Deputy Executive Director

Summary

The full-time position is part of our executive management and will be above all heading a new department on Mediation Support, Negotiation & Trainings while fulfilling the function as Deputy Director. The position is based in Berlin (Germany).

About the Berghof Foundation

The Berghof Foundation is an independent, non-governmental organization supporting people in conflict in their efforts to achieve sustainable peace through conflict transformation. For 50 years, we have worked to bring key people in conflicts together to engage in dialogue and negotiations as a way of working to resolve conflict. Through a combination of research, education and practical peace support, we enable and support learning processes that inspire the development of new perspectives, relationships and behavior, thus opening possibilities for conflict transformation. We currently have a staff of 120 people.

Duties and responsibilities

The “double-hatted” new position will be filled by a senior person known in the negotiation or mediation field, and with significant policy and practical experience. The successful candidate will manage a department (initially composed of up to 12 staff, but expected to increase) covering a wide range of activities related to mediation and negotiation support activities, and constitute to raising our profile in this field. This department will bring into a unified structure a number of well-established activities for which Berghof is renowned, as well as some innovative new ones. Leadership skills are essential. This new department will be comprised of staff working on a major new initiative, as well as established projects.
The role will also be responsible for supervising the various external training activities that Berghof is engaged in, usually in relation to our support for dialogue, mediation and negotiation processes in a number of conflict-affected areas. The new leadership member will represent the department within Berghof’s Executive Team. In addition to the above functions, as the Deputy Executive Director, the successful candidate will also play a key role in the executive management of Berghof as a whole. The position will be an important counterpart for Berghof’s Board of Trustees.
The selected candidate will contribute to initiatives for the organisation’s external outreach and representation at outside events, and will interact with our international and local partners, donors, and the media. The position will also be expected to generate, attract support for, and implement new project proposals for Berghof.

Requirements

To fill this essential new position, the Berghof Foundation is looking for someone with at least 15 years work experience in peace-building, negotiation and mediation support, including at the managerial level, fluency in English and if possible native German-speaking. The successful candidate will have excellent inter-personal, leadership, collaborative and communications skills, well as strategic and problem-solving abilities. Experience of working in difficult crisis situations would be an asset.

Compensation

The position of Deputy Executive Director/Head of Department comes with an attractive compensation package commensurate with the task and responsibility, which is based on the framework conditions of internationally operating non-profit organizations.

Application procedure

Please send your detailed and complete (letter of motivation, CV, references) application documents to the selection committee of the Berghof Foundation by 10.03.2023(end of business hours 18 h), exclusively through our online application tool.

The Berghof Foundation ensures professional equality between genders. Diversity is in line with our self-image as an employer. Therefore, applications from candidates of all backgrounds, nationalities or ethnicities are welcome.

We are looking forward to your application.