Location: Bangalore

Duration: Full-time

If you are a dedicated and visionary leader with the courage and passion to work with people from marginalised communities, we invite you to apply for this role.

Organisation Overview:
Solidarity Foundation is a dynamic and passionate Bangalore-based NGO empowering and advocating for marginalised communities of gender sexual minorities (LGBTIAQ+), sex workers, and people living with HIV (PLHIV). SF achieves this via leadership and institution building, enabling access to better livelihood and health, addressing gender-based violence, and advancing access to social entitlements. We work in 4 Southern Indian states and are recognised as a leader in the space of diversity and inclusion.
We are committed to promoting social justice and equality. As we continue to grow and expand our impact, we are seeking an experienced and visionary Executive Director to take over from the current ED (Founder) and lead our organisation.

Key Roles: Reporting to the Board of Trustees, overall strategic and operational
responsibility for Solidarity Foundation (Personnel and Programmes). The role will also include leading expansion, innovation and execution of the organisation’s mission & vision.

Eligibility Criteria - Experience, Skills, Qualities
● Minimum 12 years of proven leadership experience in the non-government sector, with a strong commitment to social justice and the rights of marginalised communities.
● Minimum 7 years of experience in a leadership role, including experience in project management, grant management, funder management and research.
● Ability to mobilise financial resources and secure funding for the organisation to implement its strategic plans effectively.
● Excellent communication, relationship-building, strategic thinking and problem-solving skills.
● A deep understanding of the issues affecting gender sexual minorities, sex workers, and PLHIV.
● Ability to speak either Kannada or Tamil
● Empathetic, fair, adaptable, a team player, someone who fosters leadership

Important: Fostering an inclusive culture where all stakeholders, including staff, volunteers, and beneficiaries, feel valued and respected. Ensure that the organisation’s programs and activities prioritise diversity and inclusivity. They are upholding transparency and accountability.

Detailed Terms of Reference for Executive Director

Organisational Governance:
● Lead the growth of Solidarity Foundation rooted in the organisational mission, vision, and core values, with the support of the Board of Trustees and staff.
● Work closely with the Leadership Committee and staff to ensure all processes and interventions at SF align with the organisation’s mission and vision.
● Work closely with the current board of Trustees to choose and induct new Trustees, when needed, assist the Board in identifying and properly manage risks, support planning and evaluation meetings, and liaison between the board and staff.
● Reporting to the Board of Trustees at regular intervals about the organisation’s programmes, interventions, innovations and fiscal status in order for the board to make informed decisions.
● Work closely with the organisation’s Leadership Committee and experts in
developing, periodically reviewing and updating SF policies.
● Primary signatory for all organisation statutory and financial documents, including, but not limited to - contracts, agreements and reports.
● Troubleshooting across the organisation in governance, financial
performance, operations, personnel management, personnel welfare, and networking.

Financial Responsibilities:
● Primary responsibility of sustaining the good financial health of the organisation, along with the Finance Lead, while maintaining the fiscal integrity of the Foundation.
● Work closely with the Leadership Committee to mobilise diverse financial resources, including but not limited to programmes as well as organisational grants.
● Work closely with the Finance Lead on developing the organisation’s annual budget, ensuring strategic allocation and utilisation of funds.

Organisation Operations and Staff Welfare:
● Supervising and guiding Thematic Leads, Financial teams and Admin teams in utilising resources in an appropriate manner
● Responsible for the hiring, retention, and exit processes of staff.
● Finalise staff salaries, increments and benefits as per organisation policies.
● Management and ensuring periodic rotation of the organisation’s grievance redressal
and internal complaints committees.
● Work closely with the staff representative to ensure the welfare of staff members, redressal of grievances and resolution of conflicts.

Programmatic Development and Team Mentorship:
● Provide strategic guidance and support to thematic leads and teams in building
relevant programmatic interventions
● Lead and mentor the Leadership Committee and Thematic and Operational Leads in
ensuring growth and innovations within the organisation
● Lead and provide strategic guidance in research projects within the organisation
including setting up research protocols, and an ethics committee.
● Oversee organisational Monitoring, Evaluation and Learnings (MEaL) processes and systems.

Networking and Building Relationships
● Proactively seek, cultivate and strengthen relationships with diverse stakeholders –funders, experts, other NGOs, CBOs, companies, progressive movements, alliances, and networks, among others.
● Ensure and support teams in effective communication of the organisation’s brand, achievements, and challenges faced by SF’s communities.

Remuneration and Application Process:
● The remuneration for the role of Executive Director is between INR 1,00,000 to INR 1,30,000 CTC, depending on the skills and expertise of the applicants.
● Please submit your resume and a cover letter demonstrating your ability to fulfil the responsibilities and play the role outlined in the job description.
● Please send these documents to edapply@solidarityfoundation.in
● We will inform shortlisted candidates within 10 days of receiving their applications and will send a first level of questions to those individuals.
● Upon receiving a satisfactory response, we will arrange a telephone interview, post which, a panel interview, document verification, and reference checks will be planned.
● The final step in our selection process involves spending a day with the organisation and our team. Compensation for this day will be covered.

We believe in affirmative action and particularly encourage people from marginalised backgrounds to apply, including sexual/gender minorities, sex workers, adult children of sex workers, people living with HIV, Dalits, Adivasis, women, religious and ethnic minorities and people with disabilities.