Essene Tighe

Experience

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  Language in Group

  Jun 2012 - Aug 2016

  International Language School Centre Manager

  • Manage staff and resources for an international language school with up to 250 students and 25 staff, teachers and activity leaders.• Build strong working relationships & outline clear objectives ensuring efficient collaborative work.• Complex stakeholder management with international sales agents.• Conduct staff training in youth engagement, safeguarding and facilitation skills and conduct regular performance reviews.• Deliver high-quality results and report recommendations to London head office.• Achieving British council language school accreditation within the first year in role.• Completed Level 3 Child Safeguarding Training. Show less

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  International Rescue Committee

  Mar 2014 - Mar 2014

  Development Communications Intern

  • The placement involved shadowing the child and youth senior technical adviser and attending meetings with internal departments and external companies such as DFID.• Design communications pieces on refugees and education in The Middle East for a variety of external stakeholders at global donor events. • Administrative support for external partnership meetings for future Child and Youth projects.

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  University of Reading

  Feb 2015 - Jul 2016

  • Use of effective communication and persuasive negotiation to build profitable relationships with donors. • Manage bespoke telephone fundraising event, raising over £6000 in two weeks. • Lead staff training and performance reviews for a team of 30.• Event management for the first face-to-face bespoke donor event.• Design donor fundraising communications for the campaign launch. • Call room supervisor for university fundraising campaigns, responsible for training and management of a team of 18 fundraisers.• Responsibilities included management of MOLE fundraising software, recruitment of staff, and performance reviews• Achieved fundraising target of £200,000 for 6-week campaign.

  • Individual Giving Officer

    May 2016 - Jul 2016

  • Higher Education Fundraising Supervisor

    Feb 2015 - Apr 2016
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  Bartons Solicitors

  Sept 2016 - Aug 2017

  Legal Assistant
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  International Citizen Service

  Aug 2017 - Mar 2021

  • Full-cycle project management and budget responsibility of three priority International Citizen Service (ICS) youth engagement projects, including delivery of a 100-person youth employability event, in partnership with Youth Employment UK and other relevant youth organisations.• Lead the design and delivery of a cross-agency UK-based youth network, focusing on climate, mental health and youth employability, with over 220 youth members.• Facilitate meaningful youth input through co-design and co-delivery methods, including the recruitment and management of 20 Youth Leaders.• Design tailored training and learning journey for 20 Youth Leaders, with a holistic approach, focusing on youth empowerment and resilience.• Manage the global review and redesign of seed funding for youth active citizens, leading the grant management of 10 grants per annum (£10,000), working with global colleagues to ensure robust financial management, quality youth engagement, and accurate reporting of grants within the timeline.• Provide technical support and assistance to global VSO and consortium colleagues to deliver quality youth engagement projects, including developing guidance and training on youth engagement.• Influence and inspire a culture of innovation and youth engagement across VSO.• Develop and maintain partnerships (Youth Employment UK, UK Youth, BOND) to support innovation strategies and future ICS bid Show less

  • Global Innovation & Engagement Officer

    Jun 2019 - Mar 2021

  • ICS Team Coordinator

    Aug 2017 - Jun 2019
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  VSO Nederland

  Apr 2021 - May 2022

  • Global consortium working with Palladium and Randstad on The Challenge Fund for Youth Employment. The fund aims to create a prosperous future for 200,000 young women and men in the Middle East & Africa by supporting youth employment initiatives in these regions.• Working with large private sector companies, across multiple sectors, in Africa and the Middle East to develop bespoke strategies for achieving social impact. • Developed youth engagement strategy to practically embed youth voice into The Challenge Fund for Youth Employment programme design, implementation and monitoring and reporting processes. • Worked with large private sector companies, across multiple sectors, in Africa and the Middle East to develop bespoke youth engagement strategies to achieve meaningful youth participation and empowerment of young employees.

  • Social Impact Innovation & Growth Advisor

    Nov 2021 - May 2022

  • Youth Engagement Empowerment Resilience Coordinator

    Apr 2021 - Nov 2021
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  Freelance

  Aug 2022 - Jan 2024

  Social Impact Consultant

  • Worked with global team on a waste sector project proposal for IKEA foundation funding, supporting most marginalised youth entrepreneurs in the waste sector in Kenya.• Coordinated research team to conduct research into green youth led business project models and their viability in the waste sector in Kenya.

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  Akashinga

  Oct 2024 - now

  Head of Operations

  Akashinga delivers resilient nature conservation programmes of global significance through community-driven partnerships across Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Botswana and Namibia. Akashinga’s approach to protecting nature at scale elevates and empowers communities and women as leaders protecting wildlife and the critical wilderness landscapes they call home. In an industry where women are outnumbered by men 100:1 at an operational level, Akashinga places women in authentic roles and creates pathways to foster the next generation of female conservation experts. Head of Operations is responsible for overseeing community, biodiversity and nutrition departments. Show less