وصف الوظيفة

Who we are

SOS Children's Villages Jordan is a national non-profit organization established in 1983 to provide alternative care for children and youth who lack parental care or are at risk of losing it. What distinguishes our care model is providing integrated care for children and youth, by covering all their needs including care, accommodation, education and skills, protection and social inclusion, food security, physical health, livelihood, and social and emotional wellbeing. The Association is guided by the UN Guidelines for the Alternative Care for Children and the Convention on the Rights of the Child issued by the United Nations. The Association also aligns its efforts with the principles of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, where the goals of the United Nations for sustainable development come within the focus of the Association's work and strategy.

Position title : Academy Director

Working Location: Amman, with travel as required

Contract duration : Seven months, with the possibility of extension subject to project needs, satisfactory performance, and availability of funding.

Project Background

SOS Children’s Villages Jordan is establishing the Non-Profit and Leadership Academy as a Jordan-based regional institution that will strengthen the social-service workforce and nonprofit leadership. The Academy will provide accredited learning, executive development and practice-based training, beginning with a positive parenting programme and expanding through partnerships with government, universities, civil society, donors and regional actors. The establishment phase includes institutional registration and governance, market and needs analysis, curriculum and accreditation pathways, strategic partnerships, resource mobilisation, launch preparations and development of a sustainable operating and revenue model.

Mission of the Position

The Academy Director serves as the executive lead of the Academy and is responsible for its establishment, launch, operation, market positioning and sustainable growth. The role combines institutional leadership, team and financial management, fundraising, business development, marketing, partnerships and stakeholder representation. The Academy Director is accountable for converting the Academy's vision into a viable operating model, securing funding and clients, overseeing the quality and relevance of its programmes, and building the systems and relationships required for long-term sustainability. The role leads negotiations and concludes agreements within delegated authority and applicable organisational procedures.

Key Performance Areas and Responsibilities

1. Strategic Leadership and Academy Development

• Lead the strategic and operational establishment, launch and development of the Academy in alignment with SOS Children’s Villages Jordan’s strategy and the approved project framework.

• Translate the Academy’s vision and business model into practical workplans, priorities, milestones, budgets, performance targets and decision-making mechanisms.

• Lead and coordinate the Project Coordinator, consultants, trainers, technical contributors and service providers, and work closely with Finance, HR, Procurement, Communications and other relevant functions.

• Oversee institutional registration, governance arrangements, internal policies, operational systems, risk management and readiness for effective and compliant delivery.

• Provide clear, timely updates and recommendations to the IPD Director and senior management, and escalate strategic, financial, legal or reputational risks when required.

2. Programme Portfolio, Quality and Institutional Development

• Oversee development of a relevant and market-responsive portfolio of training, leadership-development and advisory services for the social-service workforce, nonprofit leaders and other priority audiences.
• Lead market and needs analysis and use evidence, stakeholder feedback and demand trends to determine priority services, target groups, delivery models and growth opportunities.
• Commission and supervise qualified technical experts, trainers and academic partners to design, review and deliver high-quality programmes, including the initial positive parenting package.
• Ensure that appropriate quality-assurance systems are in place for programme design, trainer selection, delivery, participant assessment, certification, evaluation and continuous improvement.
• Secure accreditation and institutional cooperation arrangements with universities, professional bodies and other competent institutions, while assigning detailed technical and academic work to qualified specialists.

3. Fundraising, Business Development and Marketing

• Develop and implement the Academy’s fundraising and business-development strategy, including donor mapping, prospect cultivation, resource-mobilisation targets and a prioritised opportunity pipeline.
• Lead the preparation and presentation of concept notes, funding proposals, partnership offers, sponsorship packages and pitches, coordinating technical, financial and compliance inputs as required.
• Position and market the Academy to donors, government institutions, universities, NGOs, private-sector organisations and regional and international partners.
• Build and manage a pipeline of prospective clients and partners and convert opportunities into grants, funded programmes, service contracts, sponsorships, strategic partnerships and fee-based assignments.
• Develop competitive service offers, pricing approaches, institutional presentations and marketing materials in coordination with relevant organisational functions.
• Lead negotiations and, within delegated authority, sign memoranda of understanding, cooperation agreements, service contracts and other agreements required to operate, market and expand the Academy, ensuring prior legal, financial, procurement and management review whenever applicable.
• Track fundraising, sales and revenue performance against targets and forecasts and provide management with accurate pipeline and decision information.

4. Partnerships, Representation and Launch

• Build and maintain strategic relationships with government, academia, civil society, donors, professional networks, the private sector and regional and international institutions.
• Represent the Academy in high-level meetings, donor engagements, partnership discussions, public events and relevant professional platforms.
• Lead preparations for the Academy’s public launch, ensuring coherent branding, visibility, stakeholder engagement, operational readiness and presentation of the first training products.
• Establish effective partner and client relationship-management practices and promote high levels of satisfaction, trust, repeat engagement and referral.

5. Financial Management, Monitoring and Reporting

• Manage the Academy’s approved budget and resources responsibly, ensuring cost control, value for money, accurate forecasting and compliance with organisational and donor requirements.
• Strengthen the Academy’s financial sustainability through realistic pricing, cost-recovery, revenue diversification and a balanced mix of grants, partnerships and fee-based services.
• Define and monitor performance indicators covering academic quality, participant outcomes, partnerships, fundraising, client acquisition, revenue, visibility and institutional readiness.
• Ensure complete and accurate documentation of decisions, agreements, deliverables, stakeholder engagements, financial commitments, lessons learned and evidence of results.
• Prepare high-quality narrative and management reports and provide timely inputs for financial reports, audits, reviews and donor reporting.

6. Child Safeguarding

• Uphold and promote SOS Children’s Villages’ Child Safeguarding Standards and Code of Conduct, ensuring a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of abuse, neglect, exploitation, and misconduct.
• Ensure that all project activities, communications, and interactions prioritize the safety, dignity, and well-being of children and vulnerable individuals.
• Promote safeguarding awareness among project staff and partners and ensure timely reporting of any safeguarding concerns in accordance with organizational procedures.

7. General Responsibilities

• Comply with SOS Children’s Villages Jordan policies, procedures, values, Code of Conduct and applicable donor requirements.
• Maintain confidentiality and ensure responsible handling of organisational, partner, participant and project information.
• Perform other duties related to the role as assigned by the direct supervisor and required for the effective establishment and operation of the Academy.

Position Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, management, nonprofit management, international development, leadership, social sciences or a related field; a relevant master’s degree is strongly preferred.
• At least eight years of progressively responsible experience, including a minimum of three years in a senior management, director-level or comparable executive leadership role.
• Demonstrated experience in establishing, managing or growing an organisation, academy, training institution, professional-services platform or comparable mission-driven enterprise.
• Proven experience in fundraising and resource mobilisation, including donor engagement and the development of successful concept notes, proposals and funding partnerships.
• Strong business-development and marketing experience, with the ability to develop service offers, attract clients, negotiate agreements and generate sustainable income.
• Experience building partnerships with government, universities, donors, civil society, private-sector organisations and regional or international institutions.
• Ability to oversee programme quality, accreditation and technical delivery through qualified experts and institutional partners; direct academic specialisation is not required.
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams, consultants and multiple workstreams and to manage budgets, risks, performance, documentation and reporting.
• Strong negotiation, representation, presentation and stakeholder-management skills, with sound judgement regarding legal, financial and organisational approval requirements.
• Excellent written and spoken Arabic and English, with strong proposal-writing, reporting and digital communication skills.
• Commitment to child safeguarding, inclusion, integrity and the values of SOS Children’s Villages; willingness to travel as required.

How to Apply

Excited to take on a new Challenge...

Then send us your CV to hr.sos@sos-jordan.org

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

SOS Children’s Villages Jordan is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, marital status.