Director

Caritas Europa's member organisation SCIAF (Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund) is currently searching a Director. 

SCIAF is the international development charity of the Catholic Church in Scotland. Since 1965 we have worked to bring together a community of thousands of people in Scotland who give their time, money, prayers and campaigning support, because they believe in a just world. 

 

The Director will provide leadership, inspiration and strategic vision to SCIAF's dedicated staff and 

supporters. S/he will provide public representation at the highest levels, whilst overseeing 

organisational growth and effectiveness in accordance with SCIAF's mission, vision and values. The position is based in Glasgow, Scotland.

The Director reports to the Bishop President and is accountable to SCIAF's Board which consists of 5 

Bishop Directors and 2 Lay Directors. 

 

The key objectives of the role are:

• Giving leadership and vision to SCIAF and ensuring that the organisation is faithful to its vision, mission and values and that its activities and practices are congruent with these. 
• Developing the long-term strategic direction of SCIAF, and ensuring its goals and objectives are set out clearly and prioritised, and that strategies and plans for achieving these are in place. 
• Ensuring that SCIAF is in sound financial health and practises good stewardship. 
• Ensuring that SCIAF has sound employment and management policies and practices. 
• Ensuring that monitoring, review and evaluation processes are in place so that SCIAF can identify its progress and impact and practise accountability. 
• Ensuring that SCIAF has appropriate policies in place covering organisational matters and ensuring consistency in practice across the organisation. 
• Taking the lead in setting and sustaining SCIAF's culture and values, and monitoring its organisational health. 
• Ensuring that SCIAF's work adheres to Catholic social teaching is technically sound, and follows best practice and international standards

Key Responsibilities 
The specific responsibilities of the Director are as follows: 

Organisational Leadership and Management 

• Presenting a vision of SCIAF which develops and deepens its key role in the 
• Catholic community in Scotland and overseas its distinctive approach to international development and advocacy, as well as maintaining SCIAF's professionalism, influence and credibility in the UK NGO sector as well as with our global network, sister agencies and partners. 
• Leading the Senior Management Team (SMT) and sharing in the task of motivating and strengthening the management team. 
• Ensuring that SCIAF's income generation strategies are appropriate and successful, and participating as necessary in setting policies and priorities relating to these strategies. 
   

Strategic Leadership and Governance Role 

• Leading in analysing the strategic context of SCIAF's work, monitoring this external context and ensuring that SCIAF is responsive and adaptable in its strategic thinking and planning, as well as having a long-term vision; to identify opportunities for future development. 
• Ensuring that SCIAF's governance is effective and appropriate, working in close collaboration with the Board. 
• Ensuring that SCIAF's financial frameworks, budgeting and income forecasting and monitoring are coherent and appropriate, and that SCIAF acts in compliance with the law. 
• Attending the Board's sub-committees.
   

Maintaining and Strengthening SCIAF's 

Mandate as the Official Agency of the Catholic Church in Scotland 

• Leading in ensuring that SCIAF's Catholic identity and ethos is tangible, visible and dynamic within the organisation and its partnerships. 
• Leading in ensuring that SCIAF's mandate as the international development charity of the Catholic Church in Scotland is recognised, accepted and effective at all levels of the Church. 
• Liaising closely with the Bishops' 
• Conference Secretariat and relevant staff, and ensuring that SCIAF supports and collaborates with the Bishops' Conference. 
• Leading in ensuring that SCIAF plays a significant part in Caritas Internationalis and Caritas Europa, in CIDSE, and in liaison as appropriate with Vatican dicasteries
• Representing SCIAF to senior decision-makers including donor institutions and the UK and Scottish governments; ensuring that SCIAF is known and respected development charity with a distinctive ethical vision and high quality practice of development, advocacy, education and fundraising. 
• Representing SCIAF at a senior level within the development sector and relief agencies as well as with partners and beneficiaries. 
• Playing an active role in encouraging relevant high profile individuals within the Church and wider Scottish society to publicly support SCIAF, particularly in relation to key fundraising and advocacy campaigns. 
• Playing a leading role in creating and sustaining a public profile and reputation for SCIAF's international development and advocacy work, presenting policy positions and best practice examples in person when appropriate and seeking opportunities to extend the reach of 
• SCIAF's work overseas, with donors and in advocacy and education. 
• Ensuring that SCIAF is represented in other significant external relationships, usually by delegating to other members of staff
   

The successful candidate must believe in the core values of SCIAF and be driven by the mission. They will be personally motivated by their Catholic faith to continue advancing the rich history of SCIAF 

and mobilising an active and primarily Catholic supporter base. The role of Director requires an outstanding individual with the following qualities: 
 

Qualifications and Experience 

• Educated to first degree level or equivalent experience. 
• Significant experience of management at a senior level in the voluntary or public sector. 
• Experience of strategic and financial planning. 
• Experience of the successful management of people. 
• Experience of working effectively with a strategic Board. 
• Experience of working in international development at senior level, preferably with experience of working and living in a developing country. 
• Experience of representing an organisation at senior level to the media, key decision-makers and the general public. 
   

Knowledge 

• Active member of the Catholic Church with sound theological awareness of justice issues and Catholic social teaching and strong commitment to SCIAF mission and values. 
• Significant knowledge of international development. 
• Awareness of how small organisations operate in particular in the voluntary sector. 
• Knowledge of best practice in fundraising, advocacy, education, finance and HR. 
• Knowledge of Catholic Church and Scottish setting in relation to media and institutions is desirable but not essential
   

Skills & Abilities 

• Ability to initiate change in order to make things happen and to continuously improve 
• performance. 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills including the ability to present information 
• engagingly to a variety of audiences. 
• Ability to negotiate effectively with colleagues. 
• Confidence and ability to deal effectively and diplomatically with the Board of Directors and Senior Management in SCIAF; also with overseas partner organisations, beneficiaries and the public. 
• Proven ability to inspire, motivate and develop people to achieve high performance. 
• Ability to put SCIAF's values into practice, internally and externally, through a strong Catholic faith and good understanding of Catholic Social Teaching. 
• Strong team player. 
• Ability to self-manage. 
• Computer literate. 
• A willingness to work outside office hours and to travel within the UK and overseas.
   

How to Apply
To apply, please upload an up-to-date curriculum vitae (including comprehensive details of key achievements and responsibilities) along with a covering letter of application summarising motivation.
In applying and addressing the role description, key competencies and person specification atwww.perrettlaver.com/candidates quoting reference 1534.
The closing date for applications is Tuesday 11th March 2014 at 12.00 noon (GMT).
Applicants are asked to provide suitable daytime and evening telephone and email contact details.