Job
description
All Across Africa
(AAA) is a development organization with operations in Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi
and Kenya. AAA believes sustainable jobs that pay a living wage are the answer
to poverty. AAA works to effectively create market-driven employment
opportunities for impoverished people.
Most of the world’s
poor are living in rural areas, representing the largest and most uniform group
of poor people in the world. Instead of giving handouts, AAA invests in serving
rural artisans to generate a permanent gain in family income. We provide
artisans with a “market bundle” that includes education, finance,
materials, and market access. Our program has a proven track-record – every
year, we export thousands of products to the US market and measure more than
100% average gain in beneficiary income. We have an intense focus on generating
better lives for the people that we serve.
Currently, in
Rwanda, we employ over 3,000 East African producers who create beautiful
handmade, high-quality products. Managing both the production and the market
give us a competitive edge that allows us to sell the tens of thousands of
handmade products.
The Rwanda Country
Director position is directly responsible for the success of Rwanda’s operation
– including the training and employment of thousands of rural artisans and
rural unemployed youth and the opportunity for thousands to connect with an
international market.
Job
Description
All Across Africa is
seeking a full-time professional to lead the fast-paced, high production
operation and team in our Rwanda office. In this role, the Country Director
will be leading the overall activities of the organization and 10 current staff
members. Additionally this position will be leading and supporting all aspects
of the country’s operations including program implementation and production.
AAA is looking for a highly talented individual that will use strong and
energetic leadership and management skills to create life-giving opportunities
for impoverished men and women.
This position will
involve working with and developing the staff and shaping them into a cohesive
team, creating goals, providing direction, utilizing creative thinking, and
demonstrating good judgment and decision making. This individual will support
the ongoing development of staff and programs in collaboration with our East
African Country Directors.
Duties &
Responsibilities
- Create,
implement and oversee new and existing large scale employment programs - Hire
and lead effective teams to implement and manage large scale production
programs (employing 2-4,000 producers) - Lead
and encourage all field staff and country staff to strive to do their job
effectively - Manage
budgets, oversee cost accounting and weekly reporting for accounting staff
- Implement
production teams and systems for new product designs and seasonal lines –
scaling production up to produce 1,000-3,000 handmade units per program
weekly - Lead
staff, cooperatives and village producers to create new sample products for
US buyer meetings - Estimate
production and delivery costs for each product and create cost-efficient
supply chains - Teach
and manage field staff to create production systems for new product lines - Manage
quality controls and train staff in quality control for large market buys - Strengthen
production and capacity of hand-crafted products and groups and diversify
the skills and development of cooperative group members - Remove
bottlenecks and create operational efficiencies for timely delivery of
products - Implement
training programs to improve each producing group’s overall success - Responsible
for negotiate pricing for raw goods, managing transportation of products,
and all local and international shipping and receiving - Travel
by bus, car or plane to various locations in the East African region
(Bujumbura, Nairobi, Kampala) to find materials, meet suppliers and
cooperatives, and participate in our other country programs
Required
Skills & Experience
- Strong
work experience. University degree and 5-6 years of direct leadership
experience in an fast-paced organization (e.g. starting a field program in
a developing country for an (I)NGO, starting a business, etc.). - Must be
able to relocate to Rwanda and begin the position by February 15, 2013 - Must be
energetic, independent, self-motivated individual with a solutions based
approach - Must be
creative problem solver who can thrive with limited resources and changing
environments - Must
have excellent communication and organizational skills - Must be
passionate and committed to changing lives of men and women in Africa - Must be
able to accommodate a heavy travel schedule and be able to live full time
in Kigali, Rwanda - French
and Kinyawanda languages are a plus
- Humility
and personal stability. We have a fantastic and likeable team. We are
looking for passionate professionals that combine strong leadership skills
with good humor, patience, and a humble approach to service - Passion
for beautiful products and experience working with artisans are desirable.
How
to apply
Click here to apply:
https://allacrossafrica.wufoo.com/forms/rwanda-country-director/
