Senior Program Officer

Summary

Join the Wikimedia Foundation as a Senior Program Officer and implement regional funding programs for Wikimedian communities in Latin America. You will oversee the grant proposal process, manage communications, guide applicants, conduct due diligence, and coordinate with staff and committees. Responsibilities include facilitating participatory decision-making in grants committees, recruiting committee members, and creating public assessments of proposals. You will also contribute to the team's strategic direction, proactively identifying and recruiting grantees, and applying your expertise in free knowledge ecosystems. The ideal candidate possesses strong strategic and analytical skills, excellent organizational abilities, and proven experience in grantmaking and nonprofit capacity building. Based remotely in a Latin American country, this role requires fluency in English and Spanish and involves occasional international travel.

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
• Experience managing high complexity projects and stakeholders
• Willingness to accommodate scheduling requirements of frequent interactions across time zones, with individuals and organizations across the world
• Proven English and Spanish 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
• Currently residing in Latin America
• A global perspective, with significant experience living or working internationally

Responsibilities

• Oversee the grant proposal processes from start to finish across different funding programs
• 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 learning conversations with grantees and regional funding committees
• Support grant analysis on the impact of funds and share results publicly
• Hold regular meetings with grantees
• Conduct site visits, document and share learning with relevant stakeholders
• Update the grants space on Meta wiki as needed
• 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
• Continually develop the program to support the priorities of the Foundation and the goals of the Wikimedia movement
• Ability to proactively network, identify, and recruit prospective grantees
• Apply your experience in free knowledge ecosystems and volunteer communities to support the implementation of solutions that achieve the desired outcomes of the 2030 Strategic Direction and Movement Strategy

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with online communities, particularly in the free knowledge movement
• Passion for or experience contributing to Wikipedia/Wikimedia project
• Besides English and Spanish, Portuguese proficiency would be an added value