Project Yananai
Deputy CEO - Volunteer
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Strengthen Leadership. Enable Mission Continuity. Drive Global Impact.
What difference will you make?
Strengthen Leadership. Enable Mission Continuity. Drive Global Impact.
Project Yananai is entering an exciting phase of growth. Registered in the UK, with operations across India, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, we are building an organisation focused on empowering individuals and communities, strengthening sustainable livelihoods, and delivering compassionate humanitarian support.
We are now seeking an exceptional Deputy Chief Executive Officer (DCEO) to join our Global Executive Leadership Team and work in close partnership with the CEO.
This is a newly created role for a senior leader who can operate comfortably at both strategic and operational level — someone who can help turn ambition into execution, bring clarity across a growing organisation, and provide confident leadership when the CEO is unavailable.
You will be much more than a traditional deputy. You will be a trusted partner to the CEO, a strategic integrator across the executive team, and an ambassador for Project Yananai externally.
Who We Are Looking For
We are looking for a seasoned executive, rather than simply an experienced functional leader.
You will ideally bring 10–15+ years of senior leadership experience within the non-profit, international development, or humanitarian sector, together with a track record of leading organisations through growth, transformation, or complexity.
You will be able to demonstrate:
- Experience operating at executive or enterprise leadership level.
- A proven ability to deputise for a CEO or assume full executive responsibility when required.
- Experience leading across multiple countries and cultures, ideally with exposure to Africa and/or South Asia.
- Strong strategic and operational leadership, with the ability to move seamlessly between big-picture thinking and execution.
- A sophisticated understanding of governance, risk, and compliance within an international non-profit environment.
- Strong fundraising and partnership instincts, with the credibility to engage senior donors and high-value partners.
- Strong financial and commercial acumen, including experience overseeing budgets of £5m+.
- Exceptional communication, influencing, and stakeholder-management skills.
- The emotional intelligence and resilience to lead through uncertainty, change, and organisational growth.
- Experience with French, Portuguese, or relevant local languages would be advantageous.
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The Leadership Qualities That Matter
Beyond experience and credentials, we are looking for someone who brings judgement, humility, and integrity.
- You will be comfortable making difficult decisions, calm when circumstances are challenging, and able to bring people with you through change.
- You will be a natural mentor and coach — someone who invests in developing other leaders rather than simply directing them.
- Most importantly, you will have a genuine commitment to community-led development, breaking cycles of poverty, and creating lasting peace and prosperity, together with alignment with Project Yananai's values and mission.
- A bachelor's degree is required; an advanced degree such as an MBA, MPA, MPhil, or equivalent is desirable.
Remote
The Opportunity
As DCEO, you will provide the leadership capacity and organisational resilience needed to support Project Yananai through its next stage of development.
You will partner with the CEO to translate our Strategic Growth and Impact Plan into clear priorities, ensure that those priorities are delivered across the organisation, and help connect our executive functions around shared goals.
When required, you will step into the CEO's responsibilities, providing continuity of leadership and representing the organisation with confidence to donors, partners, government bodies, media, and other key stakeholders.
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This is an opportunity to have genuine organisational influence at a pivotal moment — helping shape how a growing international non-profit operates, leads, and delivers impact.
What You Will Do
- Act as the CEO's senior deputy and assume executive responsibility during periods of absence, including strategic decision-making, external representation, oversight of programmes, finance, and compliance, and leadership of the Global Executive Leadership Team.
- Turn strategy into execution.
- Work alongside the CEO to translate organisational vision into practical priorities, milestones, and actions — ensuring that strategic commitments become measurable results.
- Drive alignment across the executive leadership team, working across Advancement, People & Governance, Finance, Mission Operations, and Communications to remove silos and ensure teams are working towards common objectives.
- Monitor organisational performance against KPIs and strategic objectives, identify bottlenecks and risks, and help ensure that plans are delivered effectively, on time, and within budget.
- Represent Project Yananai with major donors, partners, government stakeholders, and other external audiences. Build trusted relationships that strengthen our mission, reputation, and fundraising potential.
- Work alongside the Chief People & Governance Officer and Global General Counsel to support strong governance, risk management, and compliance across our international operations.
- Help create a culture of collaboration, accountability, and innovation. Mentor senior leaders, support succession planning, and champion diversity, equity, and inclusion across the organisation.
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