Women's Rights Program Officer (WPF)

Wellspring Philanthropic Fund (WPF) is seeking a New York–based Program Officer who will be responsible for the strategic development and implementation of grantmaking related to women’s rights, specifically advancing economic justice, including land and property rights.

Key Responsibilities

Educate WPF donors on issues related to economic justice for women, including land and property rights, internationally.
Develop and direct grantmaking programs to advance economic justice for women that demonstrate creativity, strategic thought, and a learning orientation.
Manage a large portfolio of grants, from solicitation through assessment, analysis, recommendation, and evaluation; manage the program’s budget as well as relationships with grantees.
Build constructive relationships with grantees, both virtually and through site visits in the United States and internationally.
Remain up-to-date on women’s rights issues, strategies, and funding trends, internationally and domestically.
Engage with the community of donors and NGOs working to advance women’s rights globally and in the US, and remain in ongoing conversation with leading experts, especially related to economic justice.
Identify appropriate partners and collaborations to advance grantmaking strategies. Explore new models of grantmaking.
Develop capacity building strategies for grantees/field.
Actively support programmatic integration and learning within the women’s rights program and across programs; contribute to the advancement of foundation-wide initiatives.
Identify and manage consultants supporting the program and grantees. Perform other duties and responsibilities as requested.

Knowledge and Skill Requirements

A graduate degree in international human rights, international development, economics, sociology, women’s or gender studies, or a related field or equivalent experience.
7+ years’ experience developing strategies and programming that advance human rights or economic justice, with a focus on women’s rights or gender justice; experience working on women’s land and property rights a plus.
Experience building and participating in movements that advance human rights and social justice. Familiarity with the women’s rights NGO and donor communities, domestically and internationally. Excellent research and writing skills; ability to communicate clearly and persuasively with people within and outside the women’s rights field.
Experience working in the Global South, in productive and equal partnership with national NGOs. Humility, curiosity, and an ability to listen.
A drive to completion; ability to make decisions under conditions of uncertainty.
Close attention to follow-up and detail; ability to manage several tasks simultaneously. Excellent interpersonal skills in a diverse, cross-cultural, team environment.
Ability to handle confidential WPF donor information with complete discretion.

Preferred Knowledge and Skills

Experience writing or reviewing grant proposals; strategic planning, evaluation, or other technical assistance skills.
Demonstrated familiarity with fields and movements that intersect with economic justice, such as environmental justice, corporate accountability, labor rights, etc.
Spanish language fluency.

Compensation

Salary range: $110,000–$120,000, depending on experience. Wellspring offers a very generous benefits package including payment of 100% of health insurance premiums for employees (and 80% of premiums for spouses, domestic partners, and qualified family members). Wellspring also offers other benefits including life insurance, long-term disability protection, a group 401(k) retirement plan (with an employer match), support for continuing education, and is committed to providing transgender-inclusive healthcare.

About Wellspring Philanthropic Fund

Wellspring Philanthropic Fund is a private grantmaking foundation dedicated to advancing the realization of human rights and social and economic justice for all people. Wellspring has offices in New York, NY and Washington, DC. Wellspring’s work is rooted in respect for the dignity and worth of every human being and is informed by the following beliefs:

Social institutions and structures should promote the full realization of human rights and human potential, and should be accountable to these ends.
The rights of all people are advanced when the rights of the most marginalized and vulnerable peoples are protected.
Social justice movements should employ means that are consistent with their ideals, and should give agency to the people whose interests they seek to advance.
As responsible stewards, we must strive to maximize the impact of our charitable investments.
As a private foundation, Wellspring’s key functions are to conduct research and education tailored to our mission; manage a grantmaking portfolio of various programs, administer grants and monitoring grantee performance; and work to promote the effectiveness of programs that receive donor funding.

Wellspring Philanthropic Fund believes we are strengthened by the diversity of our staff, and welcomes such diversity including race, gender identity or expression, educational attainment, disability, veteran status, and personal experience with the criminal justice system. We welcome applications from people of all cultures, backgrounds, and experiences, and we strongly encourage people of color and persons with disabilities to apply.

Wellspring hires, promotes and retains employees based on their professional qualifications, demonstrated abilities and work performance, as well as on the degree to which these qualities are required in the employment positions made available by the Foundation’s service needs and business requirements. All personnel decisions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, compensation, assignment, training, promotion, discipline and discharge, are made without discrimination based on any protected characteristic as defined by law (e.g., race, color, religion, national origin, citizenship, ancestry, age, disability, gender identity or expression, sex, sexual orientation, marital or familial status, domestic partner status, veteran or military status, genetic predisposition or carrier status, and prior criminal convictions, as well as educational attainment.)

How To Apply

For employment consideration, please submit your application to [email protected] with the subject line [Your name]—WR Program Officer. All applications must include:

a thoughtful cover letter that demonstrates how your skills and experience make you well-suited to
fill this role and how you became aware of this opportunity a résumé
one writing sample (no less than three and no more than five pages, in PDF format) salary requirements (must specify amount or range)

Our preference is that applicants have work authorization to work in the United States. If you need sponsorship, please let us know in your cover letter.