Deputy Executive Director Aflatoun Amsterdam, Netherlands

Position: Deputy Executive Director

Organization: Aflatoun

About the organization

Aflatoun is a world-wide network dedicated to providing high quality social and financial education to children in countries around the globe. Children aged 6-14 years take part in the Aflatoun programme to develop an understanding of and respect for the world. This learning is provided by a curriculum that promotes a participatory, child-centred methodology. They are taught skills in saving, planning and budgeting as well as learning about themselves, their rights and their responsibilities. With this knowledge, children can have a greater power to make a positive change within their own lives and within their societies.

Mission

At the heart of the Aflatoun concept is the belief that children are important change-makers in their homes and communities and can break the inter-generational cycle of poverty. Children are individuals capable of making sense of, and influencing, the world around them.

This conviction underpins Aflatoun’s mission: “Inspiring children to socially and economically empower themselves and become agents of change in their own lives and for a more equitable world.”

Background

The Aflatoun concept is based on a successful pilot in the western state of Maharastra, India, run by an organisation called MelJol. It was a school-based child rights programme that expanded to include a component in which children learned about saving money. Not only did this experience create awareness amongst the children about the benefits of saving and of how banking systems work, it also increased their self-esteem and pride. In a totally unexpected reversal of the learning model, the parents of children in the programme also began to save money.

Due to MelJol’s success, other countries were approached to discuss whether a similar concept could bring the same benefits to their communities. Encouraged by the enthusiastic reaction of social entrepreneurs and NGOs around the world, Aflatoun Child Savings International was created. In November 2005, the Aflatoun Network was formally launched in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and representatives from around the world committed to the Aflatoun concept. A global pilot involving eleven countries began. The Aflatoun materials and methods were developed and contextualised and, by 2008, Aflatoun launched a three-year campaign. By the end of 2011 Aflatoun is present in 85 countries serving approximately 1.4 million children . In 2011 a new five year campaign was initiated to reach 10 million children in 120 countries by the end of 2015

The Aflatoun Concept

The balance of social and financial education is what makes the Aflatoun concept so unique. Child Social and Financial Education (CSFE) starts with young children aged 6-18 years, thereby ingraining positive financial and social habits early on in their lives. Children are familiarised with social and financial enterprise ideas and models.

The five core elements of CSFE are:

1. Personal Exploration and Understanding
2. Rights and Responsibilities
3. Saving and Spending
4. Planning and Budgeting
5. Child Social and Financial Enterprise

The Aflatoun concept also supports and is in alignment with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Millennium Development Goals.

The Aflatoun Programme

The Aflatoun programme is built on the core principles of Child Social & Financial Education (CSFE). The Aflatoun teaching methodology encourages “learning by doing”; through fun games, activities, songs and workbooks, children are encouraged to take an active role in the learning process. This includes school-wide savings clubs, financial and social enterprises and group activities within the community.

Our Network of partners from the social, corporate and governmental sectors works together to ensure that the Aflatoun programme is implemented and supported at a local level, in both schools and non-formal educational settings. Our partners ensure that the materials are contextualised and adapted to meet local requirements, so that the Aflatoun message can be passed on to all children, everywhere.

The Aflatoun Network

The Aflatoun Network is a global partnership network consisting of national and international implementing partners, education and finance ministries, international donors, academics, banks and organisations from the corporate and social sectors. To maintain a cohesive, effective Network built on trust, the Aflatoun Secretariat ensures transparency, sharing and assistance to all stakeholders in the Aflatoun Network. Another important role of the Secretariat is to advocate for the inclusion of CSFE in regional and national curricula.

For more information see the website www.aflatoun.org

The position

Aflatoun is now in its seventh year of existence. Approximately a year ago a new Executive Director, Hidde van der Veer was appointed to succeed the founder, Jeroo Billimoria, and take over the responsibility for leading the Secretariat. Jeroo was appointed member of the non-executive board.

We are now looking for a Deputy Executive Director to support Hidde and co-lead the Secretariat based in Amsterdam which has grown to approximately 22 staff (19 FTE) and currently has an annual budget of about Euro 1.8 million. The Secretariat is responsible for
1) Programme roll-out. To implement quality Aflatoun programmes by
a. Selecting and guiding (NGO) partners committed to implementing the program
b. Facilitating sharing and cooperation among partners and with other stakeholders
c. Implementing an ongoing process through self-reflection and evaluation
d. Refining the training methodology and materials for quality implementation

2) Concept. To become a thought leader in Child Social & Finance Education (CSFE) for children aged 6-18 by:
a. Further develop core elements of the Aflatoun concept
b. Sustaining a research network to support program development
c. Creating an impact assessment approach
d. Maintaining the Aflatoun identity
e. Investigating new areas of programme development based on the children’s feedback

3) Aflatoun Network. To build a global movement of Aflatoun implementation partners who commit resources and advocate for policy supporting CSFE by:
a. Raising funds for the secretariat and for the partnering NGOs leading country roll out of the Aflatoun Programmes
b. Engaging relevant organizations to include CSFE in their policies, programmes, network and activities
c. Engaging financial institutions to ensure access for children and youth to adequate banking facilities and products or provide resources to the programme
d. Developing and maintaining Aflatoun communications with stakeholders
e. Optimising Secretariat effectiveness and efficiency against key performance indicators.

The Deputy Executive Director will be directly responsible for:

1) Managing the Programmes Department responsible for the roll out of the programmes within a specific region of the world and all related partner relations. The Programmes department consists of nine staff members. Alodia Santos is the head of the Programmes department.
2) Managing the Advocacy, Research & Communications Department leading the collecting of relevant data to measure progress and impact of the programmes. The department has four staff members. Simon Bailey is the head of the Advocacy, Research & Communications department.

The Deputy Executive Director will be overall responsible for the deliverables of both teams. This entails line management as well as overall budget responsibility for the two departments.

The Deputy Executive Director will also be a close advisor to the executive and support him in the overall leadership of the Aflatoun secretariat and its direct responsibilities in the areas of:
1) Advocacy
2) Fundraising
3) Resources management, including IT, accounting and HR.

The candidate profile

Professional background

Aflatoun wants to attract a world class Deputy Executive Director (m/f) with international work experience and background. The ideal candidate has ten years plus experience in the area of social and financial education of youth in preferably developing countries. The candidate preferably has experience in curriculum development and roll-out of educational programmes.

The candidate should feel comfortable acting as a peer advisor to the Executive Director and interacting with the Non-Executive Board and other international stakeholders at a strategic and conceptual level while being sufficient hands-on to be a real team player in a relative small organisation. The candidate should also have a proven record in attracting, developing and retaining excellent (academically educated) professionals responsible for communication, programmes and research.

The candidate should be proficient in both written and verbal English, have essential IT skills and ten years management experience in a multi-cultural team. Additional active and passive language skills in French, Spanish, Arabic or Russian will be considered as an asset. Preferably the Deputy Executive Director has an academic background in a relevant area at a Master’s degree level.

Competencies

- Results orientation, the successful candidate will have a high level of ambition and goal orientation. He/she will set the highest standards for him/herself and his/her environment. He/she should have shown that he/she can achieve break-through results in challenging and adverse settings
- Team leadership, the successful candidate will be able to effectively build, lead and manage a team of driven professionals with various levels of experience. He/she will be recognized as a natural leader and somebody who can delegate not only tasks but also responsibilities. He/she has proven skills in developing people both on a personal and professional level.
- Collaboration and influencing, the successful candidate will be a natural team player. He/she should be used to working in complex international settings involving a broad range of different types of stakeholders.
- Strategic orientation, the successful candidate will be competent in supporting strategy development and translating strategic objectives in specific action plans.
- Commercial orientation, the successful candidate will be challenging the status quo and will be the driving force in rolling out the Aflatoun programme‘selling’ the concept to current and potential partners while maintaining the integrity of the organization and its mission.

Personal characteristics

It is expected that the candidates will have an unquestioned and high level of professional and personal integrity. The successful candidate has a personal commitment and drive ‘to improve the world’ and that of children in particular. He/she is an independent mind and will be autonomous in his/her thinking and decision making. He/she will be dynamic and energetic and show endurance and tenacity.

Location

The secretariat and the Deputy ED will be based in Amsterdam, but willingness and ability to travel extensively (equivalent of up to 15 weeks per year) is required.

Compensation and work hours

As a charity foundation Aflatoun adheres to the ‘Wijffels code” which determines the level of remuneration of the ED. The Aflatoun pay scales are derived from this Wijffels code. This ensures the deputy ED compensation is competitive, reflecting years and relevance of working experience. The annual compensation is expected to be in the range of up to Euro 60.000 gross, including benefits on the basis of a full time 40 hour working week. A contract for four days (32 hours) contract is possible. Initially a one year contract will be offered. Please state in your letter/e-mail your preference for the working hours, as well as your current or latest annual gross salary amount.

Contact and closing date

Please send us your letter of motivation and detailed curriculum vitae to the following address:

By email: chitra@aflatoun.org with the subject line: Application Deputy Executive Director

By mail:
Stichting Child Savings International
“Application: Deputy Executive Director”
PO Box 15991
1001 NL Amsterdam
Closing date is 31 January 2013.

For more information on the job, you may e-mail the Executive Director, Hidde van der Veer, at chitra@aflatoun.org