Executive Director

Position description

About The Sentry

The Sentry is an investigative and policy organization that seeks to disable multinational predatory networks that benefit from violent conflict, repression, and kleptocracy.

Pull back the curtain on wars, mass atrocities, and other human rights abuses, and you’ll find grand corruption and unchecked greed. These tragedies persist because the perpetrators rarely face meaningful consequences. The Sentry aims to alter the warped incentive structures that continually undermine peace and good governance. Our investigations follow the money as it is laundered from war zones to financial centers around the world. We provide evidence and strategies for governments, banks, and law enforcement to hold the perpetrators and enablers of violence and corruption to account. These efforts provide new leverage for human rights, peace, and anti-corruption efforts.

Position Overview

Reporting to the board, the Executive Director (ED) is the principal executive of The Sentry; they develop and safeguard the vision and mission of the organization. The ED builds relationships and liaises with key internal, public, and private stakeholders—such as the board and the leadership team, governments, intergovernmental organizations, media outlets, donors, businesses, and partner organizations working in the fields of human rights and social justice—to manage The Sentry’s strategic direction. The ED collaborates with multiple departmental heads to lead the execution of a tactical roadmap for achieving the organization’s goals and objectives.

As the head of an organization that comprises many highly skilled and passionate investigators and policy experts, and other professionals, the ED must ensure that internal norms, values, protocols, and behaviors are consistent and coherent with the principles and standards that The Sentry articulates externally.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND DESIRED OUTCOMES

External Leadership

• Strengthen and refine The Sentry’s strategy—in collaboration with The Sentry’s management team and staff—to preserve the current balance of resilience, agility, and longevity in purpose, vision, and impact. Make certain that the various departments are aligned in a cohesive strategy to make the maximum impact possible in the countries on which The Sentry is focused.
• Establish and expand relationships, credibility, and influence with critical stakeholders.
• Extend fundraising excellence by enlarging and deepening the existing base and implementing new fundraising strategies.
• Continue elevating the international identity and brand of The Sentry, cementing its reputation as a global organization and thought leader.

Internal Leadership

• Optimize organizational structure and processes by expanding internal management capability, both through direct, hands-on leadership and by empowering other leaders across the organization.
• Foster a high-performing organization by partnering with the senior leadership team—including Investigations, Illicit Finance Policy, Development, Communications, and Legal—on strategic planning, attracting and retaining talent, and engaging staff and developing their capabilities.
• Exercise well-informed, sound, risk-based judgment in supporting the formulation of The Sentry’s country and thematic programs, policy priorities, and publications.
• Ensure the rigor and integrity of reporting, and support the expansion and integration of digital investigative tools and methods.
• Decide how internal resources should be allocated, bearing in mind the organization’s investigative and policy goals and balancing other strategic and budget priorities.
• Ensure the financial growth of The Sentry by balancing the annual budget and advancing fundraising strategies to increase the financial resources necessary to achieve the organization’s mission.
• Manage publication-related and other risks, remain informed on legal matters pertaining to the organization, and protect the organization through insurance and other risk-mitigation tools.
• Live and promote the values of the organization. Build trust by increasing transparency, accountability and collaboration across teams to amplify the collective impact The Sentry can have externally.
• Ensure ongoing commitment to diversity, as well as equity and inclusion, for staff of all backgrounds across regions globally.

Investigations

• Exercise sound judgment when approving investigative projects and signing off on investigative reports for publication.
• Assess the physical, reputational, cyber, and legal risks associated with investigative processes and publications and ensure they remain within the organization’s risk profile.
• Establish rigorous methodological and ethical standards for investigations and hold members of the Investigations Department accountable to these standards.
• Ensure that investigations have appropriate impact goals and that these objectives properly align with overall organizational strategy, ensuring the close coordination between the Investigations and Illicit Finance Policy departments and efforts.
• Effectively prioritize among country and thematic programs, including making decisions regarding the allocation of personnel and use of resources.

Policy and Advocacy

• In partnership with senior management , lead and develop The Sentry’s policy direction and help guide the organization to one unified voice on policy.
• Meet individually with members of Congress and high-level officials in the administration and industry to advocate for policy change in accordance with The Sentry’s priorities. Do the same internationally when helpful to our impact goals.
• Serve as the primary face of the organization by providing testimony on Capitol Hill, participating in convenings, or speaking at policy-related events locally, regionally, and internationally, as appropriate, to achieve organizational goals and priorities.
• Support The Sentry’s role in coalitions and campaigns focused on key policy changes.
• Author policy reports, essays, op-eds, and memos aligned with The Sentry’s strategic goals and objectives.

Development

• Fulfill major fundraising duties, working closely with the development team to grow revenue year over year. This would account for a significant amount of the ED’s time.
• Build trust, credibility, and confidence with stakeholders.
• Foster deep relationships and effective partnerships and promote collaboration with prospective donors, leading efforts on revenue generation with new stakeholders.
• Lead board development efforts, recruiting and securing new prospective members.

Communication

• Listen thoughtfully and engage in dialogue that is adapted to different audiences to build consensus or buy-in.
• Communicate a compelling case for change to gain buy-in and bring others along; adapt plans and theories of change to the organization’s political realities and constraints.
• Assist in securing mass media outlets for The Sentry’s work, building on existing and new media relationships.

Requirements

• Ten or more years of experience in organizational management and strategic planning at a leadership level.
• Five or more years of experience working on or supervising corruption investigations and/or policy focused on illicit finance, kleptocracy, and human rights.
• Track record as a thought leader on The Sentry’s country and thematic programs and policy priorities.
• Proven effectiveness in managing internal & external relationships at a nonprofit organization.
• Experience identifying organizational challenges and acting decisively and effectively to address them.
• Experience in planning, budgeting, managing, and working with a board of directors.
• Ability to travel: International travel is anticipated for partnership building and in the demonstration of The Sentry’s mission.
• Demonstrated ability to build and nourish civil society and government relationships.
• Experience raising philanthropic support.
• Well-developed managerial, decision-making, planning, organizational, problem-solving, interpersonal, and leadership skills.
• Deep understanding of data, digital, and human security risks.
• Experience as a thought leader and public advocate who can clearly articulate a mission and vision to diverse stakeholder groups.
• Exceptional interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills, including public speaking.
• Outstanding leadership, networking, and motivational skills.
• Be an innovative, systems, and analytical thinker with initiative, passion, and empathy.
• Experience overseeing investigative and research projects, preferably at a program or organizational level.

Salary & Benefits

The Sentry is committed to attracting, developing, and retaining exceptional people, and will pay a competitive salary for this position matching this commitment. Benefits include paid vacation leave, paid family and medical leave, health insurance including vision and dental plans, and 401k plan with employer match.

The Sentry’s work environment is safe and open to all employees and partners, respecting the full spectrum of race, color, religious creed, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, political affiliation, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, and all other classifications protected by law in the locality and/or state in which you are working. We strongly encourage candidates of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences to apply for the Executive Director position. Join us in our mission to create an environment where everyone can thrive and contribute their unique strengths to our shared success.

Application instructions

To apply, submit a resume and cover letter to [email protected]. Please include “Executive Director" in the subject line of your email.