Director, Small Producers Initiative

ASHOKA

Ashoka Innovators for the Public is a global, non-profit organization, which identifies and invests in social entrepreneurs (Ashoka Fellows) in over 40 countries in Asia, Africa, Central Europe, Latin America and US/Canada. Social entrepreneurs are people with innovative yet practical ideas who bring about far-reaching social change. Since 1980, Ashoka has launched many programs designed to strengthen the work of leading social entrepreneurs and to help spread Ashoka Fellows’ successful ideas for social change. The Initiatives are the most recent program areas to be launched, designed to accelerate the spread of innovations in particular thematic areas.

Ashoka is seeking an exceptional individual who will "seed" and spread the most effective innovations in the areas of micro-enterprise, micro-credit, self-employment and income generation around the world. Working with a global network of on-the-ground practitioners in over forty countries, the Director of the Small Producers Initiative will face the challenge of distilling the crosscutting principles and implementation strategies that emerge from the work of Ashoka Fellows and other leaders in the field.  These will be disseminated across sectors to initiate, support, or influence programs and policies that will radically improve and accelerate positive change in the area of economic development. 

In addition to understanding the key principles and best practices of successful micro-credit, micro-enterprise and employment innovations, the Director will be responsible for marketing these principles to influence the actions of others within and outside of the Ashoka network. Furthermore, much like a venture capitalist, the Director will selectively work with Ashoka Fellows to "take to scale" those Fellows' initial innovations with great promise, which need additional support in order to realize their potential. 

This job opportunity offers the right individual the ability to have unique and substantial impact on small producers’ lives worldwide.

 

Responsibilities

Intellectual Leadership:

The Director will have primary responsibility for creating and continually refining crosscutting principles of positive economic change by drawing upon his/her own knowledge, the experiences of Ashoka Fellows and other leaders in the field, and existing studies of best practices and policies. The Director will also facilitate meetings and workshops – comprised of stakeholders from a variety of different sectors – designed to distill and spread principles and effective strategies for economic change.

 

Marketing and Partnerships:

The Director will be responsible for implementing an outreach strategy through which principles and best practices can be channeled. This will include working with the grassroots organizations, the philanthropic community, businesses, multi- laterals and the media to create relationships that will broadcast and spread principles and operating strategies, and seed new initiatives.

Going to Scale:

The Director will work with a select number of Ashoka Fellows and leading organizations globally to "take to scale" key innovations.  Such endeavors may include setting up new initiatives within Ashoka, cultivating new non-profit organizations, influencing government policies, or working with others to encourage them to do so.

 

Program Management:

The Director is responsible for overall program management, including strategic project planning, program implementation, budgeting and fundraising.

 

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 Small Producers Initiative.

 

Fellow Support:

The Director (and Assistant) 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 Fellows.

 

 

Qualifications Ashoka's recruitment for new staff seeks to mirror its selection process for Fellows worldwide. Our emphasis is on recruiting candidates who embody most of the core qualities we look for in our Ashoka Fellows: creativity, entrepreneurship, and ethical fiber. In addition we look for individuals who see their role in life as "innovating for the public" and recognize an opportunity to do so within the institutional structure of Ashoka's global network. The diversity of Ashoka's Fellowship and professional staff globally reflects our dedication to attracting entrepreneurial individuals from all walks of life in our mission of promoting the profession of social entrepreneurship worldwide. The Small producers Initiative Director will have a demonstrated ability for sustained intellectual inquiry, and a passionate commitment to integrating principles with the practical needs of social entrepreneurs. (S)he will be an entrepreneurial thinker, who thrives on the interchange of ideas and enjoys the challenge of striving to realize those ideas in practice.  In addition, the successful candidate will have: ·         Excellent oral and written communication skills ·         Strong analytical and strategic planning abilities

·         Proven leadership skills and creativity ·         A team orientation and strong interpersonal skills ·         Enthusiasm for building the profession of social entrepreneurship ·         Commitment to upholding Ashoka’s unique entrepreneurial and collegial work environment ·         Minimum ten years related work history ·         Direct international and/or cross-cultural experience ·         Proficiency in other languages a plus  The Director will need to travel frequently, at least during the first year.  International candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.   Salary is commensurate with experience, skills and salaries of domestic citizen organizations in the country of program’s location.  Interested applicants should visit our websites at www.ashoka.org. and www.changemakers.net.   To Apply:  Please provide a résumé and a cover letter, with three references. The covering letter should explain, briefly, how your experience and personal qualities will enable you to fulfill each of the six key responsibilities outlined above. Send your application to: Ashoka Innovators for the Public Attn:  Search Committee – Small Producers Initiative Director. 1700 North Moore St., Suite 2000 Arlington VA 22209 Fax: 703-527-8383 Email: jobs@ashoka.org