Executive Director

Flying Kites is hiring an Executive Director! (Njabini, Kenya)

About us:

At Flying Kites, we partner with teachers in rural Kenya to transform schools so that girls can thrive. By introducing programs and resources across our School Network, we are supporting girls to realize their human rights by making informed decisions about their bodies, their education, and their future.

2024 is a pivotal year for Flying Kites. With a multimillion-dollar, multi-year grant to scale our work and multiply our impact, we are building the capacity of our 42-person (and growing!) Kenya team, establishing our Academy as a model school for gender equity, and expanding our School Network to reach all 46 public primary schools in the South Kinangop Sub-County, benefiting more than 20,000 students – 10,000 girls and 10,000 boys – and 1,000 teachers over the next five years.

Driven by a vision for all girls to live healthy, self-determined futures, our Theory of Change is underpinned by a set of inputs delivered across our growing Network of co-ed public primary schools in South Kinangop, including:

• “Girls United” Clubs led by trained and supported female teachers
• Teacher training programs, including workshops and access to resources that support digital literacy
• Community-led initiative to address and reduce GBV in schools
• Gender equity sensitization workshops and resources for students and teachers
• WASH resources based on UNICEF global guidance for WASH in schools
• Menstrual health resources
• Secondary school scholarship support

While many excellent organizations deliver interventions that benefit girls throughout Kenya and beyond,

at Flying Kites we:

• are centered in our community (in Njabini, Kenya since 2007) – the school communities we

partner with are also our neighbors, positioning us to learn together as we contextualize, ideate, and iterate our programs

• support girls in very young adolescence, (ages 10-14), a vulnerable and critical time for their bodily and cognitive development.
• partner with public primary school teachers and local government officials to design and implement interventions that empower girls and support systems change across the larger community.

We need an exceptional Executive Director to lead our team on this next stage of our journey and beyond. Our ideal candidate is a strategic leader with a passion for gender equity and the ability to influence and inspire diverse stakeholders to achieve our ambitions. Together.

About the role:

In alignment with a new 5-Year Strategy, adopted by our Board of Directors in December 2023, the

Executive Director is responsible for developing, leading, implementing and executing the mission and strategic goals of the organisation while overseeing the operations and administration of our Kenya-based campus in alignment with our core values and consistent with our reputation as a trusted,

mission-centered member of the communities served by our work.

Importantly, the Executive Director is responsible for building internal capacity and ensuring the success of our Kenya-based team, with focused attention on the development, mentoring, and achievement of professionals in managerial-level positions. The Executive Director leads the team in establishing trusted partnerships, innovating activities aligned with our ToC, and capturing key learnings that optimize impact and improve financial efficiency.

Finally, the Executive Director serves as the face of Flying Kites in Kenya, establishing and positively influencing our reputation with partners, donors, peer organizations, government officials, and beneficiary communities. This role reports to and partners with the US-Based Founder and CEO and co-founder who is responsible for setting the strategic vision and fundraising targets for the organization.

Your Responsibilities will include:

Organizational Strategy & Culture

• Lead the development, oversight and annual review of programmatic and organizational growth in alignment with our mission.
• Collaborate as a primary thought and strategic partner with the CEO in moving the organization forward and upward.
• Steward our organizational vision, strategy, identity and brand.
• Pursue and secure strategic partnerships that support program enrichment, funding, growth, and development.
• Oversee and collaborate with the Chief Operating Officer to ensure cross-functional implementation of strategy and achieve operational excellence
• Increase organisational visibility in Kenya and East Africa by developing and pursuing a robust networking and positioning strategy aligned with our long-term goals for scaling our work, including in partnerships at the national government level.
• Envision and lead overall organizational culture strategies, including talent development and mentoring initiatives, ensuring the growth and sustainability of highly effective and collaborative teams to lead our work.
• Mentor and support the Director of Programs, Director of Operations & Administration, and Director of Education in the leadership and development of their growing teams, including the introduction of strategies for succession planning.
• Support and contribute to fundraising strategies and donor engagement objectives in collaboration with the Chief Executive Officer and the Director of Development.
• Continually assess, identify, and address gaps and weaknesses to improve programmatic and operational performance, efficiency, and effectiveness.
• Advise Board of Directors and Audit Committee; effectively communicate and present financial, programmatic and other reports at Board of Directors meetings and other fora.
• Lead, coach, and manage teams through periods of organizational transformation and change in alignment with long-term strategies for expansion and scale.

Program & Impact Measurement

• Oversee and collaborate with the Director of Programs, supporting innovation and effective strategies aligned with our vision.
• Lead and oversee the implementation of a monitoring, evaluation, and learning “MEL” framework and infrastructure aimed at clearly and effectively measuring, documenting and communicating the impact of our work while positioning Flying Kites as a learning-impact driven and

evidence-based organization.

• Support and coach the Director of Programs and members of the Programs Team to establish and monitor program performance metrics; prepare and deliver accurate and timely reports that effectively track progress and exhibit desired outcomes.
• Oversee, support and coach the Director of Education to lead teachers in the establishment of Flying Kites Academy as a model school for gender equity and an institution that prioritizes outcomes beyond exam scores.
• Ensure that all programmatic and organisational activities achieve clearly-stated objectives, meet the needs of beneficiaries, and are implemented to the highest standards, on time, and within budget.

Operations & Finance

• Oversee and collaborate with the Director of Operations & Administration in the day-to-day leadership and management of personnel, partner relationships, programs, operations, and activities in support of established goals and objectives and demonstrated by measurable and documented results.
• Develop and manage the operating budget for each fiscal year, seeking and pursuing activities, partnerships, and other strategies to optimize program costs, and enrich the quality of services.
• Collaborate with Directors to recommend, communicate and institutionalize “best practice” policies and procedures that support the effective administration of programs and operations.
• Coach and support Directors and Managers in the recruitment, professional development, and retention of highly effective teams including through assigned accountabilities, annual performance appraisals, and the principle-based administration of salary adjustments based on consistent standards.
• Prepare and conduct annual performance appraisals for Director of Programs, Director of Operations and Administration, and Director of Education.
• Identify, assess, control, and eliminate unacceptable risks to the organisation while ensuring compliance with national and local laws, regulations and financial management standards.
• Collaborate with the Director of Finance & Governance (US) and Manager of Finance (Kenya) to ensure compliance with annual audit requirements.

We are looking for

• An inspiring motivator who is deeply passionate and knowledgeable about gender equity and barriers to education for girls in Kenya.
• A creative visionary with a high level of strategic thinking, having successfully led organizations through various stages of growth.
• A self-reliant, results-oriented, and community-centered leader with a commitment to working and living in rural Kenya.
• 5+ years highest-level leadership – in a similar or Deputy Director role – at a charitable or non-governmental organization, preferably in the gender equity or education sector.
• Well-developed and mature professional interpersonal skills; ability to interact effectively in a multicultural environment with stakeholders and colleagues at all organizational levels.
• Exceptional written, oral, and presentation skills.
• Strong operational and administrative skills, including use of tools and software for fiscal management, understanding of HR processes, and the attentiveness needed to manage risk and ensure compliance with regulatory and legal issues.
• A high level of emotional intelligence and history of success developing and leading highly effective teams through change and organizational growth.
• Track record of creatively solving problems, making sound decisions, and exercising excellent judgment.
• Experience working in a child-centered environment with a demonstrated ability to respond quickly and maintain composure during situations that impact the safety and security of children.
• Entrepreneurial team player who can multitask, prioritize effectively, and adhere to deadlines.
• Superior people management skills; ability to influence and engage the team, peers, and beneficiaries towards the achievement of a common goal.
• Track record in partnership building and management across diverse stakeholders
• Highly responsive, flexible, collaborative, and proactive.
• Exceptional analytical skills to effectively assess, monitor, and communicate data.
• High level of proficiency in the use of computers and technology, including Microsoft and Google Suite applications.
• Ability to manage and be accountable for the handling of confidential and sensitive information.
• Bachelor’s degree in Education, Public Health, Social Work, NGO Management, or related field.
• A Master’s Degree or higher will be an added advantage.

Additional Requirements

• An incident-free Children’s Check and National Police Check (Certificate of Good Conduct) is a strict condition of employment and must be provided at time of hire and updated on request.
• Consistent with the leadership level of this position and the need to effectively communicate with US-based colleagues, periodic weekend and after-hours work is expected and required to meet organizational priorities.
• Occasional travel outside of Kenya (including to the United States) based on organizational priorities.

Our unique culture and workplace:

While we operate as a global team, including colleagues in the US and UAE, the heart and soul of our work is developed and achieved from the gorgeous surroundings of our Flying Kites Campus, located in the

foothills of the Aberdares mountains in Njabini, Kenya.

• Winning Moves

  • We accompany our community – we give preference to their needs.
  • We are accountable — we use data and evidence to make decisions.
  • We start at home — we develop interventions at our own Academy, then adapt and share them across our School Network.

• Core Traits

  • Always: bold, respectful, supportive, patient, progressive, open-minded.
  • Never: rigid, skeptical, conventional, insensitive, inconsiderate, withdrawn.

• TEAM FK Values

  • Transparent – we are committed to open, honest, and immediate communication.
  • Engaged – we prioritize high levels of engagement with colleagues, responsibilities, and objectives.
  • Ambassadors – we act as role models and representatives of our organization.
  • Mission-centered – we remain mindful of both the task at hand and the larger “big picture” goals of our organization.
  • Flexible – we nurture a growth mindset that embraces feedback and serves the changing needs of our organization.
  • Kind – we approach each interaction with a commitment to kindness, respect, and the presumption of good intent.

Other Information

• The Executive Director reports to the Chief Executive Officer.
• The position is based in the Flying Kites Campus in Njabini, South Kinangop Sub-County, Kenya.
• Expected work hours are from Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., or as otherwise needed to successfully fulfill responsibilities. A significant (8 hour) time difference is acknowledged and generally accommodated for scheduled and unscheduled communications with the Chief Executive Officer, Board of Directors, and colleagues in the United States.
• The Kenya office is subject to occasional interruptions in power and/or Internet access.
• All of our programs and objectives serve children from preschool through young adults. Our workplace is thus regularly accessed and impacted by children.