Job title: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Place of employment: Montreal
Term of office: 3-year contract (possibility to renew)
Application Deadline: January 15, 2021
CONTEXT
CECI (Centre d’Étude et de Coopération Internationale / Center for International Studies and Cooperation) is a Canadian non- profit organization founded in 1958, with the head office located in Montreal. CECI’s mission is to combat poverty, exclusion, and inequality by strengthening the development capacities of disadvantaged communities, by supporting initiatives for peace, human rights and equity, by mobilizing resources and promoting knowledge exchange. CECI works with a network of hundreds of partners who help improve the rights and living conditions of millions of people in Africa, Asia, and the Americas.
In recent years, CECI has been engaged in an organizational transformation process towards internationalization, which involves moving from a Canadian/Quebec organization with an international mandate to an organization with not only an international mandate, but also international governance. This major change will gradually lead to the incorporation of CECI in the countries where it works.
ROLE
The Executive Director is accountable to the Board of Directors for the integrity of CECI's mission, vision, values, and strategic orientations. It reports to the Board on CECI's performance and outreach worldwide and on the management of the organization's human and financial resources. The Executive Director works with the Board President to ensure that the Board of Directors perform their governance function.
The Executive Director provides leadership to the management team to ensure that CECI maintains innovative, inclusive, and results-oriented programming, sets appropriate objectives, manages its human and financial resources to achieve these objectives, takes the necessary steps to ensure the highest standards of performance, ethics, and regulatory compliance, and communicates effectively with employees and stakeholders.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Board of Directors and Membership:
- Participates in Board meetings without voting rights.
- Acts as Secretary of the Board and of the Corporation.
- Supports the President in the proper functioning of the Board and the Corporation (composition, information and participation of members, preparation and convening of meetings, follow-up of decisions, accountability).
- Works closely with the President to ensure best practices in governance.
- Makes recommendations to the Board regarding policies, orientations, planning and annual budgets.
- Reports to the Board on the implementation of corporate activities, programs, and policies.
- Provides the interface between the Board of Directors and the employees.
- Advises the Board in the facilitation of the membership.
Leadership and vision:
- Exercises a dynamic, informed and mobilizing leadership in monitoring trends and analyzing future opportunities for CECI.
- Facilitates an ongoing and participatory process of strategic reflection on CECI's future vision and orientations with members of the Board of Directors and the management team.
- Directs CECI's activities, programs, and services, through the management team, to pursue the organization's mission in accordance with its strategic orientations, policies, standards and organizational values.
- Assumes leadership of the organizational transformation process from a perspective of interdependence of the members of the CECI International Network, promoting adaptation to change in a constantly evolving context.
Representation and Outreach:
- Contributes to CECI's outreach, recognition and influence with governments, international aid institutions, the NGO community, and the public in Canada and in the countries where CECI works.
- Promotes CECI in the international cooperation community and in the community at large.
- Ensures public and financial support for CECI by maintaining strong ties with political authorities and the media.
- Participates with leadership in associations and coalitions that are of strategic interest to CECI.
- Establishes, in collaboration with its team, strategic relationships with major donors to adequately position CECI according to its objectives.
- Acts as CECI's main spokesperson.
Programs, Activities and Services:
- Ensures that the objectives of CECI's strategic framework are met and that annual priorities and results are defined, monitored, documented, and systematized.
- Promotes the improvement and growth of projects and programs through entrepreneurial thinking, particularly at the country office level, and innovation.
- Coordinates the search for funding from various Canadian and international partners. Ensures the growth of fundraising in Canada.
- Establishes operating principles that promote excellence and efficiency in global operations.
- Ensures that the activities are carried out smoothly to maintain the support of authorities, partners, funders and participants concerned with CECI's programs.
Management and Administration:
- Ensures, through the management team, the effective management of human, financial, material, and real estate resources; manages organizational risks and compliance with general regulations, institutional policies, the Code of Conduct and Rules of Ethics.
- Ensures the maintenance of a stimulating work environment and human resources management practices that foster commitment and adherence to CECI's values, performance, innovation, and adaptation to changes in the sector.
- Collaborates with the union representatives to maintain good labour relations.
- Ensures sound administrative, financial and information technology management systems, the application of internal control systems and financial risk management with the Financial and Administrative Services Department.
- Ensures effective internal communication with employees, both in Canada and in program countries, regarding the vision and strategic direction of the organization.
- Hires and supervises the management team according to the organizational structure approved by the Board of Directors. Obtains Board approval for senior management positions reporting directly to the Executive Director. Approves the hiring of other employees.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Undergraduate degree. Graduate degree an asset.
- Minimum of 10 years of experience in positions related to international development and project management.
- Good knowledge of the international cooperation environment (issues, aid policies, actors), its evolution and developing countries.
- Strong strategic management skills: vision, leadership of a management team, performance monitoring, creation, and maintenance of alliances.
- Demonstrated experience in communication and representation.
- Mastery of human and financial resources management principles.
- Great ability to be a change agent and to progress despite ambiguity.
- Adherence to CECI's values: equality between women and men, respect and humanism, diversity and inclusion, volunteerism, professionalism, pragmatism and flexibility, participatory and decentralized management.
- Perfect command of oral and written French and English. Spanish is an asset.
- Availability for occasional international travel.
How to apply: All interested candidates who meet the requirements should send a cover letter, explaining their reasons for applying for this position, along with an up-to-date resume (CV) to Servicerh@ceci.ca by January 15, 2021.
For more information about the organization and its activities, please visit www.ceci.ca
CECI is an equal opportunity employer. Persons who are members of visible minorities are encouraged to apply.
CECI will contact only the candidates selected for interview.