Centre Director (Tallinn)

Centre Director (Tallinn)

Position: Centre Director, SEI Tallinn

Duration: Four year renewable contract
Salary: Competitive based on the Estonian market and will be subject to taxes by Estonian law
Location: Tallinn, Estonia
Open to: Both external and internal candidates
Start date: 1^st September 2015
Application deadline: 3^rd May 2015

Background

The Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) is seeking a Centre Director to lead the SEI Tallinn Centre. SEI Tallinn is an independent research institute, which has been engaged in environment and development issues at local, national, regional and global policy levels for more than 20 years. SEI Tallinn was established in 1992 under the Estonian law as a non-profit research foundation by Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI).  SEI Tallinn is part of the network of SEI centres worldwide. SEI is ranked as the 2nd most influential environment think tank in the world in the Global Go To Think Tank Report, compiled by the University of Pennsylvania's Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program. In addition to the Asia Centre in Bangkok, Thailand, which was established in 2004, SEI has centres or offices in Europe, the US, and Africa with about 180 research staff in total.

The role of SEI Tallinn is to provide solutions to environmental and development challenges through inter-and multidisciplinary research, combined with on-the-ground capacity building. SEI Tallinn covers issues exposing the complex relationships between people, nature and social systems and strives for a complete picture rather than looking at aspects of a problem in isolation. SEI Tallinn fills a critical gap between fundamental science and implementation by concentrating our efforts on connecting these through applied research, pilot testing and demonstration. Through our global network, we draw upon close partnerships with universities around the world for input to our applied and integrated research. Similarly, we work with public and private sector partners to translate our knowledge into improved practice on the ground.

The SEI Tallinn centre links SEI know-how on the promotion of sustainable development, resilience and climate adaptation, environmental protection, and nature conservation by analysing the impact of environment-related policies, management practices, and market-based instruments; socio-economic issues, sustainable development indicators and metrics, energy efficiency measures and environmental governance structures, both in Estonia, within the Baltic Sea region, and beyond. In its commitment to bridging the gap between science and policy-making, SEI Tallinn partners with governments, the private sector, other research institutes, and other stakeholders and change-agents. An important part of SEI Tallinn’s work also focuses on analyzing impacts of both national and EU policies - thus contributing to policy and legislation design. 

Appointment and performance evaluation

The CD is elected by the Supervisory Board of SEI Tallinn for a period of four years. The term can be extended in four year increments, following a performance evaluation by the Supervisory Board of SEI Tallinn.

Key functions

•  Initiate and lead the planning and implementation of all organizational, management and staff-related issues at the centre, consistent with and in support of SEI's philosophy, objectives, mission, strategy, and goals.
• Be responsible for the financial sustainability and administrative efficiency of the Centre.
• Be responsible for the availability of necessary research, management and administrative competences at the centre.
• Be part of SEI’s international management function and ensure optimal collaboration between the SEI headquarters and the other SEI centres.
• Be a research leader in SEI’s sphere of interest.
• Contribute to a welcoming and supportive working atmosphere that values the centre staffs achievements
  
  

Reports to

The Supervisory Board of SEI Tallinn and to the SEI Executive Director (ED)

Major Functions and accountabilities

1. Centre leadership. Lead the Centre and be responsible for the overall welfare and development of the centre staff. Lead and support programme leaders and monitor their professional progress and development on a regular basis.

2. Centre management. Ensure efficient and delegated management of the centre, including chairing centre’s Senior Management Team (SMT); leading staff and organizational management; leading development and implementation of centre policies and procedures; leading planning, regulation and reporting, and monitoring and evaluation.

3. Recruitment, competence development and staff management. Secure the availability of relevant professional competence at the centre through recruitment, staff development and training.

4. Programme, product and service development, delivery and quality control. Oversee the development, design, implementation and quality control of activities and services provided by the centre, including timely response to clients’ and relevant stakeholders’ needs and SEI’s policies and priorities.

5. Communication and partner relations. Ensure efficient internal and external communication together with SEI’s Director of Communications and its communications team; build and nurture contacts and relationships with partners and clients; raise public profile of SEI by developing links with and using relevant communications media; attend and participate in seminars, meetings and conferences to promote and strengthen SEI and the centre’s network; facilitate contacts between centre staff and clients/partners; and promote, support and direct frequent interaction with policy and decision makers.

6. Fundraising. Oversee fundraising planning and implementation, including identification of resource requirements and funding sources, development of partner-specific strategies, contributing to proposals, and provision of support to other SEI staff involved in fundraising.

7. SEI management. Participate in the Management Team of SEI and collaborate with the centre directors of other SEI centres and the SEI theme leadership on centre-specific issues and cross-centre proposals, projects, activities and agreements. Prepare and present annual centre report(s) and work plan to the SEI Tallinn Supervisory Board and the SEI Board and Scientific Advisory Committee and other reports as requested by the ED.

8. Research and/or project management:Formulate, develop, lead, manage and implement one or more externally funded research/project activities. 

Qualifications

• Outstanding leadership, management, organisational, communication, interpersonal, cross-cultural and networking skills, including a minimum of ten years of experience in a knowledge-based organization;
• A strong interest in and experience of staff management;
• Strong research experience in an area relevant to SEI, and a strong international reputation with active engagement in scientific and professional networks in at least one area of research central to SEI’s strategy;
• Experience of and proven success in strategic fund raising;
• Experience in international research related to policy and governance and sustainable development;
• Experience in transition economics, Baltic Sea Region and Eastern European affairs of development;
• Experience of integrated knowledge generation and science-policy bridging initiatives;
• Excellent spoken and written English language skills. Speaking and writing in Estonian is an asset. Other language skills are a merit.
  
  

Salary

The selected candidate will be employed by SEI Tallinn in Tallinn, following Estonian labour laws. Remunerations will be competitive based on the Estonian market and will be subject to taxes by Estonian law.

Application

Content: Motivation letter with contacts of three referees and CV (all in English).

Final application date: 3 May 2015

Use the "apply now" at the bottom of this page. Applications sent via e-mail will not be accepted. Attachments should be in PDF or Word format.

Contact person for inquiries:

Jakob Granit, Chairman of the SEI Tallinn Supervisory board, Deputy Director of SEI, Centre Director of Stockholm office; jakob.granit@sei-international.org

Magnus Bucht, SEI Human Resources Director; magnus.bucht@sei-international.org

Kaja Peterson, Sustainable Development Programme Director, SEI Tallinn; kaja.peterson@seit.ee