise candidates to add the role email to their safe senders list and regularly check their spam folder.
Equality Statement
Malala Fund is an inclusive organization and welcomes applications from under-represented and intersectional groups including BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and persons with disabilities. We are seeking people with different backgrounds, cultures, ages, experiences and identities to provide a wide range of experience, ideas, views and insights into the strategy, policies, culture and ambitions of Malala Fund.
Malala Fund is also committed to ensuring the safety of those involved in our work. Our first priority is protecting everyone who comes in direct or indirect contact with our organization.
Malala Fund has a zero-tolerance approach to abuse and exploitation by any of our staff, representatives or partners. We commit to ensuring that those who work with Malala Fund or on our behalf are able to work in an environment that is free from harm. To this end, Malala Fund reserves the right to conduct background checks on prospective and current employees.
Queries
If you have any queries on any aspect of the appointment process, need additional information, or would like to have an informal discussion, please email Dominic Bond on dbond@oxfordhr.com in the first instance.
About Oxford HR
Exceptional leaders can inspire change and propel purpose-led organisations towards reaching their world-changing goals. Finding such leaders can be a challenge; and yet their transition into leadership is vital to an organisations mission and success.
Oxford HR is a global leadership consultancy dedicated to searching for and supporting remarkable leaders and teams in purpose-led organisations.
We understand the nuances of purpose-led leadership because we’ve worked in organisations across the breadth of the sector ourselves. We’ve also worked with such organisations since 1995; so we appreciate just what benefits impactful people can bring.