**Announcement: The location for the 14th International AWID Forum has been changed! https://www.awid.org/news-and-analysis/announcement-location-14th-intern…

Forum Logistics Manager

Application Closing Date: 5 January 2020 (extended)

Location: Remote – East or Southeast Asia preferred

Term: Fixed Term (January 2020 to 31 March 2021)

Organization: Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID)

Salary: The starting gross annual salary for this role is $52,500.00 USD

Overview of the organization and Forum

The Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID) is a global, feminist, membership, movement-support organisation. Its mission is to support feminist, women’s rights and gender justice movements to thrive, to be a driving force in challenging systems of oppression, and to co-create feminist realities. The AWID Forum offers a space for deep discussion, exchange and inspiration. We see it as an initiative that is co-created by feminist movements — it challenges and strengthens our movements and promotes coordinated engagement and action. Our last Forum in Bahia, Brazil, brought together 1800 feminists from 120 countries around the world.

Overview of the Position:

The Forum Logistics Manager is a full-time position responsible for providing leadership in the logistical planning, implementation and evaluation of the AWID International Forum. The Forum Logistics Manager will:

• Provide strategic leadership and management of the development and implementation of the Forum Logistics Strategy and workplan

• Coordinate closely with the Co-EDs and Co-Creating Feminist Realities (CFR)/Forum Director who are leading the overall AWID Forum strategy, liaising with other AWID staff as relevant for its implementation

• Manage Forum Logistics staff and contractors, providing direction, managing performance and overseeing workplanning to ensure effective fulfillment of Forum objectives

• Develop, manage and adhere to the budget and other Forum resources, ensuring adherence to financial controls and financial and organizational policies and procedures

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES

AWID International Forum: Planning, Coordination and Evaluation

• In consultation with the CFR/Forum Director and the Co-EDs, develop/revise a Forum Logistics Strategy that is consistent with the overall Forum vision and other already developed strategies (such as Content, Accessibility, Communications, RM and Donor Engagement, etc.)

• Support the Co-EDs and CFR/Forum Director to make major decisions on Forum Logistics by providing them with a well-researched, objective and balanced description of available alternatives that includes their pros and cons, and implications (financial, political, human resources-related and any other relevant ones), along with recommendations

• Lead the implementation of the 2020 Forum Logistics Strategy and workplan

• Actively participate in the CFR/Forum team and other coordination meetings contributing logistical expertise to debates around the Forum

• In coordination with the Co-EDs and the CFR/Forum Director, integrate a feminist political vision into the implementation of Forum logistics, with input from the CFR/Forum team, other relevant staff and Forum Committee members

• In coordination with the CFR/Forum Deputy and team members, work closely with AWID’s Information, Communication and Media (ICM) team, to ensure that all Forum related printed and online communication products and materials including but not limited to a Forum program, signage, banners etc. produced are consistent with the overall Forum vision and its related strategies

• Develop Forum manual for Forum 2020 (incorporating new lessons and insights to facilitate a smooth organizing process for future forums)

• Lead the Logistics’ staff contributions to a 2020 Forum report, documenting highlights from the Forum.

AWID International Forum: Site and Logistics

• Work with the Forum Deputy Logistics Manager and other Logistics staff to organize site visits and support the Co-EDs and/or CFR/Forum Director to meet with local women’s, feminists and other social justice groups to understand local dynamics and expectations of the event, and respond to logistics-related questions and requests.

• Contribute to the development and maintenance of relevant relationships with government officials from the Forum host-country to secure support with facilitating visas (Foreign Affairs Ministry); and to mitigate potential political interference or backlash (Women’s Ministries or local government officials from the city hosting the Forum)

• Liaise with advisors based in the host country to ensure that Forum logistics are taking advantage of their advice and responding to their priorities, to the extent possible

• Support identifying and selecting a local partner organization when required by regulations and/or practices in the Forum host country, and work with them to secure that Forum preparations can proceed smoothly

• Research, assess and contract relevant consultants and vendors in the selected site, or elsewhere as needed, applying criteria that include alignment to the Forum’s political vision.

• Actively maintain relations and oversee all work performed by 2020 Forum consultants and vendors sharing specific tasks with the Deputy Forum Logistics Manager

• Oversee and support the Forum Deputy Logistics Manager work in coordinating and implementing the logistical aspects of the Access Fund (travel grants) strategy as well as the registration and Forum scheduling process/procedures

• Provide leadership in responding to ‘special requests’, resolving problems and channelling appropriate concerns to the CFR/Forum Director, as needed

• Liaise with organizers of the Trans Feminisms Pre-Convening and coordinate logistical support to their event; liaise with organizers of other pre/post Forum events to support alignment and coordination as viable

• In coordination with the CFR/Forum Director and Deputy, coordinate the logistical requirements for all additional activities that are part of the Forum program (dinner, party, Open Spaces, etc.)

• Liaise with the Arts & Cultural Expression Lead and Artists Working Group to address the logistical implications of integrating artistics expressions throughout the Forum program and space

AWID International Forum: Participation, Program and Registration

• Oversee the development and management of the Forum database to handle session/activity information and requests (in coordination with the Director of Programs who leads the Forum Content strategy); facilitate review and shortlisting of proposals by the CFR/Forum Team as well as the Participatory Selection Process by which shortlisted applicants will vote on their preferred activities for the Forum Program. Coordinate the IT and Forum Logistics staff preliminary (Level 0) review of proposals, removing any that are incomplete or do not meet established criteria

• Ensure regular communication with organizers of Forum activities and respond to logistics-related requests for information as needed

• Liaise with the Communications Manager in the, translation, design and dissemination of all Forum information developed by the CFR/Forum and other relevant teams and signed off on by relevant directors, on awid.org and the 2020 Forum website as well as other Forum communications.

• Develop the forum programme – aligning expected session size with appropriate rooms and interpretation capacity – and schedule all activities including additional ones

AWID International Forum: On-site

On site, the Forum Logistics Manager has ultimate responsibility for the smooth operation of all aspects of the Forum:

• overseeing activities, responding to room change requests

• organizing interpreters

• coordinating with collective moments facilitators to test equipment and provide any audio-visual support when required in advance

• overseeing the open spaces use and allocation ensuring adequate signage and maps paying particular attention to accessibility needs

• overseeing on-site meals and special events

• ground transportation to/from venue

• registration and participant welcoming

• supporting effective problem-solving and issue management (including between participants and service providers)

• overseeing effective, appropriate attention to participant requests and needs

Team and organizational leadership, development and support

• Promote an organizational culture of high performance and professional development and growth that values learning and teamwork;

• Proactively identify gaps or inefficiencies, and seek guidance from the CFR/Forum Director to address them

• Participate and contribute to the CFR/Forum team coordination meetings

• Maintain relationships with staff in other program areas of the organization to facilitate smooth coordination and communication

• Support and mentor the Forum Deputy and other logistics staff as hired, provide regular feedback on performance relative to AWID’s overall outcomes and conduct end-of-the-year and mid-year Performance Reviews with them.

• Develop and monitor an individual work plan that will document the timeline, requirements and timelines for all tasks and deliverables related to the International Forum Logistics Strategy

• Promote shared leadership and participatory processes within the CFR/Forum team, specifically among Forum Logistics staff, and in its interactions with other AWID teams

• Actively participate in the Directors and Managers Team (DMT)

• Work with the Directors Team (DT) to address programmatic, human resource, financial, legislative issues as they arise in the lead-up to the Forum to ensure that AWID is effective in achieving its outcomes and as well as undertaking itself as a strong feminist organization

• Implement and adhere to internal financial controls

• Develop, manage and adhere to the Logistics components in the Forum budget, monitoring expenditures on a day-to-day, quarterly and annual basis, providing detail and explanation of any variances

• Approve expenditures within Forum Logistics activities in accordance with policies

• Support one’s own wellbeing and wellbeing of team members

POSITION SPECIFICATIONS:

Essential Values and Competencies

• Value a feminist intersectional framework and its implications for organizational practices and committed to the principles of feminism and anti-oppression struggles

• Focus on the big picture and strategy

• Transparency and accountability

• Critical thinking and analysis

• Results and process orientation.

• Strategic risk management

• Build strong Interpersonal relations from the role – across the organization

• Influencing & resolving differences across boundaries

• Self-awareness and insight

• Ability to progress work under pressure

Essential Knowledge, Skills, Abilities & Experience

• 7-10 years experience:

• in an event or logistics coordinating role, or equivalent experience, preferably in a women’s rights, feminist, social justice or in a non-profit/NGO setting

• handling a wide range of programme and logistical tasks

• with international project planning and management

• working in a multi-lingual, multi-time zone and cross-cultural environment

• supervising staff and consultants

• developing procedures and systems and knowledge of best practices

• Excellent written and verbal communication in English

• Capacity to think and plan strategically, assessing and articulating different alternatives and their implications

• Demonstrated ability to develop, coordinate implementation, monitor and evaluate a project plan with multiple deliverables, stakeholders and deadlines

• Demonstrates good judgment and effective decision-making skills in complex problem-solving

• Strong organizational skills with multi-tasking capability

• Experience working remotely and across multiple time zones with other team members as well as vendors and suppliers

• Ability to work well in high-pressure situations and with tight deadlines

• Flexibility to work occasional evenings and weekends in weeks and days leading up to AWID Forums and Events

• Flexibility to work occasionally early in the morning or late at night to respond to requests and/or attend virtual meetings with the CFR/Forum team, Deputy Forum Logistics Manager and other staff based in various time zones

• High levels of initiative, creativity, and resourcefulness

• A passion for women’s and human rights issues as well as event organizing

• Ability to engage team members, build consensus, proactively de-escalate and resolve conflict

• Experience with monitoring and evaluating outcomes, expertise in budget monitoring

• Effectively manages the ‘risks’ appropriate with the level of responsibility: safety, human resources, financial, programmatic, political, etc.

• Excellent attention to detail

• Able to absorb new skills and information quickly

• Able and willing to perform diverse tasks as needed in a timely manner

• Able to work independently with minimal supervision and as part of a team

• Strong computer skills, including databases, Slack, Asana, Google drive and presentation packages (PowerPoint).

• Be based in, and/or have strong work experience in East or Southeast Asia

Desirable Knowledge, Skills, Abilities & Experience:

• Familiarity with elements of feminist theory and women’s rights frameworks

• Multilingual – working proficiency in at least one other language used in multiple regions or countries (other than English)

• Courses or certificates in women’s/feminist studies, political economy or human rights considered an asset

• Experience of shared leadership models of work

• Experience working in a global, decentralized and virtual organization

• Sound knowledge of IT or a strong base and willingness to learn (Databases – Filemaker, MS Excel/ PowerPoint/Word, HTML, publishing or design software)

• Knowledge of multimedia an asset

Other requirements

• Availability to travel nationally, regionally and internationally (approx. 6-8 weeks during the employment period) **