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SENIOR DIRECTOR FOR GLOBAL LEADERS PROGRAMS
THE SYNERGOS INSTITUTE

Explore Company has been retained by the Synergos Institute to recruit a motivated, creative and results-oriented leader to fill a newly created position, Senior Director for Global Leaders Programs. This person will help strategize on how best to use the networks Synergos currently has and to develop additional networks for the organization.

ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW

Synergos is a non-profit organization working to reduce poverty and promote equity and social justice for poor and marginalized communities around the world. During its 20 year history, Synergos has worked collaboratively with leaders and leading organizations in civil society, philanthropy, government and business to expand the opportunities and fair treatment for people who do not have full access to human rights, services to meet their basic human needs or the requisite circumstances to participate in civic affairs. Synergos is a capacity building organization that builds networks of change makers and encourages their collaborative initiatives, convenes and supports multi-sector partnerships and conducts and disseminates knowledge about partnerships aimed at making the systems changes that are needed to enhance the living conditions for underdeveloped communities.

Synergos hosts the Global Philanthropists Circle, a peer learning network for eminent social investors and the Synergos Senior Fellows Network, a group of accomplished and innovative social activists. Throughout its history, Synergos has also helped establish, strengthened and partnered with an informal network of major development actors from all three sectors. Synergos engages directly in a limited number of multi-sector partnerships and provides advice and counsel to many others. Synergos is also in the process of establishing a Knowledge Resource Center to provide educational materials, training and conferences about multi-sector partnerships.

In all of its work, Synergos seeks to bridge divides, bringing together people and organizations to change the circumstances that adversely affect communities of poverty. We always seek to do this in a sustainable way by empowering those most adversely affected by poverty and discrimination and by strengthening the ability of these communities to do what’s needed to change their circumstances on an ongoing basis.

Synergos is headquartered in New York and has offices on the U.S. – Mexican border, in Brazil, Southern Africa and India. Synergos’ board of directors and staff has experience working for NGO’s, government agencies, international organizations and businesses. The members of the staff are from more than a dozen countries and speak 16 languages.

For more information on Synergos, please review their website at www.synergos.org.

Senior Director for Global Leaders Programs

The Senior Director represents a great opportunity for an entrepreneurial, innovative and experienced development leader to exert significant influence on the design and activities of a set of global networks involving some of the most innovative and important individuals and entities committed to the reduction of poverty and the promotion of social justice. The position reports to the President and CEO and will be based in New York City. The broad responsibilities of this position are to:

• Build and support our existing networks (the GPC and the Senior Fellows), bringing the two networks closer together to promote collaboration between them and enabling them to better realize their own goals and interests.

• Design our offerings to help both groups initiate, lead, promote and participate in inclusive partnerships that enhance the quality of life and opportunities for poor and marginalized communities.

• Develop strategies to mobilize Synergos relationships with other NGOs, foundations, businesses and governmental entities working in the development field.

• Develop and lead strategies that help people deepen their understanding of themselves so they may be more effective in the role they play in promoting a more just society.

• Play a major role in contributing to the advancement of the development field.

• Serve as an external ambassador.

• Play a significant role in the senior leadership of Synergos Institute.

The Senior Director will work in close collaboration with the directors of Synergos’ other programs and the Board of Directors. This person will also be responsible for department planning, budgeting, staff/mentoring, resourcing and evaluation, as well as contributing to the overall advancement of the organization. The Global Networks Department has professional staff of approximately seven and a program budget of $2 million.

The Senior Director will lead the department in:

• Reviewing and implementing any changes needed to enhance the value of Synergos Networks and for its members and increasing the impact of the networks in reducing poverty and increasing equity.

• Helping network members enhance and improve their own poverty-related work through their network participation - engaging in joint programming to foster collaboration between the GPC and Senior Fellows networks.

• Connecting network members with others within the Synergos community to form and execute inclusive partnerships that address poverty and related challenges - developing the most effective ways for network members to connect with peers and with other stakeholders, enhancing their capacity as change makers.

• Providing opportunities for Network members to gain value from experiences of deep reflection about purpose and legacy - developing opportunities for Network members to enhance their collaborative leadership skills.

• Promoting networks inside and outside the organization by, among others, serving as a thought leader in this field, speaking and writing for appropriate audiences - creating other formal social networks, possibly one with corporate leaders.

• Raising resources to support Network activities - monitoring and evaluating network programs and activities, including external benchmarking and evaluation programs/opportunities.

• Overseeing the development and execution of Network resources and budgets – modeling organization values to support and enhance the organizations’ success and reputation

Professional Qualifications

The Senior Director will be called on to provide leadership and management in advancing the Global Networks Department’s overall international program agenda. This person must be creative, entrepreneurial and skilled in understanding and meeting the ever-evolving challenges facing the international development community. Moreover, the Senior Director should possess exceptional interpersonal skills to work effectively with Synergos’ colleagues as well as individuals in government, private sector, international institutions, public policy organizations, think tanks and academic institutions engaged in the international arena.

The Senior Director should ideally possess the following professional qualifications and personal attributes:

• Minimum of 10-15 years experience in senior leadership capacity at a multilateral organization, overseas development agency (ODA), foundation or civil society organization engaged in innovative and/or partnership-based approaches to international development and poverty alleviation. Candidates with relevant experience and skills from the corporate sector will be considered.

• Proven record of achievement in conceiving, brokering, financing and operating partnerships among government, business and/or civil society organizations.

• Successful record in raising funds from foundations, corporations, international agencies, governments and individuals.

• Experience or familiarity with group process facilitation, social technologies for partnership building, stakeholder mapping and analysis, dialogue and/or generative methods of problem solving.

• Respect within the field of international development, inter-sector collaboration and/or innovative approaches to social problem solving. Credible with leading multi-lateral agencies, international civil society organizations and donors.

• Experience living in a developing country context - fluency in English plus one other language.

• An advanced degree in social sciences, development economics, management, international development or related field.

• Undergraduate degree or its equivalent required. Master’s degree preferred.

Personal Attributes

• Exceptional ability to articulate and realize an inspired vision, to motivate others and to lead a high-caliber team of staff and external partners.

• Ability to succeed and thrive in a highly dynamic setting, to embrace risk and to take start-up projects from concept to lift-off to completion.

• Capacity to learn from experience, to adapt as needed, to co-generate new ideas, to listen, and to work with others to shape emerging futures.

• Natural talent for bridging differences, finding common ground and building relationships with people at all levels of society.

• Extraordinary capacity to communicate persuasively, orally and in writing, in a range of settings and media.

• Exemplifying personal integrity and leadership.

Compensation

Compensation for the Senior Director includes a competitive salary, employee and health benefits.

To Apply

Send resumes and cover letters in confidence to:

Daniel Sherman
President
Explore Company
resumes@explorecompany.com

The Synergos Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer
Visit www.synergos.org for more information about the organization.

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