Votre environnement de travail
Founded in 1979, Action contre la Faim (“ACF”) is a non-governmental international solidarity organization (NGO) under the French law of 1901. Conflict, climate change, poverty, unequal access to water and healthcare are all causes of malnutrition. Action contre la Faim’s mission is to save lives by eliminating hunger through the prevention, detection and treatment of undernutrition, particularly during and after emergency situations linked to conflicts and natural disasters.
Today, Action contre la Faim is a major player in the fight against hunger worldwide. Structured as an international network, this non-profit organization provides a coordinated response in the countries where its teams operate. Recognized as a charitable organization, its priority is to take concrete action in the field and bear witness to the plight of the populations they support.
Obviously, the general context increase makes ACFs role even more essential, when the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance is estimated at 339 million (an increase of increase of 65 million since 2022) and the level of food insecurity in the world has reached an all-time high of 828 million people, including 161 million at risk of acute food insecurity. The situation, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequences of the war in Ukraine.
© Action contre la Faim
Votre poste et vos responsabilités
After a 5-year tenure, the current CEO of Action contre la Faim will step down and move to another opportunity. Action contre la Faim is looking for a new CEO (Directeur General) to lead the very clear roadmap of the organization.
Ideally, the new CEO could start in January 2024. Reporting to the ACF-France Board of Trustees and its President he/she will have to implement the strategy define by the board:
- Translate the Board's orientations into a multi-year strategy and objectives: ensure a fluid and functional link with the Board of Trustees, in a very transparent relationship.
- Preserve the unique positioning of ACF and its identity and continue to improve the technical expertise of the organization as of a key player in the fight against nutritional insecurity.
- Manage ACF’s leadership team (Operations, Expertise and Advocacy, Finance, Logistics, IS, Communication and Marketing, HR, Audit, Risks and Compliance).
- Challenge the existing model with a transformative strategy to respond to the new paradigms which increase the need of action but also the complexity of operations (e.g. multiplication and prolongation of high-intensity conflicts, environmental and climate environmental and climate crises, increasing politicisation of aid, difficulties of access to and compliance with international humanitarian law, the COVID-19 pandemic, record inflation and the exacerbation of nationalism).
- After ten years of strong growth (ACF having tripled over the last ten years after having doubled in the precedent 5 years): implement the relevant process to manage the stabilization of the organization; support the overall management of the organization by ensuring good managerial practices and the virtuous and complementary articulation of the various departments and constantly monitor the quality of ACF's operations and the proper use of its resources, while respecting the values promoted by ACF.
- Implement strong and relevant alliances with civil society and partnership with local NGOs for more scale and efficiency but also to respond to a new political context, while being cautious to create a sustainable economical model for ACF (in a context of legitimate demands for the decolonisation of aid, diversity, parity and consideration of climate and environmental issues).
- Being a change agent and embark the teams: engage with all the teams and motivate them in the organization project; be loyal to the culture of ACF while implementing an even more inclusive culture.
- Be the representative of ACF with partners and counterparts, represent and guarantee ACF's image, charter and messages both internally and externally.
- Ensure the coordination of ACF France with the ACF-International network and its development, while respecting the history, culture, legal status and specificity of each network member.
Votre profil
- At least 10 years' successful management experience in a relevant organization (humanitarian NGO, civil society organization, public organization, institutional donor).
- Previous experience on the field being a plus.
- Strong leadership skills and experience in leading experience directors: experience in leading multidisciplinary teams by developing cross-functionality and conviviality.
- Solid and recognized interpersonal skills: ability to create a climate of trust with partners, associative bodies, staff representative bodies, and with your counterparts at other headquarters.
- Humility, loyalty and transparency as core values: aptitude for working with a Board of Trustees, ensuring that the specific roles of the association and the executive are respected and complement each other, while favoring regular and transparent reporting.
- Strategic mindset and ability to reconcile complex issues (political and scientific advocacy, search for efficiency).
- Agility to support the association for the coming years in a complex and changing context, while guaranteeing the safety and well-being at work of Action contre la Faim's 5,000 employees.
- Keen interest in innovations in the field of INGOs, and in new forms of citizen involvement and expression in the field of activism and associations.
- Pragmatic and down-to-earth leader to stabilize the association after a strong growth period.
- Obviously, a very engaged person on social and environmental issues with the ability to connect with very different internal and external stakeholders (local and international NGOs, institutional donors, governments, etc.)
- A resilient leader to manage high peak of stress in a very volatile environment, with the ability to stay on course in tense situations.
- Fluency in French and English (both written and oral) is mandatory.
Vos conditions d’emploi
The position will be based in Montreuil (Seine-Saint-Denis, France). Working from home is allowed from metropolitan France. The work-from-home policy defines the activities of the position requiring an imperative time of presence at the headquarters of the association, and allows you to choose to work remotely the rest of the time. Presence time at headquarters will also be dedicated to collective sharing: 3 days per month on average for meetings and collective events and 2 days of mandatory presence when integrating a new employee into the team.
Pourquoi nous rejoindre ?
This recruitment is handled by our partner Russel Reynolds Associates (please do not apply via ACF website). You can contact/apply to Sara Vermeir or Benjamin Chaouat - contact details are presented in the Position Specification.
Please note that the deadline for applications is September 10th, at 23:59 hours (Central European Time).