Sector Director: Building Future Generations June 2021
About Porticus Named to represent an open gateway to a brighter future, Porticus coordinates the philanthropic endeavours of the Brenninkmeijer family business owners, continuing a tradition of social engagement stretching back as far as 1841 when Clemens and August Brenninkmeijer founded C&A, starting a tradition of doing good while doing business. Since our founding in 1995, the professionalisation of both the organisation and the charitable sector has picked up speed. Porticus has grown to over 180 philanthropy professionals today, working on the challenges of our times and seeking to improve the lives of those in need just like Clemens and August intended to do. It’s impossible for one organisation to solve all the world’s challenges, so we focus on areas we understand best: education, society, faith and climate. With focus and cooperation, we work to advance human dignity around the world. These focus areas are represented by our four thematic sectors: Building Future Generations, Strengthening our Societies, Fostering Vital Faith Communities, and Caring for the Earth,
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How We Work Together with our partners, our purpose is to create a just and sustainable future where human dignity flourishes. Everything we do is directed by this overarching goal.
Embracing ambitious ways of working To achieve our ambition, we have set ourselves two goals which guide our way of working: we listen and learn from the people we seek to serve, and we act on evidence showing what works. We believe this way of working will make us a better partner to the organisations we work with – it will make our collective efforts more impactful.
Inspiring involvement – meaningful participation We are committed to ensuring the people who are affected by poverty and exclusion participate meaningfully in all our grants and programmes. We listen carefully to the end beneficiaries we seek to serve and help ensure their voice is heard. We also aim to act upon what we’ve heard, increasing their agency. For us, end beneficiary participation is both a means and an end: we know it works in practice and we’re convinced it matters in principle.
Improving impact – the effect of evidence We aim for a proven contribution to positive impact in the majority of our endeavours, while acknowledging we are working on complex problems that are not always easy to solve or prove. By evaluating the effect of our work we can continually improve, make smarter decisions and increase the effect we have. All our work is evidence-based or evidence-building, and we look to share the evidence we collect to help other parties achieve similar positive results.
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Our Values Every human life is uniquely valuable, and our respect for this brings us together. This is why we do what we do.
What we believe We believe that a just and sustainable world is possible for everyone. The philanthropic work of the Brenninkmeijer family business owners has always been rooted in the principles of Catholic Social Teaching – serving the common good and promoting human dignity and social justice. We believe that we are all responsible for each other as fellow human beings. We also have a duty to be sustainable custodians, looking after natural resources for the good of people now and in future.
How We Work We pursue our aims with entrepreneurial energy, underpinning all our work with strong values and careful strategic thinking. Our values – empathy, modesty, endurance and trust – inspire everything we do and are the bedrock of all our relationships. Working closely in partnership with other organisations, we know we can achieve more together. We respect the dignity of every individual and are especially mindful of the needs of the most vulnerable among us. We help implement robust safeguarding policies. Actions speak louder than words, so we get on with our work quietly, changing the world for the better in whatever way we can.
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The Role
Job Context
The Role:
Sector Director : Building Future Generations (BFG)
Reporting to:
CEO
Porticus is the international organisation that manages and develops the philanthropic programmes of charitable entities established by Brenninkmeijer family entrepreneurs. Our work builds on the heritage of charitable engagement of Clemens and August Brenninkmeijer, the two brothers who founded the clothing retailer C&A in 1841. We collaborate with partners around the globe to foster human dignity, social justice and sustainability.
Direct Reports:
3 Portfolio Managers
Location:
Office based - this role can be based in any of the following eight Porticus offices: Amsterdam, Brussels, Hong Kong, London, Nairobi, New York, Sao Paulo, or Vienna.
Salary:
Competitive
Working within Porticus’ sectors of Caring for the Earth, Strengthening our Societies, Building Future Generations, and Fostering Vital Faith Communities, we aim to contribute to systemic social change by combining our global expertise with our grassroots networks all over the world. Through our partnerships in education, society, faith and climate we enable changemakers to create societies and systems that work for everyone. We strive to understand the complexities of the systems we seek to change, assessing where we can make the most impact and engaging the skills and knowledge of broad coalitions of local and global partners to tackle the root causes of problems. Porticus professionals develop and manage grants and programmes in more than 65 countries. Lasting solutions aren’t achieved quickly or lightly, but we believe that together we can make a fairer, more sustainable world a reality.
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Key Responsibilities The Building Future Generations (BFG) Sector comprises philanthropic programmes devoted to ensuring that Whole Child Development in education and child-care enables the child, particularly the most vulnerable, to develop their full potential and succeed in life.
In order to fulfil the responsibilities, the Director will in particular have focus on the following main tasks and responsibilities:
The BFG Sector Director will be responsible for the vision and strategy of the Sector. S/he will provide leadership to accomplish the long-term vision on social change in accordance with Porticus core values. In addition, s/he is responsible for engaging closely with the Porticus Management Team, members of the Sector Investment Committee and other governing bodies as needed.
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In particular s/he will: • Implement and refine the BFG strategy on an ongoing basis, using Porticus’ monitoring, evaluation and learning tools to maximise impact. • Be responsible for the overall planning and organisation of BFG work to ensure that the available resources are most effectively used to meet the philanthropic objectives of the organisation. • Represent the sector to key constituents within the organization and externally. • Lead by example whereby the values are lived and embraced. • Strengthen the capabilities of Porticus in its advisory role as well as the capabilities of staff to ensure the objectives of Porticus are met. • Be responsible for the overall planning and organisation of the organisation’s BFG portfolios and programmes to ensure that the available resources are most effectively used to meet the philanthropic objectives of the organisation. • Create and encourage a collaborative work environment, with and through people, where trust, integrity and open communication are valued. • Work closely with the Effective Philanthropy Group to explore/establish appropriate Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning tools for philanthropic activities in the education space. • Inform the Management Team, the Sector Investment Committee and Porticus staff about current issues and trends in the field.
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Leadership
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Build an effective collaborative team within the matrix organisation. Create high level of collaboration across all stakeholders. Unlock and develop the potential of staff. Contribute and support an outstanding culture with heart, authenticity, and professionalism. Build a well-oiled sector with the ability to advise on systematic change and impact. Create a solid reputation as a diplomatic and effective catalyst with Principal liaison to the Sector Investment Committee . Maintain and build a network of partners
Internal and external relationships • •
Engage with family members in order to get them committed and passionately involved in collaborating with purpose Successful external stakeholder management with partners, co-funders, foundations, and other related parties.
In addition, s/he will serve as a personal and professional sounding board to the Sector Committee BFG and its Chairman. The Director has a clear role regarding the objectives of the Sector BFG and will successfully drive and implement the strategy of the portfolios that will push the desire of making systematic change forward.
Reporting Line The Sector Director reports into the CEO and is part of the Porticus Management Team. In addition, the Sector Director BFG works in close co-operation with the Investment Committee of the Sector BFG on strategic topics.
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Professional Experience/Qualifications The ideal candidate will be an authentic and engaging leader, with a minimum of 10 years of senior leadership experience, significant experience in the education sector and the international field (including social development or philanthropy), experience in the non-profit sector and with a deep passion for human dignity and social justice. S/He has the ability to function in a complex and constantly dynamic environment and possesses an entrepreneurial drive and passion for Porticus’s mission.
Characteristics
The candidate should bring an extensive network in the areas of education, social development and philanthropy to the organization.
Education
With the job comes significant experience in leading multidisciplinary, international and virtual teams.
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cademic background however this is not compulsory: a proven track record in a similar position A could be equally or more important than education.
Languages •
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A strong verbal and written communicator, as well as a good listener Strong conceptual and analytical skills. Has a real interest in people. Is transparent and walks the talk. Small ego but self-aware and self-confident.
F luent in English (written and spoken). Given the nature of the relationship of the association, the ideal candidate is multilingual.
How to Apply Before applying, please check that you can answer yes to all the following questions: • Do you have at least 10 years’ experience in the education sector within international development? • Do you have proven experience in developing and delivering education strategies? • This is an office based role, are you able to work from or relocate to one of the eight specified office locations? If you cannot answer yes to these questions, please do not apply, as we will be unable to progress your application. 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. The CV and cover letter should be uploaded 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 2 pages long – bullet points are acceptable. It should explain: • why you are interested in this role. • why you are interested in Porticus • how your skills and experience make you a good fit. For guidance on preparing a statement, please see here. The document should be saved in MS Word in the following format: Your First Name-Your Last Name-Document Name-Date (mmyy) e.g., Pat-Mabaso-CV-062021-Porticus or Pat-Mabaso-CoverLetter-062021-Porticus.
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Timeline Closing date: Preliminary interviews: Final panel interviews:
24 July 2021 week of 02 August 2021 TBC
Selection process All candidates will be notified about the status of their applications. Shortlisted candidates may be required to undertake an additional assessment prior to the final interview.
Equality statement Equality and diversity are at the core of Porticus’s values. Staff are expected to work collectively and individually to promote a constructive and sensitive approach to others from a variety of backgrounds, where the work of others is valued and respected.
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 porticus-doe@oxfordhr.co.uk in the first instance.
About Oxford HR Oxford HR operates globally - mainly within the international development and charity sectors. We carry out retained executive search mandates at board and senior management levels. We also offer human resource and organisational development consultancy. Oxford HR has many years of experience in search as well as an extensive network of international development, social sector, corporate, public sector, and academic contacts from across the world. We carry out comprehensive and often international searches designed to meet the specific needs of our clients. Oxford HR’s team members have significant personal experience of working in international development and the social sector as well as the corporate and governmental sectors. We are in a unique position to find and assess talented individuals from a variety of backgrounds.
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