Program Manager, Resilient States

Team Summary

Common Ground USA (CG-USA) supports collaboration across differences to address our greatest challenges and to build an America where we can all belong and thrive. As an initiative of Search for Common Ground, we have 40 years’ experience in conflict settings around the world, and know that disagreement is an opportunity to transform conflict into cooperation. It is how we can solve our most challenging problems. We know that most Americans want to overcome the divisions we face in our society. We know it takes courage – and that everyone has a role to play.

We are a dynamic, motivated, and diverse team of individuals committed to working across divides to generate locally-rooted, responsive, and sustainable win-win solutions to some of the nation’s most seemingly intractable issues. The Program Manager will work with the Program Director, and the State Leads for Texas and Pennsylvania to support the Resilient States Program. They will also serve as a core member of the CG-USA team.

Position Summary

We are currently seeking a Program Manager for the Resilient States Project, which aims to support leaders in key states to mitigate risks for political violence. This is an exciting new program that builds state-level networks of leaders across different sectors, ideologies and backgrounds, and empowers those networks with new skills, relationships, and capacities to mitigate extreme division and risks of violence.

The Program Manager will lead national team coordination, program planning, and grant management; implement national projects; and support in-state programming. They will facilitate coordination with our national partner, Over Zero, and collaboration with other peers in the field. In close coordination with the Program Director and State Leads for TX and PA, they will oversee partner subgranting and support capacity building of state partners. The Program Manager will also lead collaboration with other CG-USA team members, engage in team-wide planning and strategy-setting, and lead special team projects, as assigned.

The ideal candidate has a background in democracy, peace-building, advocacy, or other related field, and a strong track record of program and grant management. The ideal candidate has an entrepreneurial spirit, holds a strong commitment to inclusive teamwork, and has a drive to build groundbreaking, responsive programs in a new and evolving context.

Core Responsibilities

• Plans overall program implementation, supports in-state programming, and tracks program progress
• Manages team coordination and communication
• Manages grants from proposal writing, grant start-up, reporting, and close out, in close coordination with Program Director and
• Finance Manager.
• Supports Program Director with team leadership for staffing and employee development
• Independently implements national and whole-of-program projects, including research and multi-state events
• Supports coordination with national partners
• Manages collaboration and learning with peer organizations
• Facilitates subgrants and other direct supports to partners
• Directs technical resources and supports partner training

Other Contributions

• Workplan: Improve, finalize and monitor costed-work plans and spend-out plans; support in finalizing and monitoring the Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) plan
• Project activities: Design project activities, in collaboration with team members; lead and/or deliver project activities
• Reporting: Review project documents; finalize donor reports; review General Ledger (GL) and support CG-USA Finance Manager in financial reporting
• Compliance: Coordinates with the appropriate team members ensuring project, finance, and logistics staff follow donor rules/regulations; ensure donor compliance; lead capacity-building sessions to streamline rules and regulations
• Support procurement: Manage logistical planning and, as needed, coordinate with project vendors (e.g., hotel, catering, transportation, etc.)
• Financial management: Ensure project financial health; engage regular Budget versus Actual (BvA) meetings; ensure budget revisions are done as needed
• Subaward management: Provide oversight to partner work plans and facilitate subgranting
• Staffing and performance management: Lead in staff capacity-building and identifying learning/growth opportunities; coordinate with the Program Director on project staffing plan; lead recruitment for key staffing roles; manage key roles.
• External engagement: Maintain regular communication with donors (including reporting and briefings); conduct regular meetings with partners in the field
• Program management, quality and project design: Coordinate with relevant colleagues in recording lessons learned, organizing reflection sessions, adapting work plans, and supporting program fundraising.
• Program Strategy: Provide inputs to strategy development, planning and Objectives and Key Results (OKRs)
• Values: Infuses organizational Values into all work
• Other duties: Tasks broadly in line with the above key contributions, as assigned.

Qualifications

• Typically BS/BA with minimum 9 years’ experience.
• Experience in democracy, peace-building, advocacy, or other related fields.
• A strong track-record of program management, including grant management
• A demonstrated ability to work with teammates, partners, leaders, and constituencies from different backgrounds and viewpoints
• A commitment to working across difference to build a more peaceful and just America, and a commitment to CG-USA and Search values
• A highly collaborative working style

Competency Behavior Indicators (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities)

• Manages overall strategy and vision. Provides functional and program/project management. Anticipates and plans for needs and takes action accordingly. Provides guidance to direct reports or matrixed team members.
• Develops and maintains collaborative relationships with vendors, organizations, professional associations, partners, funders, and CG-USA’s network of experts.
• Modifies a planned course of action in response to new information or new circumstances.
• Responds to changing circumstances and expectations readily.
• Articulates CG-USA program goals and objectives within and external to Search. Develops program objectives that reflect broader Search strategies and approaches.
• Provides input for standards across functions globally within Shared Services teams and with a view from a multicultural perspective that reflects consideration of other cultures, other viewpoints, and other ways of doing things.
• Overcomes obstacles using ethical practices; formulates and evaluates morally and ethically justified solutions.
• Assesses risks and opportunities to lead decision makers to a favorable outcome.
• Checks the accuracy of one’s own and others’ work and sets up systematic checks and balances to support content and data integrity.
• Has knowledge of project management tools including technology as resources for efficiency and reduction of stress.
• Works with employees to set and communicate performance standards that are specific and measurable.
• Anticipates the consequences of situations and plans accordingly.
• Analyzes the costs, benefits, risks, and chances for success in making a decision.
• Provides coaching and mentoring to staff.

Location

The candidate must be based in the United States, with a preference for the DC metro area. Standard work will take place remotely/at a home office, but will require interfacing and attending in-person events in DC, Pennsylvania and Texas. Occasional travel to other US locations will be required. Standard work hours are Eastern or Central time-zone business hours.

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements

Usual office environment conditions; ability to travel at least 20%.

Supervisory and Budget Responsibility

Expected to manage one direct report, as well as consultants.