Chief Executive Officer

Position description

Search for the Chief Executive Officer, The Africa Center

Harlem, New York

The Africa Center seeks an inspirational, trailblazing, and operational executive leader to serve as its next Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to drive its mission of transforming the world’s understanding of Africa, its Diaspora, and the impact of the people of African descent on the world. The CEO will work in close partnership with the Board of Directors and a lean, dedicated staff to secure and steward external resources, execute the strategic plan, build out a site and up an organization, take new actions to renew profitability and connect African communities in the United States with the continent. This new leader will have expertise in driving institutional strategy and repositioning an organization, and they must be able to inspire and coalesce diverse stakeholders toward common goals. The next CEO must be a successful fundraiser able to navigate the complexities of New York City and bring a proven ability to raise and diversify philanthropic sources and funding streams. The next CEO must also be a strong fiscal, operational, and personnel manager who can build sustainable structures that ensure the future success and longevity of the Center. As a highly visible and accessible leader with gravitas, an entrepreneurial spirit, and compassion, the CEO will craft and amplify a compelling narrative that builds community around a place of gathering to celebrate African innovation across business, culture, and policy. The Africa Center is located in Aliko Dangote Hall at One Museum Mile on Fifth Avenue in Harlem, New York.

Since 2018, The Africa Center has focused on five thematic areas – diaspora, media and representation, cultural expression, climate, and technology – while growing a local and international audience as it builds its flagship Fifth Avenue headquarters in phases. These themes capture elements of the currently dynamic world and areas where the continent could greatly impact and benefit. Today, The Africa Center (TAC or the Center) serves as the hub for the exchange of ideas around culture, business, and policy related to the continent. The Center advances thought and action around Africa’s global influence and impact on collective and shared futures in collaboration and engagement with individuals and institutions with shared values.

The Africa Center works to transform the understanding of the world’s oldest continent, which also boasts its youngest population. Encompassing culture, policy, and business, the Center will operate locally and globally to transform the perception and impact of the continent by promoting partnership, collaboration, and dialogue between Africa and the United States and beyond. The Center will host visual, performing, and digital arts presentations; develop and disseminate innovative educational tools; convene focused, thoughtful peer-to-peer exchanges; and sponsor innovative policy research. The Center is both a home and a platform providing a community for people of African descent and those interested in Africa, in addition to a global stage showcasing African ingenuity and talent.

An attractive compensation package with a starting salary of $200,000 will be offered to the successful candidate.

The Africa Center has retained Isaacson, Miller, a national executive search firm, to assist with this important recruitment and to help identify outstanding candidates. Please direct all inquiries, nominations, and applications electronically and in confidence to:

Sarah James, Tiffany Weber, Iliana Gonzalez, and Siobhan Hanley

Isaacson, Miller

 https://www.imsearch.com/open-searches/africa-center/chief-executive-officer

The Africa Center provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics.