Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development Unleashing the power of women to lead
Executive Director Appointment Brief August 2019
WELCOME To Potential Candidate for Executive Director Position, In Sub-Saharan Africa, women only comprise 24% of cabinet ministers and 23% of parliament members. I believe that gender parity can be reached in public service on the continent and my hope is that the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center will be a key institution in advocating for equality in political representation and training the next generation of women leaders in public service. I am excited about the future of the Center and encourage you to share your talents with us as we forge ahead. Sincerely, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
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Executive Director | August 2019
WHO WE ARE The Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development was founded to be a catalyst for economic and political change across Africa by helping unleash its most abundant latent power - its women. The Center will amplify the voice of women and girls in all spheres of life - political, business and social - by increasing the representation of women in public service leadership roles in Sub-Saharan Africa. Through a unique blend of programming, advocacy, archival research and museum exhibitions, the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center will be a premier institution dedicated to advancing and sustaining women’s political, economic, and social development on the continent.
Executive Director | August 2019
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Women are underrepresented in Sub-Saharan Africa’s top decision-making bodies.
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Executive Director | August 2019
OUR AMBITION • Be a catalyst for political and economic change across Africa by helping unleash the power of women • Amplify the voice of women in all spheres of life - political, business and social • Increase the representation of women in top leadership roles in public service in sub-Saharan Africa
Women do not hold enough positions of influence where they can guide economic, political and social outcomes.
Executive Director | August 2019
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OUR FUTURE PLANS 1. EJS Leadership Academy to grow the pipeline of capable women leaders through: • Young Leaders Programme: a 7-month course with two 5-day in person sessions, targeting women of 20-30 years old with a strong interest in public service careers who want to improve their leadership skills, understand how to navigate political infrastructures and how to achieve gender parity. • Leadership Forum: a 7-month course with two 3-day in person sessions, targeting early tenure women public service officials with the potential for a long-term career, who want to boost their careers and enhance their technical skills, find mentors and sponsors and develop a policy agenda for gender parity. 2. Women in Politics Summit to convene 300 global leaders a year to commit to achieving gender parity and improving political representation. 3. Advocacy to become a thought leader for equality in political representation through: • Postgraduate Research Programme: 2-year programme for 3 female postgraduate researchers to lead annual EJS Centre Women Empowerment Survey, investigate innovative methods to improve gender parity and interview prominent gender equality champions. • Speeches and Champions Network, including: - 1-on-1 conversations between Mme. Sirleaf and highest-ranking state leaders. - EJS Champions Network to advocate for political representation and gender parity. 4. Digital platform: Enable the proposed interventions and disseminate the Centre’s work globally.
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Executive Director | August 2019
Executive Director | August 2019
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GOVERNANCE & ADVISORY STRUCTURE • Counsels the Center and Foundation
EJS Advisory Board
• Connects to funders • Acts as brand ambassador
• Based in Liberia • Governed by a board of 13 experienced leaders • Designs and executes programs; manages archives; fundraises
EJS Center Board of Directors
EJS Foundation Board of Directors
• Based in the US • Governed by a board of 5 experienced leaders • Fundraises
EJS Center Executive Director
EJS Academy Program Manager
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Executive Director | August 2019
Advocacy Program Manager
Marketing, Communications & Reporting Manager
Office Administrator
EJS LEADERS
Her Excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Founder
Seward Cooper Center Chair
Linda
Thomas-Greenfield Foundation Chair
Executive Director | August 2019
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ROLE DESCRIPTION Job Title:
Executive Director
Location:
Liberia/UK/US preferred, with international travel
Reporting to:
Board of Directors
Purpose:
Overall strategic and operational responsibility for the Center’s staff, programs, expansion, and execution of its mission. She or he will develop deep knowledge of the field, its core programs, operations, and strategic plan.
RESPONSIBILITIES Leadership & Management: • Ensure excellent implementation of programs, rigorous program evaluation, and consistent quality of finance and administration, fundraising, communications, and systems; recommend timelines and resources needed to achieve the strategic goals. • Actively engage and energize the board members, committees, program participants and alumni, partnering organizations, and funders. • Maintain and support a strong Board of Directors; serve as ex-officio of each committee; seek and build board involvement with strategic direction.
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Executive Director | August 2019
• Recruit, lead, coach, develop, and retain the Center’s high-performance senior management team. • Ensure effective systems to track progress, and regularly evaluate program components, so as to measure successes that can be effectively communicated to the board, funders, and other constituents.
Executive Director | August 2019
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Fundraising & Communications:
Programming:
• Identify and develop fundraising activities and proposals to support administrative and programmatic operations.
• Implement the proposed programming strands as outlined in the strategic plan approved by the Board of Directors.
• Launch capital campaign to build physical structure and support exhibitions and archives. • Deepen and refine all aspects of communications - from web presence to external relations with the goal of creating a stronger brand. • Use external presence and relationships to garner new opportunities. • Ensure that the flow of funds permits the Center to make continuous progress towards the achievement of its mission and that those funds are allocated properly to reflect present needs and future potential. • Formulate and execute comprehensive marketing, branding and development strategies that will ensure consistency throughout the organization and enhance revenue from major donors, foundations, government agencies, and corporations.
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Executive Director | August 2019
• Build new partnerships with potential collaborators and establish relationships with funders, political and community leaders in the proposed geographies for the leadership academies. • Be an external local and national presence that publishes and communicates program results with an emphasis on the successes of the program as a model for further replication.
PERSON SPECIFICATION The ED will be thoroughly committed to the Center’s mission. All candidates should have proven leadership, coaching, and relationship management experience.
Specific requirements include: • Advanced degree, ideally an MBA (Organizational Leadership, Organizational Management, Organizational Development) or Master of Science in Nonprofit Leadership (NPL), with extensive experience at senior management level; track record of effectively leading and regionally scaling a performance and outcomes-based organization and staff; ability to point to specific examples of having developed and operationalized strategies that have taken an organization to the next stage of growth. • Unwavering commitment to quality programs and data-driven program evaluation. • Excellence in organizational management with the ability to coach staff, manage, and develop highperformance teams, set and achieve strategic objectives, and manage a budget. • Past success working with a Board of Directors with the ability to cultivate existing board member relationships.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; a persuasive and passionate communicator with excellent interpersonal and multidisciplinary project skills. • Action-oriented, entrepreneurial, adaptable, and innovative approach to business planning. • Ability to work effectively in collaboration with diverse groups of people. • Passion, idealism, integrity, positive attitude, mission-driven, and selfdirected. • Adept at performing liaison functions between the Center and relevant governments agencies, advocating for the Center’s interest and developing a profile for the Center in Africa and beyond. • Bilingual in French and English. • Must be comfortable with travel requirements associated with position; there will be 50% travel in the initial tenure of the position due to fundraising efforts.
• Strong marketing, public relations, and fundraising experience with the ability to engage a wide range of stakeholders and cultures.
Executive Director | August 2019
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HOW TO APPLY Please forward a CV together with a supporting statement (maximum two pages of A4). Applications should be made via the Prospectus website at: www.prospect-us.co.uk/jobs/details/HQ00175742 The Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development is an equal opportunity employer. We, however, strongly encourage women candidates to apply.
Recruitment Timetable: Deadline for applications: 6 October 2019 Interviews with Prospectus: 14 - 17 October 2019 First Panel Interviews: w/c 4 November Second Panel Interviews: w/c 18 November
QUERIES If you wish to have an informal discussion about the opportunity, please contact our retained advisors Fiona Wansborough at fiona.wansborough@prospect-us.co.uk or Eva Farina at eva.farina@prospect-us.co.uk at Prospectus on 020 34795405.
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Executive Director | August 2019
Executive Director | August 2019
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Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development
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