Solidarity Program Officer for West Africa and Haiti

We are currently searching for a candidate to fill a position based in Boston (we are currently working remotely, though we plan to return to in-person work in our office when it is safe to do so). The ideal candidate will:

• Have a deep understanding of and commitment to movement building, based in experiences with grassroots organizing;
• Bring a clear analysis of the social and political contexts in Haiti and West Africa;
• Demonstrate the understanding to work closely with grassroots organizations doing this work to advance rights to land, water, food sovereignty, and defense of Mother Earth in Haiti and West Africa, as well as with allies working to build solidarity within the US and elsewhere;
• Be diligent about compliance with international grantmaking regulations that allow us to do our work;
• Be multilingual (at least English and French, with Haitian Creole highly desirable)
• Get excited about opportunities to share stories with a broader audience through writing and verbal presentations.
• Bring a collaborative spirit and excellent team-building skills
• And a whole lot more!

Grassroots International seeks an experienced individual to work as an active member of its Program Team. Solidarity Program Officer for West Africa and Haiti will serve as a main point of contact with organizational partners and provide programmatic expertise in Haiti and West Africa.  The position is full-time and will be based in Boston. 

Grassroots International works in partnership with social movements to create a just and sustainable world by advancing the human rights to land, water, and food through global grantmaking, building solidarity across organizations and movements, and advocacy in the US.  We envision a world in which a universal commitment to the health and well-being of the earth and all its peoples, fueled by successful global movements for economic and climate justice, has transformed production practices, consumption patterns, and economic and social relations to ones based on sustainability, equity, and the rights to land, food, and water.  Our partnerships recognize that change is successful only when people in their own communities organize to confront the root causes of their societal problems.  

Key responsibilities include:

• Working in partnership with all staff and especially with the Director of Grantmaking and Advocacy and other designated program staff to ensure that GRI programs in the region for which s/he/they are responsible are operating smoothly; including:
• Maintaining and deepening organizational relationships with partners and grantees in the Program regions  
• Implementing GRI’s grantmaking strategy in the region and following organizational procedures and process, from initial conversations to reporting, learning and evaluation
• Meeting program/project objectives, while staying within budget
• Consistently analyzing and synthesizing developments and trends related to international social movements and human rights, as well as issues specific to the program/project themes/regions
• Identifying and responding to advocacy opportunities and emergency situations in a thoughtful and timely manner
• Develop mechanisms and strategies for using and sharing this information in a manner which informs, supports and strengthens the work of Grassroots International as a whole (such as fundraising, education, advocacy)
• Effectively communicating insights and information about our work through public speaking and written materials for various audiences; 
• Actively engaging in social action, events and coalition building; and 
• Participating in team and overall organizational activities. 

Qualifications:

• Demonstrated commitment to the global justice mission of Grassroots International.
• Background on international issues and deep understanding of how social movements work, especially in the context of land, territory, water, food sovereignty, and ecological justice struggles.  
• Expertise around history, current political context and challenges of Haiti and West Africa;
• Experience in grantmaking process (either as a funder or applicant), program development, advocacy, and fundraising; 
• Communications skills needed for effective communication with partners, allies, and colleagues;
• Strong oral and written communication skills in English, including the capacity to write clear and compelling program-related material and speak publicly on program themes;
• Multilingual English/French required with verbal and written fluency, with English/Haitian Creole strongly preferred, with verbal and written fluency;
• Authorization to work in the United States;
• Well organized, with good administrative skills, including computer skills, command of MS Office and G-Suite computer applications;
• Capacity to provide leadership and support to  a team of on- and off-site content experts and consultants in a meaningful and coordinated response to program challenges when needed;
• Ability to travel overseas and domestically as needed, to meet with partners, grantees, allies, and funder networks;
• Strong interpersonal skills, ability to work well in a team;
• Ability to work independently, plan and meet deadlines with supervisory support;
• 3-5 years of relevant work experience strongly preferred;
• Bachelor’s degree preferred but not required.