Chief Executive Officer

Position Title: Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Reports To: Board of Governors
Location: Simonga, Livingstone, Zambia
Start Date: August 2025
Mission Our mission is to serve rural and vulnerable children and adults of Simonga community by providing inclusive, holistic and high-quality education, skills development and employment opportunities. 
Position Overview Tongabezi Trust School (TTS) is looking for a visionary and energetic leader to lead our team. TTS was founded as a pre-school for a handful of local children in 1996, and over the past 30 years we have expanded to offer educational opportunities to the Simonga community through our programmes at Tujatane Primary School and Twaabane Creative Centre. Across our programmes we offer free holistic primary education to 300 pupils, provide scholarships to 80 secondary and 65 tertiary students, and deliver high-quality literacy, GCE, and vocational skills training to adults from the Simonga community. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) will be responsible for the overall leadership, strategic direction, and operational effectiveness of the organisation, and will work closely with the Board of Governors, staff, and the Simonga community to ensure the achievement of our mission.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree or higher-level qualification in a relevant field
• Minimum 5 years in a leadership role 
• Proven experience in leading diverse teams, managing senior staff, and driving organisational change. 
• Strong decision-making, problem-solving, and conflict-resolution abilities.
• Demonstrated success in fundraising, donor relations, and developing sustainable revenue streams.
• Solid understanding of nonprofit financial processes, including budgeting, forecasting, and financial reporting.
• Ability to think strategically and translate vision into actionable plans, demonstrating a deep understanding of the educational and community development landscapes and their challenges.
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills with experience engaging a wide range of stakeholders, including government agencies, educational institutions, donors, and rural communities.
• Deep commitment to improving educational opportunities and outcomes for marginalised and underserved communities.
• Knowledge of Tonga, Lozi or Nyanja considered a strong asset 
• Zambian citizens and candidates with prior work authorisation in Zambia will be prioritised

Key Responsibilities

Leadership and Strategy 

• Lead on the continued refinement, updating and implementation of the strategic development plan, organisational vision and mission and ensure alignment of operational activities with the strategic direction of the organisation.
• Lead on the development and implementation of a five-year strategic business plan for the organisation 
• Provide guidance and mentorship to the senior leadership team through effective line management
• Cultivate a professional and positive staff culture 
• Develop job descriptions for new roles and make recommendations for approval by the board.

Fundraising and Financial Management

• Oversee the development and implementation of a sustainable fundraising strategy that includes student sponsorship, major donors, grants, partnerships, and other revenue-generating activities.
• Support the management of relationships with key funders, including long-term sponsors, major donors and grant-making institutions
• Oversee the development of the annual budgets for approval by the Board of Governors
• Oversee the regular financial updates and forecasts to the Board of Governors
• Be responsible for sound financial management and stewardship of organisational resources
• Lead the development and oversee the implementation of clear financial policies, accounting processes and controls for Tujatane and Twaabane.

Governance

• Ensure the organisation fulfils its legal, statutory and regulatory obligations
• Collaborate with the Chairperson for the Board of Governors to set board meetings and agendas. 
• Lead on the preparation of reports for the Board and its committees. Follow organisational guidance documents to ensure appropriate information is brought to the Board and its committee for information, and decision-making. This includes regular reports updating on programme achievements, financial performance, and operational challenges, as well as ad-hoc proposals and reports.
• Support the Board in its governance role, ensuring alignment between the Board’s strategic vision and the charity’s operational activities.
• Maintain awareness of risk and changes to the external environment impacting the operations and strategic direction of the organisation and take reasonable measures to mitigate these risks. Ensure that significant risks are shared with the Board of Governors. 
• Lead on the continuous review and updating of all existing policies and work with the SLT and BoG for additional policies as required.
• Refine existing and develop new systems and processes to improve efficiency and day to day operations, including clear schemes of delegation for the SLT and BoG

 External Relationships

• Serve as the primary spokesperson for the organisation, building and maintaining relationships with donors, government entities, educational institutions, community leaders and the Simonga community. 
• Represent the organisation in key public forums, media appearances, and at educational conferences and events.

Operational Excellence

• Oversee the day-to-day operations of the charity, ensuring efficient and effective delivery of programmes and services.
• Oversee the implementation of policies and procedures to guide organisational operations. Ensure these are reviewed and updated regularly. 
• Ensure the delivery of high-quality educational programmes that align with the charity’s mission, meet the needs of target communities, and reflect best practice. 
• Oversee the monitoring and evaluation of programmes, using data-driven insights to continuously improve service delivery and assess impact.

How to Apply

Please complete an online application form on our website and upload your CV including two references and a comprehensive cover letter. Kindly consolidate all your application documents into a SINGLE PDF or zip file. Rename the file as 'Application for the CEO Position – followed by your full name'.  Please note, photographs, parental details, birth dates, marital status and other personal information not relevant to the application do not need to be included in your CV.

To guarantee a fair and accurate assessment of your motivations, background and qualifications, please do not use artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to generate content for your application. Applications where AI use is detected will not be considered for the role.

Deadline to apply is 17:00hrs (Central African Time) Tuesday April 1st 2025