Executive Director 289 views2 applications

EMG is an equal opportunity employer committed to building a diverse staff profile that reflects the diversity of our country. We are looking for an experienced young and dynamic Executive Director with adequate experience to assume leadership of the organisation. This is a full-time position, based in our Observatory, Cape Town office to start in August 2019 or sooner.

Key Performance Areas

Liaison with Board

The Director is an ex officio trustee of EMG Trust, delegated by the Board to oversee the day-to-day running of the organization. Responsibilities with respect to the Board include:

• Organising quarterly Board meetings and agenda
• Presenting quarterly progress and finance reports
• Regular liaison with Board members on appropriate issues
• Ensuring staff are appropriately informed of relevant Board decisions
• Ensuring records of Board of Trustees meetings are kept

Financial Viability

EMG is dependent on grants from a range of local and international donor foundations. The Director is ultimately responsible for the long-term financial viability of the organisation, which includes:

• Ensuring a healthy relationships with existing donors and that contractual obligations are met
• Developing contacts and relationships with potential funders
• Co-ordinating fundraising efforts and ensuring that new funding proposals align with EMG’s strategic objectives, and are practically and financially feasible
• Authorising grant contracts

Financial Controls

The Director is responsible for ensuring that funds are spent wisely, efficiently and effectively; and that adequate controls exist to prevent fraud and wasteful expenditure. Together with the Finance Manager, responsibilities include:

• Authorizing financial transactions
• Ensuring that transactions are properly accounted for and that financial recording is transparent
• Ensuring expenditure is regularly monitored against budgets and instituting remedial steps if necessary
• Ensuring annual audits are conducted and other donor-specific audit requirements are met
• Authorise contracts with service providers

Human Resource Management

The Director carries the overall responsibility for the productivity of staff; and ensuring that they have the capacity to meet agreed deliverables and are legitimately employed. Responsibilities include:

• Approving and confirming new appointments or changes in job descriptions
• Ensuring annual performance assessments and addressing performance issues
• Ensuring an appropriate salary setting mechanism and approving changes to salaries

Project Management

The Director takes overall responsibility for EMG meeting its objectives and commitments to donors and stakeholders, as delegated to Project Managers and other staff. Responsibilities include:

• Ensuring that projects are properly planned and budgeted for, that contractual commitments are met, and that activities conform to EMG’s values and policies.
• Providing strategic input to Project Managers in their work
• Ensuring that project progress is regularly assessed, lessons learned, and remedial steps implemented if necessary

Organisational Planning and Learning

The Director is responsible for ensuring that long- and medium-term organisational strategic plans are developed and implemented. Responsibilities include:

• Developing strategic plans in collaboration with staff, trustees and other stakeholders
• Ensuring that long- and medium-term plans are integrated into the annual activity plans and are budgeted for
• Ensuring that specific project plans are aligned with long and medium-term plans
• Ensuring appropriate internal processes exist for monitoring progress against strategic plans, organisational learning and strategic feedback

Organisational profile and public relations

The Director is responsible for ensuring that EMG’s public profile reinforces our impact and credibility in the sector and supports fundraising efforts. Responsibilities include:

• Ensure that EMG has an appropriate communications strategy
• Checking and approving publications (including brochures, reports, website, media releases, etc.)
• Ensure the production of organisational reports suitable for distribution to supporters, funders, project partners, etc.

Minimum requirements

• More than 5 years senior management experience in the NGO sector
• Post-graduate degree in a science, social science or related field, OR equivalent experience
• Proven track-record of good all-round leadership
• A passion for environmental and social justice
• A thorough understanding of SA’s socio-environmental context and environmental policy and the role and challenges of civil society
• Financial management skills
• Effective fundraiser with sound knowledge of the national and international donor environment who will be able to attract donor support for achieving EMG’s vision and mission
• A good understanding of action learning and action research methodologies and processes

Essential skills

• Organisation and project management (planning, monitoring budgets, M&E, reporting, etc.)
• Sound people management and staff development competencies
• Ability to think strategically and to engage colleagues and partners in strategic planning processes
• Ability to remain focused whilst taking a flexible approach
• Ability to multi-task
• Good command of English (with additional local language a distinct advantage)
• Ability to write (reports, media releases, etc.) and communicate effectively on behalf of the organisation (to the media, government and the public)
• Good organisational relationship manager with good networks in related sectors
• Ability to inspire and motivate colleagues towards achieving agreed upon goals
• Facilitation of planning and reflective processes for teams and groups
• Able to enhance EMG’s visibility and its status
• You will have a distinct advantage if you also have a good knowledge of the content and policy issue relating to water services, water resource management, sustainable use of natural resources, rural development and climate change adaptation.
• You will be a good fit with the rest of us if you are also
  • a creative and conceptual thinker
  • politically astute but not ideologically dogmatic
  • self-motivated and able to self-manage effectively
  • able to work well in a loosely structured team environment
  • emotionally stable and mature
  • committed to a non-racial and gender-equitable society
  • willing and able to take the organisation and its staff forward in new directions
• You should be a South African citizen (or hold a valid work permit), have a valid driver’s license, and be able to travel and work after-hours and on weekends from time-to-time.

Deadline –  noon, Monday 27th May 2019

To apply, please email to [email protected] the following:

1.  A motivation letter addressed to the Chair, EMG Board of Trustees
2.  A short CV (max 4 pages)
3. An indication of your expected salary

Please note:

* Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted
* Shortlisted candidates will be required to provide at least 3 contactable referees
* EMG reserves the right to not make an appointment or to withdraw this call for whatever reason