Executive Director at Hope & Courage Collective

Hope and Courage Collective is a leading civil society group in Ireland countering hate and disinformation.

The Role

The Executive Director will lead Hope & Courage Collectives (H&CC) growth from startup to an established national organisation. You will lead the H&CC team, board, and wider ecosystem in the implementation of an ambitious strategy and provide strategic direction ensuring maximum positive impact and the long-term sustainability of the organisation.

Strategy and Impact: Implementation of organisational strategy in line with H&CC’s vision.

• Design and oversee implementation of annual operational plans and impact framework.
• Lead on overall H&CC policy and provide guidance on strategic impact opportunities, supporting the Director of Advocacy and Community Engagement.
• Guide HCC to be responsive to emerging and changing political, social contexts.
• Report on, communicate, and guide board, partners, our ecosystem in understanding impact.
• Lead the HCC team in designing impact focused strategies i.e. communications, growing our ecosystem, rapid response strategy.
• Foster a culture of curiosity, learning, feedback, and knowledge development.
• Oversee HCC narrative and messaging.

Sustainability and Risk: Maintain strategic oversight of the financial health of the organisation and manage strategic and unforeseen risk and mitigate against potential high-risk areas especially HCCs reputation.

• Secure core funding to sustain the work of H&CC and manage relationships with funders, reporting and management of funds.
• Oversee annual budget development and management.
• Ensure regulatory requirements, including on financial reporting, are met.
• Ensure key general risks facing the organisation are identified, managed, and monitored.

Governance: Support the Board of Hope & Courage Collective in maintaining the highest possible standards of governance and management of risk.

• Ensure that the board is briefed and provided with information and reports presented on the progress in meeting its targets, plans, and responsibilities,
• Guide the team and board in meeting statutory and regulatory obligations.
• Work with the Chair to plan Board meetings.

Leadership: Grow trust in H&CC internally and externally including guiding the team to fulfil its potential.

• Lead H&CC in keeping with progressive working practices, where employees are valued and empowered and where feedback and growth are cultural norms.
• Provide guidance, foster confidence, and grow high levels of trust within a broad and complex ecosystem.
• Be an ambassador and spokesperson for H&CC when needed, including in the media.
• Build the profile of the organisation in a way that supports our mission.
• Advance the work of H&CC through outreach and liaison with key stakeholders, like minded organisations.

Organisational management: Manage H&CC on a Day-to-day basis.

• Develop, and implement strategic projects within timeframes, best practice standards, H&CC strategy.
• Lead on the development of, renewal, implementation of organisational policies and systems.
• Manage the team to achieve the best outcomes in line with our strategy and expectations including recruitment decisions, growth, and development.
• Manage change effectively especially in high risk and challenging scenarios.

Other

• Commit to continued development as a leader.
• Any other reasonable functions or tasks as required.

For the role of H&CC Executive Director you need to be someone who has:

Knowledge & Experience

Essential

• Has experience at senior management level in an innovative and agile organisation.
• Direct leadership of and involvement in developing strategy and leading successful change.
• Exceptional people leadership skills.
• Sound financial management experience with a firm understanding of and mitigating risk.
• Strong insight of the Irish political context, with an understanding of Irish civil society.
• Is highly organised, knows how to prioritise and thrives in an environment where you have to think and move fast.

Desirable

• Experience of working on countering the far-right, democracy integrity, campaigning.
• Experience of external communications and working with the media
• Is comfortable using digital technology and willing to experiment with digital tools.

Skills and Leadership Style

• Able to develop and hold a clear vision for H&CC which serves our mission.
• Clear leadership style; creates strong teams and has the capacity to inspire and motivate staff and stakeholders to deliver an ambitious strategy.
• Flexible and adaptive to different contexts and situations; able to operate affectively in a fast-paced environment.
• Open and transparent with a collaborative leadership style.
• A creative thinker; able to use innovative techniques and tactics, taking the right kinds of risk at the right time to drive the organisation forward.

Personal Attributes

• Strategic, creative, and ambitious.
• Calm, balanced and resilient.
• Has excellent judgement

If these criteria speak to you, then you could be the perfect person for this role.

Hope & Courage Collective is committed to being a diverse and inclusive workplace and people from communities that experience discrimination and exclusion are especially encouraged to apply.

This is a permanent role [subject to funding]. This is a full-time position, with a possibility of working 0.8 or 0.9 with a salary of between €60-65,000 per annum, pro rata. You will be working remotely and applicants from any part of Ireland are welcome, provided you can guarantee a good internet connection and are in a position to travel for meetings. You have 25 days annual leave and 5% employer contribution to your pension.

The deadline to send your application is 5pm Friday June 7th, 2024. Interviews to be scheduled for the week of June 17th. Please apply here

If you have any questions about this role contact the Chairperson edel@mrci.ie 

https://hopeandcourage.ie/