Join SHE Rwanda as its Managing Director
Company Background
SHE is an award-winning social enterprise, with our first business operating in Rwanda. Our goal for SHE Rwanda is to increase access (for at least 250,000 girls) to affordable sanitary pads. We’re doing that by using an innovative manufacturing process that sources banana fiber from local banana co-operatives. We then use that banana fiber to make and produce affordable disposable sanitary pads (they are at least 30% more affordable than comparable imported brands). Our pads, branded as go!, are sold to schools and NGOs, and also directly to underserved consumers across Rwanda, primarily in the Eastern Province.
In Rwanda, SHE is rapidly scaling, and our revenue is incrementally growing as we meet customer demand for affordable sanitary pads. In Rwanda, SHE is a social business with a social mission of local sourcing of banana fiber, job creation, affordable products, and access to essential menstrual health education at the school level.
Our social venture has been recognized by New Times Rwanda. We are proud to have received global recognition for our work from Echoing Green, The Tech Museum, Curry Stone Design Prize, among others. Learn more about our work here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4365hpsxVIw
Job Background
We are in an exciting time of growth given our new partnership with Johnson & Johnson, a multi-national conglomerate, and are looking to hire a Managing Director to lead our Rwanda-based entity to profitability and scale.
The Managing Director role in Rwanda is integral to shaping the direction of SHE Rwanda’s approach and vision. It is imperative that the Managing Director can continue to build upon our track record and trust within the Rwandan business community.
We are seeking an original, resilient, self–starter who sees opportunities (not challenges), and inspires and manages a team to scale our short, but proven track record. Our Managing Director should bring fresh ideas to the table that can challenge our assumptions and principles.
Reporting and Relationships
The Managing Director, Rwanda will report to the Founder and CEO of SHE Global based in the U.S. and will work at the time with the Global team in New York City. S/he will oversee the staff in Rwanda.
Location and Time Requirements
The Managing Director, Rwanda will be based at the SHE Rwanda office located in Kigali. There will be significant in-country travel, including into rural areas.
Responsibilities
Overall, we are seeking someone who can lead our Rwanda-based entity to profitability and scale. In doing so, she/he will manage all staff, administration, and operations of SHE in Rwanda and take ownership of all country-specific projects and deliverables. The following things will be important in doing that:
- Revenue Generation & Cost Containment
- Lead the conversion of significant new customers
- Work with the business development team to identify and cultivate new customers and retain existing customers
- Deliver on cost reduction and increased efficiencies through continuous operational improvements and supply chain management as we scale.
- Financial Oversight (in partnership with Business Operations Manager)
- Work with Business Operations Manager to oversee country-level budgeting and audit
- Work with Business Operations Manager to assure that accounts are up to date and that taxes are paid on time
- Operations
- Develop evidence-driven implementation plans and execute those plans for production, sales, distribution, and supply chain management;
- Lead implementation plan roll-out while working with a diverse set of actors including Rwandan stakeholders, U.S. team members, international funders and partners;
- Strategic Planning and Execution
- Guide the scaling of SHE Rwanda from a fiscal perspective;
- Test and evaluate all aspects of business model to ensure quality, sustainability and replicability by measuring success criteria against SHE’s business model and its assumptions; Human Resources
- Build a culture of high performance for SHE Rwanda;
- Recruit and provide line management, mentorship, and support to team;
- Ensure that SHE Rwanda is compliant with labor laws.
- External Engagement
- Represent SHE Rwanda to senior government officials and other major partners
- Develop strong district and national government relationships;
- Represent SHE Rwanda when liaising with SHE’s funders and investors
- General Administration
- Manage change and support others to do so – support the team to deal with ambiguity.
- Take ownership of all country-specific projects and deliverables.
- Lead with integrity. The Managing Director would be an inspirational figure for the staff and international community to look to as highly-skilled, passionate, and ethical.
Qualifications
We are looking for outstanding candidates who fit the following criteria:
- 7-10 years work experience, ideally in business development or sales;
- Experience in managing a profit and loss statement to drive and inform strategy;
- Strategic thinker and planner who has built and managed teams that successfully execute on plans for impact and scale;
- Demonstrated ability to work with funders and investors;
- Experience of working in the East African, preferably Rwanda-specific, context
- Building and maintaining truly collaborative and learning-driven relationships with Government – at all level of seniority; as well as the ability to maintain strong partnerships with stakeholders as diverse as global funders; NGO leaders; individual investors, and academics.
- Experience mentoring and managing people and helping them to develop as leaders.
- Ability to effectively collaborate with and across a global team, proven capacity to work across cultural lines; and the ability to operate independently in complex situations.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel & Google Apps.
Characteristics Required:
- A strong listener: You have exceptional relationship and interpersonal skills, and demonstrate patience, tact, and authenticity.
- Detail oriented: You have a strong implementation focus.
- Motivator: The ability to act with positivity and optimism such that you can motivate others during challenging times.
- Language: English required. + Kinyarwanda preferred.
Please note:
- References will be taken up before a final offer of employment is made.
Recruitment Process:
Provisional dates for the process are as follows:
- Long-listing will take place in July 2017 and those candidates selected will be informed and invited for a preliminary interview. Preliminary interviews will take the form of face-to-face or Skype interviews with SHE Global team.
- The second phase of interview will be a Skype interview with the Founder and CEO of SHE. Short-listing will take place before the end of August 2017 and candidates selected for interviews with the Founder and CEO will be informed.
- The third and final phase of the interview process with our top candidates will be an in-person interview with our SHE Rwanda team in Kigali. It will consist of a panel interview with 5 people. It is anticipated that interviews with the SHE Rwanda staff will take place during the last 2 weeks of August 2017.
Job Location: Kigali, Rwanda
Duration: Minimum 2+ years commitment, full-time job
Preferred Start Date: September/October 2017
Compensation: A competitive salary and benefits package commensurate with experience including health insurance and bonus opportunity.
How to Apply: Only electronic applications will be accepted. To apply you should submit a copy of your CV, alongside a thoughtful cover letter, indicating why you are the right fit for SHE Rwanda and this Managing Director position to hresources@sheinnovates.com
If you have questions:
If, after reading this material, you have further questions about any aspect of this search, you can contact:
Connie Lewin
Director of Strategy, SHE Global