Location: Any Blue Ventures registered location: Madagascar, Kenya, Indonesia, UK, Senegal.
Working pattern, travel: Blue Ventures is a globally distributed organisation that works in a hybrid fashion across multiple time zones. The role will involve regular international travel.
Blue Ventures is seeking a visionary and values-driven Chief Executive Officer to drive the organisation’s continued success globally and ensure it achieves its ambitious 2030 strategy goals.
Since BV has more than 300 colleagues across the world, the CEO will have a track record of international leadership, ideally with prior success in scaling up globally. They will ensure that BV is both representative of the communities it works with and an effective partner to them. A compelling communicator and convenor, the new CEO will be able to bolster the strength of the movement of coastal communities BV has built – connecting the local to the global, representing BV on the world stage, and ensuring that the dial continues to shift.
The CEO will lead the Executive and Senior Leadership Teams, creating the conditions for them to thrive and making sure that BV is a fully integrated, financially sustainable organisation. Most crucially, they will be a steward of BV’s culture, ensuring that as the organisation grows and evolves, it continues to be grounded in inclusivity and participation, and is a warm, welcoming place to work.
This is a really exciting time to join BV, with appetite, resources and scope to shape the future and drive real change globally for the oceans and the communities that depend on them.
External Responsibilities
- Act as a key representative of BV in the organisation’s effort to create a world where small-scale fishers have bigger catches, better livelihoods and improved food security and where healthy oceans teem with life for generations to come
- Lead on the implementation of BV’s strategy globally and at scale. This means working with local and national partners as much as those internationally, linking constituencies in a common movement
- Be a champion and ambassador for fundraising and resource mobilisation across a variety of income streams, including from philanthropic individuals and foundations
- Along with other colleagues, build and maintain positive, impactful relationships and partnerships with a wide variety of stakeholders, from small-scale fishers to international philanthropists
- Act as a lead ambassador for BV globally as appropriate, representing the brand strategically to build support for the mission across a variety of audiences, from governments to multilateral international organisations, from community partners to donors
Internal Responsibilities
- Lead a passionate, knowledgeable, mission-driven organisation with skill, confidence and pride, ensuring staff and the communities they work with clearly understand, are aligned with, and are enthusiastic about the vision, purpose, strategy and impact
- Together with other senior leaders such as the Chief People Officer, play a key role in building a supportive, coaching culture of inclusion, integrity and participation throughout BV, ensuring that everyone’s contribution is valued and representative of the communities BV partners with and on whose behalf they advocate
- Ensure that BV is a truly global organisation, reflected not just in its operational presence but also in its power structures and decision-making
- Together with the Board and Senior Leadership Team, hold responsibility for BV’s financial health and stability. More broadly, ensure that BV is an organisation that is both proactive and responsive – that is fit for purpose
- Provide leadership to and collaborate with the Senior Leadership Team, ensuring that activities – both internal and external – are aligned with BV’s values and guided by equity, fairness, inclusivity and respect
- Work closely with the Board and other senior stakeholders to ensure high standards of governance, striking a balance between checks and balances and making the most of skills, knowledge and networks
We encourage applications from all individuals regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation and evaluate all candidates based on merit. We welcome candidates from countries in which Blue Ventures operates. We offer a supportive environment for professional development, as well as a competitive salary.
Gender equality and equity are key priorities for Blue Ventures and its mission to secure more sustainable fisheries management and conservation for communities. It is the responsibility of all employees to ensure that equal opportunities are available and accessible for all and that no one is excluded or further discriminated against due to the multiple identities they may hold, including sex, gender, age, ethnic origin, disability, religion or belief, socio-economic status or geographical location.
Blue Ventures is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young and vulnerable people and expects all colleagues to share this commitment. We take a zero-tolerance approach to anyone who contravenes our safeguarding and protection policies. All candidates will be asked questions on safeguarding and child protection.