Executive Director, Africa page is loaded Executive Director, Africa Apply locations Global Initiatives, South Africa time type Full time posted on Posted Today job requisition id R1545 How You’ll Contribute National Geographic Society (NGS), a non-profit organization, uses the power of science, exploration, education, and storytelling to illuminate and protect the wonder of our world. NGS is hiring an Executive Director for the Africa region. The Executive Director will act as NGS’s representative in the region, closely coordinating with leadership and staff at NGS headquarters in Washington, DC while growing the community of “Explorers” (recipients of NGS funding) across Africa. These Explorers are scientists, researchers, conservationists, educators, technologists or storytellers who share the stories that explain the world and all that is in it. The Executive Director, Africa has strategic and operational oversight for NGS across Africa, including strategy and program delivery, directing annual work plans, impact evaluation, budget oversight and partner development and management. Reporting to the VP, Global Explorer Network of National Geographic Society, and working directly with Disney South Africa leadership and her team, this strategic position will have primary responsibility for activating and growing the network of Explorers and partner institutions affiliated with National Geographic in Africa to advance NGS priorities and impact in the region. The Executive Director plays a leadership role within the broader Explorer Engagement division, leading the regional strategic recruitment and community engagement for National Geographic priorities. The position serves as primary liaison with Disney/National Geographic Partners (NGP) in Africa to create opportunities to engage the National Geographic Explorer community with regional and global media and other institutional priorities. The position will be employed through Globalization Partners and seconded to National Geographic Society and will be co-located in The Walt Disney Company (TWDC) Johannesburg, South Africa office. Candidates must be legally authorized to work in South Africa. Please submit a cover letter along with resume/CV. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered. Your Impact Responsibilities Include: Strategy Development and Execution (30%): Provide strategic insight and intelligence from across the Africa region to inform Society-wide strategy, goal development, and workplans. Directly contribute to the development of departmental and divisional mission and strategy. Develop and execute annual workplans, while maintaining a flexible approach that allows for adaptation as context shifts. Responsible for developing the annual workplan for the region, including explorer engagement activities, institutional partnerships and individualized explorer support plans for a portfolio of targeted explorers of high potential value to the Society. Lead strategy to adapt global NGS priorities to the Africa science, education and storytelling landscape. Ability to keep abreast of and quickly synthesize current events, important historical context, and relevant priorities facing the region in order to identify opportunities to leverage National Geographic engagement (Exhibits, Events, Communications, Explorer Engagement) to advance goals. Represent National Geographic Society in Africa with key scientific, conservation, education and storytelling constituencies, including academic conferences, thought-leader events and forums. Partner with Science and Innovation, Storytelling, Education, Exhibits and Events, Advancement, Communications, and other teams in DC to advance NGS priorities in explorer recruitment, programmatic outcomes, fundraising, and NGS brand representation in Africa. Disney/NGP Relationship (30%): Serve as Regional Representative for NGS with Disney in Africa . Identify priority departments in Disney, to effectively manage the relationship with the different teams that work with the brand. Develop and execute strategy for elevation of key Explorers and program priorities across Disney platforms to deliver on NGS’s mission to use the power of science, exploration, education and storytelling to illuminate and protect the wonder of our world. Lead relationship management with key, high-level Disney executives and stakeholders. Spearhead coordination around NGS enterprise moment planning, Focus Area prioritization, and other key initiatives to surface regional perspectives and share best practices to create impact in the region and to grow understanding at NGS headquarters of African current events and contexts. Continuously promote NGS’s mission and goals to inform, educate and collaborate with regional Disney stakeholders. Develop effective NGS engagement strategies with the priority Disney departments and facilitate relationship development between relevant NGS HQ staff and Disney staff. These Disney teams may include Leadership, Marketing, Ad Sales + Branding, Digital Editorial + Social Media, Communications/PR, Programing, Original productions, Travel/Expeditions, Live Events&Experiences (Exhibitions), NG Kids, Social Corporate Responsibility, among others. Explorer Recruitment, Relations and Management (30%): Deliver on our ambition to engage and strengthen National Geographic relationships with the most talented scientists, conservationists, educators and storytellers in Africa. Build and execute recruitment strategies in partnership with International, Program, and DEI teams. Monitor recruitment tactics in Salesforce to inform continued adaptation, delivering on our goals of diversifying our Explorer community. Lead regional reviews for NGS grants and awards and in coordination with Explorer Elevation for select external awards. Represent National Geographic Society in Africa with key scientific, conservation, education and storytelling constituencies, including academic conferences, thought-leader events and forums. Serve as a point of contact and advocate for a growing portfolio of Africa Explorers, accelerating their professional growth and project impact by stewarding opportunities for leadership development and enhanced connectivity with both National Geographic Society and regional media platforms. Steward the portfolio of explorer relationships in the region, in direct coordination with the Explorer Engagement and appropriate Program teams in DC and with Disney in Africa. Administration and Management (10%) Identify and contract hotel, catering, and other vendors for in-region events, in coordination with NGS Finance and Legal teams in DC, and in alignment with NGS policies Manage regional expenses and budget, in coordination with Finance and Accounting May include up to one supervisory role to manage (after successful first year) Minimum Years and Type of Experience 12+ years of work experience, preference in international grant-making organizations or NGOs serving science and/or storytelling communities in Africa. Experience working with subject-matter experts in Africa as part of grant-making, award or other institutional affiliation programs. Experience working with associations or other collaborative engagement models desired. Necessary Knowledge and Skills Demonstrated collaborative ability to work in team settings across cultures and internally within a diverse and dynamic institution Strong interpersonal skills, presence, and ability to effectively build strong relationships both internally and externally Able to manage multiple projects in both lead and supporting roles within a matrix-based organization Expertise in working with subject-matter experts and networks of experts Public speaking, presentation development and communication skills to a variety of audiences Reputation for high ethical standards and integrity, displaying diplomacy and tact at all times Microsoft Office, Google Suite, and experience or interest to learn CRM or other database management tools Experience working with or in at least 2 sub-regions across the continent English proficiency Desired Qualifications Proficiency in another language other than English (especially French, Portuguese, or Swahili) Experience working for or with international NGOs or organizations with a global footprint Supervision No Direct Reports Salary Information National Geographic Society offers a competitive and holistic total rewards package. Our compensation structure and transparent pay philosophy are based on industry-specific market data for similar sized nonprofit organizations. The salary range for this position is ZAR 2,707,596 - ZAR 3,196,468. Pay offered to candidates will be based on several factors including but not limited to industry-based or other relevant work experience, education, skills, certifications, and training. In addition, National Geographic Society offers a competitive and comprehensive benefits package that includes, but is not limited to, medical, dental, and vision insurance; engaging and comprehensive wellness program; 401(k) retirement savings plan with matching contributions after 6 months of employment; flexible paid time off benefits with up to 22 days of paid annual leave per calendar year (15 days for new hires in their first year, prorated based on the number of pay periods remaining in the year) and 10 days of sick leave; 12 paid holidays and a paid winter break between December 25 and 31; paid parental leave, adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement, fertility benefits; learning and development opportunities; Lifestyle Spending Account; pet adoption assistance and insurance; pre-tax transportation benefits with a generous employer subsidy; employer-paid life insurance and disability benefit; and a variety of National Geographic discounts and perks. Job Designation Remote - Our Remote designation includes staff who must work in another location in the U.S. or abroad, such as our regional leads for our Education and International teams or regional fundraisers in Advancement. Staff may also be designated as Remote by their supervisors (with approval by the Senior Team lead) because of their job duties, and are afforded this status when it is beneficial to NGS, their respective team, and the employee. Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States. This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship. W e encourage you to apply even if your experience is not a 100% match with the position. We are looking for someone with relevant skills and experience, not a checklist that exactly matches the job description. We want to help you grow and in return, you help us grow into a stronger, more inclusive organization. #J-18808-Ljbffr