GISF Membership & Events Officer

• Full time – working 37.5 hours per week
• Salary: From £32,000
• Line managed by: Head of Global Membership and NGO Services
• Responsible for line managing: n/a
• Location: London, UK (hybrid- minimum 2x days per week in office)

About GISF

Welcome to GISF – a dynamic member organisation comprising over 150 International Non-Governmental Organisations (INGOs) worldwide. Our vision is clear: to enhance security practices within the NGO community, empowering organisations to effectively and securely serve communities in need.

Established in 2006, GISF operates from strategic hubs in London and Washington, D.C, expanding soon to Kenya. We facilitate a spectrum of events aimed at fostering knowledge exchange and collaboration, and nurturing networks within the safety and security sphere of humanitarian, human rights, environmental, and related sectors.

Moreover, we are dedicated to producing insightful research and crafting best-practice technical guides. Our engagements with decision-makers, workshop delivery, and operational support for safety and security coordination further underscore our dedication to advancing the field.

Join us in our endeavour to create a safer world for NGOs and the populations they serve.

For more information, visit: www.gisf.ngo

What We Offer

• 25 days of annual leave increasing annually after 2 years, up to a maximum 30 days (plus bank holidays)
• Office shutdown between Christmas and New Year
• Employer Pension contributions
• A focus on professional development, including access to overseas events, workshops, and training

The Job

As the Membership and Events Officer at GISF, you will play a pivotal role in fostering and enhancing engagement among our esteemed members. Your primary responsibility is to cultivate and manage member services, ensuring that our diverse community of NGOs receives unparalleled support and opportunities for collaboration. You will work closely with the Global Head of Membership and NGO services, and your counterpart in our Washington, D.C. office.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities:

Member Engagement: You will be at the forefront of tracking, maintaining, and elevating GISF member engagement. This involves responding promptly to inquiries from current members, actively engaging with prospective members, and guiding them through the application process with seamless efficiency.

Event Coordination: You will spearhead the planning and execution of a wide array of events, both in-person and virtual. From bi-annual forums and workshops to ad-hoc round-table discussions and webinars, you will curate experiences that foster knowledge exchange and networking opportunities within the NGO security sector.

Record Maintenance and Data Management: Your meticulous attention to detail will be crucial in maintaining up-to-date records of members and capturing essential data from events. By ensuring the accuracy and integrity of our membership database, you will be directly supporting effective NGO security coordination.

Flagship Event Management: As the project manager for our annual flagship event, you will orchestrate an impactful experience for more than 100 in-person attendees at a venue rotating through Europe and North America. From coordinating sessions and panelists to integrating innovative ideas, you will strive to deliver high-quality events that leave a lasting impact.

Commercial Sector Engagement: You will support GISF’s engagement with the commercial sector, cultivating strategic partnerships to offer valuable benefits to our membership. Through tactful collaboration, you will explore opportunities for mutual growth and innovation within the NGO security landscape.

Strategic Contribution: Leveraging your deep understanding of our members’ needs and preferences, you will actively contribute to various initiatives, ranging from identifying potential contributors to research projects to facilitating connections among NGOs operating in similar contexts. While expertise in NGO security risk management is not mandatory, a willingness to learn and engage confidently with members and stakeholders is essential to ensuring GISF’s continued support in an ever-evolving landscape.

If you are passionate about driving meaningful impact within the NGO community and thrive in a dynamic, collaborative environment, we invite you to join us in our mission to empower NGOs worldwide through exemplary membership services and transformative events.

Deliverables

Membership

• Ensure that the standards set out within the Global Membership Policy are implemented in all dealings with members
• Drive the engagement, expansion and retention of Europe-based members, and support the same in the Global South
• Lead prospective members through the application process, and subsequently onboard them as new members
• Track, update and report on member engagement using CRM systems and other data sources
• Attend conferences and events on behalf of GISF to promote the benefits of engagement with and membership of GISF

Events

• Project manage GISF’s annual flagship, multi-day event, ensuring coordination of all contributing staff, guest speakers, contractors and suppliers
• Project manage GISF’s contribution to Humanitarian Networks Partnerships Weeks, annually in Geneva
• Project manage other events (or GISF’s contribution to events) as requested
• Coordinate GISF’s monthly webinar series
• Support on delivery of time-sensitive roundtables and coordination meetings to respond to crises

Member Services

• Support sourcing of content for GISF’s member newsletter and blog series
• Ensure membership-related content on the website is current
• Monitor and curate the members-only online communication platform
• Update and maintain GISF website content relating to offerings from commercial providers
• Respond to and direct requests for support from members

This is a non contractual document that can be varied from time to time as circumstances dictate. This job description is intended to summarise the main duties and responsibilities of the post; this is not intended to be a full and exhaustive list of tasks. All GISF staff are expected to demonstrate flexibility and willingness to perform appropriate tasks when the need arises.

Person Specification

Experience

• Event production and management
• Experience in a similar membership-oriented role is advantageous.
• Experience working in a not-for-profit organisation (experience in the aid and development sector is advantageous)
• Demonstrable experience of project management and delivering to agreed outcomes

Skills and Knowledge

• Confident user of a range of software and video-conferencing platforms
• Knowledge of CRM (Customer Relationship Management) platforms and working with spreadsheets is advantageous
• Good project management skills (including budget planning) and experience of working within budget constraints.
• Basic knowledge of the aid and development sector
• Knowledge of Arabic, French, Spanish or German is advantageous.

Aptitude

• Strong communications skills (both written and verbal) and the ability to tailor communications to different audiences with a proven ability to build relationships from a distance with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Willingness to travel for up to 6 weeks per year
• Discretion to handle sensitive information
• Ability to work independently, but also to identify the need to convene or consult when needed.
• Self-starter and innovative thinker, able to work on own initiative and manage a complex workload.
• Ability to network and establish good working relationships with a variety of contacts, comfortably engaging with people at a range of levels, as well as with those who have both significant and limited technical understanding of GISF’s work.
• Enthusiastic, willing to learn, and motivated by honing skills and working as part of a new team that is developing effective ways of working.
• Excellent teamwork, interpersonal skills and relationship-building ability.

All GISF staff are expected to undertake the following general duties;

• Work within the framework of GISF’s core values, promoting its ethos and mission statement.
• Work towards achieving GISF’s objectives
• Ensure familiarity with and adhere to all GISF policies and procedures and keep informed of GISF activities
• Undertake and apply learning from appropriate training and development programmes.
• Travel overseas, sometimes to developing countries and areas in conflict, as and when required.
• Undertake the role in a manner appropriate to the cultural context and within the local legal framework.
• Understand and uphold the standards outlined in GISF’s Safeguarding Framework