Position Announcement: Executive Director

Position type: Full time
Location: New York, NY, USA
Salary: US $85,000 per annum
Reports to: Board of Directors
Deadline for Applications: January 24, 2016
Start date: March 1, 2016
PDF of job description 

About Asia Catalyst

Founded in 2006, Asia Catalyst builds strong civil society and advances the right to health for marginalized groups in Asia. We train leaders of community-based organizations to run effective, sustainable, and democratic organizations, and to conduct rigorous human rights research and advocacy. We are an independent organization that places the needs of marginalized communities at the center of national, regional, and international policy making.

We do this by providing capacity-building training and coaching to small community based organizations in Asia in organizational management skills, human rights documentation and advocacy, and by partnering with groups in the region to conduct research and advocacy to promote the right to health.

Asia Catalyst is a US based not for profit organization with offices in New York, Beijing and Bangkok, and an annual budget of US $1,200,000.

About the Executive Director

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director (ED) has overall strategic and operational responsibility for Asia Catalyst’s staff, programs, expansion, and execution of its mission in accordance with its core values. S/he will initially develop deep knowledge of the field, core programs, core values, operations, strategic plan and organizational timelines.

Responsibilities

Leadership and Management:

  • Ensure ongoing programmatic excellence, rigorous program evaluation, and consistent quality of finance and administration, fundraising, communications, and systems;
  • Develop, maintain and support a strong Board of Directors: serve as ex-officio of each committee, work with the Board to build involvement in strategic direction for program operations and growth;
  • Lead, coach, develop and retain Asia Catalyst’s senior management team;
  • Line manage development, communications and monitoring and evaluation staff;
  • Oversee growth of organization with headquarters in New York and offices in Beijing, China and Bangkok, Thailand.
  • Coordinate annual strategic planning to develop long-term goals for sustaining and development of programs; work with senior management team to establish plans to meet those goals; oversee drafting of annual organizational budget.

Fundraising and Representation:

  • Expand fundraising activities, including identifying new potential donors and existing donor relationships to support existing program operations and regional expansion;
  • Edit grant proposals and reports drafted by staff and ensure timely applications and reporting to donors; monitor progress of programs and ensure grant compliance;
  • Oversee financial controls: approve monthly financial reports and reports for donors, auditors and the board of directors; sign checks and review bank reconciliations;
  • Be an external local, national and global presence that publishes and communicates program results and advocacy impact;
  • Increase Asia Catalyst’s profile as a regionally-recognized resource on human rights and the right to health.

Qualifications

The ED will be deeply committed to Asia Catalyst’s mission. All candidates should have proven leadership, coaching, and relationship management experience. Other qualifications include:

  • Advanced degree with at least 10 years of senior management experience; track record of effectively leading a regional and/or global organization or program;
  • Talent and experience in fundraising from government, foundations, and individual donors;
  • Unwavering commitment to human rights principles; expertise in human rights law and international mechanisms;
  • Excellence in management with the ability to coach staff, manage and develop high-performance teams, set and achieve strategic objectives, and manage a budget;
  • Knowledge of Asia-Pacific region and experience living and working in the region;
  • Strong analytical skills and a quick study;
  • Strong public relations and public speaking experience with the ability to engage and motivate a wide range of stakeholders and cultures;
  • Outstanding written and verbal communication skills;
  • Knowledge of basic accounting protocols and ability to review finances with Director of Finance and Operations;
  • Action-oriented, entrepreneurial, adaptable, and innovative approach to planning;
  • Ability to work effectively in collaboration with diverse groups of people;
  • Passion, idealism, integrity, positive attitude, mission-driven and self-directed.

Full time members of staff at Asia Catalyst receive:

  • 15 days of paid vacation in their first year
  • Paid public holidays based on duty station
  • Comprehensive International Health Insurance
  • Concessions and allowances for work travel

Asia Catalyst is committed to diversity and equal opportunity: 

Asia Catalyst works in a wide range of cultural, ethnic, religious, linguistic and geographic contexts. The organization believes that Asia Catalyst can best advance the organization’s mission if staff members reflect as much as possible the tremendous diversity of the communities in which Asia Catalyst works.

Asia Catalyst is an equal opportunity employer, and actively attempts to recruit and maintain a diverse staff. Asia Catalyst does not discriminate based on a candidate’s age, sex, sexual orientation, gender (including gender identification), color, race, religion/creed, national origin, alienage, citizenship status, marital or partnership status, military status, domestic violence victim status, predisposing genetic characteristics, disability, or any other classification as provided by law.

Asia Catalyst encourages applications from members of the communities with which we work, including LGBT and gender non-conforming persons, persons with disabilities, persons living with HIV or hepatitis, persons who formerly used drugs or worked as sex workers, and persons from other marginalized groups.

Interested applicants should submit the following in English to be considered for this vacancy:

  • Cover letter indicating the position you are applying for, how you heard of this opening, and a summary of relevant experience and qualifications.
  • Résumé or CV
  • Unedited writing sample of no more than three pages

Please submit the requested items in one PDF or MS Word file to Brian Bonci at info@asiacatalyst.org. Zipped files will not be opened. Applicants that do not include all of the requested items will not be considered.

We will only contact applicants we wish to interview.