Country Director Rwanda Village Enterprises

Rwanda Village Enterprises, Ltd. (RVE) is a for-profit startup company that builds mixed-income, earth-friendly housing. Within the context of Rwanda transitioning from an aid dependent nation to one in which private enterprise drives the economy, our goal is to demonstrate that building quality housing for low- and moderate-income workers can be a sustainable business model. RVE’s approach involves community engagement, partnership with employers and government agencies, capacity building within the construction industry and the use of appropriate technologies. Our model utilizes an internal cross-subsidy with the goal of making a portion of our houses are affordable to the community’s lowest wage-earners. RVE’s staff members have backgrounds in real estate development, finance, urban planning, law and a variety of social entrepreneurial start-ups.

Our first project — Rwinkwavu Homes — involves the development of approximately 100 new homes in a small town in Rwanda’s Eastern Province. Rwinkwavu is home to a district hospital as well as the national headquarters of Partners in Health (PIH), an international health NGO. The first stage of this project is to construct five model homes, two of which are currently under construction. Beyond addressing a housing shortage in Rwinkwavu, we seek to develop a model for community development that can be replicated by RVE and others elsewhere in Rwanda and the region. A key component of this model is helping to integrate the various communities living in Rwinkwavu, including a burgeoning Rwandan professional class, expatriates and lower-income service workers and miners.

In addition to undertaking the Rwinkwavu Homes project, RVE is pursuing a variety of urban planning related consulting assignments with municipal agencies in Rwanda.
JOB DESCRIPTION:

The Country Director will manage RVE’s day-to-day operations in Rwanda under the direction of the company’s owners, who are based in the U.S. Our work is multidisciplinary, and therefore the Country Director’s duties will be wide ranging. However, the following is a partial list of this position’s areas of responsibility:

Rwinkwavu Homes Project

* Community relations - Work with government officials and local stakeholders to build support and good will while ensuring the project is responsive to community needs;
* Site control, entitlements and permits – Work with local government to obtain the land and approvals needed to develop future phases of the project;
* Design – Oversee the design of new house types and obtain construction cost estimates;
* Construction oversight – Provide leadership and support to the Construction Manager and Foreman to ensure that the project stays on budget/on schedule and represents high quality work;
* End buyer financing – Work with banks to help prospective homebuyers obtain home loans;
* Seek out new investors and sources for development and construction financing.

Other

* Assist with consulting assignments for government agencies;
* Identify new business opportunities;
* Participate in policy discussions in Rwanda surrounding housing, green building, urban planning and related fields;
* Hire and manage interns and/or volunteers;
* Provide accurate and timely reporting to owners and investors.

QUALIFICATIONS:

* Able to manage multiple tasks and work independently;
* An entrepreneurial spirit;
* Solid problem solving and organizational skills;
* Outstanding written and oral communication skills;
* Work experience in one or more of the following fields: real estate development, finance, project management, community development, city planning, law, construction management, engineering or architecture.
* Ideal candidates will also possess the following:

-Language skills in French and/or Kinyarwanda;

-Experience working or studying in a developing country (preferably in East Africa);

-Interest in or familiarity with green building, poverty reduction and low-cost design solutions;

-University degree in a related field.

Please email a cover letter and resume/CV to John Renner at jrenner@rwandavillageenterprises.com.