Chief Executive Officer

ABOUT RefuSHE

RefuSHE protects, nurtures, educates, and empowers young refugee women in East Africa through a unique holistic model that provides shelter, education, case management, counseling, childcare, and vocational training.

For over 30 years, Kenya has experienced a protracted refugee crisis, and is host to two of the world’s largest refugee camps. To seek a better life, refugees often escape or bypass the camps altogether, and flee to urban centers like Nairobi. The journey is fraught with danger, especially for young women and girls who face threats of sexual exploitation, gender-based violence, and terrorism.

Coming from all over East Africa, RefuSHE serves the most vulnerable refugees – orphaned and separated refugee girls in Nairobi, Kenya. The young women in RefuSHE’s programs have been separated and orphaned due to war, conflict, violence, and terrorism.

RefuSHE’s holistic program meets these imminent threats head-on, providing protection, shelter and the highest standard of care for the most vulnerable of refugees – unaccompanied, separated and orphaned refugee girls.

Through their extensive work with refugee communities in East Africa, co-founders Anne Sweeney & Talyn Good saw that the most vulnerable refugees – separated and orphaned girls and young women – often fell through the gaps of protection and became invisible. Understanding the risk of exploitation and abuse facing refugee girls in Kenya and in their home countries, Anne & Talyn wanted to take action. They set out to create a one-of-a-kind community for young, refugee women to learn, grow, and become leaders in their own right.

In 2008, they launched RefuSHE in that vision. Anne & Talyn founded RefuSHE as an innovative solution within the global refugee crisis – an organization built on the principle that every young woman deserves opportunity.

Over a decade later, RefuSHE has served thousands of women, girls, children, and infants through our holistic model. We are the first and only organization dedicated to refugee girls in Kenya. RefuSHE’s programs have grown alongside the young women we serve, ensuring that our organization is for and by them.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of RefuSHE will provide outstanding leadership to the Kenya-based organization through effective management, strategic planning, organizational execution, and resource mobilization. The CEO will advance the organization’s growth and impact by strengthening existing and building out solid, robust, effective, and efficient structures, systems and strategies. The successful candidate will ensure a shared- values culture while equipping the team with the right knowledge competencies, and skills to fulfil the mission and execute the strategy.

This leader will be a visionary who can bring energy and commitment to achieve the mission while providing care and support to the most vulnerable, the refugees among us.

The CEO will report to the Board of Directors (in Kenya) and will oversee all core functions/teams, managing a growing team of 10+ people. This position is based in Nairobi, Kenya.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP & EXTERNAL ENGAGEMENT (RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT)

• Provide visionary leadership and co-ordinate the programs and activities of the organization.

• Serve as the principal spokesperson for the organization.

• Oversee engagement to deepen and refine all aspects of communications—from web presence to external relations— with the goal of creating a stronger brand.

• Build and utilize external presence and relationships to garner new opportunities.

• Strengthen RefuSHE’s presence by developing and maintaining strong relations with the government, stakeholders, collaborating institutions and the donor community for the promotion of good corporate image and support of the programs.

• In partnership with the Chief Investment and Resource Officer, mobilize resources and secure revenue generation opportunities that provide benefits to the members.

• Maintain relationships and identify implementing partners, donors, and thought partners to carry the organization into future decades through feasible and sustainable programmatic growth.

TEAM & ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURAL LEADERSHIP

• Cultivate corporate values and best practices in the organization to ensure the maintenance of high levels of personal and professional integrity.

• Assure a professional human resources management framework is in place and used by all staff. Ensure staff is delegated authority and is compensated commensurate with responsibilities.

• Motivate and inspire staff to fulfill their duties and the organization’s mission.

• Assure the human resources are managed in order to create a positive and productive work environment that meets all legal requirements.

• Work to establish a strong culture of trauma- informed care that resonates throughout the organization and to the participants we serve.

OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE & PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT (EXECUTION)

• Work in partnership with RefuSHE Inc’s Managing Director who leads RefuSHE’s headquarters and reports directly to the US Board of Directors to ensure strategy, programs, and activities align with the organization’s overall mission and vision

• Work in partnership with Managing Director to develop and recommend to both Board of Directors, in Kenya and the US the long, medium- and short- term strategic plans and annual business plans to meet specific performance targets

• Ensure the activities are in line with direction and policies agreed with both Board of Directors

• Ensure the organization complies with all the statutory requirements for the continuity of operations.

FISCAL STEWARDSHIP & ACCOUNTABILITY (GOOD GOVERNANCE)

• Develop and recommend to the Kenya Board of Directors Kenya’s operating budget/s that support the company’s strategy and business plans, ensure that Kenya’s operating budget stay within the budget set by headquarters (RefuSHE Inc. in the US) for Kenya operations.

• Work with the finance team to provide effective oversight of the organizations financial health, budget monitoring, and effective utilization of resources, ensure financial reporting and compliance meets the standards and policies set by RefuSHE Inc. (headquarters) as well as donors and any government entities where RefuSHE operates or receives funding from.

• Control organization resources and harmonize all functional activities (operations, finance, administration, programs) to maximize internal synergies for the achievement of the organization’s strategic goals.

• Assure effective communication with the board, members, staff and other stakeholders.

CANDIDATE’S PROFILE

RefuSHE seeks a strategic, dynamic, entrepreneurial, and performance-oriented executive capable of strategically and innovatively building a high-impact organization while delivering concrete results. The successful candidate will have at least ten years of professional experience, with a proven track record of developing strategy, mobilizing significant resources, and leading teams to achieve transformational impact. The ideal candidate will bring this experience from a mix of roles with non-profit, government, and/or business / private sector. To perform this role successfully, the individual must be able to meet the above principle responsibilities and other duties as potentially requested by the Board.

The ideal candidate will also have the following professional and personal skills, competencies, and characteristics in order to perform the essential functions of the role in leading this growing organization.

EXPERIENCE AND CAPABILITIES

• Leadership & operational management.

• Resource generation & mobilization.

• Fiscal management & budget development.

• Strategy & results orientation.

• Stakeholder management & representation.

• Sector specific knowledge.

• Cultural awareness & interpersonal humility.

• Analytical reasoning & emotional intelligence.

• Change management.

• Global perspective & political astuteness (handle highly sensitive diplomatic issues).

• Outstanding communication skills (solid command of the English language in verbal and written communication.

Bachelor’s degree is required. An advanced degree in a related field is preferred (e.g., Master’s degree in business, international development or related human service or public policy field; and/or relevant years of proven experience).

Kindly click on the link below for a full job description:

https://augustleadership.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/RefuSHE_CEO-position-profile-Mar22.pdf