Job Description: Program Associate

About the Disability Rights Fund and the Disability Rights Advocacy Fund

The Disability Rights Fund (DRF) is a multimillion-dollar grantmaking collaboration between a diversity of donors and the global disability rights community that resources organizations of persons with disabilities (OPDs) to advocate for equal rights and full participation in society. The Disability Rights Advocacy Fund (DRAF) is DRF’s sister organization, supporting advocacy for legislative change. DRF/DRAF currently work across Africa, Asia, the Pacific Islands, and the Caribbean. The Funds – which are based on a participatory grantmaking model – annually make 200-300 grants, mainly ranging from USD $10,000-$50,000 each, to OPDs to advance the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), including in implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Global Disability Summit commitments.

Position Summary

In this period of significant organizational growth, we are expanding our overall grantmaking, bolstering our technical assistance, and pursuing new opportunities to advance advocacy for disability rights. The Program Associate is a new role designed to support our efforts to continue this expansion in alignment with our commitment to “nothing about us without us”. This role will report to and partner with the Program Director and work closely with others on the Program and Management teams to ensure well-coordinated and thoughtfully executed programmatic processes at DRF/DRAF.

We are hiring for 3 Program Associate roles at this time.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Contribute to communications and development by gathering, organizing, and sharing inputs from Program team members.
• Work with the Evaluation and Learning Manager to ensure timely and accurate Program team documentation of grantee achievements.
• Partner with Development, Finance, and Operations associates to coordinate and track schedules, travel arrangements, and project deadlines.
• Support team members to prepare for, document, and share outcomes of meetings.
• Provide inputs across teams and liaise with external program consultants as requested.
• Coordinate with others to maintain collaborative information management systems.
• Collaborate with the Inclusion and Accessibility Development Manager and others to facilitate reasonable accommodations for Program team members and other stakeholders as requested.
• Build personal knowledge about disability rights, the countries in which we work, and the philanthropy sector as possible to deepen understanding of role.
• Other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Capabilities

The ideal candidate will possess exceptional attention to detail, quality writing and editing skills, strong interpersonal skills, and some grantmaking experience. They will have integrity, be committed to advancing our mission, and invest in building strong relationships with members of the team.

• Highly organized and detail-oriented, and able to effectively manage multiple projects and competing demands.
• The flexibility, accountability, and team-orientation needed to succeed in a small organization, which involves both partnering with others and working independently without close oversight. A sense of humor helps!
• Some experience in grantmaking, with interest in growing their knowledge; past human rights-related writing experience is a bonus.
• Skilled in working across cultures and geographies, with the ability to communicate effectively with diverse audiences and across countries in an e-office environment.
• Openness to ongoing learning, feedback, and growth.
• Commitment to the human rights of persons with disabilities and our mission, with advanced understanding of marginalized and intersectional identities.
• Excellent computer skills (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, etc.); willingness to learn additional applications and accessible technology as necessary.
• Fluency in English; other languages are a bonus.

• Knowledge of international development and human rights frameworks.
• Demonstrated experience collaborating in inclusive and accessible ways to support diverse persons, including persons with disabilities, to participate in advocacy.
• A connection to disability rights.

Salary & Benefits

This is a full-time position; salary will be commensurate with experience. DRF offers an excellent benefits package including employer paid medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees. 

Location

DRF operates primarily as an e-office with headquarters in Boston, MA USA. You must have the ability to work independently in a remote environment and travel to Boston at least twice per year. Additional international and domestic travel may also be needed. The structure of the employment agreement will be determined by the geographical location and work authorization of the successful applicant.

How To Apply

Please email a cover letter and resume to Faith Lemon at jobs@disabilityrightsfund.org with subject line “Program Associate Application”. Due to the volume of applications typically received, we can only reply to shortlisted candidates.

The Disability Rights Fund is an equal opportunity employer. We seek to build a diverse team. Applicants shall not be discriminated against on any basis. Individuals from historically marginalized identities including Black, Indigenous, and people of color and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Deadline

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Click here to download the Program Associate job description in Word.