Director of Programs

The Director of Programs (DoP) will be responsible for leading Third Wave in researching, building, implementing, and maintaining innovative systems and processes to support our grantmaking and capacity-building programs. This includes grantmaking systems, grants data, evaluations and learning, program work plan alignment, program team training, and other programmatic strategy setting and execution. Reporting to the Co-Directors, the DoP would be a new member of Third Wave’s leadership team and will be involved in a wide range of strategic planning and programmatic initiatives. This position will be responsible for the overall success of our six grantmaking programs: Mobilize Power Fund, Grow Our Power Fund, Own Our Power Fund, Sex Worker Giving Circle, Disability Frontlines Fund, and Accountable Futures Fund.

Third Wave Fund resources and supports youth-led, intersectional gender justice activism. We build on the brilliance of our communities using responsive and participatory grantmaking so we can sustain our movements and thrive—now and long term. Our grantmaking and donor mobilizing advances the community power, well-being, and self-determination of young Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) most directly impacted by and best positioned to end gender oppression. We specifically resource grassroots movements that are multi-issue, community-led and unapologetically queer, trans, intersex, and sex worker-led. We value the work of social justice-minded individuals who may not see themselves reflected in philanthropy. Third Wave Fund is fiscally sponsored by the Proteus Fund who partners with foundations, advocates, and individual donors to advance democracy, human rights, and peace.

Programs (35%)

• Manages Third Wave Fund’s grants and grantmaking programs 

• Works with Proteus as needed to refine grantmaking and programmatic systems, including grants database, workflows, payment approvals and troubleshooting, etc.

• Reviews and approves grant recommendations for each fund of our six funds

• Assists Co-Directors with Third Wave’s annual budget and participates in the budgeting process 

• Creates and manages the program team’s annual budget 

• Assists leadership team with developing annual work plan, strategic plan, and other strategies, as needed

• Develops learning and evaluation goals for each fund

• Works closely with development team to ensure fundraising goals are in alignment with program budget, goals, and needs

• Creates structures to easily share grantee stories and data between programs and development and communications departments

Team (35%)

• Supervises 4-5 Program Officer level staff and 1 Program Administrative Assistant

• Develops strategies to identify talent and opportunities for professional development, and develops a leaderful programmatic team

• Creates structures and opportunities for increased cross-team collaboration in a way that is beneficial to grantees

• Facilitates quarterly program team meetings

• Supports program staff to meet goals and deadlines and work through challenges and high-level programmatic questions 

• Collaborates with the leadership team to create needed systems, cross-team collaborations, and other organizational development processes needed for a successful grantmaking team

Community (30%)

• Builds and nurtures relationships and partnerships with community stakeholders

• Provides an active presence at community events, grantee events, various engagements in the community and on committees and non-grantee boards

• Is professionally involved in the field of philanthropy by participating in events, seminars and conferences in the local community and in the regional, state, and national nonprofit and philanthropic sectors that are designed to strengthen and promote the field and Third Wave Fund

• Continually stays up to date and informed about changes in the field of grassroots gender justice movements, especially movements for sex worker justice, disability justice, reproductive justice, trans justice, economic justice, prison abolition, and racial justice

• Assists with communications and development including, but not limited to, the preparation of our Year in Review, supporting staff to document grantee stories and data, and approving programmatic content on the website

‍Other Duties

• Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Because this is a new role, duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

• Minimum 3-5 years relevant experiences, preferably within social justice and disability justice work with an understanding of the Disabled, Deaf, Sick, and Mad organizing landscape nationally, including experience in one or more of the following fields: gender justice, reproductive health and justice, racial justice, leadership development, education, labor, LGBTQI+ justice, and safety/anti-violence

• 3+ years experience in supervision and/or management

• 3+ years experience with grantmaking programs and grants management

• 1+ years experience with grantmaking/programmatic evaluations, and learning

• Strong commitment to Third Wave’s purpose, vision, and values

• Strong management skills, including staff supervision, team building

• Experience with multiple grantmaking databases (BlackBaud and Flux a plus)

• Strong commitment to disability inclusion, accessibility, and working with a majority Disabled team

This is a 32-hour per week position (Monday through Thursday). Some evenings and weekends required.

Starting salary is $97,000 in accordance with our equitable hiring practices that strive for internal parity. This salary is non-negotiable*. Third Wave offers a 32-hour work week in a disability justice-centered workplace, along with excellent health benefits, robust retirement contributions, and a generous paid time off package. 

*In order to counter pay inequality and uphold internal parity, salaries are non-negotiable beyond the listed amount. Similarly, there are no title negotiations. Staff are eligible for salary increases annually and promotions during annual performance evaluation processes. ‍

We offer a benefits package, including: 

• Medical and dental benefits for employee and eligible dependants available on first day of work

• Retirement savings account (401k) with an organization contribution

• Three weeks paid vacation; four weeks in subsequent years

• Fifteen sick days per year

• Three personal days per year

• Twelve paid holidays

• Professional development initiatives for growth

• Paid Family Leave

We are a fully remote workplace. This role is based in the US, and applicants may be based in any of the fifty United States. Travel is not currently required for this position, though if compatible with access needs and vaccination status, travel to meetings, convenings, and conferences is currently optional. When it is fully safe for all people to travel again, regular travel will be required of around 3-5 trips per year (or about 5% of the role) for conferences or other meetings/events.

Third Wave Fund is a fiscally sponsored project of the Proteus Fund, a 501(c)(3) organization, and an equal opportunity employer. We believe that communities most impacted by gender oppression must be centered in the work we do. Therefore, we strongly encourage applications from Black and Indigenous women of color, Trans and gender non-conforming people, LGB people, Sick, Mad, D/deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Disabled people of color, working class people for all of our positions. Equal employment opportunity and having a diverse staff are fundamental principles at Proteus Fund, where employment and promotional opportunities are based upon individual capabilities and qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation/affectional preference, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status or any other protected characteristic as established under law.

Application is now closed.