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On 8 December 2020, we inaugurated the Still I Rise International School in Nairobi, thanks to the support of many friends and donors.
Our school is located in Mathare, Nairobi, an area strategically chosen to welcome the city’s forgotten children. Mathare is one of the most disadvantaged slums in the world and it stands in between the districts of ...
Overview
The Head of External Affairs establishes and expands Still I Rise International School of Nairobi’s existing and potential external partners network. Exemplifying our values and mission, they lead outreach to ensure that the School, its staff and its students are connected with Nairobi, Kenya and the world. In so doing, they advocate for our causes, strengthen our educational provision, boost our standing in the community and in the media, and open up fundraising opportunities.
The partnerships they seek, forge and nurture are aligned with the program’s broad array of programmatic, educational and advocacy goals. They should provide maximum impact, accounting for budgetary considerations and value for money. They build bonds with individuals and organisations through warm, enthusiastic engagement in-person as well as utilising remote communication.
It is critical that the Head of External Affairs is up to date with the practices of the school and Still I Rise so that they may represent the institution and recognise opportunities for new and expansive activity, ultimately benefiting our students’ schooling experience. As such, the role requires determination, creativity, crystal clear communication, collaboration and unerring professionalism.
The Head of External Affairs is a cross-departmental position, encompassing the pursuit of targets and tasks relating to education, fundraising, advocacy, media and networking.
Responsibilities
Fulfilment of the School’s strategy-aligned goals
- Via the School Director, receives goals aligned with the wider vision set out by the Site Steering Committee
- Collaborates to establish key indicators which will define success and sets out a clear plan and schedule to achieve positive results
- Monitors and communicates progress toward the goals, problem solving any obstacles and finding creative responses to maximise impact in key indicators
- Throughout all activity, negotiates in a transparent and sustainable manner to achieve value for money. Prioritises heavily discounted and free partnerships, making use of our charitable status. Actively seeks out opportunities to increase our donor engagement with fresh, dynamic activity.
- Maintains detailed and precise records of all meetings with all potential and existing partners, consisting of agendas, meeting minutes and follow-up action points.
- Contributes feedback, insight and ideas via the School Director which are taken into consideration by the Steering Committee which evolve the site’s goals and action plan.
Connecting with Regional Educational Institutions
- Extensively maps educational institutions in the region, including public schools, NGOs, community education groups and governmental ancillary services
- Initiates contact with these institutions, making official visits and establishing exchanges where appropriate.
- Effectively communicates Still I Rise and the School’s mission, vision, core values and strategic direction
- Develops recorded and sustainable agreements of partnership with these institutions, directed toward clear strategy-aligned purposes. These purposes may be, for instance, our need for local schools to enrol students not suited to our International School, to remain aligned and on good terms with Ministry of Education officials, to strengthen our ongoing relationship with International NGOs such as Medecin Sans Frontiere, to establish teacher professional development exchanges, to set up and coordinate periodic inter-school sporting events, to open up a network of support for students with disabilities or special educational needs etc etc.
Bridging worldwide actors and stakeholders with the School
- Proactively identifies opportunities for the School. Liaises with the School Director and utilises the resources and personnel of the Programs and Education Departments. Commits to conducting on-the-ground networking and online research.
- Reaches out to a broad and diverse range of actors from any location worldwide, showing resilience when invitations are declined and plans fall through, and tenacity in broaching new boundaries in a personable and positive manner
- Effectively communicates Still I Rise and the School’s mission, vision, core values and strategic direction to all actors and stakeholders.
- Seeks out and takes lead coordination of all School competitions in order to increase our standing in the region and world
- When assigned, represents the School in community meetings on educational or non-educational matters
- As assigned, seeks and maintains working relationships with donors. and explore and pursue fundraising opportunities from Kenya-based donors.
- Diligently maintains existing relationships through attendance of meetings, sending updates of our program and activity, holding check-in calls, keeping up email correspondence and paying official visits as appropriate
- Keeps the School Director and other members of the School’s leadership abreast of feedback and concerns within the community. Plays a collaborative role in our responses.
- When assigned, engages with the media as a representative of the School
- Builds and maintains a living document of our extensive and ever-expanding network of partnerships of all types, organised by category and with contact details and recorded notes attached as necessary.
- Contributes to any work plans and reports which Still I Rise departments or donors may require
- Leads the primary stages of the annual Student Selection Process, fulfilling and delegating responsibilities as necessary in a bid to reach the broadest, deepest pool of potential students as possible.
Advocacy
- After training and handover from the advocacy dept, continues the work initiated with the ultimate goal of supporting a local network of stakeholders to rehabilitate the polluted spaces around the school.
- Liaises with the advocacy department as they provide continuous support and technical information
- Initiates and maintains local contact with the UNHCR Kenya department in charge of resettlement. Coordinates with them to support our families who get resettled.
- Locates and liaises with IB schools at the destination of resettledfamilies so they may continue their IB education.
- Works with the CPS department both on the ground and remotely, finding useful partnerships and contacts to support our refugee students and families based on their needs.
- Acts as the main focal point for media and journalists: with the support of the Press Office Manager, expands the reach of our communication in Kenya
Essential Skills & Requirements
Essential Criteria
- Knowledge of local development and/or local education and/or local health issues
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
- An entrepreneurial outlook with a desire to continually expand the reach and potential of the school and its varied, ambitious goals
- Experience of 2 years with NGOs/non profit and/or within the Education Sector
- Excellent IT skills and computer literacy
- Genuine interest and passion for the school’s mission and approach
- Thorough knowledge of the local context and stakeholders
- Demonstrated ability to meet deadlines and adjust to changing and/or competing priorities
- Ability to work independently as well as in a team environment
- Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to interact with a wide variety of people both internally and externally
- Ability to motivate/inspire others with ideas
- Self-motivated, versatile and adaptable to different cultures and people;
- Strong community liaison, mobilisation and negotiation skills required;
- Good analytical skills; resourcefulness, initiative, maturity of judgement;
- Strong communications skills and ability to work with a team to achieve organisational goals;
- Good negotiation skills, and the ability to bring consensus amongst people
Desirable Criteria
- Knowledge and experience of development and delivery of advocacy and campaigning strategies.
- Proven knowledge and experience of the local Kenyan political scene
- Experience working in an international environment
- Knowledge of and experience of government departments and local donor communities
- Strong contacts with key actors within Kenyan government, parliament, NGOs and international actors relevant to our organisation
- Experience of effectively using the media to build awareness around campaigns
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