Senior Program Officer (Sub-Saharan Africa, French Speaking) (Contract)

Senior Program Officer (Sub-Saharan Africa, French Speaking) (Contract)

Summary

The Wikimedia Foundation is a non-profit organization supporting Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects. The Foundation operates one of the world’s top five websites and has global reach and impact. At the core of the projects are volunteers who curate the knowledge that the world has come to rely on.  

The Community Resources team is the primary funding function of the Wikimedia Foundation ensuring that we support the Affiliates and volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Movement by offering institutional and individual funding to help achieve the Movement’s goals. To support the movement’s commitment to Knowledge Equity, the team prioritizes proactive outreach to communities that structures of power and privilege have left out.

The Senior Program Officer will implement the regional funding programs serving Wikimedian communities in Sub-Saharan Africa. 

Responsibilities:

• Supporting the grants cycle: 
• Oversee  the grant proposal processes from start to finish
• Manage communications related to the grants cycle
• Work closely with grant applicants in the preparation of their proposals and reports, providing guidance on strategic planning, programming, staffing, board development, and financial management
• Support due diligence and eligibility reviews for interested organizations
• Coordinate WMF staff, committee, and community inputs following the grants process, and ensure timely creation of expert materials in preparation for proposal review
• Work together with the Grants Administrator and the Finance & Administration team to obtain approvals, disburse and track grant funds, and ensure that accurate data is maintained in the Fluxx grants database
• Evaluate the annual plan grant process after each round, summarize feedback and implement recommendations for process improvements
• Review mid-term and final grant reports, provide feedback to grantees, and share findings with committees, fellow staff, and the community at large
• Conduct mid-term and final report learning conversations with grantees and regional funding committees
• Support grant analysis on the impact of funds share results publicly
• Hold regular meetings with grantees
• Conduct site visits and document and share learning with relevant stakeholders
• Update the grants space on Meta wiki as needed

• Facilitating the grants committees’ participatory decision-making
• Recruit and orient new committee members
• Facilitate regular committee meetings
• Create and analyze the results of surveys and other assessment tools at all stages of the review process
• Co-create and publish detailed public staff assessments of each proposal
• Create or coordinate analysis, including detailed financial analysis, and oversee all material in preparation for deliberations, and be prepared to field detailed questions about proposals and analysis from the committee during the deliberations
• Contributing to the strategic direction of the team:
• Continually develop the program to support the priorities of the Foundation and the goals of the Wikimedia movement
• Ability to proactively network, identify, and recruit prospective grantees
• Apply your experience in free knowledge ecosystems and volunteer communities to support the implementation of solutions that achieve the desired outcomes of the 2030 Strategic Direction and Movement Strategy

Skills and Experience:

The right person is better than the right set of experiences. These are the traits we’ve identified that make great additions to our team so far.

• Solid knowledge of trust-based philanthropy or community-based grantmaking;
• Experience in participatory decision-making structures
• Experience in grantmaking, particularly in an international context
• Experience in nonprofit capacity building as a funder, consultant, or nonprofit leader;
• Strong strategic and analytical skills and creative problem-solving ability;
• Excellent organizational skills and judgment; ability to prioritize work, manage time and multiple priorities, and meet deadlines; attention to detail and accuracy; the ability to set realistic goals and objectives;
• Proven ability that would translate to creating constructive partnerships with the Wikimedia community, stakeholders, and fund-seekers: skills in facilitating engaging, motivating, coordinating and supporting volunteer communities, and in negotiating the sometimes chaotic and contentious nature of free-thinking communities
• An open and transparent communication style; ability to engage and have dialogue with individuals in a public setting and in a non-polarizing way
• Willingness to accommodate scheduling requirements of frequent interactions across time zones, with individuals and organizations across the world
• Proven English proficiency in written and spoken communication, including speaking in front of large groups and reacting publicly in high-pressure situations, and comfort in producing widely distributed written material
• Demonstrated commitment to and belief in equity, inclusion, and diversity
• Fluency in another language other than English, preferably in French
• Currently residing in Sub-Saharan Africa. 
• A global perspective, with significant experience living or working internationally
• This position may require 1-3 international trips each year when circumstances allow

Additionally, we’d love it if you have:

• Experience working with online communities, particularly in the free knowledge movement
• Passion for or experience contributing to Wikipedia/Wikimedia project

About the Wikimedia Foundation

The Wikimedia Foundation is the nonprofit organization that operates Wikipedia and the other Wikimedia free knowledge projects. Our vision is a world in which every single human can freely share in the sum of all knowledge. We believe that everyone has the potential to contribute something to our shared knowledge, and that everyone should be able to access that knowledge freely. We host Wikipedia and the Wikimedia projects, build software experiences for reading, contributing, and sharing Wikimedia content, support the volunteer communities and partners who make Wikimedia possible, and advocate for policies that enable Wikimedia and free knowledge to thrive. 

The Wikimedia Foundation is a charitable, not-for-profit organization that relies on donations. We receive donations from millions of individuals around the world, with an average donation of about $15. We also receive donations through institutional grants and gifts. The Wikimedia Foundation is a United States 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization with offices in San Francisco, California, USA.

As an equal opportunity employer, the Wikimedia Foundation values having a diverse workforce and continuously strives to maintain an inclusive and equitable workplace. We encourage people with a diverse range of backgrounds to apply. We do not discriminate against any person based upon their race, traits historically associated with race, religion, color, national origin, sex, pregnancy or related medical conditions, parental status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, genetic information, or any other legally protected characteristics.

The Wikimedia Foundation is a remote-first organization with staff members including contractors based 40+ countries*. Salaries at the Wikimedia Foundation are set in a way that is competitive, equitable, and consistent with our values and culture. The anticipated annual pay range of this position for applicants based within the United States is US$45/hour to US$68/hour with multiple individualized factors, including cost of living in the location, being the determinants of the offered pay. For applicants located outside of the US, the pay range will be adjusted to the country of hire. We neither ask for nor take into consideration the salary history of applicants. The compensation for a successful applicant will be based on their skills, experience and location. 

*Please note that we are currently able to hire in the following countries: Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kenya, Mexico, Netherlands, Nigeria, Peru, Poland, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America and Uruguay.  Our non-US employees are hired through a local third party Employer of Record (EOR). 

All applicants can reach out to their recruiter to understand more about the specific pay range for their location during the interview process.

If you are a qualified applicant requiring assistance or an accommodation to complete any step of the application process due to a disability, you may contact us at [email protected] or +1 (415) 839-6885.

More information

U.S. Benefits & Perks
Wikimedia Foundation
Applicant Privacy Policy
News from across the Wikimedia movement
Blog
Wikimedia 2030
Our Commitment to Equity
This is Wikimedia Foundation 
Facts Matter
Our Projects
Our Tech Stack