Managing Director (Ethiopia)

REPORTS TO:              Chief Operating Officer 

ABOUT AEC ETHIOPIA

AEC Ethiopia Ltd will provide training and consulting to help entrepreneurs improve their businesses to create jobs and improve livelihoods.

As a new company launching in Ethiopia in June 2021, we are looking for self-motivated colleagues who like challenges, and will excel at bringing a proven model to Ethiopia.

As a social enterprise, we balance financial sustainability with social impact. In 2021, AEC Ethiopia will serve 600 refugees and host community entrepreneurs and will grow steadily from there.

AEC Ethiopia Ltd is the Ethiopian affiliate of African Entrepreneur Collective, which now has 160 staff in 10 offices across East Africa, working with 14,000 entrepreneurs annually to help them grow their businesses.  

THE JOB OPPORTUNITY & RESPONSIBILITIES

Reporting to the AEC COO & Co-Founder, the Managing Director will lead and expand all Ethiopia operations, including supervising the highest quality business services, working effectively with prominent government and funder partners, and will lead the organization’s nationwide growth.

The core responsibilities of this position is to achieve strong government relations, build a team for success, and lead our fundraising and revenue generation for further growth.

Specific responsibilities include:

STRATEGY & GENERAL MANAGEMENT (30% time)

• Lead Ethiopia planning, budgeting, and KPI attainment in alignment with AEC strategic plan
• Be a leader among leaders in maintaining the organizational culture, professionalism, and highest quality management standards
• Build and manage the team, working closely with HR for world-class team performance
• Provide a leadership oversight role to the Ethiopia-based management team
• Ensure effective completion of all KPIs in Ethiopia, on-time and within budget
• Provide analytical management insights to AEC leadership, creating improvements as needed
• Ensure AEC Ethiopia adherence with all relevant local laws and regulations
• Participate fully in director-level leadership staff meetings and other organization activities
• Liaise with other Director-level staff from across the Headquarter to ensure efficient operations

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT (25% time)

• Set and manage AEC Ethiopia budget, liaising with the AEC Finance Director
• Review and manage the AEC Ethiopia’s finances to stay within budget – both for revenue and expenses – and make decisions as needed to ensure fiscal sustainability
• Actively solicit new contracts and fee-for-service engagements that fit our core skills
• Cultivate and steward current and potential donors in partnership with the Development Manager

PARTNERSHIPS & EXTERNAL RELATIONS (25% time)

• Develop and maintain relevant partnerships, MOUs, and collaborations with UNHCR, ARRA, Ethiopia Jobs Commission,Ethiopia Investment Commission and Ethiopia-focused funders
• Develop and manage the AEC Ethiopia advisory board of leaders from across Ethiopia
• Seek new opportunities to expand the AEC brand, partnerships, and services across Ethiopia
• Represent AEC Ethiopia in ministry meetings, conferences, public speaking, and to media
• Work closely with the Communications team to highlight our services, clients, and successes
• Deliver meaningful reports to the Board, funders, other stakeholders on operations, impact, and learnings

PROGRAMS COORDINATION & EXPANSION (20% time)

• Coordinate with the Regional Director of Refugee Programming to deliver all required entrepreneurship services for refugees/hosts, including opening expansion offices for refugee and host programming (i.e. Assosa region, urban, etc)
• Develop and execute partnerships in pursuit of the AEC Ethiopia deliverables.
• Coordinate with Investors to ensure entrepreneurs can access finance that is compliant with local regulations.
• Coordinate with the Monitoring, Evaluations & Learning Director to track deliverables, impact, and learning insights.
• Advise AEC CEO/COO on strategic programmatic initiatives needed to meet company objectives on social impact and financial return. 

AEC is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer.  Refugees, women, and persons who reflect the diverse communities we serve are strongly encouraged to apply. AEC Ethiopia will not sponsor working visas.

COMPENSATION

Compensation includes salary and potential KPI-based bonus, healthcare, retirement benefits, flexible annual leave, international travel in East Africa, professional development opportunities, and the chance to connect with colleagues across East Africa. In addition, this role is a tremendous opportunity to work in a high-growth, mission-driven organization.

You’ll also work with a diverse set of colleagues, who nonetheless all embody the company’s culture and values:

• Purpose: we are solutions-oriented and produce high quality work to be a global leader.
• Achievement: we push ourselves to reach beyond what we previously thought possible.
• Improvement: we are humble and committed to continuous learning and growing.  We improve through giving and receiving open and accurate feedback.
• Bravery: we are willing to take risks and create a safe space for others to take risks.  We are compassionate and inclusive.
• Abren Nen/Waliin Jirra (“We are together”): We take time to appreciate colleagues, celebrate success, and hold each other up in hard times. We eat goat.

CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS

• We are looking for individuals with incredible networks and proven management experience.

Required qualifications include:

• 7+ yrs experience in relevant field of social enterprise, refugee livelihoods, investment
• Proven track record of program and budget management
• Proven track record of building teams in a senior management role
• Government relations and partnership management experience
• High levels of discretion, diplomacy, and sophistication when engaging key stakeholders, including high-profile donors and government
• Advanced education qualification (MBA or relevant Masters strongly preferred)
• Strong computer skills in MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Fluent English and Amharic.