About Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice

THE ASTRAEA LESBIAN FOUNDATION FOR JUSTICE is the only philanthropic organization working exclusively to advance LGBTQI human rights around the globe. We support brilliant and brave grantee partners in the U.S and internationally who challenge oppression and seed change. We work for racial, economic, social, and gender justice, because we all deserve to live our lives freely, without fear, and with dignity. 

About the role

The Associate Director, Intersex Human Rights Fund (IHRF), is a senior level position that holds the vision, strategy, and implementation of the IHRF, a movement responsive fund that disburses almost a million dollars annually to intersex organizations in all regions. Working with the IHRF team (currently 3 persons) and the program team, the Associate Director will: 1) support and guide team members through strategy development, implementation and the achievement of learning objectives and 2) refine and adapt the team structure and bodies of work.

The ideal candidate will have deep knowledge of and connection to intersex movements and be skilled in both strategy development and managing diverse teams. The Associate Director, IHRF, will collaborate with the VP of Programs to create IHRF’s annual budget and shape grantmaking, capacity- building, and philanthropic advocacy strategies. The role will nurture a team that exemplifies participation, responsibility, and accountability while centering Astraea grantees’ work. This position can be based anyplace in the world, but requires at least three working hours that overlap with 08:00 - 12:00 Eastern time zone (U.S.).

Application Instructions:
To be considered for the Associate Director, Intersex Human Rights Fund position, please submit a single PDF containing the following:

• Your full resume
• A cover letter addressing these questions (one paragraph per question):

1. • • Why is this opportunity appealing to you?
     • How would you describe the key challenges and opportunities facing intersex movements and activism?
     • How have your personal and professional experiences prepared you for this role, particularly in building and developing a team within a virtual workplace, and any experience you may have in grantmaking?
     • Can you overlap at least three daily working hours with 08:00 - 12:00 ET (U.S.)? Please respond with Yes or No.

Application Deadline: November 29th

Please note that applications must follow this format to be considered.

What you'll do

Program Leadership

• Lead IHRF’s program design, implementation, learning and evaluation process
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of issues and trends facing intersex organizations globally, with specific regional and country-level expertise
• Oversee the relationship with the IHRF Advisory Board and co-design and lead strategy development, recruitment, and graduation
• Oversee key cross-regional initiatives and partnerships and ensure their integration into the wider team and organizational programs and processes
• Develop, lead, and participate in philanthropic advocacy initiatives to advise peer funders in their strategy development and grantmaking processes and to enhance resources for the IHRF grantee partners and intersex movements
• Represent Astraea at local and international movement and philanthropic spaces and donor affinity groups as appropriate to Astraea’s philanthropic advocacy goals

Management

• Guide IHRF team members in global intersex rights grantmaking portfolios, in regional and thematic focus areas, and design regional and country-specific strategies and budgets
• Guide the IHRF team in managing relationships with potential applicants and current grantees, including resolving questions and issues, conducting regular communications and site visits, and developing clear grantmaking strategies and priorities
• Supervise and coach direct reports through consistent feedback channels, engage in the Reflection and Growth process, and monitor team goals, activities, operations, and performance
• Work closely with the VP of Programs in determining team direction, needs, and skill-building priorities

Organizational Development

• Collaborate with the VP of Programs and the finance team to develop the administrative, programmatic, and grantmaking budgets through a participatory decision-making process
• Develop and manage IHRF’s administrative, programmatic, and grantmaking budgets and support the VP of Programs with the program team budget development
• Work collaboratively with program team leadership to implement cross-team and cross-fund programmatic initiatives
• Co-create spaces for program team’s work planning, team building, priority- and strategy-setting with program team leadership
• Contribute to identifying, developing, and co-leading key international strategic partnerships with peer organizations and funders in movement and philanthropy
• Work collaboratively with the development teams to help secure and retain resources for Astraea’s programs through collaboration on the proposal, report development, and interaction with existing and potential funders
• Collaborate with the communications team to build shared political analysis and knowledge that highlight the work of Astraea, IHRF and our grantees; in some cases author blogs and articles that communicate Astraea’s goals and represent Astraea’s programmatic and organizational pillars
• Contribute to organizational development and institutional strengthening by participating in org-wide processes, such as working groups and committees, management teams, and other relevant decision-making spaces

Qualifications

Minimum:

• Bachelor’s degree in relevant fields (e.g., gender studies, international relations, public policy, social sciences, human rights law) or equivalent work experience
• A minimum seven (7) years of experience in intersex, LGBTQ, human rights, women’s rights, and social justice movements with deep knowledge and understanding of the needs and issues of the LGBTQI community and gender justice movements worldwide, especially intersex movements globally
• Ability to think strategically, establish meaningful goals and pathways, use data to assess progress, and adjust course as needed, including learning from failure as well as success
• A minimum of three (3) years working with complex budgets, preferably bilateral and government funding
• Experience managing diverse team members through visionary leadership that promotes feedback channels, accountability, growth, collaboration, and team building
• Proficiency in general computer and web-based technology, including word processing, spreadsheets, and grantmaking databases
• Excellent organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills, with demonstrated ability to manage and meet multiple deadlines and develop creative solutions
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to articulate a clear vision for social justice using a gender and racial justice lens
• Ability to work flexible hours (including early mornings and late evenings) as required to accommodate time differences with staff, consultants, grantees, advisors, funders, etc., with at least 4 working hours that overlap the Eastern time zone
• Ability to work and communicate with diverse audiences and multiple stakeholders
• Ability to understand and maintain confidentiality
• Ability to travel within the US and internationally up to 25% of work schedule
• Passion for Astraea’s mission as a public foundation and queer feminist fund
• Understanding and acceptance of Astraea's core values and guiding principles as a social justice funder

Preferred:

• Grantmaking experience, preferably using feminist, intersectional, and trust-based approaches
• In addition to English required, proficiency with other languages common to one of IHRF’s languages, such as French, Spanish, Arabic, Portuguese, Russian, Mandarin, Hindi or Swahili
• Comfortable talking about social justice issues such as race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, sex characteristics, class, ability, or gender and gender identity and expression in plain, specific terms
• Commitment to and knowledge of issues facing domestic and global LGBTQI, feminist and racial, economic, and gender justice movements

Salary & Benefits:

Astraea sets salaries and benefits according to its internal philosophy and commitment to pay equity. Within the “Associate Directors” tier, the wage for this role ranges from $115,000 to $139,000 and will be based on the candidate's education, knowledge, skills, and experience.