Executive Director

OPPORTUNITY

Building on over a decade of success and growth, DRF/DRAF have solidified their roles as unique and established global human rights funders. With the launch of a new 5-year strategic plan, the Executive Director role is an exciting opportunity for someone interested in leading and executing the next chapter of DRF/DRAF’s growth and maturation.  The Executive Director will continue to advance and strengthen the organizations’ financial sustainability and growth as well as lead the execution of the new strategy expanding the impact and influence of DRF/DRAF at global, regional, and national levels.  They will also oversee organizational structures and systems, cultivating an environment in which the organizations and their personnel, including staff and governance members with disabilities, can grow and thrive – an environment that models the inclusion and leadership of people with disabilities.

About the Disability Rights Fund and the Disability Rights Advocacy Fund

The Disability Rights Fund (DRF) supports the disability rights movement around the world by resourcing organizations of persons with disabilities (OPDs) to advocate for equal rights and full participation in society. The Disability Rights Advocacy Fund (DRAF), DRF’s sister organization, supports advocacy for legislative change. DRF/DRAF currently works across Africa, Asia, the Pacific Islands, and the Caribbean. The Funds are grounded in participatory and gender transformative approaches and follow grant making, peer learning, and advocacy strategies to support OPDs to advance the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), including in implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Global Disability Summit commitments, and other key international frameworks.

At DRF/DRAF, we believe our people are what make us great. Reflecting our values and participatory approach, persons with disabilities are leaders and decision makers at all levels of our organization – including our staff, Board, and Grant Making Committee. We value teamwork and a supportive work environment. Our goal is to find individuals who are good at what they do and passionate about our purpose.

To learn more about the Disability Rights Fund, please visit https://disabilityrightsfund.org/

Position Overview

DRF/DRAF is seeking a strategic, thoughtful, proactive, collaborative and creative leader, ideally with human rights, philanthropic and program experience. From a growth perspective, the ED will lead a participatory and collaborative approach to governance, management, and grantmaking, centering accessibility within this approach.  A successful candidate will collaborate with the Board to guide the organization’s direction and execute the vision and goals of the new strategic plan. They will be motivated to maintain and grow external partnerships, and to dynamically communicate the value and impact of the organizations and the global disability rights movement to stakeholders, donors, and government entities. The ED will be at ease in leading and executing fundraising strategies in collaboration with the Board and Development teams. They will also be considerate and engaging as a leader, and promote a culture of collaboration, learning, and mutual accountability with a diverse, global staff in a remote environment. Lastly, they will have the flexibility and pro-active orientation to work at both the strategic and operations levels ensuring the organization functions effectively and efficiently.

Key Areas of Responsibility:

Strategic Implementation, Board Collaboration and Leadership

＼    Execute the Funds’ organizational vision and goals and lead the implementation of the Funds’ new strategic plan on behalf of the Board, translating the strategy into annual financial, programmatic and operational goals, evaluating progress and updating plans as necessary.

＼    Assess periodically and if necessary, revise the Funds’ strategic direction and priorities, in partnership with the Board and staff, in response to changing conditions or other factors.

＼    Partner with the Board to ensure a strong governance structure and to identify, recruit and onboard new board members.

＼    Provide regular communications and information to the Board.

＼    Ensure responsible financial and risk management and oversight with the support of the operational and financial team, including annual audits and budget planning with regular reporting to the Board.

＼    Oversee a robust participatory model encompassing the Board, staff leadership, and Grantmaking Committee, composed of donors and activists, to establish annual grantmaking guidelines, processes and approve grants in line with budget allocations.

＼    Foster and strengthen a high performing team through a culture of collaboration, inclusivity, learning, and mutual accountability. Promote accessible and inclusive practices to enable full participation of all stakeholders.

＼    Lead and strengthen the organization and programs by empowering the Funds’ executive team and staff. Demonstrate an engaging, transformational, and collaborative leadership style.

＼    Directly supervise the three division chiefs of the organization.

Resource Cultivation, External Representation and Advocacy

＼    Communicate effectively and engage with the public and stakeholders, including donors, staff, governments and other organizations regarding the Funds’ goals and participatory grantmaking, the global disability rights movement, and intersections with other rights movements.

＼    In partnership with the Development team, secure and grow support from funders supportive of the Funds’ vision including individual donors, foundations, government, and corporate partners.

＼    Engage as a thought leader within philanthropy on disability-inclusive grantmaking and disability rights, including producing and publishing written thought pieces to enhance the Funds’ global visibility and credibility.   

＼    Inform and influence other human rights communities to address disability inclusion, social inequality, and the intersectionality of disability with other rights.

＼    Grow, establish, and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, including partner organizations, governments, donors, and communities, in alignment with the Funds’ vision, goals and strategic objectives.

QUALIFICATIONS

To fulfill these responsibilities, the ideal candidate will have/be:

＼    At least 15 years of relevant work experience, 8 or more years in human rights, philanthropic, or grantmaking roles of increasing leadership responsibility with director, c-suite or executive director level, supervisory experience.

＼    Global disability and human rights experience, including an understanding of intersectionality and gender justice. Deep knowledge of UN human rights systems, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and international development agendas.

＼    Experience working with OPDs and/or building cross-movement collaborations.

＼    Skilled in working across cultures and comfortable collaborating within a diverse workplace, ideally in a remote environment and within cross cultural work teams.

＼    Lived and/or professional experience with disability and diverse disability communities.

＼    Proven fundraising experience in attracting, maintaining, and growing major gifts from government donors and foundations.

＼    Effective and collaborative leader with experience in strategic and operational implementation, including financial and programmatic management. Inspiring and confident in their ability to coach, manage and develop staff.

＼    Be a movement builder and connect with others to advance disability rights/human rights and in growing networks to develop partnerships and collaborations with organizations, governments, and other stakeholders.

＼    Experience with or knowledge of board development and governance.

＼    Able to communicate effectively and persuasively when engaging a diverse set of stakeholders, partners, and those with various levels of expertise.

＼    Curious and committed to knowledge sharing with conceptual and critical thinking abilities. Open to new information or approaches to advance proposals or solutions.

＼    Demonstrated sound and reasoned judgment. Ability to make decisions, justify recommendations, and be responsive and clear with staff and stakeholders.

＼    Willingness and ability to travel– approximately 10-30% of the time under safe conditions.

＼    Bachelor’s degree or equivalent is required; an advanced degree in a relevant field is preferred.

＼    Highly proficient in spoken and written English.

 

Other preferred qualifications include:

○       Experience working at a collaborative fund/pooled fund or organization that manages multiple donor funds.

○       Professional proficiency in French, Spanish, International Sign or languages other than English.

○       Experience in advocacy linked to CRPD implementation.

○       Knowledge of global fiscal regulations and compliance.

○       Knowledge of grantmaking.

○       Experience working for or with organizations in Global South.

LOCATION, COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

Location: DRF operates globally, and all staff work remotely. This role may be performed anywhere in the world.

DRF offers a comprehensive compensation package aligned with experience, credentials and competency (geographic differential also applied based on location), including allowances/benefits appropriate to the location of the role (i.e., health, short/long term disability, life insurance, pension/retirement contributions), generous annual leave, two organizational-wide wellness weeks, comprehensive parental leave and commitment to professional development and growth. The estimated salary for this position is between $125,750-$209,625 USD. Final salary will be based on several factors including qualifications, geographic location, experience, and internal equity. More details can be provided upon request.

This is a full-time, 35 hours/week position reporting to the Board of Directors. This position is primarily remote but will require international travel (10-30% of the time), depending on safe travel conditions. Standard working hours within a candidate’s time zone will be most common, however working hours may vary according to operational and personal needs. As part of a global team spanning different time zones, the candidate must be able to accommodate early/late meetings when needed.

TO APPLY

Please provide a CV/resume and a cover letter that addresses the value you can bring to DRF/DRAF’s future in alignment with the job description. We consider all applications regardless of whether every knowledge, skill or ability noted above can be demonstrated. Please note due to the volume of applications we may receive we may not respond personally to every application. For additional questions about this position, reasonable accommodations requests or other questions about the application please contact us at jobs@disabilityrightsfund.org. The priority application deadline is September 1st, 2024. No decisions will be made prior to the date. Applications received after the deadline may be reviewed but this is not guaranteed.

DRF/DRAF are equal opportunity employers and organizations that value diversity. Recruiting staff to create an inclusive organization is a priority, and we encourage applicants from all backgrounds. Candidates are evaluated solely on their qualifications to perform the work required.