Full-Time Senior Vice President, Programs and Strategic Initiatives
Job Description
Position Description:
Senior Vice President of Programs and Strategic Initiatives
The Fistula Foundation, San Jose, CA
The opportunity:
Fistula Foundation (www.fistulafoundation.org) is hiring its first Senior Vice President of Programs and Strategic Initiatives–an exceptional leadership opportunity to join the senior executive team that will refine and implement our five-year strategic plan focusing on growth and impact across Africa and Asia. Our current budget is $8.5 million–4 times our 2009 budget–and last year we supported surgeries for 5,000 women, a ten-fold Increase. This is a unique opportunity to apply Finance, IT and Marketing talents, creativity, and analytical skills to support the delivery of life-changing surgeries for women.
About Fistula Foundation:
An estimated one million women in Africa and Asia suffer from obstetric fistula, a debilitating childbirth injury that leaves a woman incontinent and, as a result, often abandoned by her husband and shunned by her community. The only cure is surgery, which we deliver through on-the-ground partners in more than 20 countries including Ethiopia and Bangladesh. Quite simply, these surgeries change women’s lives—and their families’ lives–forever. In 2009, we reached approximately 500 women a year; by 2020, we’ll reach 8,000 a year.
We have the dynamism of a lean start-up team with the stability of a mature organization, including a $5M reserve. Our supporters love to share stories about how we’ve touched their lives, as seen in the 485 stories on GreatNonprofits.org. And we have 10 years of 4-star Charity Navigator ratings along with a consistent “A” from Charity Watch. We’ve earned the recognition of high-profile leaders, from two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, Nicholas Kristof, to Emmy-award winning Louis CK, who just won $50,000 for us on Jeopardy. Additionally, we have earned critical support from global leader Johnson & Johnson.
Position Overview:
The SVP of Programs and Strategic Initiatives, working closely with the CEO, Deputy Director, and VP Communications, will implement a five-year strategic plan to grow the Foundation’s field presence in Africa and Asia. We want to align our daily operations—from people management to fundraising management—with our organizational commitment to transparency and accountability.
The SVP will work directly with the CEO across all aspects of program activities, fundraising and administration. In addition, the SVP will focus on several new initiatives designed to enable the Foundation to accelerate its impact by 2020, serving 40% more women than we do now, and build the infrastructure to help eradicate fistula in the coming decades. Key Responsibilities of the SVP of Programs and Strategic Initiatives will include:
• Leading a transformative effort to strengthen our fundraising, grants management, and financial management systems, to increase efficiency as well as accountability to our donors. We’re not looking for a coder, but comfort with data sets and IT is vital.
• Working in partnership with the CEO to inspire foundation staff to bring to life our strategic plan. The strategic plan is designed to leverage foundation assets to build an even more effective and powerful organization, enabling more women to get life-transforming surgery.
• Assuming the role of chief liaison between field-based staff, hospital partners and our monitoring and evaluation team.
• Driving field readiness, including local adoption of organizational initiatives.
Candidate Profile:
The ideal candidate is a relentless problem-solver and systems thinker with both strong analytical and communications skills who is comfortable in a fast-paced, results-oriented team environment. Ideal candidates will have led roll-outs of new organization-wide systems, such as new technology initiatives across finance, fundraising, or operations. Top candidates must be creative and capable of leading change and developing processes and structures where none existed. We’re looking for the following skills and characteristics:
• Confidence and flexibility in leading, planning, and managing change.
• Experience in managing, guiding, and developing a professional staff with an emphasis on teamwork and teambuilding.
• Ability to work well within a multi-disciplinary team environment with high standards, integrity, and a sense of humor.
• Ability to generate respect and trust from staff and external constituencies.
• Excellent judgment, enthusiastic and entrepreneurial.
Professional Qualifications:
• Candidates will have at least seven to ten years of demonstrated success in developing, strengthening, and accelerating growth in an entrepreneurial organization, be it a social change organization or in the corporate sector.
• An advanced degree is preferred; a bachelor’s degree is required.
• Demonstrated experience building and implementing new systems, including experience working with the development of new technologies and product designers/programmers.
• Experience with database design and information management.
• Exceptional interpersonal, communication, public speaking and presentation skills.
• Experience living and working in the developing world is very desirable.
• Ability to travel internationally 15% of the time.
• Previous experience in women’s health, public health, or international development is a plus but not required.
Compensation, Benefits, and Culture:
The Fistula Foundation offers a comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance, a 403b match, and a generous vacation plan that begins in Year 1. We also offer a Competitive salary with potential for bonuses and increases based on performance.
Our team prioritizes initiative, productivity, and teamwork. We celebrate the successes of our team and our partners. We value creativity and passion for our mission, while encouraging our teammates to live healthy lives. We’re a dog-friendly office with weekly fruit delivery, paid gym memberships, and a supportive office culture.
How to Apply: Please send your résumé and a thoughtful cover letter that articulates your interest and qualifications for this position to:
Susannah Sallin, Search Consultant, [email protected]
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. We will respond to all applicants.
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