Senior Program Officer (Northern & Western Europe)

Remote SENIOR PROGRAM OFFICER (NORTHERN & WESTERN EUROPE) Location: Remote and must be based in a country within the Northern & Western Europe region

Summary

The Wikimedia Foundation is a non-profit organization supporting Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects. The Foundation operates one of the world’s top five websites and has global reach and impact. At the core of the projects are volunteers who curate the knowledge that the world has come to rely on. The Community Resources team is the primary funding function of the Wikimedia Foundation ensuring that we support the Affiliates and volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Movement by offering institutional and individual funding to help achieve the Movement’s goals. To support the movement’s commitment to Knowledge Equity, the team prioritizes proactive outreach to communities that structures of power and privilege have left out. The Senior Program Officer will implement the regional funding programs serving Wikimedian communities in Northern & Western Europe. Roles and Responsibilities Funding Strategy & Portfolio Management

• Implement the Community Resources grantmaking strategy while taking into consideration community needs, opportunities, movement trends, and the regional geopolitical and cultural context.
• Analyze regional and global patterns to shape funding rationales and priorities.
• Design program activities with colleagues to achieve significant, scalable impact.
• Manage, implement and monitor the regional grant portfolio to ensure alignment with strategy, criteria, and impact goals.
• Lead annual grant planning: identify and support prospective and returning grantees, review proposals, co-develop funding rationales with the regional funding committee. This also includes conducting organizational assessments (financial and narrative) to inform funding rationales.
• Work collaboratively across Foundation teams to support implementation of funding program and team objectives.
• Represent the Foundation internally and externally as an ambassador for regional knowledge, priorities and insights.

Committee Development

• Build, onboard, and develop regional funding committees aligned with regional needs and opportunities to enable transparent decision-making as part of participatory grantmaking approaches.
• Set agendas for committee discussions (priorities, financial analysis, partner and regional insights) and facilitate inclusive funding deliberations.
• Provide context, analysis, and synthesis of committee feedback into funding recommendations and decisions.
• Provide constructive feedback to applicants and grantees on outcomes and expectations linked to funding decisions.

Community & Funding Partner Management

• Build and sustain trust-based relationships with communities, grantees, and applicants across the region; act as primary liaison between WMF and partners.
• Understand community needs, dynamics, and challenges; support conflict resolution or sensitive discussions when required.
• Support institutional strengthening of grantee partners; connect them with relevant and needed best practices and resources.
• Design and support convenings, collaborations, and knowledge sharing to enable learning amongst partners within the portfolio, with the community and ecosystem.
• Engage regional philanthropic spaces and leaders to strengthen grantee support and advance meaningful and mission-aligned philanthropy practices.

Evaluation and Learning

• Review grantee progress through conversations, reports, and site visits and share insight reports.
• Reviews and approves grant reports, following up when necessary to ensure completeness, discussing concerns, and offering appropriate guidance and support.
• Identify trends, gaps, and opportunities from grantmaking data to inform the grant strategy, regional priorities and resource allocation.
• Share learnings with colleagues, committees, and movement partners; contribute to strategic conversations on resource allocation.

Skills and Experience: The right person is better than the right set of experiences. These are traits identified for great additions:

• Solid knowledge of trust-based philanthropy or community-based grantmaking;
• Experience in participatory decision-making structures;
• Experience in grantmaking in an international context;
• Experience in nonprofit capacity building as funder/consultant/nonprofit leader;
• Strong strategic/analytical skills; creative problem-solving ability;
• Excellent organizational skills; ability to prioritize work/manage time/multiple priorities/meet deadlines; attention to detail/accuracy; ability to set realistic goals/objectives;
• Proven ability for creating constructive partnerships with Wikimedia community/stakeholders/fund-seekers; skills in facilitating engaging/motivating/coordinating/supporting volunteer communities; negotiating free-thinking communities;
• Open/transparent communication style; ability for public dialogue in non-polarizing way;
• Experience managing high complexity projects/stakeholders;
• Willingness for scheduling across time zones globally;
• Proven English proficiency written/spoken including public speaking/high-pressure situations/written material production;
• Commitment/belief in equity/inclusion/diversity;
• Global perspective with significant international living/working experience;
• Position may require 1-3 international trips yearly when possible.

Additionally desirable:

• Experience working with online communities especially free knowledge movement;
• Passion for or experience contributing to Wikipedia/Wikimedia project;
• Proficiency in another language besides English is a plus.
• Location: Remote; must be based in a country within Northern & Western Europe region
• Remote Work Allowance: Position is remote-first
• Employment Type: Not explicitly stated but implied full-time professional role
• Experience Level: Senior level implied by title "Senior Program Officer" plus required experience traits
• Salary Information:

Anticipated annual pay range for applicants based within United States: US$83,150 to US$126,540 For applicants outside US: pay range adjusted by country of hire Compensation based on skills, experience, location

• Skills Mentioned:
• Trust-based philanthropy or community-based grantmaking
• Participatory decision-making structures
• Grantmaking in international context
• Nonprofit capacity building (funder/consultant/nonprofit leader)
• Strategic thinking
• Analytical skills
• Creative problem-solving
• Organizational skills
• Prioritization/time management
• Attention to detail/accuracy
• Partnership building with volunteer communities/stakeholders/fund-seekers
• Facilitation/motivation/coordinating volunteer communities
• Negotiation within free-thinking communities
• Open/transparent communication/public speaking/written communication
• Managing complex projects/stakeholders
• Scheduling across time zones globally
• English proficiency (written/spoken/public speaking)
• Commitment to equity/inclusion/diversity
• Global perspective/international experience
• Online community experience (desirable)
• Passion or experience contributing Wikipedia/Wikimedia (desirable)
• Additional language proficiency (desirable)
• Application URL or Email:

Application is via Greenhouse platform embedded form on page ("Apply" button). For accommodation requests due to disability contact email: recruiting@wikimedia.org Phone contact for accommodations: +1 (415) 839-6885 No direct external application URL provided in text. Application is submitted through webpage form.