About the SAGE Fund

The SAGE Fund strengthens accountability for economic actors by spurring innovation in approaches and building greater field capacity in the human rights movement to address critical gaps in protection created by the global economy. The Fund works interactively with NGOs, affected communities, and other partners in the field to cultivate new strategies and tools, and provides grants to pilot their development. The Fund also works with donors to facilitate field discussions and provide a vehicle for identifying opportunities for impact. The SAGE Fund is one of the founding members of FORGE and, together with Fundación Avina, is leading and managing FORGE’s collaborative grantmaking through the Response and Vision Fund.

About Funders Organized for Rights in the Global Economy (FORGE)

FORGE is a new collaborative of leading philanthropic donors working towards a global economy that works for all people and the planet, shaped by and accountable to worker and community-led movements. FORGE funders collaborate through active participation in a learning agenda, aligned funding and strategy development, and pooled funding to harness and scale opportunities. 

The Opportunity

The FORGE Coordinator is a new position and presents an exciting opportunity to work closely with leading donors in the human rights field to develop and lead a new collaborative. The Coordinator will use their talents in building consensus and facilitating collective action to support funders committed to advancing human rights in the global economy. As the lead staff member of FORGE, the Coordinator will drive learning and strategy development; align members’ funding approaches; and serve as thought-leader, representative, and coordinator of the FORGE collaborative. Though not a direct grantmaking role, this position offers the opportunity to strategically align donors in their giving and support implementation of that strategy.

The Coordinator will be accountable for the priority goals and objectives set by FORGE members and work closely with FORGE’s Steering Committee. They will be managed by the SAGE Director and collaborate with Program Officers at both the SAGE Fund and Fundación Avina. 

Primary Responsibilities

Coordination and Alignment (50%)

• Coordinate FORGE members towards a robust shared learning agenda and aligned funding strategies.
• Guide and support members’ aligned grantmaking.
• Ensure strategic linkages and learning between FORGE members’ aligned funding and the pooled funding led by the SAGE Fund and Fundación Avina.
• Nourish FORGE’s learning agenda through analysis and lessons drawn from knowledge of the human rights field, FORGE’s grantmaking, and other activities.
• Develop internal structures and processes to guide FORGE’s development.
  • Create and oversee efficient knowledge management and communications procedures among FORGE members that encourage and support collaboration.
  • Organize and provide support to Steering Committee meetings, and follow-up on decisions.
  • Structure, organize, and facilitate FORGE convenings and working groups, including an annual meeting of FORGE members.
• Facilitate FORGE member participation in external fora (panels, media) as representatives of FORGE.

Learning and Strategy Development (30%)

• Lead active learning for FORGE by monitoring issues, strategies, and funding in the field, and analyzing and assessing field needs, opportunities, and trends across and including adjacent fields.
• Facilitate the creation of aligned funding approaches – e.g., sectoral, geographic, rights-based, partner-based – for FORGE members.
• Develop materials, including white papers and internal memos, to guide FORGE member activities.
• Coordinate external experts and consultants for strategy and learning agenda development, as needed.

Representation and Thought Leadership (20%)

• Serve as FORGE’s lead representative, including through writing and advocating on behalf of the collaborative in public fora, and with funders in adjacent fields.
• Manage the recruitment of new donors to join FORGE, including developing outreach materials.
• Provide thought leadership on key opportunities that FORGE members should be appraised of and considering.=

Qualifications

• Passion for and deep understanding of the field of human rights in the global economy and its dynamics.
  • Minimum 5-7 years’ program experience in a human rights, social justice, or grantmaking organization working on human rights in the global economy.
  • Knowledge of the ecosystem of organizations and actors in the field.
  • Graduate degree in policy, social sciences, law, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• Experience coordinating or building successful coalitions; ability to drive and facilitate collaborative group decision-making processes and build consensus.
• Demonstrated ability to build strong, productive relationships, including the ability to collaborate and build consensus among stakeholders across sectors.
• Ability to toggle seamlessly between big-picture strategy and implementation processes; an understanding of non-linear progress and how to maintain momentum in coalition work.
• Ability to communicate clearly and persuasively in English (orally and in writing) with diverse stakeholders, including people outside the human rights field and in the media.
• Extremely disciplined: well organized, detail-oriented, and able to meet deadlines.
• Excellent judgment, analytical, research, and problem-solving skills.
• Understanding of the power dynamics in the funder/grantee relationship and commitment to handling relationships with humility and respect.
• Experience working on a small, collaborative, mostly remote team: self-directed, resourceful, flexible, with a sense of humor and a pitch-in attitude (i.e., staff make their own copies and schedule their own appointments).
• Ability to work with colleagues across time zones globally, but primarily in ET.
• Experience working in countries and civil society movements in the Global South is highly desirable.
• Fluency in major languages other than English is desirable.
• Ability to travel in the U.S. and internationally, as needed, once travel restrictions are lifted.

Location

The SAGE Fund is hosted by New Venture Fund in Washington DC and has a small office in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. SAGE is especially interested in candidates in the U.S. Northeast Corridor who have the ability to regularly visit the SAGE office, to spend time to work as a team, and to participate in meetings in Washington, DC and New York. SAGE will also consider exceptional candidates working remotely from other locations in the U.S. or internationally, with required regular visits to New York, Washington, DC, and Baltimore. If not U.S.-based, candidates must have legal authorization to visit the U.S. for work meetings and conferences.

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range for the FORGE Coordinator position is US $75,000–$85,000, depending upon experience and location. The SAGE Fund offers a competitive benefits package, including a generous 401k plan and health and dental insurance (or the equivalent for a hire outside of the U.S.).

The SAGE Fund is a project of the New Venture Fund, a 501(c)(3) public charity that incubates new and innovative public-interest projects and grant-making programs. NVF 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. NVF’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.

To Apply

Please fill out this application form. In addition, please submit your resume (CV) and a cover letter that speaks to how your qualifications fit the role to: [email protected] with the subject line: Last Name, First Name, FORGE Coordinator. The deadline for applications is Friday, October 9, 2020.