Call for the position of Director of the Secretariat of the Budapest Global Association

Organizational Context

Cities face many complex and dynamic challenges–driven by climate change, rapid technological developments, and increasing economic competition. Finding solutions to these challenges requires key urban stakeholders to work together and create synergies for an impact more significant than their organization can achieve alone. Recognizing that Budapest is no exception to this rule, Budapest Global was initiated in 2021: an independent, public-private platform to enable long-term, structured collaboration between the Municipality of Budapest, business organizations, and knowledge institutions with a vision to make Budapest a globally connected, competitive and livable city.

The Association builds coalitions of public, private, and civic stakeholders and mobilizes their leadership, expertise, and resources to initiate impact-driven projects and partnerships. Budapest Global acts as a connector of enterprising organizations and a catalyst of innovation by

• Fostering the exchange of new ideas, knowledge, and information
• Providing a forum on Budapest’s future development
• Mobilizing member’s resources, expertise, and leadership
• Creating a network of pioneers and visibility for best practices

Budapest Global is organizing its core activities around three themes: a talent-friendly city, a smart and tech-enabled city, and a sustainable city.

The Executive Board is responsible for the operative coordination of the Budapest Global Association, and its working body is the Secretariat. The Secretariat consists of a minimum of three and maximum of ten employees, headed by the Director. According to the statutes of the Association, the duties of the Secretariat include assisting the Executive Board with their daily operative tasks, contribution to the identification, preparation and implementation of various projects, and execution of ad-hoc tasks defined by the Board.

Announcement
The Budapest Global is seeking to appoint the Director of the Secretariat. The Association is headquartered in Budapest, Hungary. The purpose of this call is to identify candidates with the appropriate profile. The closing day for applications is January 15, 2023, with the possibility of extension.

The main tasks

The Director will manage the Association, including its high-profile Board, central operations, project incubations, communications, administrative & finance staff members. In addition, the Director is accountable to the Executive Board of Budapest Global.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the organization to achieve growth, impact, and success
• Oversee the preparation and initiation of projects authorized by the Board
• Support the Board in realizing fundraising goals by driving fundraising efforts
• Build trust relations and act as a point of contact with key partners and stakeholders
• Operative coordination of stakeholder management
• Set up the organization from an early stage: the director builds up the Secretary as an organizational unit and organizes the work of the Secretary. The director is responsible for the launch of the operative work of the Budapest Global Association.
• Manage day-to-day operations
• Oversee finances, plan and manage budget, obtain approvals from the Board
• Report to the Board on the organization’s results, staff and current work, projects, milestones, etc.
• Ensure financial and operational stability and sustainability
• Oversee and lead the involvement of Association members in various activities (general assembly & board meetings, projects, network building, etc.)
• Compensation: competitive salary.

Requirements / Qualifications:

The ideal candidates should meet the following criteria and conditions:

• Education: University degree in a relevant field. MBA studies are highly desirable.
• Languages: Excellent command of English and Hungarian languages.
• Field of Expertise: The Director will be selected among professionals with successful track record working as CEO or C-suite executives for 8-10 years in nonprofit and/or for-profit organizations, with a proven record of leadership and achievement in a relevant sector. Exposure and experience in international environments, will be considered an advantage.
• Candidates must also be able to demonstrate a history of good business decision-making and exposure to best international practices; a track record and involvement in a multi-faceted, highly complex and high-pressure situations; have experience in challenging business situations, involving corporate restructuring and management realignment, as well as experience dealing with issues and concerns of investors. Strong managerial skills, high-level negotiation skills and unquestionable business ethics are also required.
• Prior experience with an organization that is known for its impeccable ethics and integrity, above-average success record and a culture that attracts, energizes and retains top talent, will be considered a valuable asset.
• The ideal candidate has spent significant time in the capital and has a passion for Budapest. He/she has a deep knowledge of current economic matters, political culture and civil society, with a special focus on urban innovations. He/she has interest and engagement in Budapest’s urban development.
• The person taking up this new position must have an entrepreneurial mentality – building and leading a new team from the resources available.
• The new incumbent will have experience in innovation management, business development and administration, with direct responsibility for the development and implementation of long-term strategy. Responsibility for revenue and profit including budget development and financial P&L management. Fundraising and donor management experience.
• The ideal candidate will have experience in public advocacy and media strategy implementation for an organization. He/she has led or participated in forums, associations or events where global business issues were discussed.
• The Director will be appointed subject to the absence of any personal or legal conflicts and restrictions. Proven independence from governments or political organizations is a pre-requisite. Applicants will be invited to confirm their compliance with the above and to submit a formal declaration upon appointment.
• Clean criminal record.

Applications should be submitted only via e-mail to: info@budapestglobal.org. We kindly ask you to include your salary expectation with your application. Please sign and submit the privacy statement with the application documents. The privacy policy is available HERE.

Required attachments:

• CV.
• Letter stating the interest of the incumbents and explaining their suitability as per the above description is highly encouraged.
  The closing day for the applications is January 15, 2023.

The schedule for the selection process:

1. A shortlist of candidates will be selected based on the applications received.
2. Interviews with the shortlisted candidates will take place in early 2023, probably in February. Throughout the interviews with the Selection Committee, candidates will showcase their potential by presenting a specific task and by giving examples from their own professional experience.
3. After the interviews, the Selection Committee will provide a proposal to the Executive Board on the candidates deemed to be most suitable for the position of director (3 people).
4. Thus, the Executive Board of the Budapest Global Association shall decide on the selection of the Director of the Secretariat of the Budapest Global Association and then mandate them in accordance with Chapter VII, point 9 b) of the memorandum.