Program Manager

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Africa.

📋 Description

• The Program Manager for Africa plays a crucial role in advancing Thousand Currents’ regional strategy by nurturing relationships with movement partners and promoting movement-led solutions that foster food sovereignty, climate justice, and economic justice across the continent.

• Identify and cultivate relationships with movements and organizations that support systemic change in areas such as food sovereignty, climate justice, economic justice, agroecology, stewardship of the commons, and energy democracy.

• Utilize political analysis, ecosystem knowledge, research, convenings, and trusted relationships to evaluate alignment and guide partnership recommendations.

• Engage with movement partners through relationship-driven interactions founded on trust, humility, accountability, and solidarity.

• Manage a portfolio of movement partners through consistent communication, site visits, proposal and report reviews, accompaniment, and ongoing learning and reflection.

• Enhance movement resilience through adaptive grantmaking, resources for movement strengthening, learning opportunities, emergency support, and connections within the ecosystem.

• Assist in the execution of regional initiatives and collaborative cohorts that advance movement-led solutions in significant thematic or geographic areas.

• Promote peer learning, convenings, collaboration, and relationship-building among movement partners and allied organizations.

• Collaborate with Grants Operations colleagues to ensure grantmaking timelines, documentation, and partner information systems are effectively supported.

• Provide contributions in political, ecological, and movement analysis for regional planning, ecosystem mapping, and strategic discussions.

• Approach the work with curiosity, reflection, and a dedication to collective learning.

• Work with Learning colleagues and movement partners to document insights, lessons learned, challenges faced, and evolving strategies.

• Foster partner-centered learning processes that enhance movement practices and collective sensemaking.

• Encourage partner involvement in convenings, learning exchanges, campaigns, and organizational events.

• Represent Thousand Currents at selected meetings, gatherings, and movement spaces to reinforce relationships and ecosystem connections.

• Fully participate in organizational activities, including staff meetings, retreats, and training sessions.

⛳️ Requirements

• More than 7 years of experience collaborating with grassroots movements, movement support organizations, or social justice ecosystems in Africa.

• Proven track record of working alongside African social movements to promote energy democracy or stewardship of the commons.

• Experience in institutional storytelling, donor communications, or strategic learning processes.

• Ability to perceive systemic wholes, recognizing the intersection of local grassroots struggles for self-determination with global political and economic structures.

• Comprehensive understanding of movement organizing in relation to food sovereignty, climate justice, economic justice, agroecology, stewardship of the commons, and/or energy democracy.

• Experience in building and maintaining relationships across various cultures, geographies, and power dynamics with humility and accountability.

• Strong political acumen and a deep understanding of movement ecosystems and systems change strategies in the African context.

• Experience in facilitating collaboration, learning processes, convenings, or movement accompaniment.

• Exceptional communication and relationship-building skills, including proficiency in written and verbal English.

• Strong organizational and project management abilities, coupled with the self-motivation to oversee complex initiatives from inception to completion and the capability to manage multiple priorities effectively.

• Familiarity with collaborative digital tools and remote work environments.

• Flexible and proactive in approach.

• Comfortable functioning in a fast-paced, dynamic environment with a remote and geographically distributed team.

• Willingness to travel as necessary (both nationally and internationally) and to engage virtually across different time zones.

• High learning orientation, sound judgment, meticulous attention to detail, and openness to feedback.

• Ability to excel in a fast-paced, dynamic, remote, and geographically dispersed work setting.

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field or equivalent lived and professional experience.

🏝️ Benefits

• Health, Dental, and Vision cost reimbursement or stipend for employee plus dependents, along with out-of-country medical travel insurance for the employee.

• 10 paid annual holidays plus an open paid time off policy allowing for flexible time off.

• Up to 16 weeks of paid parental leave.

• Stipend of up to $1,000 to establish a workspace.

• Up to $2,000 per fiscal year in wellness stipend, $1,500 per fiscal year for work-from-home expenses, and up to $2,000 per fiscal year for learning and development.

• Monthly retirement contribution equivalent to a 4% salary boost.

• Opportunity for sabbatical leave after seven years of employment.