Freedom House promotes the spread of freedom and democracy around the world through research, advocacy, and programs that support frontline activists. We are a leader in identifying threats to freedom through our highly regarded analytic reports, including Freedom in the World, Freedom of the Press, Freedom on the Net, and Nations in Transit. With 13 field offices and two U.S. offices, we support the right of every individual to be free.
Position Summary
The Director of Emergency Assistance Programs (EAP) provides overall strategic direction and day-to-day management of Freedom House’s EAP staff and portfolio, so that its activities – funded out of individual donor awards – are implemented in a timely, integrated, effective, and cost efficient manner, and its case-related data are managed in a safe, secure, ethical manner. To achieve these over-arching goals, the Director works with EAP team members (including the individual award managers) to identify individual award priorities and oversee program activities to ensure they are appropriately planned, implemented, measured, and reported on; maintains his/her own, and oversees the EAP team’s, close working relationships with existing and potential donors (governments, foundations, corporations, individuals) and consortium partners; maintains ongoing communications on EAP issues with other FH staff, particularly other program teams and FH’s IT unit, and leverages synergies between EAP and other FH programs; ensures that EAP case data are at all times protected to the maximum extent possible both physically and digitally; and oversees detailed and “real time” budget and financial management of the EAP portfolio.
This position is based in Washington, DC and reports to the Senior Vice President for International Programs.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in political science, international relations, public policy or related field
- Master’s degree in political science, international relations, public policy or related field is preferred
- Ten-12 years of directly related experience; two years of field experience preferred
- Six years of experience managing staff, including two managing senior staff
- Six years of experience identifying, analyzing, and effectively solving complex problems in the context of emergency assistance to HRDs and CSOs, including problems related to the digital/physical protection of HRDs and CSOs
- MS Office (specifically Excel, PowerPoint and Word)
- Experience designing and implementing programs that provide grant support to protect HRDs and human rights CSOs around the globe (including those working to protect religious freedom and gender and sexual identity rights), including experience in the mechanics of providing donor-funded emergency assistance to HRDs and CSOs in restrictive contexts, including the development of funding proposals and the effective and secure implementation of emergency assistance activities
- Experience successfully leading, managing, and motivating a diverse team of professionals
- Experience achieving results through application of strong interpersonal skills including an ability to forge productive working relationships both internally and externally
- Outstanding staff leadership and management skills
- Proven track record collaborating with others and successfully working as a team member, including a track record of transparency with professional colleagues
- Strong ability to coach and mentor staff, and provide visionary leadership to a team of talented professionals, including senior project managers
- Strong political judgment, strategic thinking, problem solving, and leadership skills
- Excellent interpersonal skills, ability to persuade and facilitate cooperation among persons with divergent views
- Demonstrated ability to initiate, foster, interact, and maintain relationships with contacts and stakeholders in diverse and cross-cultural environments, with sensitivity and a high degree of courtesy, discretion, tact, and professionalism
Primary Duties and Responsibilities
- Develop, periodically update, and lead implementation of a comprehensive EAP vision and strategy that integrates and leverages all aspects of program activities to include program planning, implementation, and M&E; data security; program funding; advocacy, communications and outreach; team personnel management; and best practices in emergency assistance to HRDs, CSOs, and specific populations.
- Consistently improve and maintain effective, confidential, and secure emergency assistance practices that are highly responsive to urgent grant requests from HRDs and CSOs at risk or experiencing violence, in support of their important frontline HRD work. Ensure that emergency assistance rapidly addresses the needs of beneficiaries, while maintaining cost-effectiveness and compliance with donor award requirements.
- Professionally manage a diverse staff supported by shared funding resources in such a way as to ensure effective use of resources, effective and timely emergency assistance to beneficiaries, the fostering of a cohesive, collegial team, and professional development of EAP team members. This includes providing ongoing, effective, and clear report-outs and direction to EAP staff and other FH staff to ensure that program objectives and results are met in a timely manner and are aligned with FH’s mission.
- Ensure all appropriate team and project management mechanisms are provided, implemented and applied. These shall include ensuring that appropriate internal team manuals, protocols, standard operating procedures, IT and security tools and policies are in place and applied, and that their safety and integrity is assured.
- Design, implement, and seek funding from a range of sources for projects that strengthen EAP’s ability to safely and effectively respond to the urgent needs of at-risk HRDs and CSOs, including but not limited to: improving digital security practices of HRDs during emergencies, building networks of international and local organizations providing support to HRDs, preemptively addressing the protection needs of HRDs and CSOs, creating strategies to fund in closed environments, and developing country specific approaches to address intense civil society crises in collaboration with FH regional teams.
- Lead and oversee program learning across and within individual EAP programs, including developing tailored reports on threats to civil society actors for internal, closed-door, and public consumption.
- Assume responsibility for EAP program finances and fundraising, including analysis, budget monitoring and projections, and grant-making strategies; ensure full compliance with FH and funders’ requirements.
- Maintain excellent, collaborative working relationships with donors and lead negotiations with donors to ensure a steady stream of donor funding.
- Build and maintain strong and effective coalitions and forge partnerships aimed at advancing the achievement of EAP program objectives.
- Participate in FH activities geared toward organizational success and strength, including support for cross-team collaboration.
- Recruit top talent, build and lead cohesive and effective teams, coach, motivate, and ensure professional growth and development of staff, effectively manage culturally diverse staff, and provide timely and targeted performance feedback.
- Use mastery of human rights and democracy issues in the emergency assistance context to effectively interact with funders, partners, government officials, policymakers, diplomatic representatives, and other stakeholders.
- Seek out appropriate opportunities to speak persuasively in policy forums and media interviews related to emergency assistance, human rights, and democracy. Author op-eds, press releases, briefings, blog entries, and other substantive documents from time to time.
- Maintain an effective and collaborative working relationship with all other FH staff, including supervisor, and keep them apprised of events and decisions that relate to the effective operations of the EAP team, the timely completion of grant-funded activities, results achieved through programs, appropriate performance issues with program staff, team publications, and external relations and outreach. Resolve all job-related problems including personnel problems promptly, and raise unresolved issues to supervisor as necessary and in a timely manner.
- Ensure all work products comply fully with FH standards, policies, and mission.
- Other related duties as reasonably assigned.
Work Environment and Physical Demands:
Essential functions are typically performed in an office setting with a low level of noise. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Work may include: Some long hours, including evenings and/or weekends as reasonable to complete essential tasks or attend important events and to be responsive in a timely manner to requests for emergency assistance; work in regions that are remote and lack basic modern infrastructure, and in countries under U.S. travel advisory due to threats of terrorist attacks, civil unrest, kidnappings, and disease outbreaks.
Disclaimer: This job description is only a summary of the typical functions of the job. It is not an exhaustive or comprehensive list of all possible job responsibilities, tasks and duties. The responsibilities, tasks, and duties of the jobholder may differ from those outlined in the job description and that other duties, as assigned, may be part of the job. Freedom House may add, change, or remove essential and other duties at any time.
We offer great benefits including:
- Generously subsidized dental insurance
- Generously subsidized vision insurance
- Generously subsidized health insurance with three options (HMO, POS, PPO)
- 100% employer paid life insurance and accidental death and dismemberment
- 100% employer paid short-term disability and long-term disability insurance
- Supplemental/voluntary life insurance for employee, spouse, and child(ren)
- 403(b) Retirement Plan with generous matching funds with 2 year 100% vesting schedule
- Flexible Spending Accounts for medical and dependent care reimbursable expenses
- Transportation pre-tax payroll deduction for metro, and garage parking in DC
- Generous paid vacation leave, sick leave, personal leave, and holidays
- Tuition Reimbursement for graduate studies
- And much more…
EmoticonEmoticon