USA Africa Dialogue Series - African Leadership Academy: SEARCH FOR CHAIR, AFRICAN STUDIES DEPARTMENT

SEARCH FOR CHAIR, AFRICAN STUDIES DEPARTMENT

The Chair of the African Studies Department is a leadership position for an experienced educator who seeks to accelerate Africa?s transformation by designing and delivering a world-class African Studies course for Africa?s future leaders.

What is African Leadership Academy?

African Leadership Academy seeks to transform Africa by addressing its greatest need: ethical and entrepreneurial leadership. Over the next 50 years, ALA will create a network of thousands of leaders who will work together to address Africa?s greatest challenges and bring about widespread positive change.

African Leadership Academy uses a vast network of contacts across Africa to identify the most promising 15-19 year-old leaders on the continent. We then bring these future leaders together for a two-year pre-university program at a world-class boarding school in South Africa. At the Academy, these students engage in hands-on leadership and entrepreneurial experiences, and each student must develop a ?culminating project?: either an entrepreneurial business or an innovative social venture that serves as a platform for their future leadership development. ALA continues to nurture these leaders throughout their lives - in university and beyond - by connecting them to powerful networks of people and capital that can facilitate large-scale change. As such ALA is not just a school, but a life-long network that will cultivate innovative entrepreneurial leaders for the continent. We aim to develop the next Nelson Mandela, the next James Mwangi, the next Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, and the African Sam Walton, Jonas Salk, and Steve Jobs.

African Studies at ALA

Africa?s future will be determined, above all, by the quality of its leadership, and we must actively work to increase the supply of principled, ethical, and effective leaders who will work together to create positive change across all spheres of African society. ALA firmly believes that pan-African cooperation is essential to the continent?s future, and seeks to instill African content across its curriculum. Our African Studies department seeks to help the young leaders on our campus develop a lasting connection to the broader African community and a sense of ownership for the continent's future; in the two-year African Studies sequence, each student gains an understanding of Africa's past and present in a global context, the capacity to analyze complex issues from multiple perspectives, and the confidence to take action.
The Chair of the African Studies Department will be charged with building upon the innovative curricular foundation and deep networks built at African Leadership Academy over the past six years to: (1) strengthen and deliver a world-class African Studies curriculum for young leaders from across the continent; (2) develop the capacity of our African Studies and broader faculty to deliver world-class pedagogy; and (3) share curriculum and programs with partner organizations across Africa.

Key Responsibilities:

? Assume strategic leadership for the Department, including the development and propogation of a world-leading African Studies curriculum for Africa?s future leaders.
? Lead a team of approximately five full-time faculty in the delivery of African Studies courses at ALA.
? Build a network of thought leaders across Africa and around the world who can help develop and review the curriculum, and can serve as guest speakers or seminar leaders on campus.
? Teach a timetable of seminar-style courses in African Studies, serve as a faculty advisor for 6-8 ALA students, and carry out weekly residential duties on campus.
? Develop systems to monitor, evaluate and continually improve the African Studies program at ALA.

Desired Experience:

? Deep understanding of issues facing the African continent, and a demonstrated academic interest in the continent, including a track record of teaching courses focused on Africa.
? Experience teaching at the late secondary or university level, with a track record of inspiring outstanding student achievement, curiosity, and passion for the subject.
? Experience designing curriculum and implementing new pedagogical techniques
? Experience mentoring younger teachers, evaluating performance, and designing professional development workshops.
? Strong communicator: able to clearly communicate ideas to diverse audiences and a wide variety of stakeholders. Comfortable interacting with people from a wide variety of cultural groups and socioeconomic backgrounds across the continent.
? Outstanding manager: track record of inspiring high levels of achievement from colleagues and teams.
? Fluent in English. Fluency or proficiency in other languages spoken broadly on the continent (French, Portuguese, Arabic, Swahili, Yoruba, etc.) is a plus.

Personality Profile:

? You are passionate about the African continent, and believe ethical and entrepreneurial leadership is the key to unlocking Africa?s vast potential.
? You believe leadership can - and should - be taught, and believe that African leaders benefit from an understanding of the continent and its people.
? You embody the ALA values: Integrity, Humility, Compassion, Excellence, Curiosity, and Diversity.
? You are a life-long learner and seek to constantly improve yourself.
? You are an exceptional team player and enjoy working with a talented group of people from different backgrounds who share a common, student-centered goal.
? You are a creative thinker and you relish the challenge of finding a ?better way? to do things.
? You are highly organized and can manage a rigorous schedule and a variety of simultaneous challenges.
? You enjoy the uncertainty of an entrepreneurial environment. In fact, you thrive in it. You are a dynamic achiever (a self-starter) who enjoys bringing a vision into reality with minimal guidance.

Location: ALA Campus, Johannesburg, South Africa

Compensation: A competitive compensation package, commensurate with experience, will be provided, including relocation to Johannesburg if necessary.

Start Date: The position would begin as early as 1 September 2010 and as late as 1 November 2010.

To Apply: Email employment@africanleadershipacademy.org with a CV or resume and cover letter detailing your experience and interest in the position. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and are encouraged by 15 August 2010.

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