Home » About Us » Vacancies

Vacancies

Watching over a community store in Chiapas, Mexico.

If you are interested in being an Intern or Volunteer at IDEX please visit our Interns and Volunteers page for more information.

Program Officer Position

In the past year, IDEX staff and board have completed a strategic review and planning process and IDEX is now positioned for programmatic growth. IDEX is seeking a dynamic, collaborative, bilingual and skilled Program Officer to join us at an exciting time in our organization.

IDEX supports organizations and programs that are driven by the needs of their community and strategically work to address and transform both actual conditions and root causes of poverty through more than one of the following program areas:

Empower women: programs strengthen and increase the practice of women's rights, opportunities, self worth, choices, resources, autonomy and power. Programs work to educate women and girls, eliminate gender-based violence, increase women's participation in civil society and improve women's access to wealth and resources.
Build local economies: programs build local economies through fair and equitable practices that include skill building, education and vocational training, income generation, financial planning, savings, credit accompanied with training and support, jobs that pay fair wages and treat workers justly and/or market access.
Care for the environment: programs promote people's access, participation and rights in the care of their water, soil, air, seeds, forests, fisheries, livestock and land. Programs work to catalyze and sustain local action for sustainable agriculture, food and water security/sovereignty, climate change adaptation and mitigation, natural resource management, environmental health, biodiversity and conservation.

In the 25 years since its inception, IDEX is more convinced than ever that the most effective use of funds and resources is to bolster existing projects: successful and innovative local solutions to local problems. When matched with the vision, resolve, and ingenuity of communities all over the world, it is a proven formula for lasting change.

Program Officer Details

Position: Program Officer
Schedule: Full Time, 37.5 hours per week
Position Reports to: Executive Director
Salary: DOE
Application Deadline: Open until filled
Location: San Francisco, CA
Benefits: IDEX offers a generous and competitive package of benefits that includes paid medical and dental benefits, paid vacation, sick days and holidays

Job Description

Take a leadership role in guiding overall program strategy, direction and planning, including key decisions about program focus areas, themes and expansion
Work collaboratively with the program team to research, identify and select new grantees and partners, make grantmaking recommendations to the Executive Director (ED), IDEX staff and Board of Directors, carry out appropriate monitoring and evaluation procedures, and implement partnership exit strategies
Conduct periodic revisions of program processes, such as partner selection criteria and indicators, monitoring and evaluation procedures, site visit protocols, in collaboration with program team and the ED
Manage a portfolio of overseas partners and grantees, including communicating with partners about their work, requesting workplans and reports, drafting grant agreements, conducting review processes, and tracking all documentation
Conduct 1-2 extensive site visits per year in Africa, Asia and/or Latin America. Write field reports and blogs and ensure transfer of information to relevant staff and board
Synthesize reports and workplans from partners and prepare information that can be used across departments for fundraising, communications and field development
Build and maintain a solidarity network of US and international contacts for information sharing and alliance-building
Participate in regular meetings/retreats on fundraising priorities, staff meetings and other programmatic and organizational strategic initiatives
Collaborate with the fundraising team to identify new funding prospects and communicate with donors or funders as needed
Report regularly to the ED and Board of Directors on the developments in the Program Department
Recruit and manage regional consultants, in collaboration with program team. Draft guidelines for specific assignments
Select and supervise program interns and volunteers as needed
Maintain and deepen understanding of regional news and international trends in international development, especially key issues in the countries and regions of grantmaking
Coordinate partner visits to the U.S. and ensure that partners remain at the center of IDEX's grantmaking strategy through regular participation in IDEX programs
Attend conferences and events on behalf of IDEX and participate in public speaking opportunities to raise awareness about grassroots development

Qualifications

Required:

At least 3 years of experience working with grassroots community initiatives in one or more of IDEX's focused regions: South Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and Mesoamerica
Knowledge and understanding of civil society in the Global South including the social, cultural, political and economic conditions
Understanding of human rights based approaches to development including the 3 IDEX focus areas listed above
Proven leadership and decision-making abilities
Strong communication skills, particularly writing, editing and synthesizing complex information
Demonstrated ability to work with cultural competence and resourcefulness with diverse communities
A commitment and an ability to articulate a progressive model of philanthropy
Excellent organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and work under deadlines and cooperatively
Excellent analytical skills to ensure strong monitoring, evaluation and impact assessment
Familiarity with participatory development methods and techniques
Experience and desire to work within a team environment with an emphasis on learning and continuous improvement
Expertise in MS Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint), Social Media (WiserEarth, Facebook, Linkedin, etc.) and general database systems (Salesforce preferable)
Ability and desire to travel domestically and internationally, for periods of up to 2 months, 1 to 2 times per year
Enthusiasm for building solidarity and strategic alliances with movement building organizations in the U.S. and abroad
Engaged in social justice networks, alliances and coalitions including community based organizations within the United States
Comfort and willingness to engage donors or funders in conversations about our work as needed or appropriate
Fluency in at least 1 of the following languages: French, Portuguese, Hindi, Nepali, Bangla, Sinhala, Tamil, Urdu, Shona, Ndebele, Pedi, Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Afrikaans and/or Zulu
Advanced degree in relevant area of study

Desired:

Program and/or grantmaking management experience, including strategic planning and evaluation
Community organizing experience
Experience training and managing interns or volunteers
Strong connection in international development and philanthropy networks in the Bay Area and beyond
Commitment to the field of grassroots development, including further personal growth in this field
Experience living in one of the countries where IDEX partners are located

To Apply:

No phone calls please.

Please e-mail resume, cover letter, and a writing sample of no more than 1 page, 12 point font and single-spaced to: program@idex.org.

Your writing sample should answer the following question about IDEX's Partner Selection Criteria available on our website on the Grantmaking Criteria page:
How have you implemented one or more of these criteria in your own work?

Due to the high volume of applications, only short-listed applicants will be invited for an interview. IDEX is an equal opportunity employer.