General Manager – Germany
About SOS MEDITERRANEE
The European Association for the Rescue of Life at Sea “SOS MEDITERRANEE” is a maritime and humanitarian organisation founded by a group of European citizens in 2015 to face the lack of adequate rescue capacity in the Mediterranean. In six years of Search and Rescue operations, the teams on board the ship Aquarius and Ocean Viking (operating since 2019) have rescued and assisted more than 34.000 persons in the Central Mediterranean, the deadliest migratory route in the world. These operations are currently run in partnership with the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to manage post-rescue assistance, including medical care, to survivors onboard.
Initially founded in Germany and France, the European Association has grown into an international network of four national chapters in Germany, France, Italy and Switzerland. All network entities have a solid maritime and humanitarian identity and base their action on humanitarian and maritime international law. They fulfil the same three-fold mandate: Save lives of people in distress at sea; protect and assist them until they are disembarked in a place of safety, and testify to this situation and the many faces of migration. The four chapters contribute jointly to the management and funding of the Search and Rescue operations at sea and engage the mobilisation of the civil society in their respective country to uphold the duty to assist people in distress at sea.
At the end of 2021, the German branch of SOS MEDITERRANEE announced its decision to part ways from the International network and start a new operational project independently in 2022, under a rebranded name, “SOS Humanity”. SOS MEDITERRANEE is convinced of the relevance to maintain a branch of the European organisation SOS MEDITERRANEE in Germany, with its unique positioning in the field of Search and Rescue NGOs. Therefore SOS MEDITERRANEE International network has decided to re-establish a new chapter in Germany.
About the Role
SOS MEDITERRANEE is recruiting an experienced General Manager to lead the development and manage the new branch of SOS MEDITERRANEE International network in Germany. Based in Germany and working closely with the International network, they are responsible for designing and implementing the development of SOS MEDITERRANEE in Germany. The General Manager will mobilise the German audience and contribute to implementing the humanitarian mandate at sea and on land.
Purpose of the Role
The General Manager is responsible for the development, management and implementation of SOS MEDITERRANEE’s activities in Germany, in line with the strategic directions of the International network. They will set up the new SOS MEDITERRANEE office in Germany, recruit the team and be responsible for the overall management of the German branch. This will include the management of human resources, logistics, administration, finance, communication and advocacy of SOS MEDITERRANEE in Germany, according to the principles and rules of the network and the applicable German national standards. They will develop the mobilisation of the German audience by organising volunteers branches, initiating partnerships, organising events, and forging links with the German maritime community. They will represent the German entity within the SOS MEDITERRANEE International network and vice-versa and represent the International network towards relevant stakeholders in Germany.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Launching and Strategic Planning
- Design, plan and lead the development of a short- and mid-term strategy for SOS MEDITERRANEE in Germany, bringing to the income growth and constituency development, with particular attention to managing organisational risks.
- Supervise the setting up of an office and its logistics and the administrative processes and legal aspects of the newly created entity with the support of the appropriate counsels.
- Teambuilding and Volunteer Mobilization
- Recruit, manage and lead the development of the team based in Germany, initially composed of 3 other people, take care of the team members’ well-being, training and development.
- Supervise the setting up of volunteers branches and implement citizen’s mobilisation activities in close relationship with SOS MEDITERRANEE’s International network.
- Networking and Fundraising
- Lead the development of fundraising activities and campaigns in Germany towards private donors (individuals, high-value donors, corporate sector, foundations) and public donors (in particular local governments).
- Communication and Advocacy
- Serve as the spokesperson of SOS MEDITERRANEE in Germany and participate in the institutional representation of SOS MEDITERRANEE towards various stakeholders.
- Supervise the implementation of a communication and advocacy strategy in Germany, in line with SOS MEDITERRANEE’s International network and close cooperation with the Communications and Advocacy Manager.
- Oversee the capitalisation of institutional knowledge, ensuring a central repository for information and maintaining effective internal communications tools.
- Compliance
- Set up good governance and practices and supervise the appropriation of ethical rules and the positioning and identity of SOS MEDITERRANEE’s International network by all staff of the German entity.
- Budget Design, Implementation and Reporting
- Supervise the preparation, implementation and reporting on SOS MEDITERRANEE Germany’s budget according to the directions of SOS MEDITERRANEE’s International network and in full compliance with professional standards of the non-profit sector; proceed to the necessary arbitrage before endorsement by the European network.
Skills and Experience
- Work experience in international humanitarian aid or development, ideally with field and headquarters experience.
- Genuine commitment to the vision, mission and values of SOS MEDITERRANEE and its European dimension.
- A broad and solid network of high-net value and institutional contacts close to the humanitarian and/or maritime world.
- Leadership ability, readiness to take decisions and responsibilities.
- Management experience, with the skills to recruit, train, mentor and motivate team members from various backgrounds.
- Experience handling conflict and high-pressure contexts.
- Experience in public speaking and representation.
- Excellent judgment, diplomatic skills, intercultural awareness and political sensitivity.
- Ability to work in an international structure with a strong civil mobilisation and many volunteers.
- Outstanding proven time management and organisational skills with keen attention to detail.
- Flexibility and adaptability,
- Familiarity with MS Office and skilled in the use of ICT,
- Experience with the challenges of international associative work and structures is an asset.
- Knowledge of Search and Rescue operations and/or maritime & international law and/or migration issues and/or context of the Mediterranean are an asset.
- Excellent communication skills in German and English, both verbally and in writing, Italian and/or French, are advantageous.
- Willingness to execute regular Europe-wide travel and weekend and on-call duties.