Director-General

Background

The Commonwealth Foundation is an international organisation established by Heads of Government in support of the belief that the Commonwealth is as much an association of peoples as it is of governments.

We are a unique, stand-alone organisation established by, funded and reporting to Commonwealth governments.

As the Commonwealth’s agency for civil society, we work across the spectrum of civic voices to strengthen their capacity to engage in governance for sustainable development.

We are dedicated to strengthening people’s participation in all aspects of public dialogue, to act together and learn from each other to build democratic societies.

Ultimately, the Foundation seeks to ensure that policy and government institutions are more effective contributors to development through the influence of civic voices.

The role

As the Director-General’s second term comes to an end, the Commonwealth Foundation is looking for a leader capable of building on our success and taking the helm as ambassador for civil society throughout the Commonwealth.

With an annual budget of £3million, the role has responsibility for overseeing the implementation of our Strategy through the work of programme teams dealing with Grants, Participatory Governance & Gender, Commonwealth Writers, Knowledge, Learning & Communications as well as Support Services such as Human Resources, Finance & Operations. The Director–General works closely with the Deputy Director-General, whose role focuses on the day to day operational management of the programmes areas.

The person

We are looking to encourage applications from experienced leaders throughout the Commonwealth.  Candidates must be committed to the Foundation’s vision to support civic voices.  You will have worked in international development at a senior level with experience of leading in areas of strategy development, policy, finance and human resources. You will have wide experience of working in developing countries and will be able to share your extensive knowledge of international trends and approaches in development.  You will have worked with government officials, possess a high degree of diplomatic ability, and be able to work in a multi-lateral context.  Commonwealth nationality is essential.

Interviews:

Monday 21 and Tuesday 22 January 2019 in London.

Expected start:

June 2019

Salary & key benefits:

• £85,000 to £90,000 pa (gross)
• Contract term of two consecutive terms of three years each
• Full relocation allowances for non UK residents including installation and termination grants and housing allowance for term of contract.
• 15% of gross salary in a tax free gratuity payment. This can be used for personal pension scheme.  The monies are available for withdrawal at end of each contract term.
• Holiday allowance of 30 days (plus 8 bank holidays and 4 privilege days)