Assistant General Secretary for Integration and Impact, American Friends Service Committee

Posted by on November 13, 2011

Assistant General Secretary for Integration and Impact, American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)

Posted on: October 31, 2011

TITLE: Assistant General Secretary for Integration and Impact
STATUS: Exempt
LOCATION: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
SUPERVISOR: Deputy General Secretary for Programs
APPROVED DATE: October 2011
UNIT: Programs Division

The American Friends Service Committee is a Quaker organization, which includes people of various faiths who are committed to social justice, peace, and humanitarian service. Its work is based on the Quaker belief in the worth of every person and faith in the power of love to overcome violence and injustice.

POSITION SUMMARY
The Assistant General Secretary for Integration and Impact is responsible for identifying opportunities for collaborative programs and campaigns and for ensuring that such programs and projects are well-planned and implemented. This professional seeks, analyzes and develops content as well as creates, organizes and manages activities to help local, regional and the central offices strengthen and enhance peace and social justice work. The incumbent supervises the offices of Campaigns, Collaborations and Public Policy and Advocacy and is a member of the key leadership teams in the Programs Division (i.e., the Programs Leadership Team and the Global Program Planning Group). In addition, the assistant general secretary works to strengthen internal management and team building and to reinforce a culture of consultation and accountability.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Key responsibilities of the Assistant General Secretary for Integration and Impact include the following:

Support across the Organization

Provide integrated support and expertise on priority issues, strategies, methods, constituencies and public policies within the AFSC.
Facilitate collaborative work and organization-wide campaigns.
Provide expert advice and facilitate organizational learning on key content areas and approaches.
Facilitate coordinated AFSC public responses on major world events.
Cultivate and increase diverse, AFSC constituencies for advocacy and action.

Collaboration

Work closely with the associate general secretaries to enhance working relationships between and among U.S. and international programs and to encourage joint program planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
Work collaboratively with staff colleagues involved in raising funds for the AFSC to develop funding strategies and to ensure the timely development of proposals as well as periodic reports of program progress and evaluation for funded projects and programs.
Actively seek opportunities to collaborate with organizations, professional groups, institutions, etc. that will expand the reach and maximize the effectiveness of the AFSC.
Model collaborative behavior to staff colleagues and to the larger humanitarian services community.
Be able to articulate shared purposes, philosophical and spiritual motivation for AFSC work, both orally and in writing, and assist in conflict resolution, crisis management and the development of sound and creative working relationships throughout the AFSC.

Decision-Making

Function as an effective decision-maker within the organization – using “sense of the meeting,” consultation, concurrent decision-making, and legally binding (union contract) approaches to decision-making as appropriate.
Recognize that staff members are highly skilled and motivated and that consultative decision-making (where alternative views are sincerely received) is highly desirable.

Planning and Direction

Set day-to-day priorities, engage in long-term, medium-term and short-term planning, and ensure that organizational decisions are followed.
Keep abreast of major political, economic, social and cultural issues that may affect the program work of the AFSC and help to ensure that the AFSC is responsive to the changing external landscape and to opportunities to bring about positive change in the world.

Financial Management

Understand and help to monitor all financial and management systems, procedures, and processes of the offices that are supervised.
Review financial reports of offices that are supervised and detect and address any irregularities.

Outreach and Communications

Help to ensure that effective channels of communication are maintained between and among staff colleagues in the Programs Division and between the Programs Division and other units and offices of the AFSC.
Represent the viewpoints of the AFSC to all constituents.

QUALIFICATIONS:
EDUCATION: Advanced degree in organizational management, public policy, or a related area is preferred. A baccalaureate degree and an outstanding history of management performance may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree.

DESIRED ATTRIBUTES:

Possess a high-level of understanding of program implementation at the individual, community, national and policy levels.
Possess strong analytical skills in economics, politics, social movements and human rights and the ability to utilize analysis to inform program planning and development.
Easy with ambiguity and with helping individuals and working groups reach timely decisions and critical deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

EXPERIENCE:

A minimum of eight years of professional experience, with at least five years of supervisory experience. Non-profit experience is a plus.
Experience in community-based, social justice program work is required.
Demonstrated experience in project planning, implementation, management, and tracking.
•Demonstrated experience in budget management.
•Demonstrated ability to work within a complex organization and decision-making process, and to facilitate the effective use of the time and effort of staff members and volunteers.
•Demonstrated capacity to incorporate both the principles and policies of affirmative action into all aspects of AFSC work, as living witness to the Quaker belief in the equality and worth of all people.
•Experience in an international organizational structure.

OTHER REQUIRED SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

Commitment to the faith-based principles and guidelines that define the work of AFSC, including a commitment to nonviolence, equality and anti-oppression work and a belief in the intrinsic worth of every individual.
Ability to connect with diverse audiences and to influence situations using tact and diplomacy.
Demonstrated experience in project planning, management, tracking, and implementation.
Ability to persuade and motivate others and to gain the respect and attention of AFSC staff colleagues and volunteers.
Ability to work well under pressure and adapt easily to changing situations and priorities.
Proven ability to reach out collaboratively to individuals, groups and organizations.
Strong interpersonal skills with knowledge of and experience in using consultative, decision-making processes.
Available to travel often, to attend evening and weekend meetings, and to be available for consultation within and outside office hours.
Excellent oral and written communication skills.
Excellent computer skills.
Initiative, creativity, drive, energy and a sense of humor.

The American Friends Service Committee is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified persons are encouraged to apply regardless of their religious affiliation, race, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation or disability.

The central office of the AFSC, where this position is located, is a unionized workplace represented by District Council 47 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO. This is a management position and is not represented.

The American Friends Service Committee is a smoke-free workplace.

Apply online at: https://jobs-afsc.icims.com/jobs/1220/job