Eseltjiesrus Donkey Sanctuary (EDS)

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Eseltjiesrus Donkey Sanctuary (EDS)
Executive Manager
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Deadline:17 February 2025
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Region:McGregor, Western Cape
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Type of employment:Full time
Job Description
Purpose of the Position
At Eseltjiesrus Donkey Sanctuary (EDS), our success closely aligns with our positive impact on donkey welfare. To continue operating at the highest standards, we seek a professional and experienced individual to lead our dedicated team, promoting a culture of compassion and care. The successful candidate must be a visionary leader with proven expertise overseeing operations, human resources, finance, fundraising, communications, and implementing self-sustaining strategies, including income-generating activities. They must be an accomplished communicator, skilled at delegating responsibilities, and able to collaborate effectively across all EDS action areas. Ultimately, the Executive Manager (EM) will be motivated to ensure maximum efficiency in the service of donkey care and welfare. This position is based at the Sanctuary, which is just outside McGregor. (While this is primarily an on-site role, some flexibility for remote tasks may be negotiated, depending on operational requirements.)
Objectives of this Role
- Develop Strategic Plans: Work with the management team (Exco) to create strategic plans for Board approval.
- Review and Improve Organisational Effectiveness: Enhance internal processes, oversee staff performance, foster a motivating work environment, and seek innovative improvements.
- Uphold Excellence: Maintain high-quality standards in all aspects of EDS’s work.
- Develop Partnerships and Advocacy: Cultivate new relationships and promote donkey care advocacy, identifying opportunities to expand and advance the Sanctuary’s impact.
- Provide Guidance and Feedback: Support staff in strengthening their knowledge and skills.
- Ensure Compliance and Governance: In close coordination with the board and relevant committees, oversee adherence to all requirements, including risk management and good governance practices.
- Develop Strategic Plans: Work with the management team (Exco) to create strategic plans for Board approval.
- Review and Improve Organisational Effectiveness: Enhance internal processes, oversee staff performance, foster a motivating work environment, and seek innovative improvements.
- Uphold Excellence: Maintain high-quality standards in all aspects of EDS’s work.
- Develop Partnerships and Advocacy: Cultivate new relationships and promote donkey care advocacy, identifying opportunities to expand and advance the Sanctuary’s impact.
- Provide Guidance and Feedback: Support staff in strengthening their knowledge and skills.
- Ensure Compliance and Governance: In close coordination with the board and relevant committees, oversee adherence to all requirements, including risk management and good governance practices.
Roles and Responsibilities
Key Performance Areas and Responsibilities
The EM’s day-to-day duties include ensuring smooth operations while supporting and developing EDS’s outreach initiatives. This may involve coordinating community-related appointments, meeting relevant individuals and organisations, promoting ethical practices, communicating values, strategies, and objectives, assigning accountabilities, and managing performance reviews.
Advocacy
- Promote donkey welfare advocacy at appropriate opportunities, leveraging EDS’s network to collaborate on emerging issues and challenges.
- Ensure clarity of EDS’s goals when engaging with the public and stakeholders.
- Identify key advocacy milestones (e.g., community outreach events or publications) to track progress and measure impact.
Culture and Engagement
- Champion EDS’s ethos of donkey care through advocacy and compassion.
- Communicate effectively with supporters and the public, including adopters, donors, and other stakeholders.
- Cultivate an engaged workforce by monitoring measures such as absenteeism, turnover, and employee satisfaction.
- Embed a caring organisational culture through staff recognition, investment in training, career advancement opportunities, and succession planning.
- Establish clear staff engagement metrics (e.g. periodic satisfaction surveys and retention targets) to evaluate progress.
Financial Management
- Possess knowledge of budget development, implementation, and maintenance while overseeing the strategic alignment of these financial processes with organisational goals.
- Oversee financial reporting and internal auditing.
- Oversee the work of the Finance Manager to ensure effective management of accounts payable, cash flow, and operating expenses.
- Proactively drive process improvements to ensure financial sustainability.
- Work closely with the Finance Manager to ensure accurate and transparent financial oversight.
- Establish financial KPIs (e.g. monthly budget variance targets, fundraising ROI) to measure success.
Fundraising
- Develop or formulate a comprehensive fundraising and financial sustainability plan for Board approval.
- Manage all fundraising activities, including adoptions, bequests, and grant applications.
- Identify potential donors and funding sources.
- Collaborate with external fundraising consultants or volunteers to expand outreach and meet financial goals.
- Track fundraising progress against targets (monthly or quarterly) and report these to the Board.
Governance and Compliance
- Ensure compliance with all regulatory requirements for non-profit and animal welfare organisations.
- Maintain high standards of corporate governance.
- Coordinate external financial audits.
- Provide regular governance updates to the full Board, highlighting any risks, compliance deadlines, or policy updates.
Human Resource Management
- Oversee staff capacity building to ensure a structured approach to professional growth across the organisation.
- Ensure the development of a staff development plan aligns with organisational goals and personal growth objectives for each department and individual staff member.
- Manage and monitor the HR strategy.
- Oversee recruitment, training, and performance management to meet EDS’s strategic and operational objectives.
- Increase management effectiveness and supervise people management processes.
- Resolve internal staff conflicts in a timely and equitable manner.
- Develop clear performance metrics for each role aligned with EDS’s strategic objectives and ensure periodic performance reviews.
How to apply

MaraisButton & Associates has been retained to manage this recruitment drive. Interested candidates must send a motivation letter expressing your suitability for the role, and an updated CV with contact information of three work-related referees to
Closing date: 17 February
Contact will only be made with shortlisted candidates.
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Date posted:03 February 2025
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