Executive Director - CLEAR Global

Contract length: Open-ended

Hours: Full time or Part time (to be discussed with successful candidate)

Location: Flexible; home-based (working hours UTC ±3) 

Travel: Occasional

Application deadline: the vacancy shall remain open until the right candidate is found

CLEAR Global believes in the power of language. Clear communications using the right language will help people live with dignity, act independently, and make their own choices freely. CLEAR Global helps people get vital information and be heard, no matter what language they speak.

CLEAR Global has been at the forefront of the development of inclusive AI for social impact in the Global South for over 10 years, and has built strong partnerships with the Global South AI ecosystem. CLEAR Global plays a role helping to support funders, academic research, local startups, and social impact organizations in driving the use of language AI for social impact, not just for the major languages of power, but more inclusively to reach the more marginalized.

Executive Director Role

The Executive Director of the organization will bring extensive international experience in the social impact sector, particularly focusing on how technology can enable and empower local language speakers. The Executive Director (ED) is responsible for the organization's consistent achievement of its mission and financial objectives.

The ED will help lead the organization to achieve its mission, enabling teams to develop and implement programs, organizational and financial plans. They will work closely with the Board of Directors and with the leadership of CLEAR Global. Within the leadership team, they will envision new strategies and policies authorized by the Board. Given the strong role of volunteers in our work, a priority will be to promote active participation by our community of language enthusiasts.

The successful candidate will be an innovative and inspirational leader with proven skills in motivating grassroots movements, language technology and language AI, fundraising, strategic planning, and an understanding of international nonprofit management. Superior leadership qualifications include expertise in communication, sound financial management, and team and trust building with Board, leadership, staff, and community. This role is about being an inspiring leader.

Responsibilities include:

• Representing the organization, actively participating in local and global discussions about language technology development and uses, and raising the profile for the organization, its programs, and its goals.
• Developing and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders, including funders.
• Superior communication with external stakeholders to galvanize the community and donors to support the movement toward language equity
• Effective and timely communication with the Board and dissemination of relevant information for the Board to function properly and to make informed decisions.

• Overseeing the development and maintenance of solid financial planning and meeting financial and operational targets set.
• Ensuring the integrity and compliance of the organization as per international standards.
• Developing the strategic direction and leading implementation of CLEAR Global’s mission, bringing clarity, vision, values, and exceptional stewardship for these community resources.

• Identification of trends and emerging social impact, particularly language technology.

• Promoting a supportive and positive environment and culture that fosters personal responsibility and commitment to CLEAR Global’s goals and values.
• Ensuring that CLEAR Global is a safe environment with a living Code of Conduct.
• Leading by example

Requirements

• A degree in a related field required; advanced degree preferred.
• Significant senior-level or executive experience in nonprofits, with at least 10 years of professional leadership experience.
• Background and experience with the African/Asian language technology ecosystem
• Demonstrated and effective nonpartisan relationship builder with various constituencies including the Board, the staff, and other organizations 
• A track record of management, operations, fiscal administration; a working knowledge of budgets, finances, strategic planning, and an understanding of international aid
• Ability to think broadly, critically, strategically, and conceptually with an understanding of how to affect systems change.
• A professional with high ethical standards of conduct, integrity, and fiduciary duty.
• Exceptional listening skills, a good sense of humor with humility and a respect for the dignity of those who speak marginalized languages.
• Familiarity with low-resource languages, inclusive practices and ethical considerations in language data specific to the African continent.
• Fluent in the English language and preferably a minority language speaker themselves

Organizational Background

CLEAR Global exists to help people get vital information, and be heard, whatever language they speak. We believe that everyone has the right to give and receive information in a language and format they understand. We work with nonprofit partners and a global community of language professionals to build local language translation capacity, and raise awareness of language barriers. Our network of over 100,000 community members translate millions of words of life-saving and life-changing information a year.  For more information and to volunteer or donate, please visit:  http://www.clearglobal.org. 

Core Values

CLEAR Global employees and volunteers are made of people who believe passionately about the value of this work and take personal responsibility for achieving the mission. CLEAR Global’s mission and organizational spirit are made up of the core values established in its strategic framework: 

Excellence: As the leading voice for communicating humanitarian information in the right language, CLEAR Global is a leader in the translation industry and in the non-profit sector. 

Integrity: CLEAR Global believes that every person, whether it’s the people who we serve, our volunteers or our staff, has value, deserves respect and has inherent dignity. 

Empowerment: CLEAR Global believes in using language to empower people around the world to control their own development and destiny.

Innovation: CLEAR Global recognizes and celebrates the power of innovation to address humanitarian and crisis issues around the world.

Sustainability: CLEAR Global recognizes that meeting our mission necessitates establishment and maintenance of a solid financial and organizational infrastructure.

Tolerance: Our staff and volunteers are highly knowledgeable and skilled; value each other, our partner and our recipients; create a supportive work environment; and, conduct themselves professionally at all times. 

CLEAR Global is an equal-opportunity employer, committed to having a diverse team where individuals of all backgrounds collaborate and learn from one another. We believe we can be most effective with diverse experience and expertise in our team. We recruit on merit, actively seek diverse applicant pools and encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply. We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, age, gender identity and expression, national origin, race and ethnicity, religious beliefs, marital or parental status, or sexual orientation, and welcome all types of diversity.