We’re hiring! Position open in our Kabul office

Update (December 15, 2011): We are no longer accepting applications for this position. 

The Foundation for Afghanistan is hiring for the following position. Interested candidates please refer to this announcement and send your applications no later than December 1, 2011.

Job title: Executive Director, Afghanistan

Contract duration: Indefinite – multi-year

Job summary
The Foundation for Afghanistan is looking for a motivated self-starter to work as our Executive Director in Afghanistan. The Foundation for Afghanistan is a nonprofit organization registered and based in Washington, DC and Kabul, Afghanistan.

The Foundation is an alliance between Afghans and their global friends committed to promoting human capacity in Afghanistan. Projects include, among other things, scholarships for Afghan students at Afghan and U.S. universities, advanced professional training programs, grants to local Afghan NGOs.

The Foundation will be vigorously expanding its operations over the next few months to years. The ideal candidate will be a dynamic manager with experience in dealing with people at the highest levels, skilled in mainstream information technology products and services, and fluent in local languages.

Job description
The Executive Director will be the Foundation’s main presence in Afghanistan and will perform all tasks critical to its operations. In particular, their duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Working with the Foundation’s President and the Executive Director in Washington, DC, and with the Foundation’s Advisory Board in Afghanistan
• Designing and supervising the implementation of programs
• Managing and expanding the Foundation’s contact network among NGOs, universities, high schools, businesses, the government, intellectual circles, the media, professional associations and elsewhere
• Managing financial controls to ensure accountability and transparency
• Representing the Foundation to experts, the public, the media and others
• Actively implementing the Foundation’s programs, including the outreach and recruitment for its scholarship and professional development programs
• Hiring staff and establishing offices in Kabul and elsewhere as necessary

Key skills, qualifications and characteristics

• Must be an Afghan national and fluent in English and Dari or Pashto
• Five to eight years management experience, preferably in fast-growing and complex organizations
• Bachelor’s degree or higher, or adequate professional experience
• Self-starting, operates independently but works closely with the U.S. operation
• Good existing network of contacts in Afghanistan
• Previous exposure to NGOs, preferably related to development
• Ability to reach out and work effectively with different ethnic, religious, tribal and political groups
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Competence in basic financial management
• Comfortable in the use of office software, the internet and internet-based platforms such as Skype, blogging, emails, etc.
• Highest commitment to integrity

Salary and compensation
Salary will be competitive by industry standards and commensurate with experience.

How to apply
Please send your CV/resume and a one-page cover letter explaining why you are a good match for this position to applications@foundationforafghanistan.org. Deadline is December 1, 2011.