Executive Director

OVERVIEW OF THE POSITION:

To be the Executive Director of a small NGO (nonprofit) that serves street children and their families in Machakos, KENYA. The Executive Director should either be based in Kenya, or willing to spend significant amounts of time in Kenya.

HISTORY OF JITEMEGEE:

Founded in 2002, Jitemegee supports about 200 street and destitute children each year on an operating budget of about $190,000. We provide access to formal and vocational education for street children and teens through scholarships to primary and secondary schools. We also run our own a vocational program that matches students with skilled artisans in the community. In addition, we provide daily lunch, tuition, family counseling, medical care and various types of family support to children in our program. To learn more, visit www.jitegemee.org.

JOB SUMMARY:

The Executive Director is responsible for ensuring the smooth functioning of US and Kenyan operations of Jitegemee; managing donor relations and fundraising; overseeing Kenyan-based staff; and budget oversight. He or she will be responsible for evaluating both the effectiveness and efficiency of the current program and providing strategic leadership to staff and the board related to attaining long-term sustainability and growth.

ACCOUNTABILITY:

The Executive Director will be accountable to the US-based Board of Directors. In the beginning, the Executive Director will work closely with the US Board, reporting weekly, to become oriented and learn more about the organization. He or she will also work closely with the Program Director and staff in Kenya and the Kenyan local advisory board. As time passes, it is expected that the Executive Director will work more independently. The Executive Director will assume leadership of the organization as the founder transitions to a board role by early 2017.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Ensure the efficiency of operations including but not limited to:

· Manage donor relations including personal contact with large individual and foundation donors, communications with all donors and maintenance of donor records. Develop new sources of funding.

· Create and implement strategies to strengthen the US and Kenyan Boards.

· Play a lead role in developing plans for strategic growth to increase Jitegemee’s impact and long-term sustainability.

· Help the organization tell its story to the world more effectively, in the press, on our website and social media.

· Ensure the implementation of the monitoring and evaluation systems that have been developed and pursue continual improvement in these systems.

· Generally oversee and engage Jitegemee’s Kenyan staff.

· Assist in the development of the annual budget, conduct financial oversight of Kenyan expenditures, and ensure that regular and timely financial records are created.

Given our reliance on volunteers in the US and the limited staff in Kenya and the small staff in Kenya, the Director must be willing to do some of these tasks him/herself as well as to engage and oversee board members, volunteers, staff etc. to accomplish these tasks.

QUALIFICATIONS:

1. Strong management, supervisory and administrative skills and experience.
2. Demonstrated effectiveness in fundraising.
3. Excellent written and oral communication skills.
4. Proven experience managing a full P&L and delivering performance on budget. Comfort with financial analysis and oversight.
5. Proven commitment to ending poverty, educating the less fortunate and uplifting disadvantaged communities in Africa or the developing world.
6. Bachelor's Degree (or higher) preferred.
7. Willingness and ability to travel between Kenya and the US at least twice a year.
8. Willingness to make a 2 year commitment.

*Knowledge of/interest in web design, HTML, CSS and Javascript a plus.

HOW TO APPLY:

Personal resume; three names and contacts information of references, including at least one recent work reference; a writing sample and answers to three questions. 1) Why are you interested in this position? 2) What previous experience do you bring to this job? 3) How does this position fit into your personal goals?

Please send materials electronically to: info@jitegemee.org by March 20, 2016.