Chief Operating Officer , Women's Learning Partnership (WLP)

Closing Date: October 31, 2013 or until filled

Women's Learning Partnership (WLP), a partnership of twenty autonomous organizations in four regions, with a focus on Muslim-majority countries, conducts trainings in participatory leadership and democracy development in collaboration with partner NGOs and supports women leaders and activists to advocate for a just, peaceful world. WLP creates culturally-specific l training curriculum in 20 languages to help women gain the skills and capacity they need to fulfill greater leadership roles at the family, community and national level. Over the past decade, WLP's programs and training materials, have reached tens of thousands of women in over forty countries, strengthening local organizations to become self-sustaining and to empower women's movements across the globe.

Job Description: The Chief Operating Officer is based at the WLP liaison office in Bethesda, Maryland. The position will support the following key areas of WLP’s work (a) program coordination; (b) ensuring the proper management, reporting, and administration of existing grants; c) seeking and retaining public and private grant funding for existing programs and new initiatives.

Responsibilities include:

Programs and Operations

·         Oversee program planning and implementation in consultation with the President;

·         Establish effective relationship with partners and potential partners in order to grow programmatic reach;

·         Work closely with program staff to manage the timely submission and all aspects of interim and final reports to funding agencies, as required by the funding agreements;

·         In cooperation with program staff, maintain overall project tracking, priorities, partnership agreements and deadlines;

·         Communicate with funders, in conjunction with program staff, as appropriate;

·         Oversee and delegate logistics coordination among staff for WLP’s conferences and events;

·         In consultation with President, prepare Board meeting materials and ensure corporate records are up to date;

·         Supervise and facilitate the professional development of WLP’s staff;

·         Direct the preparation and maintenance of periodic reports for management, including goals and key performance indicator reports, as necessary or requested;

Finance

·         Support the Finance Manager, in consultation with the President, to coordinate budget;

·         Coordinate with Finance Manager to ensure applicable payments are up to date.

·         Work with Finance Manager and relevant program staff to develop accurate budget information for all funding applications and grant proposals;

Research and Cultivation of Organizational Support

·         Identify and research availability of public and private funds, in response to program needs, as anticipated by program staff;

·         Design and coordinate follow-up with prospective funders and supporters

Qualifications:

Commitment and dedication to women's empowerment. Graduate degree required; 8+ years of related experience, with minimum 3 years of experience in a managerial role required;

Non-profit experience and familiarity with women’s issues required; Excellent writing skills and ability to communicate with individuals from diverse backgrounds; Expertise with MS Excel and familiarity with QuickBooks preferred; Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple tasks and work under deadlines.

Preferred Skills: Familiarity with international development, politics, and cultures in Africa, Asia, or the Middle East. 

Salary and Benefits: Salary commensurate with experience. Excellent medical, dental, and retirement benefits.

Applicant must have permission to work in the US, if not a US citizen or permanent resident. WLP is unable to sponsor work permits. Applicant does not require employer sponsorship for employment authorization (i.e. H-1B) now or in the future

Please email your cover letter, resume, writing sample, and a list of three references to:jobs@learningpartnership.org with the subject line ‘Chief Operating Officer’.

No calls please