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Innovative Human Rights NGO Seeks RRLI Director of Operations and Strategy

About Asylum Access

Asylum Access believes it’s time to put power back in the hands of people who have been forcibly displaced from their home countries. 

Our unique combination of legal empowerment, policy advocacy and global systems change creates conditions in which refugees can live safely, move freely, work legally and go to school. By supporting refugees as they assert their rights, we help restore their power and agency. Our work transforms the traditional approach of endless humanitarian handouts to a sustainable solution that honors refugees’ freedom, dignity and autonomy, and empowers them to make choices about their own lives.

Asylum Access’ global team and family of local civil society organizations advocate to make human rights a reality for refugees throughout Africa, Asia and Latin America. Our national organizations are led and staffed primarily by community members in those countries, and there is strong mutual trust and respect between us and our clients. On the international stage, we work with established institutions to shift the global system to better uphold and promote refugees’ human rights. We can help catalyze and lead systemic transformation because, uniquely among NGOs in the refugee response sector, we focus exclusively on rights and governance.

Project Description

The Resourcing Refugee Leadership Initiative (RRLI) is a six-organization strong global coalition dedicated to shifting power and resources to refugee-led organizations (RLOs). The initiative is convened by Asylum Access, and includes 5 prominent RLOs around the world: Basmeh & Zeitooneh in Lebanon, Saint Andrew’s Refugee Services (StARS) in Egypt, Refugiados Unidos in Colombia, Refugees and Asylum Seekers Information Centre (RAIC) in Indonesia, and Young African Refugees for Integral Development (YARID) in Uganda. Together, the initiative aims to assist 45 RLOs to access 20 million USD across 10 countries in 5 years and unlock 20 million USD for RLOs around the world. We were the recent recipient of the USD 10 million Larsen Lam ICONIQ Impact Award, which has kickstarted the effort, and have already awarded 3.6 million in grants to 17 refugee-led organizations.

Position Description

The Director of Operations and Strategy will be responsible for ensuring that RRLI’s activities are strategic, sustainable, and inclusive, and that the Coalition has the tools, policies, and systems needed to achieve its mission and vision. They will oversee operations activities and staff spanning finance, HR, and monitoring and evaluation.

The Director of Operations and Strategy will also play a key role in RRLI’s transition into becoming an independent initiative. While many of RRLI’s operational and financial activities are currently supported by Asylum Access staff, the Director will support RRLI to build operational capacity to enable the establishment of an independent organization. 

Key Responsibilities

Organizational Health and Planning (35%)

• Facilitate RRLI planning and strategy processes, ensuring that the Coalition sets goals in line with strategic priorities and have the tools necessary to monitor progress and revise plans as needed

• Build out systems and capacity for RRLI’s M&E by hiring and overseeing a M&E Lead

• Chairs Working Group 1 on Coalition Administration, which discusses key issues facing RRLI’s strategic direction

• Lead planning for RRLI to become an independent initiative with the support of Coalition members and the RRLI team

Operations and Compliance Support (30%)

• Work with the RRLI programs team to design systems and processes for grantmaking, and support with those processes as needed

• Support the RRLI partnerships team with grant compliance, such as through overseeing compliance monitoring and helping with proposals and reports as needed

• Oversee the Administrative Assistant in maintaining technology and systems for the RRLI team such as Good Grants and the initiative’s Shared Drive

Financial Activities (20%)

• Assist the coalition’s Finance Manager in implementing the coalition’s financial plans.

• Support Finance Manager in setting budgets and forecasts, and in problem solving when issues arise

• Develop and implement financial controls and other financial-related policies for the use and allocation of Coalition funding

Human Resources, People, and Culture (15%)

• Liaising with Asylum Access HR staff on Asylum Access HR policies for RRLI staff

• Over time, build out HR policies and practices as well as team capacity for RRLI so that the initiative can smoothly transition to independence

• Promote diversity, equity and inclusion at all levels and across all functional areas

Reports to: Asylum Access Interim Co-CEOs 

Supervises: RRLI Finance Manager, RRLI Administrative Assistant 

Minimum Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience in at least two of the following: high-level management of operations, finance, and/or human resources for a nonprofit

• Strong commitment to and interest in RRLI’s mission and vision

• Substantial experience in complex project management

• Clear experience developing policies, procedures and systems that are reflective of organizational values, compliant with key requirements, and efficient and clear in their implementation

• Ability to work in a collaborative Coalition setting where decisions are made through discussion and consensus

• Experience managing budgets

• Excellent people management skills

• Strong communication skills and cultural intelligence, orientation toward building and strengthening relationships

• Commitment to realizing equity and inclusion in ways of working and experience in culturally diverse environments

• Fluency in English

• The ideal candidate preferably have an experience of forced displacement

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in establishing a new organization and/or leading a newly established organization

• Experience working at an organization in the refugee response sector, particularly a refugee-led organization

• Experience overseeing grantmaking processes

• Fluency in or working knowledge of Spanish

Hours and Location of Work

The RRLI Director of Operations and Strategy is a full-time, exempt role. We anticipate that the role will take approximately 40 hours per week. 

We are open to candidates in a variety of locations, but RRLI team members typically keep working hours of 9:00AM to 5:00PM GMT, except for candidates in the Western Hemisphere who work from 8:00AM to 4:00PM in their time zone. Note that employment arrangements and contract details may differ based on location. All candidates, regardless of location, should be aware that some flexibility regarding working hours is required in order to take out-of-hours calls and meetings with international colleagues.

The position comes with a well-paying nonprofit salary based on location.The offered salary will be calculated based on location and offered in local currency. Generous paid time off policies and healthcare coverage appropriate to the location will also be offered.

Asylum Access is committed to paying competitive salaries and upholding sustainable equity practices. Due to the ways in which salary negotiations perpetuate existing structural inequities, Asylum Access as a practice does not participate in salary negotiations for any candidate.

Application Instructions to Candidates

Please submit a resume and cover letter. In your cover letter, please describe your reasons for applying, relevant qualifications, and how you learned about the position. 

Asylum Access is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We value the expertise of those who have experienced displacement, and encourage people with such lived experience to apply.

For more information about our organization, visit .