About the job

About Ubongo

Ubongo is a non-profit social enterprise with the mission of using top quality, localized edutainment to help Africa’s 500 million kids learn, and leverage their learning to change their lives. Over 17 million families learn with Ubongo weekly on TV, radio and web, and the organization is growing rapidly with the goal of having accessible and localized Ubongo edutainment in all countries in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2025.

Ubongo is looking for a growth-stage CEO to lead through Ubongo’s next phase of Pan-African growth and achieve long term sustainability of the organization’s impact. Ubongo has grown from a small Tanzanian startup founded in 2013 to a multi-country organization reaching millions of users in 9 languages, with rigorous evidence of impact. Ubongo’s HQ is in Dar es Salaam, and is currently a team of 51 Ubongoers based in 8 countries.

To learn about Ubongo and the organization’s impact, head over to their website (https://www.ubongo.org/).

Key Responsibilities | CEO – Ubongo

•  Leading and nurturing the terrific team of Ubongoers to achieve our mission and vision.
• Taking Ubongo truly Pan-African, sustainably driving growth of our impact and our organization.
• Setting Ubongo’s short and long term strategy in coordination with the board and Ubongoers, and assure that we’re effectively implementing that strategy towards our objectives and vision.
• Upholding and representing Ubongo’s core values of Ubunifu (creativity), Ustahimilivu (grit), Upendo (love) and Utu (shared humanity).
• Cultivating Ubongo’s strong culture as their team and organization grow, with a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion.
• Leading and developing Ubongo’s senior management team, and ensure that they too are equipped to lead and develop their own teams to fulfil Ubongo’s objectives and to thrive in their work. We’ve got a great team of Ubongoers and are ready to upskill and develop leaders and talent across the organization.
• Partnering with Ubongo’s Chief Operating Officer, grow Ubongo’s organizational systems, processes, policies and culture so Ubongo can thrive as it grows.
• Partnering with Ubongo’s Chief Business Officer in developing funding streams, partnerships, marketing and distribution strategies to increase Ubongo’s reach, engagement, impact and sustainability. Additionally, build upon Ubongo’s successes to date and explore new opportunities and approaches.
• Partnering with Ubongo’s Chief Innovation Officer (current CEO Nisha Ligon hopes to transition to this role), ensuring that Ubongo innovates inclusively with the communities it serves, and designs to solve the most pressing challenges for Ubongo’s users, clients, partners and team.

Reports to: Ubongo International Board of Directors

Location: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

The Application Process

Step 1: Apply for the job post here to express interest in the role.

Step 2: Now that we know you are interested, the next step involves an online screening of your candidature by our partner, Shortlist. Please continue to complete the application on the Link below:

https://www.shortlist.net/jobs/4504?source=25

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The screening process includes a few short questions on your experience followed by an assessment to demonstrate our ability to do the job.

Does this sound like you?

Critical Requirements for the role (Must Haves)

• Proven experience at CEO or senior leadership level within an impact focused organization working and/or scaling across multiple countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.
• Experience with strategic planning, performance management, managing a P&L/ budget, and overseeing change management at a department or organization level.
• Proven ability to build and lead high-performing, multicultural teams and cultivate organizational culture.
• Experience with non-profit or social enterprise fundraising and revenue generation, and familiarity with the development sector and donor community.
• Track record of ensuring robust governance and compliance within an organization or department, and experience or readiness to take full organizational leadership within Ubongo, reporting to and working closely with Ubongo’s board.
• Understanding of ethical, regulatory, compliance, safeguarding and legal responsibilities for a multi-country organization that works for and with children, and commitment to ensuring Ubongo upholds the highest standards across these areas.

Preferred Requirements for the role (Nice to Haves)

• Experience in the education and/or media sectors is a plus but not required.
• Multilingual, or with a strong appreciation of how language shapes learning and culture. Ubongo operates in mostly English, with some Kiswahili, plus it adapts and distributes content in 7+ other languages.

Candidate Attributes (Culture Fit)

• African origin or with strong roots in Africa.
• An ethical leader of leaders, committed to empowering and equipping those around them, and leading us towards a shared vision.
• Exemplify Ubongoers Principles and live our values of Ubunifu (creativity), Ustahimilivu (grit), Upendo (love) and Utu (shared humanity)! Read about our team and our Ubongoers principles here.
• An eagerness to learn, adapt, fail fast and fail forward with humility and openness. We work in a rapidly changing world, and no one knows all the answers. As Ubongoers we openly share our challenges and failures to ensure that we are always learning.
• A willingness to travel extensively within Africa and internationally.
• A passion for kids and the next generation! We’re an edutainment company that does it for the kids.