Program Manager, First Response Fund

Position: Program Manager First Response Fund (FRF)

Status: Full-time fixed-term 3 years with possibility of extension

Team: Global Programs

Reports to: Co-VP Global Programs

Supervises:

• Direct Supervision: Program Officer (to be hired in the near future)
• Coordination/Indirect Supervision: FRF Financial Analyst Learning & Impact position possible administrative position(s) within FRF Secretariat

Language(s): English required plus Spanish Arabic or French as second language.

Location: Remote within Canada

Starting Salary Range: $87000-90000 CAD

Deadline for Applications: 6 July 2025 11:59pm ET

ABOUT THE FIRST RESPONSE FUND

The First Response Fund (FRF) is a new global pooled fund currently in its design phase that seeks to resource humanitarian responses led by feminist civil society organizations - by leveraging womens and feminist funds (W/FF) funding capacity reach and relationships with womens rights and women led organizations (WROs/WLOs) across regions.

Twelve feminist and womens funds (along with Prospera the international network of womens funds) are working together to design the First Response Fund centering the strategies of local WLOs/WROs in ODA-eligible countries providing resources and accompaniment via a global network of over 50 Womens and Feminist Funds. FRF represents an innovative advance on localization because it moves core flexible resources to local WROs/WLOs for the life-saving humanitarian services prioritized by their communities.

FRF is a new initiative that builds on the existing expertise of WROs/WLOs doing critical humanitarian response and of W/FFs resourcing these groups. We are creating an accessible channel for donors to resource the humanitarian activities of WROs.

FRF is hosted by the Equality Fund a feminist fund based in Canada resourcing feminist movements through global grantmaking gender-lens investing policy advocacy and feminist philanthropy. Launched in 2019 the Equality Fund has in its first five years programmed $100 million CAD in grants directly and in partnership with womens and feminist funds to support 1000 womens rights and feminist organizations working across 100 countries.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Program Manager is the most senior member of the FRF Secretariat hosted at the Equality Fund. This position will coordinate and drive overall operations across FRF in the three-year pilot phase. Primary responsibilities include project management of the final stages of FRF design and the subsequent implementation of FRFs humanitarian grantmaking strategy which will target historically marginalized populations and geographies frequently missed in humanitarian funding and response activities.

The successful candidate must demonstrate solid experience in humanitarian programming. Previous experience managing humanitarian projects working with womens rights and feminist organizations in humanitarian contexts and reporting to humanitarian donors is mandatory in this position. The ideal candidate is also a bridge builder with a proven track record in complex initiatives with an orientation to partnership development and relationship building with multiple stakeholders. We are looking for candidates that are committed to power shifting and enabling local responses with strong accountability to the needs and priorities of communities and movements.

Reporting to the Co-VP of Global Programs at the Equality Fund the Program Manager liaises with the Advisory Group the participatory body setting the strategic direction and grantmaking priorities for the Fund. The Advisory Group is made up of representatives from Womens and Feminist Funds Womens rights and women led organizations and humanitarian sector bodies from a diversity of backgrounds.

The Program Manager works closely with the FRF Secretariat team and relevant Equality Fund staff to develop grantmaking and finance tools for humanitarian programming coordinate due diligence with implementing partners drive the preparation and approval of grant dockets and provide support and accompaniment to FRF grant partners during implementation.

This role requires a strong understanding of humanitarian principles and standards and the ability to support capacity-building in humanitarian principles systems and practices for feminist funds and implementing partners.

SCOPE & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provides overall coordination and enables the smooth functioning of the different structures and groups focused on key aspects of First Response Funds work including governance strategy MEL and resource mobilization (4 working groups);

• Coordinates and manages the transition from program design to implementation of FRF strategies and operations;
• Supports the building of a multifunctional FRF team and the implementation of the annual work plan;
• Manages the optimal functioning of the Advisory Group the participatory body setting the strategic direction and grantmaking priorities for the Fund. The Advisory Group is made up of representatives from Womens and Feminist Funds Womens rights and women led organizations and humanitarian sector bodies from a diversity of backgrounds.
• Ensures implementation of FRFs humanitarian grantmaking as per the response strategies and priorities determined by the FRF Advisory group;
• Leads the preparation of key humanitarian programming deliverables including Annual Work Plans Budgets Grant Dockets.
• Supports compliance with terms and conditions of the funding and the pre-vetting of grant partners collaborating with the grants operations and finance teams of the Equality Fund;
• Supports effective financial and narrative reporting for humanitarian programming to donors supporters feminist movement actors and other stakeholders;
• Solves problems and shows a willingness to develop solutions consistent with a start-up multi-stakeholder initiative;

• Develops strategies for support and accompaniment to recipients of resources from the Fund;

• Supports development of programming and collaborations within EF and with external partners and stakeholders to advance the work of womens rights and feminist organizations and movements sister funds and strengthen the feminist funding ecosystem;

• Contributes to resource mobilization strategies and works with peer funds to represent and promote the work of FRF and its partners as required;

• Manages relationships with current donors via regular communications sharing key documents answering questions;

• Acts in accordance with our policies around nurturing a safe and respectful work environment; never engaging in harassment coercion sexual exploitation or abuse of any form or anything else contrary to our code of conduct.
  
  
  

QUALIFICATIONS & COMPETENCIES

• At least five years experience in humanitarian coordination and policy ideally with an emergency relief or international development organization;
• Previous experience managing humanitarian projects working with womens rights and feminist organizations in humanitarian contexts and reporting to humanitarian donors is mandatory in this position;
• Knowledge of and/or direct lived experience of the realities of Global South based civil society organizations and good understanding of their context
• Demonstrated expertise in working within humanitarian frameworks including principles best practice and standards;
• Demonstrated commitment to gender equality and inclusion of marginalized populations especially in the context of humanitarian response.
• Experience working with womens/feminist funds and/or feminist funders is desirable;
• Demonstrated high ethical standards integrity honesty and ability to work with sensitive information in a confidential manner;
• Commitment to the work and values of the Equality Fund which include Anti-Racism Anti-Oppression and Intersectionality; Feminist Leadership; Accountability; and Radical Love;
• English is essential other languages considered a strong asset
• Experience with virtual collaboration on cloud based platforms considered a strong asset;
• Ability to thrive in a dynamic complex environment

REQUIREMENTS

• Must be legally eligible to work in Canada
• May require some early/late calls to accommodate the many time zones represented in the communities that Advisory Group Members and FRF stakeholders are based in
• May require occasional surge work in periods of active humanitarian response activities
• Willing and able to undertake some travel (2-4 trips per year) including to lower resource contexts
• Willing and able to work remotely on mostly computer-based work

OUR ENVIRONMENT OF CARE

• We trust our talented team and are pleased to offer a flexible and virtual work environment.
• We are driven by our values: anti-racism anti-oppression and intersectionality; feminist leadership; accountability; and radical love. We believe our values are realized through collaboration a growth and learning mindset emotional intelligence diversity authenticity a global perspective care and building networks. We work to share power and create space for everyone to lead.
• Equality Fund is proud to offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package which has no waiting period and includes 4 weeks paid vacation paid sick time parental leave top up medical benefits Group RRSP paid birthday off and more.
• Equality Fund is committed to providing and maintaining a safe and respectful workplace. We do not tolerate harassment coercion sexual exploitation or abuse of any form. We recognize that those behaviours are often rooted in abuse of power which is contrary to EFs mission to make a more equitable world for women girls and trans people.
• Equality Fund is an equal opportunity employer. We believe deeply in equality and value diversity of race gender sexual orientation religion ethnicity national origin disability and all other protected grounds under the Ontario Human Rights Code. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and positionalities and are committed to providing an accessible candidate experience. To let us know how we can make an accommodation or adjustment to facilitate the selection process and beyond please reach out to .
• This posting is for a new vacancy

SELECTION PROCESS

• Equality Fund does not employ the use of AI technology in the screening recruitment or selection process.
• Equality Funds People Equity and Culture team will work with the hiring manager to do an initial screening of applicants. Please make sure to detail your experience in your resume/cover letter to ensure the committee has the information they need to assess your qualifications for the role. This process takes about 1 week from the application deadline.
• When there are many candidates who pass the initial screening the People Equity and Culture team may conduct 15-30 minute phone screening calls.
• The hiring committee will conduct first round interviews with selected candidates. Candidates will be sent the interview questions 48 hours in advance of their scheduled interview. Candidates are welcome but not expected or required to send any questions they have for the hiring committee in advance of the interview. These interviews usually occur about 2 weeks after the application deadline.
• The hiring committee may conduct a second round of interviews which may include an assignment.
• The People Equity and Culture team will conduct reference checks for the candidate to whom they intend to extend an offer. This process usually takes about 1 week.
• The People Equity and Culture team will initiate a background check. This is intended to safeguard Equality Fund employees grantees and the organization. We recognize that some communities experience systemic over-policing. As such only findings related to harassment exploitation coercion sexual exploitation fraud abuse or other findings specifically relevant to the duties of the role will be considered in relation to ones eligibility for employment.
• The People Equity and Culture team will send the selected candidate an Employment Agreement which the candidate will have time to review and return.

JOIN US!

Though we work to respond to all applicants at times we may only be able to follow up with those selected for an interview.

CONSENT TO THE USE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION

CONSENTEMENT LUTILISATION DES INFORMATIONS PERSONNELLES

I acknowledge that the personal information I provide as part of my job application to Equality Fund will be utilized solely for the following purposes:

• Recruitment
• Evaluation
• Selection for available positions within Equality Fund

The personal information collected includes but is not limited to:

• Name
• Contact details (address phone number email address)
• Information about my professional and academic background
• References

These terms and conditions are in addition to the Equality Fund Privacy Policy which I have read and understood.

• I understand that by giving my consent I authorize the Equality Fund recruitment team to access the personal information I have shared in order to evaluate my application.
• I hereby authorize Equality Fund to use my personal information for the purposes mentioned above.
• I also understand that I can withdraw my consent at any time by contacting However I acknowledge that such withdrawal may affect the processing of my application.

For further details on how we collect use and protect your personal information as well as your data protection rights please refer to our .

Je reconnais que les informations personnelles que je fournis dans le cadre de ma candidature Equality Fund seront utilises uniquement aux fins suivantes :

• Recrutement
• valuation
• Slection pour les postes disponibles au sein dEquality Fund

Les informations personnelles collectes incluent mais ne sont pas limites :

• Nom
• Coordonnes (adresse numro de tlphone adresse lectronique)
• Informations sur mon parcours professionnel et acadmique
• Rfrences

Ces termes et conditions sajoutent la politique de confidentialit dEquality Fund que jai lue et comprise.

• Je comprends quen donnant mon consentement jautorise lquipe de recrutement dEquality Fund accder aux informations personnelles que jai partages afin dvaluer ma candidature.
• Jautorise par la prsente Equality Fund utiliser mes informations personnelles aux fins mentionnes ci-dessus.
• Je comprends galement que je peux retirer mon consentement tout moment en contactant Cependant je reconnais que ce retrait pourrait affecter le traitement de ma candidature.

Pour plus de dtails sur la manire dont nous collectons utilisons et protgeons vos informations personnelles ainsi que sur vos droits en matire de protection des donnes veuillez vous rfrer notre politique de confidentialit.