Programme Manager - Resourcing Movements

We are hiring to fill a vacancy for the position of Programme Manager, Resourcing Movements. To fill this position, we are looking for a highly motivated person who is passionate about women’s rights in Africa, excited about African feminisms and embraces African gender diversity, to join our team. 

 Background 

As a Pan-African feminist fund, the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) resources, strengthens and upholds women’s rights and feminist organisations and movements across Africa, to make gender justice a reality for all on our continent and worldwide. Over the past 24 years, AWDF has awarded approximately USD100 million to women’s rights and feminist organisations throughout Africa (and in selected Middle Eastern countries through one of our initiatives). Through its grantmaking, programmatic and advocacy work, AWDF has supported work that has led to changes in law and policy, social norms and movement-building for gender justice. 

Building on its strong track record, in 2023 AWDF launched Lemlem, a ten-year strategic framework (2023-2033), which guides its efforts to advance gender equality and gender justice for girls, women and gender-diverse people across Africa.  At its core, the strategy’s focus is on resourcing, nurturing and strengthening those who are best placed to achieve transformative change: African women’s and feminist groups, organisations and movements. 

The search has begun!  

1. Are you a visionary grant making strategist with both deep political clarity and practical experience in responsive, flexible and agile grantmaking. Are you interested in leading resourcing practices that meet the needs of feminist movements and build collective power across Africa?

2. Are you experienced in providing thought leadership on grant management, skilful in cultivating meaningful relationships with grantee partners and feminist movement actors?

3. Are you ready to lead a dynamic team and shape the future of feminist resourcing, leading the strategic direction and daily functions of our Resourcing Unit — playing a key role in conceptualizing, implementing, and evolving grantmaking strategies that move money to where it matters most?

Job Summary:

The Programme Manager, Resourcing Movements leads the strategic direction and daily functions of the Resourcing Unit, playing a key role in conceptualizing and implementing AWDF’s grantmaking strategies, initiatives and processes. The role of the Programme Manager, Resourcing Movements provides grantmaking strategy and modalities of processes for our grantmaking that allow AWDF to fulfil its role as a feminist fund considering the fact that resourcing movements is at the core of AWDF’s  work and central to our mission.

Reporting to the Director of Programmes, the Programme Manager, Resourcing Movements provides thought leadership on grant management, and cultivates meaningful relationships with grantee partners and feminist movement actors, while also contributing to regional advocacy, fundraising efforts, and learning agendas grounded in African feminist knowledge and practice.

The Programme Manager, Resourcing Movements supervises the Resourcing team and collaborates with Programme Managers for Nurturing Movements and Impact and Learning to ensure alignment and coherence in programme strategy and delivery. As a member of the Senior Management Team (SMT), the Programme Manager, Resourcing Movements also participates in organization-wide decision-making processes and helps to uphold AWDF as a healthy, accountable, efficient and values-aligned organization.

Summary of Duties:

Strategy Implementation 

• As a member of the Senior Management Team, the Programme Manager, Resourcing Movements contributes to driving the vision of the organisation, strategic development and implementation of AWDF’s mission and participating in collective decision-making and accountability;
• Lead change management strategies and implementation activities aligned to the resourcing strategy;
• Contribute to sector-wide thought leadership on grantmaking strategies, feminist learning, impact and accountability in our sector.

Leadership and people development and management

• In collaboration with other members of SMT, provide policy direction and technical support, including contributions to strategic planning, annual work planning, impact documentation and reporting. 
• Provide oversight, management and supervision of the Resourcing team
• Contribute to developing a team culture that values collaboration internally, cross functionally, a team of independent thinkers that feel empowered, a team that reflects the feminist principles and values of AWDF

Grant and Programme Management 

• Oversee all grantmaking strategies and processes, ensuring alignment with AWDF’s mission, strategies, donor requirements and approved annual grantmaking budgets as well as promoting transparent and ethical behaviour within the grantmaking process.
• Lead participatory, trust-based grantmaking processes that reflect the priorities and needs of feminist movements.
• Develop program budgets for the resourcing unit; initiating planning processes and facilitating decision making on grants to be recommended for management and/or board approval.
• Coordinate and manage activities of the Resourcing unit as well as provide strategic direction in relation to AWDF’s grantmaking strategies, initiatives and processes.

Programme Monitoring and Learning

• Lead the review of grantmaking strategies and processes to ensure they are fit-for-purpose and align with the strategic framework and needs of the movements
• Contribute to evaluating  organisational progress against the strategy
• Contribute to the monitoring of organisational impact, learning and greater accountability to movements

Communication and Knowledge Management

• Contribute to advocacy and advancing feminist agendas in regional policy spaces, including human rights forums, donor convenings, and regional convenings
• Lead the resourcing team in proactive collaboration with the Communications team and other AWDF functional units for strategic communications
• Contribute information and writing for donor reporting, proposal development, feminist analyses, AWDF communications and knowledge management initiatives

The full details of the job description can be found:

Essential Knowledge and Experience: 

• Strategic analysis and thought leadership – a critical thinker with an analytical approach to information; can think in a strategic and innovative way about AWDF’s work, in alignment with AWDF’s strategic direction and feminist values, and in reaction to trends and recent developments in feminist movements and philanthropy; can anticipate and evaluate future opportunities and challenges.
• Knowledge of grants management, donor strategy and women’s rights issues in Africa.
• Proven experience in feminist grantmaking, programme management, and/or resourcing social justice movements.
• Expert knowledge of and commitment to African feminist principles, values, and movements
• Experience in programme management with participatory approaches and movement-centered practices in philanthropy
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively in English, both verbally and in writing. Working Knowledge of French desirable
• Demonstrated leadership and team management skills, with the ability to nurture and inspire others.
• Excellent relationship building, communication and facilitation skills
• Ability to think strategically, act collaboratively, and manage complexity.
• Comfortable working in a multilingual, multicultural, and remote or hybrid team environment.

Qualifications:

• A masters degree in project management, gender, women’s rights or equivalent qualification.
• At least 8 to 10 years of relevant professional experience in the fields of social justice, human rights, or gender justice work, some of which must include philanthropy or grants administration and management. Previous experience working on projects in a grants manager position or in a similar capacity advantageous.
• Expert Knowledge and experience in African women’s rights programming and feminist movement building.
• Excellent communication skills, written and oral in English. Proficiency in French desirable
• Work experience in Africa is essential

Job Location:

• AWDF House, Accra – Ghana or work remotely from any African country where you have the legal right to work from 

Organisational Competencies:

All staff members must demonstrate AWDF Core values in all their professional relationships and any interactions that may reflect on AWDF. These are: 

• Accountability & Integrity 
• Solidarity & Collective care 
• Intersectionality & Meaningful Inclusion 
• Learning & Adaptability 
• Courage & Joy 
• Creativity & Curiosity 

AWDF has a Zero Tolerance Approach to all forms of corruption which is an offence for which immediate dismissal without benefits will result. 

Salary Details:

• In practice, we only make offers between the entry point and the midpoint of our salary scale depending on one’s level of experience and competencies (i.e. between USD 55,760 and USD 76,670.06 (annually) 

How to Apply:

Qualified and interested persons should send the following documents: 

• A cover letter of not more than 2 pages to the Human Resources Manager explaining their interest and excitement in applying for the position to work for AWDF, highlighting their experience and competencies demonstrating the alignment to the role. 
• A CV of not more than 3 pages outlining their educational qualifications and employment records with key achievements in relevant positions held. 
• Applications for the vacancy should reach AWDF. Due to our limited capacity, only short-listed candidates will be contacted for additional information and interviews. 

In line with AWDF’s Mission, qualified African women and gender-diverse persons are encouraged to apply.