We’re an international organisation, working with over 15 million people in 45 countries for a world free from poverty and injustice.
Our head office is in Johannesburg. We’re the only international development organisation with our head office based in Africa. We also have offices right across Asia, the Americas and Europe. We believe the people whose lives our work affects should decide how we’re run.
And that’s what makes us different. We help people use their own power to fight poverty and injustice. Because that’s how real change happens – for families, for communities, for whole societies.
Background
MS Training Center for Development Cooperation (TCDC) is an African, international capacity building institution located near Arusha in northern Tanzania. The center was established in 1967, the current premises opened in 1976.
TCDC is part of ActionAid Denmark (AADK) and as such, ActionAid International (AAI) but caters to a variety of civil society organisations, movements and networks based on the vision of “A Civil Society actively initiating, leading, sustaining and succeeding in popular struggles for a more just, democratic and sustainable world.”
TCDC’s mission is to build the capacity of leaders of present and tomorrow’s political struggles through:
- Training in democratic governance and leadership to enhance knowledge, skills and motivation/confidence for civic and political action, solidarity building and networking
- Providing a creative, open and safe space for networking, reflection, knowledge sharing, and organising individual and collective action for a more just democratic and sustainable world
- Innovative resource mobilisation approaches for sustaining capacity building for leaders of popular struggles
TCDC’s Executive Director will take the lead in further developing the center to becoming a Pan African Leadership Development Centre and actively support efforts and ambitions to foster an “African People’s University” as part of the Africans Rising Network currently being established.
TCDC’s program portfolio includes a large number of training courses within Leadership, Governance, Programme and Project Management as well as an Intercultural Program with Kiswahili as the core element. All training courses can be customised to suit clients’ and partners’ needs and can be offered at the center or other location. TCDC also offers Bachelor and Master programmes on Leadership, Governance, and Development. More about courses here.
TCDC is engaged in a larger number of long term partnerships based on training and learning interventions and processes, project implementation, as well as consultancies. Partners include national and international civil society organisations, movements and networks as well as universities, higher education institutes, and others.
In addition, TCDC is in great demand as a convening center for conferences, seminars, workshops, and meetings. More about facilities here.
TCDC’s structure includes three divisions: Training, Operations, and Partnership and Convening. There is a total permanent staff of around 45 and more than 50 associate trainers. Many support functions are carried out by external service providers, e.g. transport and house-keeping.
For more information, you can visit TCDC home page.
The Position
The Executive Director is overall responsible for leading and managing TCDC and reports to a body composed by ActionAid Danmark leadership representation and other relevant stakeholders i.e. ActionAidInternational.
Starting date: 1st of January 2017 or as soon as possible.
The position is offered under AA DK’s international terms and conditions with a fixed term contract for 3 years with the possibility of extension of another 2 years.
Main Responsibilities and Tasks
The Executive Director is responsible for the overall leadership, management and development of TCDC. Tasks are carried out in close consultation and coordination with the center’s Leadership Team, Management Forum, staff and relevant AA federation stakeholders. Areas of responsibility for the position include:
On the strategic level:
- Develop a new long term TCDC strategy, aligned with AAI and AADK strategies and in sync with the current strategy development processes, taking into consideration that 2017 is seen as a year of strategic transition
- Build a collaborative and strategic relationship with the Africans Rising initiative
- Further develop existing partnerships with development organisations, movements, colleges, higher education institutions and other relevant partners; and provide a breeding ground for new partnerships in harmony with TCDC’s mission and strategic direction and in accordance with financial sustainability requirements
- Participate actively in tripartite discussions and efforts with AADK and AAI targeting an organisational development contributing to consolidating and further developing capacities for training and learning within ActionAid as a whole, guided by the AA Learning Framework
- In close consultation with AADK and AAI develop and supervise the roll-out of a comprehensive resource mobilisation strategy
Communication and Visibility:
- Promote good relations and dialogue with local and national authorities, development partners, media, pertinent organisations and movements
- Ensure AADK, AAI, development partners and other strategic stakeholders are kept fully informed on the condition of the organisation and all important factors influencing it
- Ensure the dissemination of targeted information on TCDC’s mission and vision, strategies, portfolio of programs, partnerships, and convening capacity
- Represent TCDC in all relevant fora and in relation to the general public.
Management
- Ensure that TCDC operates in compliance with the Government Agreement between Denmark and Tanzania and with any pertinent legislation, regulations, and rules incl. AADK’s/AAI’s policies
- Provide overall leadership and management based on participation, inclusion, dialogue and transparency
- Stimulate a culture of highly motivated & committed people, professionalism, cooperation and accountability in the whole organisation at all levels
- Implement/realise the strategy by designing the organisation and guiding, coordinating and delegating tasks and responsibilities through leadership team meetings and the TCDC management forum
- Support the Directors of Operations, Training, and Partnership & Convening – respectively – to execute the TCDC strategies, and guide and supervise middle managers and staff
- Initiate and supervise TCDC’s programme development in accordance with changes in the organisation and in the external environment, e.g. developments and trends in leadership of progressive civil society organisations, movements and networks as well as AA countries’ needs
- Oversee financial management and budgeting procedures in close cooperation with the Director of Operations
- Oversee HR management of staff employed by TCDC in close cooperation with the Directors i.e. Director of Operations; the Executive Director has the overall employment and disciplinary authority of these staff and has the overall responsibility for safety or security issues
- Ensure adequate reporting as prescribed by ActionAid Denmark, development partners and other stakeholders
- Ensure strong linkages and collaboration with other capacity building initiatives within and outside ActionAid in Africa and globally
- Build and maintain relations with government institutions in Tanzania and other parties relevant to the mission and vision of TCDC
- Liaise closely with the Leadership Team in ActionAid Denmark as well as the relevant Learning and Capacity Development structures/bodies in AAI
Fundraising
- Ensure the development of a funding strategy for TCDC; including donor scoping, development of high quality proposals and ensuring effective implementation and reporting of externally funded proposals
- Build strategic relationship with potential official aid agencies, foundations and other high value donors
- Ensure that fundraising initiatives are coordinated with AADK Fundraising task force and AAI fundraising
Profile – Qualifications
Professional Qualifications Required:
- A Master Degree in social science or other relevant field
- Minimum 10 years working experience of which at least 5 years in a management position incl. people management – preferably with responsibility of middle managers
- Solid experience in and sound knowledge of governance, leadership, accountability and progressive civil society and social movements
- Robust experience in strategy development and training management
- Proven strategic, analytical and problem solving skills
- Comprehensive working experience from an African context
- Strong relations with civil society networks in Africa and globally
- Fluency in English. Proficiency in Kiswahili will be an advantage.
Personal Qualifications:
- Strong intercultural and social competencies
- Team player but able to work, act and decide independently
- Results oriented with strong analytical skills
- Good sense of diplomacy, flexible and adaptive
- Inspiring and inspired by meeting people
- Strong communication skills
- Able to demonstrate differentiated leadership styles
AADK offers
A three-year position (with possibility of a two-year extension) based in Tanzania – Arusha at TCDC.
A basic salary under AADK international terms and conditions – grade F, relocation and education allowance when relevant. Housing is provided by TCDC.
ActionAid is a vibrant organisation with high committed and professional people.Application
Closing date for application: 30th October.
First interviews: 7th to 9th November probably at AAI office in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Second interviews: 17th & 18th November at AADK office in Copenhagen, Denmark
Start date: 1st January 2017 or as soon as possible.
For further information about the job, please contact Jakob Kirkemann Boesen, International Director at AADK, ; for further information about terms & conditions, please contact Pierre Vernet, head of HROD, .
As we only accept applications submitted through our online recruitment system, please use the link below.https://candidate.hr-manager.net/ApplicationInit.aspx?cid=354&ProjectId=181320&DepartmentId=11133&SkipAdvertisement=true