Chief Executive Officer

To apply for this role please send a cover letter and your CV (both in English language) to Marija Stefkova (Communications Manager of the CML Advocates Network) at by 25 March 2025, including your earliest availability. If you have any further questions, please contact Marija Stefkova by sending an email to the above address.

The CML Advocates Network (CMLAN) is an active international network for leaders of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) patient groups. It connects 131 patient organisations across the globe in 96 countries and aims at facilitating and supporting best practice sharing among patient advocates across the world. The network is hosted under the umbrella of the Leukemia Patient Advocates Foundation (LePAF), a patient-led non-profit foundation based in Switzerland acting as a legal platform for self-sustained patient advocacy initiatives. The network is governed by a Steering Committee composed of six CML patient advocates representing the major regions of the world plus the three co-founders of the network.

The CML Advocates Network is looking for a Chief Executive Officer (CEO). This is an exciting opportunity for a dynamic, motivated, strategic and visionary individual to serve the global chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) community and provide support to those affected by this rare, chronic condition.

ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is the management leader of the CML Advocates Network and reports directly to the chair of the network and indirectly to the CML Advocates Network Steering Committee. He / she will be responsible for providing high-level strategic leadership, planning, and operational management to the CMLAN Steering Committee. These services include, but are not limited to:

Governance

• Leading the network, supporting and guiding its mission, and implementing and reviewing the network´s vision, strategy and priorities.
• Communicating effectively with the Steering Committee and providing in a timely & accurate manner all information necessary for the Steering Committee to make informed decisions.
• Ensuring good governance of the network.

Financial performance and viability

• Ensuring the fiscal integrity of the network, including submission of an annual budget to the Steering Committee.
• Financial management incl. planning and supervising the execution and observance of the annual budget, ensuring that all projects and activities operate within the approved budget.
• Preparing quarterly financial statements which accurately reflect the financial condition of the network as well as progress against plan.
• Working with the Chair to ensure maximum resource utilisation and maintenance of the network in a positive financial position.
• Developing annual activity reports.
• Fundraising and ensuring financial sustainability and diversity.
• Ensuring the legal & fiscal requirements of CMLAN´s legal host (Swiss foundation) to be met.

Strategy and operations within the network's mission

• Actively driving and contributing to the development of the network's Strategic Plan as well as the evaluation processes to ensure CMLAN successfully fulfils its mission and prioritises its actions based on its strategic objectives.
• Ensuring professional planning and implementation of all key initiatives, programmes and projects of the network, e.g. CML Horizons, World CML Day, communication platforms and channels, partnerships, committee memberships, CML Community Advisory Boards, etc. including budgeting, financial management as well as evaluation of performance, impact and outreach.
• Consistently seeking to ensure the relevance and quality of the network's work through KPIs set for each respective calendar year.
• Ensuring annual performance, impact and outreach evaluation of all that CMLAN does.
• Liaising and working with CMLAN member organisations and their leaders to maintain and grow the sense of belonging to the network as well as the take-up of global and regional programmes.
• Pro-actively conducting twice-a-month meetings with the Chair.

Network Operations & HR

• Effective administration of CMLAN's operations incl. the establishment of administrative policies and procedures for all functions and for the day-to-day operation of the network.
• Overseeing the launch, funding, and execution of new initiatives and projects.
• Review and approve contracts with service providers, contractors, funders and partners.
• Overseeing the staff and their work to ensure the long-term sustainability of the network. This includes hiring, supervision, retention and performance management of competent, qualified staff, and dismissal where required, as well as distribution of staff responsibilities, supervision of workload, and staff performance measurement.
• Conducting regular meetings with the staff.
• Analysing the internal & external environment for changes and promoting key opportunities.
• Organising Steering Committee meetings and ensuring timely preparation as well as follow-up on agreed actions.

Network Communications

• Enhancing CMLAN's public image by externally representing the organisation at a high level.
• Overseeing all communication activities and ensuring consistency and timeliness of messaging.
• Being active and visible in the patient community and with other stakeholders.
• Communicating the network's course and plans with internal & external stakeholders.
• Developing and maintaining partnerships with other patient organisations and stakeholders to support the strategic objectives of the network.
• Responding to members´ requests and needs.
• Approving communication plans and ensuring resources to fulfil it, including internal communication (members, Steering Committee, staff, contractors, work groups) as well as external communication (website, events, online and offline media).

QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

Required skills:

• Experience in executive leadership roles, such as Executive Director, CEO, or CFO within non-profit organizations (NPO).
• Proficiency in key areas like employee motivation, relations, problem solving, and grant writing.
• Strong skills in negotiation, project management, and public speaking.
• Proven track record with personnel management, funding proposals, and patient advocacy.
• Proficiency with essential tools like Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, and Word.
• Experience with pharma funding, project bid estimation, and proposal writing.
• Ability to handle executive relations and public action.
• Background in federal lobbying or government funding review.
• Experience in accounting and bookkeeping.
• Experience in strategic planning, team building, and group facilitation.
• Familiarity with legal matters, federal or local lobbying, and medical conference speaking.
• Skills in website development and management.
• Knowledge of mind mapping, QuickBooks Online, and Toggl.
• Experience working as a patient reviewer or authoring for patient-related content.

Special conditions:

• Location: preferably EU Member State
• Willingness to travel (30 days / year, approx.).
• Willingness to work outside of standard weekday hours and on weekends if needed.

WE OFFER

• A dynamic and fascinating job within a fast-paced international work environment.
• The opportunity to thrive in an inspiring and rewarding work atmosphere, working together with global patient advocacy leaders to shape and improve outcomes for patients around the world.
• Competitive salary for NGOs.