Executive Director

About AFEMENA

Established in 2010, AFEMENA’s mission is to encourage and support sexual health, sexuality gender and bodily rights movements in the Middle East and North Africa through capacity building, knowledge production, protection and advocacy.

As the largest southern-led regional organization in the MENA, AFEMENA strives to serves LGBTQI, Key Populations, and marginalized groups through a variety of programs including grantmaking, capacity building, policy and media advocacy, security and protection, and research and publications.

Headquartered in Beirut, Lebanon, AFEMENA’s mission is advanced by more than 22 staff in Lebanon and the MENA region. The team comes from diverse backgrounds and possesses a wealth of experience and knowledge. As a regional organization that defends SOGIESC human rights, AFEMENA adopts certain values to achieve the highest levels of integrity and accountability. In its new approach, AFEMENA emphasizes feminist ethics, which will drive these efforts as a central and intersectional approach that embraces the following values: Feminist Ethics, Passion, Continuous Learning, Collaboration, and Accountability.

AFEMENA is currently governed by a 4-person Board of Directors. To learn more, please visit: https://afemena.org

AFEMENA experienced exponential and transformative growth over the past several years. Now, while continuing to build power and challenge the status quo, AFEMENA utilized its leadership transition period between July 2020 and August 2021 to invest in organizational development and governance. The new leader will inherit a financially stable, mission-driven organization with a strong renewed commitment to uphold feminist ethics and values.

With the confluence of global health, political, and economic disruptions unfolding amid tectonic shifts in LGBTQI movements, the need for bold queer feminist leadership to lead AFEMENA has never been greater. This is an exceptional opportunity for a strategic and visionary leader to build on a decade-long of innovative work to fuel the organizing of powerful grassroots movements and realize a MENA region where all people can actively and enthusiastically belong.

The Position

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the new Executive Director will build on AFEMENA’s history to create a nimble, thriving, and resilient organization that effectively and efficiently shifts power to LGBTQI people. In collaboration with the board and staff, the new Executive will leverage the organization’s expertise to center its activist-centered approach and expand its programs and funding. Primary responsibilities include the following:

Leadership

• Inspire, mentor and motivate an international team of experts connected by a deep passion for human rights and social justice;
• Model feminist leadership principles that support self-determination and advance equity and inclusion;
• Champion a culture grounded in transparency and accountability;
• Center healing justice practices and uphold the ongoing supportive work to nourish and strengthen staff and the community;
• Ensure a smooth process of the Board’s elections; seek and build board involvement with strategic direction for both ongoing local operations as well as for the national and regional rollout.

Strategy & Vision

• With staff, board, grant recipients, advisors, and peers, develop a strategic plan that defines AFEMENA’s role in the ecosystem of feminist funds and movements;
• Ensure ongoing local programmatic excellence, rigorous program evaluation, and consistent quality of finance and administration, fundraising, communications, and systems; recommend timelines and resources needed to achieve the strategic goals;
• In collaboration with regional and feminist funds, enhance AFEMENA’s role in building LGBTQI movements

and the advocacy infrastructure;

• Center participatory grantmaking that shifts power to activists and refine funding models to be even more nimble, responsive, and flexible.

Fundraising and Fiscal Stewardship

• Enthusiastically lead and actively engage in AFEMENA’s diverse fundraising efforts;
• In partnership with board and staff, develop and maintain relationships with key stakeholders including individuals and institutions to expand AFEMENA’s base of supporters;
• Leverage external presence to grow AFEMENA’s fundraising initiatives;
• Diversify and increase unrestricted funding sources, especially from individual donors, and grow AFEMENA’s reserves and build an endowment fund;
• Expand local revenue generating and fundraising activities to support existing program operations and regional expansion while simultaneously retiring building debt;
• Oversee the effective and efficient management of the organization’s financial resources ensuring its

fiscal stability and long-term sustainability;

• Responsible for fiscal management that generally anticipates operating within the approved budget, ensures maximum resource utilization, and maintenance of the organization in a positive financial position;
• Responsible for the fiscal integrity of AFEMENA, to include submission to the Board of a proposed annual budget and monthly financial statements, which accurately reflect the financial condition of the organization.

Communications & Outreach

• With an authentic and progressive voice, represent AFEMENA in the media, in the activist and philanthropic communities, and to a broad range of stakeholders including grant recipient partners, donors, and advisors;
• Deepen and refine all aspects of communications—from web presence to external relations with the goal of creating a stronger brand;
• Increase visibility and provide leadership within the network of LGBTQI funds;
• Be a regional thought leader that publishes and communicates program results and achievements;
• Serve as a trusted advisor to governments, private foundations, movements, and grassroots organizations.

Organizational Development

• Ensure the organizational structure supports the recent expansion of grantmaking and programs;
• Ensure effective systems to track scaling progress, and regularly evaluate program components, so as to measure successes that can be effectively communicated to the board, funders, and other constituents;
• Dedicate resources and expertise to build robust human resources and finance departments;
• Oversee the updating and integration of technology systems adequate to meet the needs of a regional organization and remote work;
• Refine and implement policies and procedures that reflect AFEMENA’s values;
• Center mentoring and coaching of the management and senior teams, providing support to build strong teams;
• Support the development of a leadership pipeline for diverse staff;
• Prioritize professional development and mentoring for the next generation of leaders.

The ideal candidate will be transformative leader and respected social justice thought partner. They will have a nuanced understanding of the philanthropic climate, and AFEMENA’s place among regional LGBTQI organizations and grant makers. They will have deep connections to grassroots communities and movements. The successful candidate must have the following:

• At least 10 years of senior leadership experience with understanding of the Lebanese and regional political and social contexts, including experience managing remote teams;
• Proven success building strong and effective teams and creating cultures defined by transparency, accountability, trust and respect;
• Strategic fundraising experience that includes cultivating individual and institutional donor relationships, soliciting major gifts, and negotiating government contracts;
• Prior experience working with a nonprofit board and a demonstrable understanding of board development, governance and decision-making;
• An advanced understanding of the fiscal and donor reporting requirements associated with global grassroots grantmaking;
• Demonstrated experience leading the creation and implementation of strategic plans;
• Exceptional communications skills including the ability to effectively convey ideas and to engage individuals and large groups;
• Strong marketing, public relations, and fundraising experience with the ability to engage a wide range of stakeholders and cultures.
• Unwavering commitment to quality programs and data-driven program evaluation;
• Strong public speaking ability;
• Full fluency in English, French and Arabic is a must; additional languages are a plus;
• Enthusiasm for significant domestic and international travel.

Personal Characteristics

The new Executive Director will have a fierce commitment to advancing gender, racial, economic and environmental justice. They will be an innovative, transparent and adaptive leader with a commitment to lifelong learning and a drive to mentor, coach, and support leadership. The ideal candidate will have the emotional intelligence to engage in honest self-reflection and receive constructive feedback, and the humility to share power and make collective decisions.

Challenges and Priorities – First 6 to 12 months

• Rebuild AFEMENA’s structure, operation plans, and financial structure;
• Establish and implement an accountability mechanism for staff and programs to reinstate trust in AFEMENA’s commitment to transparency and equity;
• Expand and advance team hires;
• Establish themselves as a credible leader and gain confidence and trust of staff, MENA organizations, Board of Directors and other stakeholders;
• Set up a robust fundraising plan to ensure the organization’s stability;
• Ongoing monitoring and reporting of AFEMENA’s Strategic and Operation Plans;
• Identify, understand and mitigate significant risks of conducting business in Beirut and the MENA region and propose alternative plans.

Compensation

The salary will be commensurate with the experience and qualifications of the selected candidate. In addition to generous Time-Off, AFEMENA provides a benefits package including health insurance and NSSF. Reimbursement of basic relocation expenses will be considered for the exceptional individual we are seeking.