Deputy Director

Position description

The Deputy Director will act as a Chief of Staff / COO focusing on the internal running of IBBIS and will IBBIS’s primary liaison with Geneva-based intergovernmental and international organizations. Example tasks include providing strategic feedback on the next project ahead of Foundation Council meetings, co-developing a plan for fundraising and hiring, and ensuring project deliverables are well-connected to IBBIS’s mission and vision.

Key Responsibilities

External focus

• Supporting rapid yet sustainable organisational growth: Overseeing recruitment processes to attract candidates most aligned with the mission and institutional culture of IBBIS, foster staff retention, and ensure compliance with all relevant rules and procedures; collaborating with the ED to raise funding for and awareness of IBBIS
• Fostering strong international relationships and collaborations: Participating in Geneva-based policy and technical processes, including from the Biological Weapons Convention, United Nations, and World Health Organization, Strengthening working relationships with key Geneva-based organizations and partners

Internal focus

• Creating an efficient and effective organization: Overseeing the operations of IBBIS Headquarters, assessing and improving organizational operating procedures evaluating performance, promoting our vision and culture, and developing strategies to improve results. Coordinating and drafting annual plans and revising strategy documents while actively contributing to the identification of emerging and cross-cutting issues and trends, relevant to the mission of the organisation
• Converting vision to strategy: Lead the process of developing clear, time-bound organisational goals and objectives, tracking progress, and motivating staff to achieve them; evaluate organisational company performance and recommend strategies to improve results; monitor outputs to ensure achievement of key milestones in keeping with the organisation’s determined success metrics

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in a relevant subject (e.g. international relations, health security, business administration, etc.)
• Proven experience in a relevant senior leadership role
• In-depth understanding of biosecurity, dual use of the life sciences and biotechnology, or global health security
• Excellent leadership and organisational skills, with the ability to balance strategic thinking with meticulous attention to administrative details
• Knowledge of day-to-day operations of a small, growing organization (such as accounting, financial analysis and data analysis)
• Proven experience in strategic planning and business development, with a strong desire to take responsibility for owning and managing projects to a high standard
• Outstanding written and oral communication skills
• Experience in raising public awareness and fostering stakeholder involvement within the private sector, civil society, or academia
• Government relations and public advocacy skills are an advantage
• Fluency in French is desirable
• Minimum 7 years experience in a relevant field
• Minimum 3 years experience in a senior leadership role, such as Chief of Staff, Head of Operations, COO