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This is a great opportunity for an experienced and driven manager to lead HI’s offices in Brussels, Luxembourg and in the Netherlands. Acting as the National Association Director (NAD) for the Association Nationale Belge, Association Nationale Luxembourgeoise and Director for the Centre Opérationnel Bruxelles, you will play a pivotal role both in Benelux and the global federation. In implementing the 10-year strategy, you will be growing the team, its capabilities and funding while developing HI’s presence in Belgium, in Luxembourg and the Netherlands.

About Handicap International Belgium and Handicap International Luxembourg

Handicap International Belgium and Handicap International Luxembourg are part of the global Humanity & Inclusion (HI) organisation, an independent charity working in situations of poverty, exclusion, conflict and disaster. They work tirelessly alongside disabled and vulnerable people to help meet basic needs, improve living conditions and promote respect for dignity and fundamental rights.

Since 2009, HI has been organised as a federation of eight national associations: Belgium; Canada: France; Germany; Luxembourg; Switzerland; UK; and the USA. Together, they mobilise resources from private and public donors to support disabled and vulnerable people through projects in 59 countries.

The Association Nationale Belge (ANB) is the local office responsible for HI’s work in Belgium, while the Association Nationale Luxembourgeoise (ANL) is the local office for Luxembourg. ANB and ANL organise fundraising activities for the benefit of the projects in the field. In the two countries, awareness campaigns publicise the problems faced by people with disabilities in the global South. The Centre Opérationnel Bruxelles (COB) serves as the organisation’s second operational headquarters alongside the principal HI headquarters in Lyon.

About the Role

The Benelux Director will be responsible for the development and growth of the Belgian and Luxembourg branches of HI, including leading the implementation of HI’s 2016-2025 strategy in Belgium/Luxembourg, the global re-branding that began in Spring 2018 and opening a new entity in the Netherlands. They will also provide leadership to the Operational Centre in Brussels (COB).

The person will manage around 20 ANB and 18 ANL staff and supervise about 50 COB staff, growing the team and its capacity to meet future challenges.

Purpose of the Role

• Help define the federal network’s joint strategy and implement its mandate.
• Work closely with the national board in Belgium and in Luxembourg and be responsible for all governance around the working relationship between the federation and national associations.
• Develop HI’s national offices in line with HI’s 2016-2025 strategy, with a particular focus on meeting private fundraising objectives and mobilising the resources needed for operating and implementing HI’s operational mandate.
• Develop HI within Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Be responsible for the day-to-day management of the Benelux offices, ensuring the performance of the Benelux teams.
• Ensure that the Benelux teams comply with the principles of the global HI organisation and that the functional relations between staff in Benelux, and their contacts with the rest of HI are effective.
• Be a face of HI Benelux and represent the organisation towards donors, political actors and the media.

Duties and Responsibilities

In the capacity as National Association Director:

• Draw up multi-annual development plans in coordination with other concerned divisions, and in line with HI’s 2016-2025 strategy.
• Open the Dutch entity and kick-start fundraising in the Netherlands, from Brussels during the first years
• Manage and supervise the team in Benelux offices. Develop and engage the Benelux teams as part of a global entity within Benelux, as well as within the federation.
• Lead the external representation and influence of HI in Benelux as part of the HI global organisation, growing the organisation’s brand, reach and means.
• Have overall budget and financial responsibility, ensuring that a draft budget is developed by the national associations’ activity managers in liaison with global colleagues.
• Manage relations and ambitions with the HQ in Lyon, as well as engaging with other national associations and programme teams, collaborating and exchanging when possible, playing an active role in the International Committee of Directors and International Coordination Committee.
• Strengthen and ensure governance by assisting the National Associations’  chairpersons to ensure that the proceedings and official documents related to national governance conform with the three countries’ laws on associations.
• Engage and cooperate with the national boards on all strategic matters.

In the capacity as COB Director:

• Act as COB’s Chief Administrative Officer.
• Participate in the investigations and decisions concerning the issues of the Federation.
• Serve as an interface between the Federation and Benelux.
• As the key member of the leadership team, contribute to the development of the Federation and take responsibility for Federal mandates (to be defined based on the candidate’s profile).

Skills and Experience

• Credentials in managing, organising and leading dispersed teams and offices.
• Ability to make decisions and see them through.
• Experience in engagement and branding across a national market; ideally a deeper knowledge of the challenges of such activities in Belgium’s multilingual environment.
• Strong skills in marketing or communications.
• Understanding of fundraising principles and tools.
• Experience in implementing a global or regional strategy into a national context.
• Track record in building relationships and engaging stakeholders of various backgrounds.
• Fluency in Dutch, and working knowledge of French and English.
• Knowledge of the non-profit context.