Strategic Initiatives Support Officer

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

📋 Description

• Assist in providing project and administrative support for CIVICUS' Strategic Initiatives workstream.

• Aid in funder engagement, grant management, resource mobilization, and cross-organizational initiatives.

• Draft, edit, and proofread correspondence with funders, briefing notes, concept notes, talking points, and other written documents.

• Support the development of concept notes and proposals aimed at diversifying funding sources.

• Prepare summaries of meetings, minutes, and follow-up notes.

• Maintain knowledge resources and filing systems, including Knowledge Hub/SharePoint.

• Keep records of funder contacts and manage CRM databases.

• Coordinate with fundraising consultants by scheduling calls, tracking actions, and consolidating outreach records.

• Assist with the organization of funder meetings, forums, and events, covering logistics, briefing preparation, and note-taking.

• Research effective funding practices and strategies for strengthening ecosystems.

• Monitor quarterly funder updates and manage scheduled communications.

• Maintain the Grants Management Profile and manage the Smartsheet dashboard.

• Coordinate grant reporting calls, tracking action items and outstanding tasks.

• Conduct quality checks on narrative and financial reports to ensure clarity, consistency, and compliance with funder requirements.

• Document grant agreements, restrictions, and compliance obligations.

• Assist in annual planning, budgeting, learning activities, and cross-organizational gatherings.

• Coordinate activities related to Norad-funded and other cross-organizational grants.

• Support organizational strategy reviews, project close-outs, and initiatives related to knowledge management and learning.

⛳️ Requirements

• A minimum of a Bachelor's degree in social sciences, international relations, gender studies, sociology, political science, or a related field (or equivalent professional experience).

• At least 5 years of relevant work experience, preferably in a civil society organization, international development, or a similar environment.

• Proficient in written and spoken English.

• Outstanding writing, editing, and proofreading abilities.

• Capability to write clearly, concisely, and persuasively for diverse audiences, including funders, policymakers, and internal teams.

• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines while paying close attention to detail.

• Good research and analytical skills, with the ability to synthesize information from various sources.

• A commitment to human rights and social justice principles.

• Experience working remotely and collaboratively within a globally distributed team.

• Proficient in Microsoft Office and project management applications.

• Legal right to work in the location of employment.

• Experience in supporting funder or grant reporting processes (desirable).

• Knowledge of civil society and civic space issues (desirable).

• Proficiency in one or more UN languages other than English (desirable).

🏝️ Benefits

• Fixed-term contract lasting 12 months, subject to renewal based on satisfactory performance and funding availability.

• Opportunity for remote work.

• Work in a global, distributed-team environment.