Global Voices seeks a Managing Director

Originally published on Global Voices

Global Voices is seeking a dynamic Managing Director for our unique and groundbreaking organization. The Managing Director will be responsible for the daily management of the organization, working closely with Executive Director Malka Older to guide the organization and plan the next chapter of our work as we enter our 21st year. The candidate will succeed Georgia Popplewell, who is stepping down from her role as founding Managing Director after more than 16 years.

Global Voices is a respected international, multilingual community of writers, translators, digital activists and researchers around the world, with a large network of partners in media, digital rights and information access communities. We work to amplify voices usually excluded from online spaces, promote digital rights, and forge international, multilingual, and cross-cultural connections.

Candidates for this role should be passionate about the vision articulated in our mission statement: building understanding between communities, cultures and languages; creating trustworthy information in a contested and complex world; and supporting spaces for people to represent themselves and assert power in media environments. The successful candidate will be committed to sustaining an environment of mutual support, kindness, and willingness to see people as complex individuals, possessing multiple identities, unique histories, and diverse affiliations.

The next Managing Director will ideally:

• Have at least 5 years’ experience in a senior management role.
• Be an inspirational leader who communicates clearly, listens well and is empathetic and responsive to Global Voices’ diverse community, including managing interpersonal relationships and problem-solving.
• Be effective in promoting and amplifying the organization’s work, and representing the organization at public events and in community conversations.
• Have experience overseeing budgets and nonprofit finance and accounting administration, technical needs and staff management.
• Be tech-savvy, process-oriented, highly organized and comfortable with multi-tasking.
• Be a strong writer and editor, with written and verbal fluency in English and at least one other language.
• Have significant experience in at least some of Global Voices’ core activities, including community-based journalism, digital and online human rights advocacy and research, activism, internet and online research methods, and network and community mobilization for under-represented communities. Newsroom leadership experience is a bonus, but not required.
• Be an entrepreneurial thinker, adept at implementing programs and initiatives.
• Be enthusiastic and effective in supporting, motivating, and mentoring the Global Voices team and community to take on roles of progressive responsibility and commitment.
• Be skilled and experienced in organizational planning and growth, managing teams, designing processes, and configuring resources to support a healthy and strong team and community.
• Have substantial international experience and be comfortable working in distributed, global, multilingual contexts with diverse values.
• Be able to travel internationally.
• Be able to work on a flexible schedule to accommodate meetings with team and volunteers in different time zones, including evenings, mornings, and weekends.

There is no geographic requirement associated with this position; Global Voices has no office or physical headquarters. Candidates must have consistent, reliable access to broadband internet connectivity, be comfortable working in a wholly virtual environment, and be able to travel internationally when necessary. The Managing Director will report to the Executive Director.

We strongly welcome candidates from outside North America and Western Europe and encourage people currently contributing to Global Voices to apply.

Compensation: The position will be treated as a freelance contract. The rate for the position will be determined by our compensation policies together with the skills and experience of the candidate. Because Global Voices is wholly virtual, our rates are applied independent of location.

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. Please submit your application through the form below.

Written by Global Voices