We are hiring: Chief Operating Officer

Amani Centre for Street Children (also known as Amani Children’s Home) is a leading children’s rights NGO in East Africa that combines grassroots, though highly professional, service delivery to street children with advocating for best practices at the national and international level. Amani reduces the number of children living on the streets in Tanzania by providing a nurturing place for them to heal, grow, and learn. Amani reunites children with their relatives when possible, equipping reunited families with the tools they need to help their children flourish.

Amani is a recognized national leader in promoting children’s rights, is regarded by the Government of Tanzania as a learning site for its social workers, and is a sub-grantee of USAID and UKAID projects. Amani won the “NGO Leadership Award” for Africa in 2016, which was received on its behalf by one of the UN Directors for Africa. Amani works with more than 800 (former) street children and youth.

Amani seeks a highly-qualified leader who excels in providing expert leadership to high-performing managers and teams as well as all aspects of internal business operations – including but not limited to high-level financial management, human resources, administration, and legal matters. The COO is a newly created position and will be the right hand to the Executive Director, playing a significant role in: shaping the further professionalism of Amani, ensuring the operational, financial, and HR infrastructure are of the highest quality; creating critical performance accountability measures; and ensuring staff empowerment, leadership development, and continued commitment to our mission. The COO will provide senior management support and operational cohesion across the organization, now located at sites in 3 different districts across the country.

Reporting directly to the ED, the COO will supervise two members of the Amani leadership team fully, and another five members of the Amani leadership team for part of their work.  The Executive Director and the COO will lead a total team of more than 100 staff, spread over 4 locations, and manage an annual operations budget of $1.2m US.

The successful candidate will be passionate about children and youth and deeply inspired by Amani’s mission. The new COO will first and foremost demonstrate the ability to uphold the financial and administrative soundness and integrity of the organization as it grows in revenue, programs, and related complexity. S/he will have experience successfully designing, implementing, evolving and optimizing both general support systems and complex financial management systems for a growing organization. Leadership experience and emotional intelligence in collaborating with internal and external stakeholders is crucial along with the ability to inspire and manage high-performing individuals and teams and foster a culture of curiosity, innovation, excellence, and purpose in which all staff can grow and thrive. This position is based at Amani’s headquarters in Moshi (a mid-size town in the north of Tanzania, close to Mount Kilimanjaro and Tanzania’s main Wildlife Parks), with regular travel to Amani’s sites in Arusha and Singida.

Roles and Responsibilities

Finance, Operations, and IT

• Supervise the creation and management of the organization budget. Provide expert strategic oversight of Amani’s finances, and create complex, organization-wide financial management systems for a growing organization
• Effectively communicate any issues and opportunities related to Finance to the ED and the Board.
• Ensure effective internal controls. Lead external and internal audits. Set up systems to streamline donor grant reporting.
• Logistical management of existing and future Amani Satellite Centers.
• Develop and implement plans for operational efficiencies of systems, processes, and personnel.
• IT and internet management.
• Develop and lead possible new construction projects.

Human Resources, Legal, and Administration

• Oversee Human Resources, including recruitment, development, and retention of high-performing senior officers for the organization.
• Provide effective coaching and staff development to further build the management capacity of internal leaders and their teams and promote a learning culture that supports professional growth.
• Ensuring that Amani complies with all relevant government rules and regulations governing NGO operations in Tanzania.
• Contract management, legal matters, and land- and property management.
• Management of the business elements in the USAID and UKAID programs.

Executive Leadership and Management Support

• Support Finance, HR, and Operations leaders to develop annual plans, including benchmarks, timelines, and the human and financial resources needed to achieve goals, proactively recommending and driving improvements as necessary.
• Public relations and communication with national stakeholders (related to the ‘business side’ of Amani’s operations), including operational relations with local and regional government authorities.
• Close collaboration with the Amani Executive Director, including co-managing Amani’s email correspondence.
• Be an active member of the Amani Senior Management Team.
• Serve as organizational decision-making authority in ED’s absence.
• Help to maintain and build Amani’s professionalism and dedicated/inspired culture.
• Ensure effective internal communications, innovation, and sharing of best business practices across the organization.

Qualifications

Strong candidates will offer a genuine passion for Amani’s mission and a track record of senior financial management and operations management skills and experience in a large (> 20 FTE) organization, preferably in the social-service sector.

Other desired qualifications include:

• Ten or more years of relevant work experience, including at least 5 years in a senior management position in a large for-profit / non-profit organization (>20 FTE).
• Clear record of achievement and high-level expertise in financial management, and managing / developing complex financial management systems.
• Demonstrated resourcefulness in setting priorities, change management, proposing new ways of creating efficiencies, and guiding investment in people and systems.
• An independent, confident leader who is comfortable supporting a deeply committed Executive Director.
• Exceptional interpersonal and communications skills, including the ability to work effectively with a broad range of stakeholders by building trust and effective, genuine relationships. Humor, integrity, charisma, patience, and a natural learning posture.
• Track record of success in working with government agencies at local and national levels.
• Excellent strategic planning and execution skills, including experience developing and implementing operational plans to fulfill a broader vision or mission.
• A results orientation and a commitment to accomplishing concrete outcomes.
• Proven cross-cultural competencies; international exposure being a distinct plus.
• Commitment to Amani’s aims and objectives. Mission-driven.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, hands-on, and rapidly changing environment.
• Full fluency in written and spoken English is a requirement. Swahili conversation skills are highly desired.
• Bachelor’s Degree required with an advanced degree in a related field (such as business administration or public administration) preferred.

Amani encourages all qualified candidates to apply, though preference will be given to Tanzanian nationals.

Amani offers the suitable candidate:

• A competitive salary (for East African NGOs) based on qualifications and experience, plus a secondary benefit package.
• A unique opportunity for impact and national leadership, alongside of a top-notch leadership team.

To apply, please submit a cover letter and CV/resume in English by email only to: careers@amanikids.org.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted, and will be requested to present diplomas, certificates, and testimonials. Kindly do not, therefore, send such documents until having been short-listed and invited for an interview.

The position will remain open until filled.