Job Announcement: Coordinator

Application Deadline: 5th September 2021

Intersex Asia is looking for an experienced coordinator who is able to identify needs and to support all aspects of our newly established network working with grassroots organizations and intersex activists. 

• Title: Coordinator (Full-time), 40 hours per week 
• Location: Home-based (remote working) 
• Languages Required: English
• Expected duration: 3 months on probation followed by a 9-month contract. It can be extended based on performance and available funds.
• Start Date: 1 October 2021
• Remuneration: USD 2000 per month (gross)
• Application Deadline: September 5, 2021
• Reports to: Executive Director and IA Board

Intersex Asia’s equal opportunities statement: 

• Intersex Asia aims to ensure that all full-time and part-time employees, potential employees and other individuals will receive equal treatment, including access to employment, training and opportunities for promotion, regardless of any personal attribute, including but not limited to colour, nationality, national or ethnic origin, race, gender,  sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, domestic circumstances, marital status, pregnancy, trade union membership, gender reassignment, health status, HIV status, religion or belief, age, sexuality, sex characteristics, bodily diversity and disability.
• We encourage intersex individuals, as well as people from ethnic and racial minority backgrounds to apply.
• We want to make sure the recruitment process is accessible to applicants with disabilities, so if you would like us to make any arrangements in this respect, please let us know.

Who we are

Intersex Asia (IA) is an autonomous regional network of intersex-led organizations and individuals from Asian countries that work to support, educate and advocate for the rights and lives of intersex individuals and raise awareness on human rights violations and discrimination faced by intersex communities. IA is legally registered as an International NGO in Taiwan. 

We uphold the principle of “Nothing About Us Without Us” – central to Intersex Asia’s work is the knowledge that intersex people in Asia are the only people who can properly represent the issues facing intersex people in the diverse political and cultural contexts of Asia and in the design of the solutions that are needed. Intersex Asia’s network is committed to working for intersex people within Asian diversity to uphold mutual respect, non-discrimination, justice, peer support and empowerment. We respect human rights. Our work highlights equality, inclusivity, transparency, and accountability in order to build a loved, trustworthy, holistic, and sustainable intersex movement in the Asian region.

For the past three years since its formation in 2018, Intersex Asia has paved the way for many historic milestones in the Asian intersex movement by organising the intersex community and supporting the development of intersex-led organisations. In 2021, we entered into a new strategic phase, with a focus on seven objectives. Our goal is to continue building the intersex movement in Asia, by raising awareness on intersex rights, develop the capacity of intersex activists and intersex-led organisations, to conduct research and build knowledge resources on intersex rights, and to better support our member organisation’s advocacy efforts by leveraging the solidarity in the network. 

Here at IA, we follow a collaborative working approach where staff members and the Executive Director work together under the mentorship of our Executive Board. The strategic decisions are taken by the Board in consultation with IA’s member organisations at the bi-annual General Meeting. The day-to-day decisions are taken by the Executive Director in consultation with the Co-chair. We all work together to build and sustain a passionate, proactive, and productive team.

The Role:

The Coordinator plays a crucial role in ensuring Intersex Asia successfully carries out our mission. As the Coordinator, the candidate will contribute to the development and implementation of IA’s Strategic Plan. The Coordinator will assist in securing new programs by coordinating and leading proposal development processes and ensuring high-quality and timely donor reporting. They will know and advise staff and IA Board on donor rules and compliance. To be able to work towards our goals, we also remain focussed on strengthening our foundations by constantly improving our organisational management and development. The Coordinator plays a crucial role in this area. 

They will work collaboratively with the Executive Director, Research and Advocacy Officer, Communications Officer and Finance Officer to advance common workstreams and maintain high program quality. They will support the Network’s thought leadership, advocacy, and communications agendas, and may be required to represent the organisation as appropriate on external platforms. It is critical that the Coordinator is an excellent communicator, who is supportive and solution-focused. The Coordinator needs to be highly motivated, self-driven and able to support complex programming with limited daily support and directions; s/he will be able to work remotely with internal and external stakeholders to achieve common objectives.

The Coordinator will also provide a wide range of transactional and operational support, oversight and partner management to ensure Intersex Asia board members and member organisations receive effective, accurate, efficient and helpful support. The Coordinator will work in close partnership with the Executive Director to ensure compliance issues and risk management needs are addressed. This position will also work closely with intersex-led organisations from other regions and our partner organisations in the implementation of IA’s programmatic activities. 

This is an exciting opportunity for someone who is passionate about working in a growing organisation. This is a varied role which includes:

• Handle organisational coordination and management responsibilities along with the ED including management of human resources and finances;
• Lead the resource mobilization activities to secure funding for expansion of the network and its programs, including exploring opportunities, liaising with donors, and writing proposals, in consultation with the Intersex Asia board; 
• Co-lead preparation of annual work plan in alignment with IA’s Strategic Plan and supervise its implementation;

The ideal candidate for this role will have a strong experience of working in regional-level non-profit organisations and is familiar with the context of the intersex community in Asia. The holder of this position would be required to manage staff as well as external consultants and ensure smooth collaboration with IA’s member organisations. The ideal candidate will have experience in project management and administration, including work plan development, implementation and monitoring, reporting and budgeting involving human rights or justice sector-related projects.  

The Coordinator will report to Intersex Asia’s Executive Director and IA’s Executive Board.

Key Responsibilities:

Organisational Management and Development

• Co-lead and/or facilitate meetings with staff and board members to ensure task follow-up and accountability.
• Establish systems for regular grant monitoring and facilitate regular discussions with staff members to ensure that project activities are tracked effectively, risks and issues are flagged and action is taken as appropriate.
• Maintain close bilateral partnerships with member organisations to ensure an open line of communication and provide other key guidance to ensure program management and harmonization.
• Provide regular management information to the Intersex Asia board on the programmatic activities.
• Maintain an online grant filing system, reporting and compliance tracker (ensuring compliance with IA’s organisational policies), grant requirements, and other program management tools.
• Play a leading role in Grant Kick-Off and Close-Out meetings to ensure that all grant information, including deadlines, donor priorities and requirements, are communicated and understood by staff and external consultants, and grants are closed in compliance with donor regulations.

Program Compliance

• Design, lead and supervise in conjunction with the Executive Director the work of team members on the successful implementation of programs, trainings, and workshops;
• Work closely with the Finance, Research and Communications staff to ensure compliance with donor and IA organisational policies.
• Liaise with IA Executive Board to facilitate donor requests for review and approval of program activities (e.g. program adaptations, events), communications initiatives (e.g. press releases, reports, campaigns) and other initiatives that require donor approval within the parameters of the awarded contract.
• Ensure that the program is executed in alignment with the donor agreement and the applicable donor regulations, staying abreast of changes in the regulatory environment related to donor/grant compliance; updating partnership process, tools, policies and procedures as necessary.
• Communicate compliance expectations, donor policy updates/changes, and other relevant guidance to member organisations and assist in the development of region-wide strategies to adhere to such guidance, as appropriate.

Program Reporting and Communications

• Lead all reporting workflows and processes between member organisations and staff to ensure the timely and quality development, review and submission of reports and other communication products.
• Coordinate, write, and submit high-quality reports at donor-instructed frequency, including monthly reports, semi-annual reports, final reports.
• Spearhead opportunities for thought leadership and increased visibility on behalf of the organisation, including video/fact sheet production, position papers, thought leadership pieces, and other related initiatives leveraging evidence from programs.
• Provide timely, thorough responses to information requests from internal and external sources.
• Participate in donor meetings, providing requested inputs and contributing to discussions around program management and strategy.

Proposal Development

• Interface with IA Executive Board to keep abreast of donor strategic priorities, specific requirements and deadlines.
• Participate in the strategic evaluation process for new funding opportunities.
• Oversee proposal development processes, including drafting and producing high-quality concept notes and proposals that support organisation’s strategic programming goals. 
• Coordinate funding opportunities with relevant partner organisations and facilitate discussions to design sound technical proposal ideas.
• Use inputs of member organisations to lead on proposal writing, development, and submission processes to donors, ensuring partners’ compliance with established deadlines for providing technical input and comments.
• Facilitate administrative elements of the proposal development process, including Issues Letters. 

Team Management

• Hire and supervise team member(s) responsible for administrative, reporting, and support duties for the organisation.
• Handle responsibilities including training employees; managing, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; addressing complaints and resolving problems.
• Develop the capacity of the supervisee, deepen his/her understanding of their role and assist with career development.
• Assist IA staff and member organisations with information, tools and resources to improve performance and reach objectives.
• Support Executive Director and represent the organisation on behalf of the Executive Director in an internal or external capacity, as appropriate.
• Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback informally and formally via regular one on ones and performance reviews.
• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
• Assist in recruiting, orienting, and new team member onboarding as necessary.

Skills and Competencies:

We are looking for a candidate with substantial experience working in a relevant sector in an international context, who can demonstrate:

Personal qualities

• Passionate commitment to intersex rights and alignment with IA’s vision and mission;
• An open, adaptable and detail-oriented approach to organisational work in collaboration with others;

• Excellent written and oral communication skills, and able to convey complex issues to audiences with differing levels of knowledge
• Self-motivating with the ability to work effectively from home as part of a virtual team and in an office environment.
• Excellent listening and communication skills with sensitivity to cultural communication differences;
• Strong interpersonal skills, confidence working as part of a team and a proven track record of effective stakeholder relationship management
• Good time management and problem-solving skills
• Willingness to support colleagues outside the parameters of the job description where necessary
• The ability to, and appreciation of the need for, travel across Asia and outside Asia to deliver this role

Qualifications and experience

• Bachelor’s degree required. A masters or equivalent in a field related to Human Rights, Humanitarian or International Development or relevant fields is preferred.
• 5+ years of experience providing coordination or management support to program implementation in a relevant field of expertise that includes:
  • Preparing writing and analysis on programmatic activities
  • Budget management experience
  • Managing work plans.
  • Proposal and new business development
• Representing programs with donors and external stakeholders.
  • Experience working in the Asian human rights context.
  • Proven ability to work cooperatively with internal and external stakeholders, and to play a leadership role.
  • Astute skills in relationship building and coordination.
  • Understanding and experience of adaptive management.
  • Extensive experience with monitoring and evaluation and other learning efforts.
  • Excellent writing and communications skills are required.
  • High level of English fluency, including excellent written skills 
  • Mandarin language skills are an asset since organisation is based in Taiwan

Advocacy Experience

• Direct experience in policy influencing, nationally and internationally.
• Proven experience and knowledge of gender equality, human rights, women’s, children’s and girls’ rights issues, and the Sustainable Development Agenda
• Working with communications to promote policy positions and the work of Intersex Asia
• Ability to understand and communicate the practical significance of complex legal issues (preferably human rights) for non-legal audiences, using plain and engaging language.
• Excellent verbal and written English language skills, including the ability to communicate appropriately with a range of audiences.
• Excellent networking and relationship management skills, developed through demonstrable experience

Administrative and Project Management Skills

• Ability to manage consultants and execute research projects. 
• Direct experience in Project management and/or planning projects. Excellent management skills and ability to develop and maintain a program;
• Demonstrated analytical and writing ability including substantial proposal and report-writing experience as well as financial reporting;
• Contributing to results frameworks or other reporting frameworks and supporting the identification and gathering of appropriate evidence.

Computer and digital skills   

• High-level skills in Google Workspace, Microsoft Office particularly Excel, Word, PowerPoint.  
• Technologically confident to work remotely on cloud-based systems and collaborate on project management software like Notion/Click Up/Monday/Basecamp. 

Organisational skills

• Excellent administration and time management skills, with the ability to prioritise and manage multiple tasks simultaneously to a high standard
• Ability to work under pressure to deadlines, including remotely and adapt to a fast-moving environment
• Excellent attention to detail and accuracy, including meticulous proofreading and editorial support to colleagues.

How to apply

Interested applicants can apply by completing the application form and submitting it, along with all required documents, by emailcoordinator@intersexasia.com (see instructions below).

Deadline
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until September 5, 2021. Due to the number of expected applications, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Application Checklist

The complete application shall include the following:

• Duly filled Application Form (please remember to rename the file properly)
• Writing sample(s) (at least one), no longer than 1,000 words (you can shorten them as required)
• Successful grant proposals you wrote in the past (you may cover names and confidential information)

Please download the application form from this link. The filled application form needs to be sent to coordinator@intersexasia.com by 5th September 2021. Please ensure that the subject of your email is “Application: IA Coordinator”.