- Lawyers against Abuse (LvA)
- Deadline:
- Region:
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Job Description
Expected Start Date: As soon as possible
Salary: Negotiable, based on experience and qualifications.
Location: Executive Director to be based at LvA Diepsloot Centre, Johannesburg with occasional visits to satellite offices. Periodic remote work can be considered.
Lawyers against Abuse (LvA) seeks a dynamic, dedicated leader who is passionate about our mission to join our team as the Executive Director. Reporting to and working closely in partnership with the Board of Directors, the Executive Director should be a seasoned leader and coach, with the ability to operate on both strategic and managerial levels. The Executive Director will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of the organisations operations, including fundraising, program development, financial management, compliance and staff supervision.
In addition to their operational responsibilities, the Executive Director will be a passionate leader who inspires others to engage with our mission. They will work closely with the Board of Directors to ensure that the organisation is fulfilling its mission and serving its clients effectively. The Executive Director will also be responsible for cultivating and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders, including donors, partners and community leaders.
Our ideal candidate will be a motivational leader with a proven track record of success in nonprofit management. They will be passionate about our organisations mission and committed to achieving our goals. The Executive Director will be a strategic thinker who is able to balance short-term needs with long-term planning. They will have excellent communication skills and be able to represent our organisation to a variety of audiences.
Roles and Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership
- Work with the Board of Directors and staff to develop and implement the organisations strategic plan.
- Articulate the organisations vision, mission, theory of change, statement of need, unique value proposition and overall strategic direction to staff, volunteers, partners, stakeholders and donors.
- Model and promote the organisations values and culture, setting a high standard for ethical and effective behaviour in all interactions.
- Foster a positive work environment that promotes teamwork, collaboration and open
- Supervise and develop the organisations Deputy Director and Finance Manager, providing guidance, motivation and support to help them succeed in their roles.
- Identify and foster relationships with potential strategic partners who align with the organisations mission and goal, including government agencies, NGOs or community partners.
- Develop and implement a comprehensive financing strategy that aligns with the organisations mission and strategic plan.
- Identify and cultivate relationships with foundations, development partners, corporates, high- level donors and other potential funding sources, working closely with the Board of Directors and other stakeholders as needed to engage donors and secure donations.
- Build trust and rapport with potential and existing donors to persuade them to invest in the organisations mission including presenting compelling proposals, articulating the organisations impact and value proposition, addressing any concerns or inquiries and delivering high-quality donor reports.
- Ensure that the organisation raises enough funds to meet its annual goals, monitoring progress toward fundraising goals and making adjustments as needed.
- Develop and implement donor stewardship plans to maintain strong relationships with donors and secure ongoing support, including regular communication, recognition and engagement
- Lead a team of staff, volunteers and board members to plan and execute an annual fundraising event.
- Maintain up-to-date knowledge of best practices in nonprofit fundraising and development and work collaboratively with the Board of Directors and other stakeholders to continuously improve the organisations fundraising efforts.
- Provide regular updates to the board of directors regarding the organisations operations and performance including, but not limited to, presentations at quarterly board meetings. Seek board input on critical decisions.
- Plan and prepare meeting agendas, in consultation with the Board Chairperson, and information pack for board meetings.
- Support recruitment, onboarding and induction of new board
- Support all board functions, including facilitating meetings, ensuring policy compliance, facilitating annual board evaluations and aligning the work of board committees.
- Oversee the organisations financial management in partnership with the Finance Manager, ensuring that the organisation is financially sound and has strong financial controls in place.
- Develop and oversee the organisations annual budget, working with the Finance Manager and other staff members to ensure that it aligns with the organisations goals and priorities.
- Monitor financial performance on an ongoing basis, tracking revenue and expenses and making adjustments as needed to ensure that the organisation is operating within its budget and in alignment with specific donor budgets.
- Ensure that financial reports are accurate and provided to the Board of Directors in a timely manner, working with the Finance Manager to provide detailed financial analysis and reporting as needed.
- Support Finance Manager throughout annual audit, as
- Maintain up-to-date knowledge of best practices in nonprofit financial management and ensure that the organisations financial policies and procedures are in compliance with all relevant regulations and guidelines.
- Support recruitment, onboarding and induction of new staff
- Develop and implement policies and procedures that support the organisations mission and goals, in consultation with the Board of Directors.
- Cultivate a culture of regular feedback among staff members, both in the form of ongoing coaching and formal performance evaluations, to ensure that they are meeting performance expectations and growing in their roles.
- Nurture a positive and empowering workplace culture that promotes accountability, collaboration, inclusion, employee wellness, innovation, satisfaction and retention.
- Support line managers with conducting disciplinary processes in compliance with LvAs disciplinary policy and the BCEA, as needed.
- Ensure an enabling environment that fosters staff productivity, innovation and performance (e.g. facilities, equipment, etc.).
- Ensure proper hardware and software are in place for fundraising, collaboration, document creation and storage, communication, productivity and record keeping.
- Create and maintain policies to ensure the use of the most relevant and efficient technology and planning/budgeting for upgrades needed for future success.
- Establish robust cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive information and ensure that updates and upgrades are followed to maintain technological infrastructure and keep systems running smoothly and securely.
- Ensure LvAs programmatic work is of the highest quality, is trauma-informed, adheres to recognised best practices and complies with all legal and ethical standards.
- In collaboration with the Deputy Director, lead an annual work-planning process in alignment with LvAs strategic plan.
- Support the Deputy Director in managing the day-to-day operation of programmes and evaluating programme outcomes on an ongoing basis, using data and feedback from clients and other stakeholders to make adjustments and improvements as needed.
- Expand programmes and services as appropriate to fulfil the organisations mission, working with the Board of Directors and other stakeholders to identify opportunities for growth and
- Develop and implement a comprehensive marketing and communications strategy to increase the organisations visibility and reach, including the organisations website, social media channels, newsletters and annual reports.
- Create and maintain the organisations brand and messaging across all
- Act as the organisations spokesperson and represent the organisation at public events and speaking engagements.
- Contribute to the creation of a positive image and overall credibility of the organization through participation in panels, webinars and interviews and publishing op-
- Develop and maintain relationships with media outlets and reporters to secure press coverage and promote the organisations activities.
- Supervise the Communications
- Ensure that the organisation complies with all relevant legal and regulatory obligations, including tax laws, employment laws, and nonprofit reporting requirements.
- Post-graduate degree in law, social sciences or relevant
- Minimum of 5+ years of direct work experience in nonprofit senior
- Demonstrated experience in fundraising and
- Experience in community-based programmes and with a broad range of
- Experience working with victims of gender-based violence or other vulnerable
- Proven success working with a board of
- Deep passion for and commitment to womens rights and issues around gender-based
- Understanding of how trauma impacts traditionally marginalized individuals and communities and how this influences the design and delivery of programmes serving
- Capacity to withstand difficult circumstances and commitment to personal
- Strong project management, monitoring and evaluation, financial management and budgeting skills.
- Competence in reading and understanding financial documents, including budgets, cash flow, income and expenditure statements and balance statements.
- Excellent supervision and people-management skills and a proven ability to mentor, motivate, develop and support through inclusive leadership practices and collaborative problem solving.
- Superb interpersonal skills, including the ability to generate respect and trust from colleagues, direct reports, and external
- Strong networking and relationship management
- Demonstrated resourcefulness in resource-constrained settings and
- Ability to provide long-term, inspirational vision while simultaneously creating pragmatic solutions to day-to-day
- Ability to work on multiple projects while keeping focused on top organisational
- Strong written and verbal communications skills and presentation
- Proficiency in Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
Interested applicants should submit a CV and motivation letter to MaraisButton & Associate. Email: annelie@maraisbutton.co.za . Closing date: 25 January 2026
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
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