Executive Director (vervuld)

CLOSED

CLOSED Since 2007, North Star Alliance has been committed to bringing high quality health services to mobile populations, through building a network of public-private partnerships and investing in sustainable practices.

As more and more people cross borders for work, recreation or safety, the risk of disease spreading from country to country grows. In sub-Saharan Africa studies have shown that people on the move, like truck drivers, play a pivotal role in the spread of disease, and their health is intertwined with that of sex workers and other people living in remote roadside communities. With their mobility impacting their ability to access health services, North Star thought: if they can’t get to health care, then health care needs to get to them.

Over the past nine years, North Star has grown from a small group of people with a good idea, to a mid-sized dynamic organisation with 36 clinics operating across 13 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, having provided more than one million hard-to-reach people with essential health services. In this period, North Star worked with more than 70 public and private partners. Built on a foundation of four core values; People Matter, Integrity, Quality and Entrepreneurial Spirit, the organisation has regional offices in Nairobi, Kenya and Durban, South Africa, while the Head Office operates from Utrecht, the Netherlands.

North Star’s innovative model of care is proven, and it works, with the organisation standing on the edge of its next phase of growth. For this stage, the development of key factors needs to be addressed, including client reach, diversification of services, enhanced quality, geographical expansion, increase in impact and overall sustainability.

The Executive Director
- Has final executive responsibility
- Leads a board of directors that gives direction to the regional business (currently two regional directors)
- Directs office staff of the central office in Utrecht
- Reports to and is supported by the Supervisory Board

General characteristics of the Executive Director North Star Alliance

- The Executive Director is an inspirational leader and manager that helps North Star Alliance to grow and develop further into the next phase of the organisation.
- The leadership style is participative: (s)he meets and hears before making decisions.
- (s)he is used to deal with a wide diversity of people. (S)he is able to maintain good relationship with the medical staff in clinics.
- His/ her is communication is open and arguments are persuasive.
- The Executive Director has a broad orientation, but above all is interested in people.

Functional requirements, key activities, accountabilities

The Executive Director’s main strategic objectives are:

Strengthening of research and development, in order to support the expansion and improvement of health services
Strengthening and diversification of the donor base and funding sources

Externally:
- Expansion of North Star in Central and West Africa and potentially to other geographic areas
- Focused networking and expansion of donor base
- Visibility of North Star through strategic communication

Internally:
- Alignment between regional and Utrecht organisation
- Alignment between Utrecht Supervisory board and regional Advisory boards
- A clear planning and accountability cycle
- Organizational efficiency, integrity and transparency
- Appropriate duty of care to staff: especially for those who are vulnerable in the front office of their daily work.

Knowledge, skills and competences

- Academic level; fluent in English; speaking French is a plus
- Demonstrable experience in strategy formulation and implementation of innovative operational solutions.
- Demonstrable leadership capacity
- Background in corporate environment and interest in social enterprise.
- Demonstrable experience or affinity with Public Health
- International work experience and cultural sensitivity
- Managerial experience, including risk management
- Excellent presentation and communication skills
- Track record in acquisition/fundraising

Working conditions

- The position is located in the Netherlands (Utrecht)
- Willingness to travel internationally ; 25% mostly international travelling time

What North Star offers

- Dynamic international team and working environment
- Opportunity for growth and personal development
- Based on the candidate’s experience, maximum €100.000 a year
- Initial appointment for one year, after that permanent contract.
- Secondary benefits, including employer’s social premium contribution, contribution to pension scheme, holidays, relocation and travel allowance, if applicable.