Job
description
We are looking for a
captain of our ship! The position is located in either Uganda or Ethiopia (or
possibly between the two at times). We are growing and will structure the team
based on individuals that apply to join us which is why we are explaining both
posts together:
Uganda: SW Uganda by Bwindi
Impen
etrable National Park
Ethiopia: SW Ethiopia, South Omo,
Hamar Tribe
This is a unique
opportunity for bright, self-motivated and enterprising individuals to join a
dynamic organisation facilitating tailor-made volunteer programmes in Africa
and supporting the execution of long-term conservation and development
objectives. The Bigger Picture Manager heads up everything we do on site and
drives its growth – with the help of an awesome team.
This adventurous and
rewarding position is located in a remote rural undeveloped community. They are
truly incredible and beautiful places, challenging at times, but the
communities we live and work with are warm and hospitable. You certainly need
to be ready and willing to work productively and calmly against occasional
power-limitations and internet challenges (!), local rules and ways of doing
things, within a different pace and enjoying immersing in and learning from
different cultures.
We only want to hear
from very passionate fun people with a genuine drive to help us strengthen our
operations, develop our model and create sustainable impact for our volunteers,
the local community and the conservation areas we support. We’re looking for
someone who’s excellent with people from all walks from life, can make friends
with individuals from a remote tribe to top government officials to the MD of
Coca Cola, loves seeing the bigger picture and all the ideas that come with it,
and is up for running a tight ship on a long voyage.
Overall
goals of position
- Manage
and empower the local Big Beyond team (approx. 6 – 14 people depending on
location) to consistently deliver well-organised bespoke full-board
volunteer experiences and produce maximum local benefit - Project
manage our involvement in local conservation and development initiatives
and ensure volunteers are working in line with Big Beyond goals and
philosophy - Help
creatively design high impact skills-based volunteer programmes to match
individual volunteer skills and interests, with the needs of the local
projects - Develop
and enrich projects, volunteer opportunities and overall impact - Maintain
and develop local partnerships and relations - Help
grow the contribution your project site adds to the overall business - Steer
relevant volunteer recruitment, support the marketing department in
achieving this and manage our social media presence for your site - Manage
impact evaluation for all projects and create necessary reports - Identify
opportunities to fundraise for the Big Beyond Foundation either locally or
internationally
Tasks
Volunteers and Team
Management
- Manage
and empower the local Big Beyond team to consistently deliver
well-organised skills-based volunteer experiences and produce maximum
local benefit - Creatively
design and manage individual bespoke volunteer programmes for maximum
impact - Manage
team contracts, calculate pay, track leave days and manage any
disciplinary issues - Ensure
you have the right number of people to run your projects and operations
being mindful of peak months - Identify
opportunities to develop our people - Make
decisions on how to implement improvements based on volunteer/community
feedback - Responsible
for managing emergency situations and volunteer issues - Ensure
the Volunteer Experience Coordinator (VEC) is managing and exceeding
volunteer expectations
Projects
- Project
manage our involvement in local conservation and development initiatives
and ensure volunteers are working in line with Big Beyond goals and
philosophy - Ensure
the continuity of projects and handover between volunteers, including any
documentation - Design
the weekly schedule of volunteer activities with your team - Use
volunteers effectively across projects - Run the
orientation programme for new volunteers and educate about the goals of
the project - Conduct
arrival, weekly and exit consultations with volunteers - Lead
weekly team brainstorms and updates with volunteers and Big Beyond project
coordinators - Identify,
initiate and coordinate new opportunities in the community that help us
progress towards our bigger picture goals and ensure a sustainable
approach, enriching projects and volunteer opportunities - Chair
occasional community-project meetings - Ensure
good communication within the community about opportunities through Big
Beyond and closely liaise with your local Project Manager (PM) to
implement this - Manage
major issues with project partners or community members with the PM - Collect
and analyse all feedback from the team to inform project developments and
address any issues that may arise - Maintain
an accessible internal central information system across all projects
containing any data and project progress notes - Maintain
and develop excellent relations with associated Government departments and
provide necessary reports - Build a
positive reputation for Big Beyond in-country and globally through
supporting the marketing department and advising on skills / projects in
demand - Contribute
to the overall strategy for Big Beyond as it grows
Operations and
Finance
- Manage
budgets and provide monthly reports to HQ - Manage
and nurture relationships with landlords - Ensure
your assets are managed and looked after e.g vehicles and laptops - Ensure
Big Beyond is functioning legally and in-line with labour departments’
requirements - Manage
and oversee petty cash detail and completion of ‘Expense Tracker’ for the
finance department - Manage
all cash on site as well as payments to others and monies owed to the
company - Manage
and work with external book keeper who is responsible for bank accounts,
book-keeping and returns all financial records, staff wages and certain
bill payments - Oversee
volunteer accommodation and hospitality management
Essential skills and
characteristics:
- A
minimum of 4 years working within a team environment, preferably as a
manager or a leader - Work
experience in development isn’t essential, but highly valued, although
experience of Africa is beneficial - A
strategic mind is important, excellent leadership skills and drive to
achieve positive changes - Self-motivated,
flexible, independent, adaptable and adventurous - An
excellent communicator and a natural leader - The
ability to respect and work with different cultures - Good
organisational and management skills - Analytical
and able to produce written reports on project impact to different
stakeholders - Entrepreneurial
flair - Positive,
ambitious and passionate - Reliable
and hard-working - Thick-skinned!
(this is remote undeveloped Africa and you’re working on a relatively new
concept beyond financial handouts) - Aspirational
with ambition to grow with the company
Package
Salary:up to $850 pcm (salary
review after 6 months) – plus accommodation and food provided
Bonus:Performance bonus of up to
10% of salary at end of year
Insurance: Travel insurance
contribution up to $500 p/a
Length of
commitment:
1 year contract – extendable
Flights: All international flights
will be organised and paid for by yourself – we will collect you from the
airport and transport you to your project site.
Application
deadline: March 25th 2015 – position starting April 2015
Please do not
apply if you have to give you current position any more than 4 weeks notice.
How
to apply
Please send
your CV and covering letter to
amy@bigbeyond.org