Executive Director – Fair Cobalt Alliance
UK or DRC
The Impact Facility for Sustainable Mining Communities
The Impact Facility for Sustainable Mining Communities is recruiting an experienced individual for the position of Executive Director of the Fair Cobalt Alliance (FCA). The FCA is a multi-stakeholder initiative managed by The Impact Facility as its permanent secretariat, launched in 2020. The FCA was set up to provide a meaningful response to reports of child labour and human rights challenges associated with artisanal cobalt mining in the DR Congo. As an action platform, FCA implements a series of interventions designed to address the root causes of child labour and upend hazardous working conditions associated with the artisanal production of cobalt in the DR Congo.
We implement activities through partnerships with local organisations on the ground, coordinated and supported by our local team based in Kolwezi. The FCA is managed through a lean management team reporting to the FCA’s Steering Committee, comprising representatives of current FCA members. Our members are organisations across and along the cobalt supply chain, including both civil society actors and private sector players, from industrial miners to refiners, to consumer electronics, battery, and EV manufacturers. You can learn more about the FCA on our website: www.faircobaltalliance.org
THE ROLE
The Impact Facility is seeking a highly accomplished and passionate individual with ability to manage multi-stakeholder initiatives; experience with multi-faceted, complex international programmes; member recruitment and resource mobilisation; and a good understanding of public relations and sustainable natural resource management to fill a permanent position as Managing Director of the FCA (32 -40h a week), starting as soon as possible.
We have offices in Kolwezi in the DR Congo, Gloucestershire in the UK, and Nairobi, Kenya, but are used to facilitating remote work. As Executive Director, you will preferably be based in Kinshasa, DRC, or the UK, but we are open to considering alternative arrangements. If located outside of DR Congo, you will be required to travel to the DR Congo several times a year as well as within Europe and possibly the US, for supply chain stakeholder engagements.
Your main responsibilities will include all aspects and stakeholder engagement of a multi-pronged programme designed to remediate child labour, professionalize conditions on artisanal mining sites through on-site investments, and increase household incomes and financial resilience in Lualaba and Haute-Katanga provinces. This will include you being:
* Responsible for the full FCA programme, budget management & reporting (4 pillars);
* Responsible for developing, maintaining & articulating of 3–5-year FCA strategy;
* Responsible for managing engagement with the FCA Steering Committee, and wider FCA membership, as well as the advisory board;
* Lead the FCA fundraising strategy development and implementation, together with the Director of Partnerships & Innovation
* Support the recruitment of new members
* Responsible for the development of strengthened FCA processes & policies;
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* Responsible for the development of international strategic partnerships for the FCA (including industry platforms) in close collaboration with the Business Innovation (BI) Director.
* Accountable for financial and narrative (donor) reporting.
* Accountable for the monitoring of key FCA DRC programme indicators and metrics to track impact and progress.
* Support communications with FCA-specific campaigns and/ or other communications.
* Support overall FCA stakeholder management.
* Lead the development of a coherent FCA stakeholder management strategy and represent the FCA in international and national fora and events
* Accountable for building, leading, managing, and evaluating team colleagues
Direct reports: FCA Country director
Reporting to: CEO
HOW WE WORK
As Executive Director, you will be exposed to and engage multiple stakeholders and stakeholder groups on a topic that draws considerable public and media attention. You will be required to confidently contribute to multi-party discussions and present on the programme progress at international fora.
Everyone who works in our team speaks directly with our business partners and donors, which means that strong written and verbal communications are a requisite, as well as confidence in dealing with people at different management levels and working in a range of institutional settings such as SMEs, corporations, NGOs, and government agencies.
We are a small team, the members of which work remotely and travel frequently. The applicant will need to be happy working autonomously, managing their own time, prioritising workload, thinking on their feet, and taking the initiative to ask questions and find solutions to problems.
QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE
* Minimum of 8 years’ relevant professional work experience; working in an international consulting/contracting environment, international business, or international development agency or NGO;
* Strong strategic development and implementation skills;
* Strong experience in managing multi-party initiatives and international social development / environmental groups / NGOs, especially in francophone Africa;
* Fundraising experience in the context of international development, multi-stakeholder initiatives, or similar;
* Excellent team and people-management skills;
* Experience of designing, managing and/or delivering programmes connected with raw materials, international mining and mineral development, including artisanal and small-scale mining, and supply chains, a strong advantage;
* Proficiency in budget development and management.
* Extremely organized with excellent project and time management skills;
* Familiarity with the DR Congo;
* Good familiarity of CSR issues, particularly on children’s rights and child labour remediation, OHS, rural livelihoods, poverty alleviation, and livelihood diversification;
* Excellent oral, digital communication, and presentation skills;
* English and French fluency is a “must”;
* Master’s degree in a related field, including natural resource management / geography / political science / international relations / environmental or social management / CSR or equivalent, developed through professional experience.
WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU
This is a chance to work with and learn from a very experienced team and to lead and contribute to a fascinating, influential, and ground-breaking project in supply chain risk management, responsible sourcing, and impact investing.
* A contract for 32-40 hours a week;
* Acompetitivesalary,commensuratewithexperienceandaligned with international development / NGO remuneration;
* Diverse, exciting, and impactful work collaborating with the private sector;
* Being part of a dynamic and experienced international team passionate about serving its clients to build successful, responsible businesses, and committed to corporate sustainability, human rights, and social change;
* Possibility to work remotely.
TIF’s offices are located near Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK, with satellite space in London, Nairobi, Kenya; Geita, Tanzania; and Kolwezi, DR Congo. We have a policy to accommodate remote, flexible, and autonomous working arrangements in return for a commitment to extremely high-quality deliverables, working to fulfill project goals, and consistently meeting deadlines. Where the candidate is located is less important than their professional ability, commitment, enthusiasm, and personal energy.
HOW TO APPLY
If you are interested in being considered for this role, please send your CV, a cover letter, and a writing sample to jobs@theimpactfacility.com with the email subject heading: “Executive Director – Fair Cobalt Alliance”.
Applications will be reviewed on a continual basis until the position is filled and you are therefore encouraged to apply early. Shortlisted applicants may be asked to complete a written exercise, followed by an interview.
RELEVANT MEDIA LINKS
The media links below provide some background information regarding the current situation in Kolwezi:
Fair Cobalt Alliance www.FairCobaltAlliance.org
Fairphone – “Digging for Change” [blog and research report]
Part 1: https://www.fairphone.com/en/2020/06/25/the-charged-debate-around-cobalt/
Part 2: https://www.fairphone.com/en/2020/06/25/digging-for-change/
Learn more about The Impact Facility at: www.theimpactfacility.com