Program Manager, LatAm

Who We Are

Co-Impact is a global philanthropic collaborative that supports locally rooted coalitions in the Global South to transform underlying systems and achieve impact at scale, with a core focus on advancing intersectional gender equality and women’s leadership. We bring together funders from around the world to invest in initiatives that are working to improve education, health, and economic opportunity for millions of women, men, and children, addressing underlying conditions that perpetuate social inequities so that systems better serve everyone. Building on our experience to date, as well as that of civil society, government, market actors, and philanthropic partners, we are now developing a second fund focused on advancing gender-equitable systems change at scale and women’s leadership globally. For more information, please visit www.co-impact.org and take a look at our Handbook.

Co-Impact currently operates as a fiscally sponsored project of New Venture Fund (NVF). Over the next year, Co-Impact will be expanding to build a second fund focused on gender equality and women’s leadership and changing our operating structure so that we spin out from NVF and build an independent institution.

Where You Fit

Together with your team, you will support program partners to develop effective strategies for systems change to advance gender equitable outcomes, women’s leadership, and gender equality at scale, while strengthening organizational capabilities to achieve lasting results; and contributing to improved learning and practice among partners, at Co-Impact, in global development and philanthropy.

Reporting to the Director of Programs for Global and Latin America, you will support the program team across multiple areas, particularly the sourcing, vetting, and recommending of grants, supporting program partners (grantees) and project management during the design phase of their work. You will have a mix of grant management, research, team coordination, project-management, and administrative responsibilities. You may be asked to support account leads across different grants and may be the team point person for critical cross-cutting issues.

You will need to demonstrate excellent organizational ability, strong analytical skills and strategic instincts, robust problem-solving skills, excellent interpersonal and communication skills, a high level of personal initiative, and a kind and collaborative spirit and supportive approach, including the ability to work well in a distributed, diverse, deep-thinking, and fast-paced environment. This role will provide a valuable opportunity to gain insight and experience at one of the leading edges of philanthropy and social change, and to learn, stretch and grow, with the potential to take on added responsibility over time.

You bring a commitment to feminist values, gender equality, inclusion, and justice, and to enduring systems change at scale, as well as an abiding curiosity and humility and desire to learn. You are motivated by looking for root causes, seeking justice and solving social problems at the systems level and at scale.

The Role

As part of Co-Impact team, core responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

●        Conducting research and landscape analyses to identify trends, gaps, and opportunities in the field and stay informed on relevant updates that can affect Co-Impact’s investment approach and strategy globally and in Latin America.

●        Sourcing new investment opportunities through both broad and targeted meetings with funders, regional experts, academic professionals, and by attending conferences and regional gatherings.

●        Supporting existing and new program partners through ad-hoc check-ins, strategic or operational support, and other portfolio capacity building activities.

●        Helping build partnerships and coordinating across efforts of diverse ecosystem actors.

●        Support the Regional Director and liaise with other program managers to coordinate work across the regions.

●        Prepare write-ups, reports and other communication materials of our work and program partner achievements and lessons, and share these internally and externally.   

●        Helping conceive and support events, convenings, and gatherings that enable partners and peers in the field to learn together.

●        Supporting the Program Director and the broader Program team as needed, as well as participating in special projects as they arise.

Qualifications and Experience

●        At least 5+ years of relevant professional experience working to advancing gender equality (with an intersectional lens) and improving government (and at times market) systems in education, health, economic opportunity, and/or women’s leadership.

●        Significant experience working directly with senior-level staff

●        Track record of increasing responsibility

●        At least first university degree or equivalent

●        Fluency in English and Portuguese (required), as well as Spanish (preferred)

●        Experience in grantmaking, lived experience and knowledge of Latin American context, and linkages to feminist/women’s rights networks strongly preferred

Required Skills

●        Strategic Acumen: Ability to spot high-potential opportunities and facilitate the design of strategic approaches backed by evidence informed analysis.

●        Sound analysis and judgment: Ability to listen well, integrating gender analysis, evidence, and strong logical analysis, while seeing perspectives from different sides, resulting in strong recommendations and judgements based on values and principles balancing data, experience, and risk.

●        Working with People: Experience contributing to and managing collaborative teams to work productively, effectively, and inclusively towards shared goals.

●        Supporting colleagues and senior leaders: History of thriving in a role where your success is highly dependent on your team’s success, where your first responsibility is to provide outstanding leverage and support to your colleagues, including successfully and smoothly “managing upwards” by helping to guide and set-up things for your manager to be efficient and effective.

●        Managing Action with Purpose and Values: Ability to work with colleagues and get things done in accordance with core purpose and values.

●        Process Management and Results Orientation: Strong project management skills, deadline management, sense of responsibility and accountability, the ability to manage multiple responsibilities, adjust and adapt along the way.

●        Interpersonal Savvy: Great at making and fostering relationships inside and outside the organization, keen intercultural appreciation, inclusive style, comfortable around senior leaders, can represent Co-Impact well.

●        Financial understanding: Basic familiarity with the core elements of an organization’s financial model, financial statements, strategic financial analysis/ projections, and budgeting.

●        Learning Orientation: Humble and intellectually curious; seek and work with evidence, demonstrated openness to new ideas and a diversity of perspectives; unafraid to admit and learn from failure.

●        Strong Moral Compass: Impeccable personal ethics and integrity, kind and caring.

●        Proficiency with core business tools: Strong proficiency in Microsoft Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Excel.

●        Communications: Exceptional ability to write and communicate ideas concisely and with clarity. Excellent oral communication skills, including the ability to work effectively in a multicultural environment.

●        Global Flexibility: Given global nature of organization working across time zones, a willingness to be flexible with working hours, work remotely and periodically undertake international travel (once COVID permits).

●        Perspective: Sense of humor and ability not to take oneself too seriously.

Benefits

This position is full-time. Competitive annual salary plus generous benefits package including significant allowance for paid time off.

Application Details

We encourage you to apply early. We will begin reviewing applications on 14 October 2021, and the position will be closed once we have established a robust shortlist. Please apply online here by submitting a resume together with a one-page cover letter and two writing samples. In your cover letter, please confirm that you are authorized to live and work in Brazil.

Because we are a small team, we regret that we can only respond to applicants selected for an interview. We also regret that we are unable to participate in informational calls prior to interviews. Thank you for your understanding.

New Venture Fund Careers

Co-Impact is a project of the New Venture Fund, a U.S. 501(c)(3) public charity that incubates new and innovative public-interest projects and grant-making programs. The New Venture Fund is committed to attracting, developing, and retaining exceptional people, and to creating a work environment that is dynamic, rewarding and enables each of us to realize our potential. The New Venture Fund's work environment is safe and open to all employees and partners, respecting the full spectrum of race, color, religious creed, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, political affiliation, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, and all other classifications protected by law in the locality and/or state in which you are working.

Co-Impact team members hired in the U.S. are employed directly by NVF. Team members hired elsewhere are employed through a Professional Employment Organization (PEO) engaged by NVF. Hiring arrangements are subject to change, as Co-Impact spins out to become a separate entity in 2021. Co-Impact will work with relevant experts and the team member to ensure the transition has minimal impact on the initially agreed employment terms.