Senior Program Officer (Northern & Western Europe)

The Senior Program Officer will implement the regional funding programs serving Wikimedian communities in Northern & Western Europe. 

Roles and Responsibilities

Funding Strategy & Portfolio Management

• Implement the Community Resources grantmaking strategy while taking into consideration community needs, opportunities, movement trends, and the regional geopolitical and cultural context.
• Analyze regional and global patterns to shape funding rationales and priorities.
• Design program activities with colleagues to achieve significant, scalable impact.
• Manage , implement and monitor the regional grant portfolio to ensure alignment with strategy, criteria, and impact goals.
• Lead annual grant planning: identify and support prospective and returning grantees, review proposals, co-develop funding rationales with the regional funding committee. This also includes conducting organizational assessments (financial and narrative) to inform funding rationales. 
• Work collaboratively across Foundation teams to support implementation of funding program and team objectives.
• Represent the Foundation internally and externally as an ambassador for regional knowledge, priorities and insights.

Committee Development 

• Build, onboard, and develop regional funding committees aligned with regional needs and opportunities to enable transparent decision-making as part of participatory grantmaking approaches.
• Set agendas for committee discussions (priorities, financial analysis, partner and regional insights) and facilitate inclusive funding deliberations.
• Provide context, analysis, and synthesis of committee feedback into funding recommendations and decisions.
• Provide constructive feedback to applicants and grantees on outcomes and expectations linked to funding decisions.

Community & Funding Partner Management 

• Build and sustain trust-based relationships with communities, grantees, and applicants across the region; act as primary liaison between WMF and partners.
• Understand community needs, dynamics, and challenges; support conflict resolution or sensitive discussions when required.
• Support institutional strengthening of grantee partners; connect them with relevant and needed best practices and resources.
• Design and support convenings, collaborations, and knowledge sharing to enable learning amongst partners within the portfolio, with the community and ecosystem.
• Engage regional philanthropic spaces and leaders to strengthen grantee support and advance meaningful and mission-aligned philanthropy practices.

Evaluation and Learning 

• Review grantee progress through conversations, reports, and site visits and share insight reports. 
• Reviews and approves grant reports, following up when necessary to ensure completeness, discussing concerns, and offering appropriate guidance and support.
• Identify trends, gaps, and opportunities from grantmaking data to inform the grant strategy, regional priorities and resource allocation.
• Share learnings with colleagues, committees, and movement partners; contribute to strategic conversations on resource allocation.

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
• Experience managing high complexity projects and stakeholders
• 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
• 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
• Besides English, proficiency in another language would be an added value.