Grassroot Soccer Recent Available Employment Opportunity

Grassroot Soccer is a nonprofit organization and adolescent health organization that leverages the power of soccer to educate, inspire, and mobilize youth in developing countries to overcome their greatest health challenges, live healthier, more productive lives, and be agents for change in their communities. Grassroot Soccer South Africa (GRS SA) was founded as a local affiliate of GRS Inc. in 2006.

It is registered as an NPO with a local Board of Directors. GRS SA has an annual budget of R30 million and operates in 6 provinces in South Africa, directly implementing programmes in 3 provinces (Gauteng, Western Cape, Mpumulanga) and working in partnership with other implementing organisations in 3 other provinces (Kwazulu Natal, Northwest, Free State).

 

Job Title: Managing Director
Location: Johannesburg
Reports to: Regional Director, Southern Africa

Responsibilities:

The purpose ofthe position is to work collaboratively with GRS senior leadership in building, leading, and directing the impact team to contribute to the GRS global mission and 5 Year Strategic Plan.The Managing Director (MD) Grassroot Soccer (GRS) South Africa is also responsible for programme delivery, operations, and impact demonstration in South Africa and holds a critical position on the Grassroot Soccer Global Senior Management Team (SMT). The Managing Director works collaboratively with GRS senior leadership in building, leading, and directing her/his impact team to contribute to Grassroot Soccer’s global mission and 5 Year Strategic Plan.

 

1. Programme Delivery and Excellence

• The MD is ultimately responsible for building a team that can deliver excellent programmes in line with her/his country strategy and Grassroot Soccer’s 5 Year Plan
• This will require the MD to closely monitor and ensure programme quality and demonstrate fluency in routine programme monitoring, evaluation, research, and grant management
• The MD must build a team that can deliver excellence in all modes of GRS programme implementation:
• Direct through GRS staff and Coaches
• In consortium with partners
• Indirect through GRS implementing partners
• The MD must be aware of and adhere to grant and project requirements in line with donor expectations, coordinating closely with the Global Business Development team
• The MD should drive programme improvement through periodic reviews of routine monitoring data, research, and evaluations (internal and external)
• The MD must work closely with the GRS Functional teams (Business Development, Monitoring & Evaluation, Curriculum, Partnering Strategy, Marketing & Communications) to ensure organisational strategy, evidence-based practices, research findings, and lessons learned are documented, applied, and tracked for programme improvements, effective grant management, organisational learning, and achievement of impact

2. Operations, Financial Management, and Human Resources

• The MD must ensure strategic, efficient and fiscally responsible use of organisational resources for optimal impact and sustainability
• Develop and effectively implement annual strategic workplans with input from Global Functional Teams, the approval of the Regional Director, and adherence to organisational policies
• Develop, seek approval for, and implement annual budgets in accordance with grant commitments, Global and national strategies and priorities, with the approval of the Global Finance team
• Recruit, mentor, and retain a high-quality team to support key organisational functions: programmes/grant management, finance, monitoring & evaluation, and business and partnership development
• Drive a performance-based culture of excellence and accountability
• Oversee maintenance and implementation of policies that represent best practice and align to local laws, legal frameworks, and regulations, including those related to child protection, gender equity, and sexual harassment. Ensure these policies are documented and kept up to date, with support from the Global Director of Operations
• Manage GRS SA’s local registration and governance, including adherence to local board development and management requirements

3. External Relations, Partnership Cultivation, and Business Development

• Develop and implement national strategies for government influence, integration, and adoption of GRS programmes and/or approach
• Cultivate and manage relationships with government agencies, INGOs, CBO/FBO, research institutions, UN agencies, and other international development partners to explore and build a pipeline of strategic partnerships and new business
• Work collaboratively with the Global Business Development and Partnering Strategy teams to assess and respond to relevant funding and partnership opportunities (Go-No-Go decision-making)
• Promote and operationalize showcasing opportunities with support and input from the Partnering Strategy, Fundraising and Business Development teams for high priority donors and partners
• Contribute to and inform national strategies through the generation and dissemination of strategic information
• Maintain excellent relationships with high value donors, partners, businesses, and other relevant stakeholders.
• Uphold GRS’s excellent reputation and manage reputational risk by proactive gap analysis, risk identification, and escalation to appropriate teams for mitigation planning and support
• Ensure simultaneous alignment of Grassroot Soccer’s global and national or sub-national strategies and priorities through frequent reporting on trends and demands from national-level stakeholders
• Represent GRS at global, national, and local events and be able to speak on behalf of the organisation as a whole

Qualifications:

• 10+ years managing programmes and/or operations in a national or multinational nonprofit
• At least 5+ years in a senior management position
• Experience overseeing implementation of organisational or programme budgets of at least R15 million annually
• Demonstrated experience working with a range of different stakeholders (e.g. global headquarters, prime partners, ministry officials, local boards and programme teams)
• Willingness and ability to travel (approximately 30% of time)
• Excellent written and oral English communication skills
• Ideal candidate should have exceptional skills in the following:
• Inspiring and leading teams while holding them accountable for results
• Proactively managing programmes and projects and ensuring challenges are attended to before they become problems
• Managing change and complexity in a growing organisation
• Building relationships with wide range of staff and partners, and operating within diverse social and cultural contexts, often virtually, over multiple continents and time zones
• Communicating effectively, both oral and written, with wide range of external and internal stakeholders (e.g. Ambassadors, Ministers, Civil Society leaders, board members, senior leadership, staff, young people)
• Ability to see and tell stories from numbers in budgets and programme data
• Maintaining oversight over a large range of programmes, projects, and partnerships while ensuring effective prioritisation of time and effort
• Ideal candidate should demonstrate the following traits:
• Day to day, they are….
• Proactive: can anticipate both opportunities and obstacles and take action
• Professional: level-headed; ability to de-escalate difficult situations, behave exceptionally, and manage/minimize distractions
• Problem Solvers: comfortable with ambiguity, can creatively unlock bottlenecks and turn problems into opportunities
• …they demonstrate lots of…
• Common Sense: prioritizing the right things at the right time; making good, quick, informed decisions balancing multiple issues and points of view
• Self-awareness: know where one’s blind spots are, recognize differences, and build a team to complement one’s skills and weaknesses
• …and a strong bias for…
• Follow-through and Outcomes: deliver results, not just create lots of activity
• Treating People Well: empathetic, kind, great listener, yet can make tough decisions and hold oneself/others accountable

To apply

Please submit a CV and cover letter to [email protected].  Title the email “Managing Director SA”. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Application Deadline: Saturday, 31 August, 2019