2013 Annual Plan/Position Description

Job Description: General Manager

Wikimedia Australia Inc.

General Description

Position Title: General Manager

Location: Brisbane

Remuneration: XXX

Other Benefits: XXX

Reports To: Staff Liaison, Management Committee

The Organisation

Wikimedia Australia is a local chapter of the Wikimedia movement, with jurisdiction over Australia. The Wikimedia movement is an international movement that consists of over thirty-five national chapters, the Wikimedia Foundation, and tens of thousands of volunteers around the world, and is responsible for projects such as Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons, and many others. Wikimedia Australia’s vision is for “A world in which everyone can freely share in the sum of all knowledge.”

We were established as a non-profit organisation in Victoria in 2009, and have until this point been an organisation dependent on our members and volunteers to achieve our goals. However, our strategic plan, endorsed by members, calls for us to professionalise our activities in order to more effectively deliver programmes and projects. The organisation’s management committee is highly motivated in achieving this goal, and is seeking a General Manager to make it a reality.

Position

Reporting to the staff liaison on the management committee, the General Manager (GM) will have overall operational responsibility for Wikimedia Australia’s programmes, staff, and execution of its mission. They will initially be involved in professionalising the organisation, procuring office space and developing revenue streams, and cultivating new opportunities to assist the organisation in meeting its goals, while maintaining the existing programmes and projects.

This position will be based in Brisbane, but will entail some work travel within Australia and overseas. It is a full-time role with some weekend work involved due to the nature of our volunteer base, but with time given off in lieu when weekend work is required.

Responsibilities

Leadership and Management

Ensure ongoing excellence in project management, rigourous programme evaluation, and a high and consistent quality of ongoing work in finance, HR, administration, and fundraising
Active engagement of volunteers, including members of the management committee, members of the organisation, and volunteers in the wider Wikimedia movement
Develop, maintain, and assist the management committee, serving as requested on subcommittees and working groups, provide advice on strategic matters, and facilitate strong and effective committee involvement with ongoing programmes
Recruit, develop, and retain a small, high performance team of staff
Track the effectiveness, develop improvements for, and implement those improvements, on ongoing projects and programmes
Oversee and manage the implementation of the organisation’s strategic plan

Operational

Assist the management committee with its goal of professionalisation and growth, by procuring permanent office space, developing administrative guidelines and policies, and hiring staff where required to assist the organisation in meeting its goals
Develop and implement effective systems to ensure that all activities of the organisation are performed in an efficient and cost-effective manner
Engage, energise, and motivate volunteers, increasing volunteer awareness and participation in the organisation’s activities
Ensure that the necessary paperwork and forms are lodged with the relevant authorities, and that all contractual obligations of the organisation are met

Fundraising and Communications

Manage relationships with existing supporters, including during annual grant negotiations with the Wikimedia Foundation
Develop and investigate new revenue sources, and manage existing revenue sources
Develop and manage a portfolio of individual, corporate, trust and foundation prospects and donors, establish and build relationships that systematically lead to soliciting and securing high level financial support
Ensure a high standard of accountability and administration for all fundraising and other revenue raising
Represent the organisation at conferences and events, and in the media
Ensure that the organisation retains a positive and strong public profile

Planning

Annually review the organisation’s strategic plan to assess progress towards the organisation’s goals
Assist the management committee in reviewing items in the strategic plan to ensure that the plan remains relevant
Identify new opportunities for the organisation to meet its goals, and build on existing programmes to maximise the value they provide

Other

Appear at meetings of the management committee when requested, and serve on subcommittees and working groups when requested by the management committee
Other duties as requested by the management committee from time to time

Experience

Mandatory Experience

Experience in a senior management role
Management experience in a non-profit or charitable organisation
Experience in working with volunteers
Experience with managing an organisation in the start-up phase
Experience in marketing, fundraising, or public relations, with a demonstrated ability to work with stakeholders from a variety of backgrounds
Excellent speaking ability, including public speaking ability
Familiarity with Wiki technology, and an understanding or the ability to rapidly gain an understanding of the high-level concepts involved

Highly Desirable Experience

Experience with Wikimedia projects, their culture, and current issues within the movement
An understanding of the open source movement, including copyright and free licencing
An understanding of technical matters, particularly the MediaWiki software, and the technologies (such as MySQL and PHP) used to power it
Experience working in a strongly multicultural and multilingual environment
Experience working with GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums) organisations

Other Desirable Attributes

Passion, idealism, and a positive attitude
Adaptability and the ability to cope with rapid changes in the operating environment
Proficiency in a language or languages other than English