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Ashoka: Innovators for the Public is an international not-for profit organization that identifies and invests on social innovators (what they call social entrepreneurs) in 35 countries around the world. Last year Ashoka started a program called the Environmental Innovations Initiative in an effort to cull from the over 200 Ashoka Fellows working in the environmental arena a set of principles that reflect the new philosophy on environmental change that is emerging from current environmental innovators. Ashoka is currently seeking a new Director for this program. In searching for a new Director, Ashoka wishes to assure that this initiative produces new ideas that can be transformative in the field and seeks a person with intellectual leadership and vision. You can find more information on Ashoka at www.ashoka.org. The position is based in Washington, D.C. and involves a large amount of travel.
Job description Director, Environmental Innovations Initiative Ashoka invests in leading social entrepreneurs around the world - extraordinary men and women with innovative ideas for far-reaching social change and the talent and drive to have regional or national impact.Ashoka operates in 35 countries in Asia, Latin America, Africa, and Central Europe, and will launch a Fellows program in the U.S. later this year. Currently there are more than 1,000 Ashoka social entrepreneurs (Fellows) creating positive change in a variety of fields including education, legal reform, health care, human rights, and environmental conservation. Ashoka launched the Environmental Innovations (EI) Initiative in 1998 to build a global network of leading environmental practitioners, distill the underlying principles and best practices that emerge from their collective work, and disseminate these ideas to key audiences globally. We are seeking a Director for the Initiative who will provide the intellectual leadership for a multi-year effort to synthesize the work of Ashoka Fellows and other leading environmental entrepreneurs addressing a wide variety of environmental challenges. From this synthesis, the Director will build a "mosaic" of guiding principles and practical implementation strategies, that when disseminated globally will catalyze action that accelerates the pace of change in the environmental field. The Director will work in close partnership with the Associate Director, building on what has been developed in the EI Initiative since its inception. Responsibilities Intellectual Leadership The Director will have primary responsibility for developing the "mosaic" of leading principles, drawing upon his/her own knowledge of the field, the experiences of Ashoka Fellows and other leading environmental entrepreneurs, and existing studies of best practices and policies in environmental conservation and sustainable development. The Director will also facilitate meetings and workshops, comprised of stakeholders from a variety of different cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds and designed to elicit principles and best practices in environmental change. Marketing and Partnerships The Director will work with the Associate Director, whose primary responsibilities include creating and implementing an outreach strategy through which principles and best practices can be channeled once developed. This will include working with the environmental community, the philanthropic community, businesses and the media to create relationships that will facilitate achieving the objectives of the EI Initiative. Fellow Support The Director (and Associate Director) will work closely with Ashoka's Fellowship Support Services (FSS) division to develop a portfolio of support services (information, networking, consulting and financial resources, etc.) geared specifically to Ashoka's environmental Fellows. Program Management The Director is responsible for overall program management, including strategic project planning, program implementation, budgeting and fundraising. The Director has complete discretion over expenditures, provided he/she secures sufficient revenues. Fundraising The initiative has received start-up funding. The Director will be responsible for developing a revenue strategy to maintain the initiative's ongoing base of funding and expanding sources of financial support to fund new collaborative activities within the Environmental Innovations Initiative.
Qualifications Ashoka is looking for a dynamic individual who is well-versed in leading international environmental challenges and solutions. The successful candidate will have a demonstrated ability for sustained intellectual inquiry and a passionate commitment to integrating principles with the practical needs of environmental practitioners around the globe. The successful candidate will also have the skills to oversee one of Ashoka's flagship programs and to manage highly-motivated and creative staff. The successful candidate will be able to "plan from the future," envisioning how the mosaic of principles and best practices can impact society and planning the steps necessary to achieve that vision. Intellectual Skills 1.Ability for sustained (multi-year) inquiry into complex environmental issues Management and Leadership Skills 1.Competence in project and process management, organization and strategic planning Personal Qualities 1.High degree of initiative International Experience/Educational Background 1.Minimum ten years related work history
The position is based in the Washington DC area and will involve a large amount of travel. Please send resume and cover letter: |
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