Programme Officer
Issues Affecting Women Programme (IAWP)
Job Title: Programme Officer – Issues Affecting Women Programme
Location: Geneva, Switzerland
Reporting to: Director, Issues Affecting Women Programme
Job Status: Full-time position
Salary: Highly competitive salary and benefits
About Oak:
Oak Foundation (oakfnd.org) commits its resources to address issues of global, social and environmental concern, particularly those that have a major impact on the lives of the disadvantaged. With offices in Europe, Africa, India and North America, we make grants to organisations in approximately 40 countries worldwide.
Background:
All women and girls should be safe, free and have an equal chance to thrive. Yet every day, because of unequal power relations, women experience violence and discrimination and are denied the freedom to decide how they will live. This undermines their health, safety, dignity and independence. The IAWP finds inspiration and hope in the strong, and vibrant movements, built and led by women, which are transforming lives and communities across the world. Their shared purpose and collective power are sparking progressive attitudes and advancing a more just world – in ways that protect human rights and the future of our planet. Supporting these movements to live, breathe, strengthen and grow – by enabling women’s agency, leadership and capacity – is at the heart of what the programme does. Read the IAWP strategy below for more details.
The IAWP team strives to live the values it works to advance. In addition to a deep commitment to advancing women’s rights, our culture is characterised by collegiality, mutual support, high expectations, and laughter. We are currently recruiting a Programme Officer to manage a portfolio of grants and contribute to the implementation of the IAWP strategy.
Main responsibilities include:
· Actively participates in the development of IAWP’s strategies and workplans.
· Develops new grant-making opportunities in line with IAWP strategic directions and its learning and evaluation system.
· Fully manages a substantial grant portfolio, ensuring alignment with programme strategies and compliance with Oak’s grant management system and related grant-making procedures. This includes: handling the day-to-day responsibilities of a grant portfolio from initial inquiry to assessment to final recommendation; having site visits; identifying and responding to capacity building needs; monitoring grant implementation; reporting on and closing grants; evaluating current or past grants according to needs; and drawing and sharing lessons learned from projects and clusters of grants, among other activities.
· Supports the IAWP Director in the programme’s significant work with Trustees, the Board, and the Foundation President.
· Engages with the international women’s movement and the funder community as a partner, colleague and student.
· Plans and supervises capacity building, evaluations and other processes, including identifying and enlisting support of technical consultants and outside reviewers, when appropriate.
· Represents Oak’s IAWP team on organisation-wide task forces, study groups, public events, etc.
· Performs all other relevant duties that may be assigned by Director.
· University degree (Advanced degree preferred) in human rights, international law, gender studies, or equivalent.
· At least 7 years relevant professional experience working on human rights or women’s rights, preferably with country-level experience in the Global South or East.
· A commitment to advancing feminism and human rights and to Oak’s organisational values (http://oakfnd.org/values-mission-history/).
· Understanding of and experience in multiple aspects of women’s rights and using a range of strategies for social change.
· Familiarity and solidarity with local, regional and international women’s rights organisations and networks.
· Experience providing technical assistance or other forms of capacity building to civil society organisations.
· Strategic, research and analytical skills, including in learning, monitoring, and evaluation, and the ability to synthesise and communicate information.
· Demonstrated ability to work both independently and as part of a team. Demonstrated experience of developing work remotely.
· Ability to juggle a wide range of responsibilities that may demand ongoing reprioritisation.
· Poise, maturity, warmth, curiosity, humility, and a good sense of humour.
· Excellent English and French written and oral communication skills; working knowledge of Spanish, Portuguese or Serbo-Croatian an advantage.
· Understanding of not-for-profit and/or governmental financial reporting and budgeting.
· Strong computer skills (Office, e-mail, desk research).
· Willingness to travel, up to a maximum of 25 percent per year, sometimes for extended periods (up to two weeks).
Reporting Lines
The position will be based in Geneva, Switzerland, and reports to the Director of the Issues Affecting Women Programme. Frequent interactions with Oak’s President and IAWP Trustees will also be required.
How to apply
Only candidates with Swiss/EU citizenship or a valid work permit for Switzerland will be accepted.
Interested candidates submit their Curriculum Vitae and a compelling covering letter to the jobup platform by 12 January 2021. Please note that we will only be contacting shortlisted candidates.
By submitting your application, you confirm that you have read and understood Oak’s job applicant’s data privacy notice.
Oak Foundation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, as detailed in our child safeguarding policy. We expect all staff to share this commitment. Please note that the successful candidate will undergo reference checks and be required to provide a police record prior to starting employment.
