Senior Advisor for Programs

Senior Advisor for Programs — Job Description

Application Deadline: April 28, 2023
Reports to: Director of Strategy and Organizational Strengthening
Location: Remote
Type of Position: Full-time, exempt employee
Salary Range: $80,000-130,000 annually, with full benefits; dependent on location, knowledge, skills, and experience

ABOUT WOMENSTRONG

WomenStrong International is a non-profit private operating foundation, based in the United States, that is building a global community of women-led organizations working to advance the rights and wellbeing of women and girls worldwide.

Our grantee partners receive unrestricted funding, access to a tailored program of technical and capacity support, and the opportunity to participate in a peer Learning Lab, where they can share with fellow partners what’s working, and what’s not.

Since our founding, WomenStrong has invested more than $20 million in direct grants to women’s organizations and in supporting these organizations with technical assistance, opportunities to present their work, and other organizational strengthening and learning activities.

WomenStrong is a learning organization, built on respect and compassion that recognizes our common humanity and essential dignity. Our work is rooted in listening deeply to women and girls, responding to what they say they need, and learning from what works. We challenge the top down approach to funding and respect the expertise of locally led organizations above all else. We have faith in the force of collaboration at all levels, and seek to take a non-proprietary, multidimensional, and holistic approach to our work. WomenStrong is an equal opportunity employer dedicated to hiring and supporting a diverse workforce. We are committed to cultivating an inclusive work environment, and we seek out team members who share that same value. WomenStrong staff value and appreciate each others’ experience and knowledge; trust their colleagues to do their jobs; strive to be open, direct, and timely, as we communicate with one another; and assume the best of each other. WomenStrong expects staff to listen, to be intentional and take initiative, and to appreciate different backgrounds, contexts, and approaches.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ROLE

WomenStrong’s Senior Advisor for Programs will provide strategic guidance and technical expertise to support WomenStrong International’s flagship Capacity Strengthening and Learning Lab programs. The Senior Advisor for Programs will act as a critical thought partner, working closely with WomenStrong’s Director of Strategy and Organizational Strengthening and Director of Learning and Partnerships, as WomenStrong launches a new approach to capacity strengthening with our grantee partners. The Senior Advisor for Programs will also lead the integration of gender-transformative approaches as a cross-cutting theme throughout the Learning Lab. She/he/they will manage co-created capacity strengthening plans for all grantee partners; help identify potential sources of capacity strengthening support, including regionally and locally based consultants; provide technical support through the Lab and individually to partners; contribute to WomenStrong, partner, and external publications; and increase external visibility of WomenStrong and its partners with international audiences.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Capacity Strengthening Program

• Support the Director of Strategy and Organizational Strengthening in guiding the design, implementation, and monitoring of WomenStrong’s new Capacity Strengthening program;
• Work closely with partners to identify their capacity needs and support the implementation of their capacity strengthening plans, working with them to become more resilient, effective organizations. This will include regularly speaking with them to ensure that they are getting the support they need, helping them adapt their plans as their needs change, identifying relevant local consultants, potential trainings, and other opportunities, and coordinating their use of available funds for capacity strengthening activities;
• Lead the recruitment, vetting, and ongoing quality assurance of external consultants who can provide grantee partners with relevant, targeted capacity strengthening;
• Keep up-to-date on evidence-based strategies and best practices, in order to ensure that all capacity strengthening efforts are in line with local and global best practices, and to provide partners with tools, resources, and opportunities that can help strengthen their work;
• In collaboration with the Monitoring and Evaluation team, continually track milestones, and work with the partners to adjust capacity action plans to improve their value.

1. Learning Lab

• Support the Director of Learning and Partnerships in leading the integration of gender-related issues into WomenStrong’s Learning Lab activities, including leading community capacity strengthening and/or peer learning discussions on gender and gender-transformative programming;
• Manage an in-house resource center of tools, publications, and materials that will inform gender-transformative programming, practices, and policies across the Learning Lab;
• Provide context and issue-specific support to partners, facilitating and elevating cross-partner learning;
• Co-design and co-lead the Learning Lab’s knowledge-sharing activities, which may include:
  • Calls or webinars;
  • Retreats, forums, peer learning series, workshops, or other convenings; and
  • Additional partner learning opportunities, such as partner collaborations, partner-led advocacy efforts, external visibility events, and other opportunities as they arise;
• Co-develop and adapt tools, resources, and training to improve program implementation and learning;
• Collaborate with the Program and Equity Manager to provide support on other Learning Lab projects, including the language justice program, the online partner portal, the in-person retreat, and other activities;

1. Other Duties

• Collaborate with the Communications team to amplify partners’ voices and raise the visibility and credibility of the Learning Lab and of WomenStrong;
• Support WomenStrong’s own organizational development efforts by attending and presenting at topical events, conferences, or meetings, contributing to fundraising collateral, and/or contributing to the development of funding proposals for WomenStrong;
• Assisting partners in identifying and applying for speaking and conference opportunities that can enrich their capacity, strengthen their leadership skills, and elevate their profiles;
• Attend and present at topical events, conferences, meetings, and trainings to inform WomenStrong’s work, represent WomenStrong in areas relevant to our work, and increase WomenStrong’s visibility;
• Author and/or provide input to WomenStrong publications related to the Learning Lab model and our Capacity Strengthening program;
• Build relationships with expert organizations and thought leaders in the field, including through participation in other networks, communities, and coalitions.

QUALIFICATIONS

Subject Matter & Technical Knowledge:

• 7+ years of professional experience working in relevant areas (e.g., gender equality, women’s economic rights and justice, violence against women and girls, women and adolescent girls’ health and rights, girls’ education, human rights, positive youth development, girls’ empowerment programming, other related fields), of which at least 5 years have been spent working with or in global south contexts;
• Strong experience in supporting organizations in their capacity strengthening and organizational development, including not only the ability to transfer knowledge and skills through consultation or mentoring, but also through co-creation and transformational approaches to supporting community-based organizations in meeting their objectives;
• Familiarity and commitment to gender and racial equity and to feminist and trust-based funding principles;
• Experience in providing technical guidance in gender integration in international development;
• Experience with peer learning and knowledge-sharing networks and communities; and
• Proven ability to translate complex research insights into programmatic initiatives and implementation.

Other Professional Competencies:

• Program management experience, including design, implementation, and evaluation;
• Excellent writing, editing, communication, public speaking, presentation, and facilitation skills;
• Exceptional attention to detail, organizational, and time management skills;
• Adaptable, flexible, and creative;
• Demonstrated ability to use digital tools and technology that allow for virtual collaboration and remote learning;
• Professional proficiency in Spanish and/or French strongly preferred;
• Collaborative personality that works well in a dispersed team and in leading and managing independent projects;
• Respectful of all voices, comfortable with deep listening and reflection, and eager to learn from others, while bringing new ideas to the table;
• Ability and willingness to travel and to work outside of normal business hours to accommodate international partners;
• And able to accommodate United States East Coast business hours.