About HIRA

Humanitarian Initiative Relief Afghanistan (HIRA) is a not-for-profit, non-political and development organization founded in 2015 registered with the NGOs’ department of Ministry of Economy, Government of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. HIRA mainly operates in the areas of Humanitarian, Education, Economic Empowerment, Health, Agriculture and livelihood, WASH, Refuges & IDPs, Disability, Women and Children Empowerment, capacity enhancement, Research and survey, public awareness, peace and security, protection, shelter, and transparency.

1. Leadership

The executive director often oversees the heads of each department in a nonprofit, including marketing, fundraising, program development, and HR management. Department heads look to the director for strategic guidance. For example, the executive director may lead the fundraising department in setting annual revenue goals, or they may help the program development managers set effective community service standards.

The smaller the organization is, the more directly involved it will be in each departmental function. For example, the smallest organizations may rely on the executive director to handle accounting duties, a portion of the fundraising duties, and executive-level duties.

With this direct influence, whoever fills the position should be able to clearly articulate the vision, mission, theory of change and strategic direction of the organization. That way, they can efficiently align the entire organization so that everyone is rowing in the same direction.

2. Board Development

An experienced board of directors provides strategic guidance based on valuable skills and contacts. However, board members aren’t responsible for making day-to-day operational decisions. That’s where the executive director comes in.

Essentially, the nonprofit executive director works to provide the board with the resources it needs to incite change and promote growth. Specifically, they play a role in selecting board members and acting as a liaison between the board and the staff. As one of the board’s primary resources, the executive director should be prepared to:

• Inform the board of staff changes, donor details, successful campaign details, and areas where the staff feels help is needed.
• Relay staff and volunteer engagement ideas, as well as concerns that need to be considered by the board, not the internal staff.
• Plan and prepare meeting structure and information for board meetings in coordination with the board chair.
• Supply the board with technology to streamline work and maximize impact.

What it all means is that the executive director must keep board members informed and work with them to come up with strategic solutions to any issues that arise. The joint approach to organizational growth will be invaluable as your nonprofit grows and inevitably encounters complex challenges.

3. Public and Donor Relations

Outside of normal business hours, nonprofit executive directors serve as the public face of the organization. This individual is the most visible and concrete embodiment of the organization and should take care to represent the nonprofit in a professional light.

Three duties tied to public relations efforts include:

• Attending and possibly hosting fundraising events.
• Showing up to new program kickoffs.
• Attending meetings
• Speaking with reporters, donors, and other community members.

The best nonprofit executive directors maintain strong relationships with peers, key stakeholders, the media, industry associations, and more. This ultimately helps the nonprofit put its best foot forward when launching outreach efforts or connecting with other organizations.

A spotless personal reputation is crucial because stakeholders tend to keep a close eye on the organization’s leaders. A scandal in the life of a nonprofit executive director can tarnish the organization’s reputation for years to come. In a way, executive directors should consider themselves “on duty” at all times to best represent their nonprofits.

4. Financial Management

The executive director is often responsible for fundraising and creating the conditions for financial success. This includes soliciting major gifts and working alongside the board and staff to develop actionable fundraising plans.

Further, this individual should also be able to demonstrate an ability to read and understand financial documents. This includes budgets, cash flow, income statements, balance statements, and so on. They should also understand the basics of tax returns, audits, and compliance. They don’t necessarily have to be an expert, but a financially-competent executive director can brainstorm real growth strategies.

5. Liaison Between Stakeholders

Beyond appearing at official events and speaking to community members, executive directors act as a liaison between their respective organizations and a large number of external stakeholders.

As we previously touched on, they should cultivate relationships with other nonprofit leaders and look for opportunities to partner with causes that align with theirs. Nonprofit executive directors also work with leaders in the business and government world to take advantage of applicable corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. This empowers them to coordinate long-term strategic partnerships to fulfill the organization’s unmet needs.

6. Technology

The nonprofit executive director plays a role in the technological aspect of the organization’s operations as well. As your organization grows, proper policies and technology will be essential for future success. 

For instance, as the board’s primary point of contact at the organization, the nonprofit executive director should supply them with the right tools for conducting collaborative meetings, communicating outside the boardroom, quickly executing decisions, and practicing effective governance overall. 

Boardable offers everything a nonprofit board needs, from carrying out your meetings and delegating vital follow-up tasks to store your documents in a centralized and secure location.

By simplifying board members’ jobs with technology, the executive director can promote organizational efficiency and get back to what matters: inciting real change!

7. Organizational Development

It’s up to the executive director to help make powerful strides toward organizational development. This individual should set the nonprofit up for fulfilling its mission by advocating for the right systematic changes, whether those are related to policies, team behaviors, or programs.

In essence, stakeholders expect the executive director to set the strategy to achieve outcomes. This could mean ensuring the quality and effectiveness of programs, being on top of sector developments, and setting behavior expectations for internal personnel.

8. Compliance

The executive director should always make sure the organization is operating in compliance with all laws and regulations. While there are federal rules from the IRS and elsewhere, this also applies to all regulations in the states in which you’re operating and collecting donations. There may be local rules as well.

Beyond legal compliance, the organization should also adhere to the highest ethical standards possible. This can truly set the nonprofit on a different plane from similar organizations.

• Master in Business Administration (MBA)
• Proven 5 years work experience as a Non-Profit Executive Director or similar role
• Experience running fundraising initiatives
• Knowledge of volunteer recruitment and how to get individuals involved for the organization’s success
• Strong knowledge of financials and how to build financial forecasting documents for the board of directors
• Relevant training and/or certifications as a Non-Profit Executive Director
• English, Dari, and Pashto proficiency

^{Interested candidates are requested to send their CVs along with Cover Letters to the following address}

^{hr@hira.org.af}

^{Please mention position title and vacancy number in the subject line of your email's, otherwise  your applications will not be accepted. All shortlisted candidates will be directly conducted for test/interview.}