Kenya: Chief Executive Officer

Organization: African Peace Support Trainers" Association

Country: Kenya

Closing date: 08 Apr 2016

With skills in institutional management, extensive networking, policy implementation support, Peace Support Operations (PSOs) knowledge, and programme development and implementation.

The African Peace Support Trainers Association (APSTA) is registered as an international not-for-profit Organisation, with a Secretariat based in Nairobi, Kenya.

The APSTA seeks to appoint as Chief Executive Offi cer a competent, dependable, well-organised and self-driven person, who will work under the direction of the Board of Directors in providing leadership and strategic management in a training, education, learning, policy research and policy implementation support coordination environment, with a wide range of stakeholders.

The appointed Offi cer will be based at the Secretariat located in Nairobi, Kenya, directly reporting to the Board of Directors and will spearhead, promote and facilitate the realisation of the Association’s strategic goals. S/He will be responsible for overall organisational performance across the continent, as well as for all policy matters in relation to peace support relations, fi nance and resource allocation, planning, physical resources, human resource, regional security matters, research and general advancement of APSTA. The role holder will ensure that the structure of governance, management and administration of APSTA are effi cient, effective and competitive by providing guidance to the members of the Board of Directors and the General Meeting about their responsibilities under peace statutes, policies and regulations. S/He will be charged with the overall strategic development and oversight, project monitoring and evaluation and general programme management in training, research and policy implementation support programmes and activities to meet the ever-changing needs of PSOs of the African Union (AU), Regional Economic Communities and Regional Mechanisms (RECs/RMs) and other key stakeholders.

As leader of a team, the role holder is expected to have excellent technical skills and shall have overall responsibility for the direction, organisation, administration and programmes of APSTA. S/He will serve as a coach to the team and must ensure overall employee satisfaction and productivity, in order to deliver strategic and operational business excellence. In addition, s/he will ensure periodic activity plans and budgets are developed and set targets are achieved in pursuance of the Association’s Strategic Plan 2014-2019.

The APSTA was established in 2002 as the African Chapter of the International Association of Peacekeeping Training Centres (IAPTC), in order to deepen the debate on peacekeeping training. It is a voluntary Association with a membership of 17 African centres of excellence and training institutions, working in Africa in peacekeeping capacity building, and whose core activities and functions are the delivery of practical training and research. The objectives of APSTA are to: facilitate the exchange of information and best practices; harmonize the doctrine and training of the members for the APSA/ASF; serve as a depository that offers advisory services to the AU Commission on Peace Support Operations issues; and as a sounding board for the Commission on PSO matters. Further information on the Association can be found at: http://www.apstaafrica.org.

Requirements: The successful candidate should possess: ▪ PhD degree from a recognised University preferably in Political Science, International Relations and Conflict Management ▪ Minimum of 10 years experience in the sector and a minimum 5 years of experience in a managerial/leadership role with a good record of achieving targets • Hands on experience in managing multiple partners across geographies ▪ Good networking across the sector and experience in fast-growth environment • Demonstrate ability to manage multiple workfl ows and simultaneous projects • Possess good work ethic, agility and resilience, as well as strong interpersonal skills ▪ Fluency in English and excellent writing and communication skills are a must in both technical and non-technical areas ▪ Demonstrate ability to work with a diverse group of individuals in a professional and service-oriented manner ▪ Possess a passion for developing people.

The length of the contract will be for an initial period of three years, subject to a 3-month performance-based probation, consecutive annual performance reviews and funding availability. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience and market competitive.

How to apply:

Interested candidates are to submit letters of application, by quoting the subject of the email REF: ‘Chief Executive Offi cer’, accompanied by a CV to: The Selection Committee at: apsta@apsta-africa.org, not later than 17:00 hours, on 8 April 2016. For more details visit the APSTA website at: http://www.apsta-africa.org/vacancies. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

APSTA is an equal opportunity employer and actively seeks candidates from a diverse background.

Interview date: To be notified later to short-listed candidates.
Reporting Date: Immediate.