Wikimedia Foundation is hiring a
Senior Program Officer

Summary

Join the Wikimedia Foundation as a Senior Program Officer (Sub-Saharan Africa, French Speaking) to implement regional funding programs serving Wikimedian communities in Sub-Saharan Africa. The successful candidate will oversee grant proposal processes, manage communications, and work closely with grant applicants.

Requirements

• Solid knowledge of trust-based philanthropy or community-based grantmaking
• Experience in participatory decision-making structures
• Experience in grantmaking, particularly in an international context
• Experience in nonprofit capacity building as a funder, consultant, or nonprofit leader
• Strong strategic and analytical skills and creative problem-solving ability
• Excellent organizational skills and judgment; ability to prioritize work, manage time and multiple priorities, and meet deadlines; attention to detail and accuracy; the ability to set realistic goals and objectives
• Proven ability that would translate to creating constructive partnerships with the Wikimedia community, stakeholders, and fund-seekers: skills in facilitating engaging, motivating, coordinating and supporting volunteer communities, and in negotiating the sometimes chaotic and contentious nature of free-thinking communities
• An open and transparent communication style; ability to engage and have dialogue with individuals in a public setting and in a non-polarizing way
• Willingness to accommodate scheduling requirements of frequent interactions across time zones, with individuals and organizations across the world
• Proven English proficiency in written and spoken communication, including speaking in front of large groups and reacting publicly in high-pressure situations, and comfort in producing widely distributed written material
• Demonstrated commitment to and belief in equity, inclusion, and diversity
• Fluency in another language other than English, preferably in French
• Currently residing in Sub-Saharan Africa
• A global perspective, with significant experience living or working internationally

Responsibilities

• Supporting the grants cycle: Oversee the grant proposal processes from start to finish
• Manage communications related to the grants cycle
• Work closely with grant applicants in the preparation of their proposals and reports, providing guidance on strategic planning, programming, staffing, board development, and financial management
• Support due diligence and eligibility reviews for interested organizations
• Coordinate WMF staff, committee, and community inputs following the grants process, and ensure timely creation of expert materials in preparation for proposal review
• Work together with the Grants Administrator and the Finance & Administration team to obtain approvals, disburse and track grant funds, and ensure that accurate data is maintained in the Fluxx grants database
• Evaluate the annual plan grant process after each round, summarize feedback and implement recommendations for process improvements
• Review mid-term and final grant reports, provide feedback to grantees, and share findings with committees, fellow staff, and the community at large
• Conduct mid-term and final report learning conversations with grantees and regional funding committees
• Support grant analysis on the impact of funds share results publicly
• Hold regular meetings with grantees
• Conduct site visits and document and share learning with relevant stakeholders
• Update the grants space on Meta wiki as needed
• Facilitating the grants committees’ participatory decision-making: Recruit and orient new committee members
• Facilitate regular committee meetings
• Create and analyze the results of surveys and other assessment tools at all stages of the review process
• Co-create and publish detailed public staff assessments of each proposal
• Create or coordinate analysis, including detailed financial analysis, and oversee all material in preparation for deliberations, and be prepared to field detailed questions about proposals and analysis from the committee during the deliberations

Benefits

U.S. Benefits & Perks