Secretary General of Religions for Peace International

The Position

Religions for Peace (RfP) is seeking to appoint a new Secretary General and Chief Executive Officer. The position will become vacant upon the imminent retirement of Dr. William Vendley who has held the position for the last 27 years.

The Secretary General as the Chief Executive Officer will report directly to the board who are senior representatives of leading religious organizations, and other eminent individuals. The Secretary General serves as the Secretary of the board.

The successful applicant will be responsible for a wide variety of functions, including the overall management of the day-to-day operations of RfP, ensuring compliance with the organization's charter and legal regulations, as well as being responsible for strategy, fundraising, managing partner relations, public speaking, press relations, marketing, and budgeting. A detailed description of the role will be available upon applying for the position.

It will require a self-starter who can work independently, but within the organization’s structures and guidelines. (S)he will have an intimate understanding of the global religious community and will be comfortable working with members of all faiths.

The role will be based in New York.

The Organization

RfP is the world’s largest and most representative multi-religious coalition, advancing common action among the world’s religious communities for peace. RfP works to transform violent conflict, advance human development, promote just and harmonious societies, and protect the earth. The global RfPnetwork comprises a World Council of senior religious leaders from all regions of the world; six regional inter-religious bodies and more than 90 national ones; and the Global Women of Faith Network and Global Interfaith Youth Network.

Mission

RfP advances common action among the world’s religious communities in creating Peace. Peace is understood as fundamentally “positive” and far more than the absence of conflict, even though the organization addresses violent conflict and other threats to human dignity and communal well-being. Across the RfP network, diverse religious communities discern “deeply held and widely shared” moral concerns and translates them into concrete common action on local, national, regional and global levels. The RfP approach of engaging existing religious communities as the “building blocks” for multi-religious action, enables it to have a wide reach.

The Person

The Secretary General for RfP must be highly intelligent, a natural leader and self-motivated who shares the vision. Ideally he or she will have a compelling background with substantial experience in the not-for-profit environment or another relevant field, dealing with multi-lateral organizations, governments and religious organizations. (S)he will also be skilled in donor cultivation, and business development. The successful applicant will possess outstanding leadership, management, planning, marketing and organizational skills and strong fundraising expertise. Being proficient in more than one language would be desirable with excellent English skills being essential.

A solid and stable employment record will be essential.

Remuneration

A highly competitive compensation package will be negotiated depending on background and relevant skill sets.

Secretary General of Religions for Peace

Job Description

The Religions for Peace (RfP) International Secretary General (SG) is a member of and holds the Office of Secretary to the RfP World Council (WC) and its Executive Committee (EC). The SG is also the Chief Executive Officer of the RfP International Secretariat. The duties of the SG noted below relate directly to these two roles and are largely specified in the International Standing Rules.

I.  Duties as an Officer of RfP

The Secretary General, as an officer of RfP, shall be responsible for the preparation and distribution of the minutes of the RfP governing bodies, for their maintenance and safekeeping, and for providing liaison with the Secretariat.

II.  Duties as the Chief Executive Officer of the International Secretariat

The SG, in collaboration with the other members of the Secretariat, has the following duties as the Chief Executive Officer

A. supporting the RfP Governance Structures and their modes of operation, including the preparation and administration of the World Assembly and the meetings of the WC and its EC;

B. providing leadership in the proposal of programs;

C. coordinating the implementation of the policies and programs authorized by the governing bodies;

D. assisting the Trustees in the partnership with the WC:

E. assisting standing or other duly constituted committees or commissions of RfP called into being by the WC or its EC;

F. managing (an) appropriate international center(s), as may be called into being by appropriate RfP International Governance Structures, and directing their staff;

G. assisting with fund raising for the organization;

H. assisting the relevant governing bodies or their committees in the preparation of a budget;

I. administering an annual budget approved by the WC or, if the WC has not met in the relevant time period, by the EC;

J. providing for an annual audit of the financial records of RfP by an independent auditor;

K. following selected issues at the United Nations and disseminating relevant information to the various groupings of RfP;

L. assisting various RfP National and Regional Affiliates to coordinate their activities;

M. encouraging RfP National and Regional affiliates to study and address selected contemporary issues of concern;

N. facilitating the exchange of information among Local, National, and Regional Affiliates with the World Council, including the publication and distribution of an international newsletter and other appropriate materials;

O. facilitating the development and coordination of Women of Faith Networks and Youth Networks across the different levels of RfP organization;

P. assisting in the formation of new National and Regional Affiliates;

Q. administering individual and organizational membership in areas not falling within existing RfP units, chapters or regions;

R. carrying out such other tasks as may be directed by the WC or its EC.

III.  Duties Related to Representation

The SG has a vital role in RfP representation through its issuance of formal statements and declarations, presence in relevant forums and through the oversight of a communication strategy.

Statements and Declarations: The SG assists the Assembly, WC and its EC to issue formal statements or declarations which are the most solemn form of RfP communication. The SG is also empowered to issue SG statements that stay within areas of multi-religious consensus already established by Assembly Declarations and WC and its EC statements. Such statements are especially important in rapidly developing situations that do not easily allow for EC statements.

Presence in relevant forums: RfP values the representative roles of the Moderator(s) and Co-President in relevant forums. The SG is expected to facilitate the representational roles of the members of the WC as possible. Importantly, the SG also has a unique representational role in relevant forums as a chief spokesperson for RfP.

Oversight of communication strategy: The SG is charged to oversee the development and implementation of a communication strategy that engages both internal RfP and external audiences through the engagement of all relevant forms of media.

To Apply

Please send a copy of your bio, along with an accompanying letter of why you are interested in the position and the skill sets that you would bring to the job to Ms. Emma Jackson at ejackson@rfp.org