A.M.E. Zion University in Monrovia, Liberia announces search for President

AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL ZION UNIVERSITY

166 BENSON STREET

MONROVIA, LIBERIA

Vacancy Announcement for the post of President __

Background

AME Zion University commenced in 1983 with the founding of the AME Zion School of Business, attached to the AME Zion Academy.

In 1987, the AME Zion Community College was established, offering Associate Degrees in Criminal Justice Administration and Law Enforcement, Liberal Arts, and Business, as well as Diploma in Trauma Counseling. It held its First Convocation in May 1989. In 1996, by Act of the National Legislature, the AME Zion University College was established with the Reverend Frederick Umoja serving as its first President.

The university, which the AME Zion Church operates, presently has seven (7) Colleges. Namely, the Wilfred E. Clarke College of Criminal Justice Administration, the Andrew Cartwright College of Business and Public Administration, the Ruben L. Speaks College of Liberal Arts, the Bishop Warren M. Brown College of Divinity, the Alicia Smith-Lartey College of Education, the College of Agriculture and Agri-Business Studies. AMEZU has an Extension program in Unification Town, Margibi County. It presently offers Bachelor’s Degree Program in Divinity, Education, Criminal Justice Administration, Liberal Arts, and Business-related Disciplines. The university has enrolled over 20,000 students and graduated over 5,000 since its establishment. AME Zion University is accredited by The National Commission on Higher Education of Liberia. It is a Founding member of the Association of Liberian Universities.

THE OPPORTUNITY

AME Zion University is seeking collaborative and strategic executive leadership to build on the university's legacy and push the university forward during an evolutionary time in higher education. Reporting to and partnering closely with a committed Board of Trustees, the President will bring emotional intelligence and energy to manage and further the university's vision, strategy, and program development. The President will have overall responsibility for the educational, operational, and financial affairs of the College and serve as Chief Executive Officer reporting to the Board of Trustees. This visionary, ethical leader will inspire and empower staff, partners, and stakeholders, respecting the past and present while generating exciting ideas for a more significant impact in the future. The President will also bring a solid commitment to the excellence, justice, and equity framework that the Board of Trustees seeks to embed throughout all aspects of internal and external work, including the alignment of administrative, academic, and financial departments and investments.

SPECIFIC ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

· Provide the creative, strategic vision, inspirational motivation, effective day-to-day direction, and efficient operation necessary to ensure the university's success and continued advancement of its values, mission, and purpose.

· The President shall be responsible for preparing the Annual Budget of the University to demonstrate sound fiscal management.

· Collaborate with the Board, faculty, staff, alumni, and community stakeholders to ensure that the university’s values, mission, and purpose fully embody all aspects of the instruction and works. The President will work closely with the Vice President of Academic Affairs on the appointment of the faculty. He/she will have full authority over academic divisions, departments, staff, and all employees, salaries and is accountable for the quality of their performance.

· Working closely with the Board, faculty, and other stakeholder partners, identify and effectively communicate a compelling, shared vision for the Board, faculty, and staff.

· Ensure academic management and financial administration strategies and systems are effective and aligned with the university’s mission and vision.

· Steward academics and finances with an ethical lens that promotes legal compliance and financial integrity.

· Ensure the development of academic programming, grantmaking, and investment strategies and systems are effective, aligned with the mission/values of the university and AME Zion Church, and implemented with excellence.

· Ensure standards and systems are in place that tracks the effectiveness and impact, centered in equitable evaluation principles, including rigor around programmatic innovation and outcomes, and with increased program integration with the endowment for a more powerful impact platform.

· Assess organizational needs and support creative solutions to enhance structures, practices, systems, tools, reports, and staffing ensuring role clarity and alignment and identifying necessary resources to thrive.

· Recruit, lead, mentor, and coach a diverse faculty and staff, ensuring they are supported, entrusted, empowered, recognized, appreciated, and amplified. Foster a community of meaningful collaboration, intellectual curiosity, continuous learning, transparency, and open feedback. The President will be evaluated annually.

· Work with the Board to help ensure proper resources and information for effective governance; support Board members as they individually and collectively fulfill their management and fiduciary responsibilities and ensure transparency and regular communication with the Board in all key areas.

· Serve as a liaison and foster effective relationships within the Board, between the Board and university's faculty and staff, and with external audiences.

· Engage in contemplative discourse with the Board around emerging trends and exploration of investments in existing and new initiatives cultivating open, thoughtful, and collaborative partnerships.

· Work collaboratively with other private and public institutions, organizations, funding sources, and community partners as a thought leader, lifting the voices of the University’s community partners and influencing measurable change.

QUALIFICATION:

· The ideal candidate for this post will possess an earned Doctorate degree from an accredited university; Have no less than ten (10) years in a senior administrative and/or academic position at a college or university, either as President, Vice President, Dean or Administrator and be fully computer literate;

· The President must be a proven senior executive with a documented record of successful administrative management and a deep commitment to academic superiority.

· The individual will also have experience in and/or passion for grounding institutional culture and serving as a fierce internal and external university champion.

· Driven by intellectual curiosity and steady presence, the individual will bring outcomes-oriented leadership to advancing the university's s objectives and goals.

· Strong people leadership and management skills with a proven background of empowering diverse groups of professionals, entrusting and amplifying the work of others, including experience with board governance and engagement.

· Outstanding communications skills and diplomacy, including listening to, relating well, and inspiring various constituencies and people at all levels.

· A history of successful engagement, partnering and fostering alliance-building among a broad range of constituencies and an ability to work with and effectively inspire innovative thinking among stakeholders and audiences in multiple sectors.

· Experience managing organizational complexity and enhancing capacity and impact.

· Knowledge and zeal for one or more focused disciplines in which the University educates, trains, and instructs as well mindful of democratic values, economically disadvantaged communities, wealth disparities, and sustainable climate change.

· Understanding power dynamics around the changes in academic institutional structures and government engagement in the essential role of higher education in movement building to affect sustainable, progressive change.

Note: We recognize that a compelling candidate might meet some, not all, requirements and invite interested candidates to explain what makes them uniquely well-suited for this leadership role consistent with the specific duties outlined above. Also, include a discussion on his/her vision for the university over the next three to five years in an essay not exceeding five pages.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

A competitive compensation and benefits package will be offered to the successful applicant.

To Apply email to amezuacademic@gmail.com and use as heading/Subject: LAST NAME and AMEZU Presidential Search. Example: Hawkins: AMEZU Presidential Search

Address to:

The Presidential Search Committee

AME Zion University

166 Benson Street, Monrovia, Liberia

The deadline for Application is January 31, 2023