Director of the Collaborative Fund

Primary Responsibilities

• Provide strategic oversight and guidance for Ipas’s grantmaking program, ensuring compliance with legal, donor, and organizational requirements, and rooted in feminist and decolonial values.
• Design and oversee ICF’s grantmaking approaches that prioritize local leadership, trust, learning, and shared accountability over extractive or overly bureaucratic models.
• Support Ipas Collaborative Fund Advisory Committee and Ipas implementation nodes and other donor specific grantmaking steering bodies (e.g. MAREAS Regional Committees) to exercise meaningful decision-making authority within clear strategic and accountability frameworks for collaborative funds in Ipas network.
• Oversee Ipas grants programs, which include working closely with staff to distribute grants from applicable unrestricted or restricted Funds.
• Support Ipas country nodes and grantmaking advisory committees through effective staff coordination.
• Lead Development/fundraising strategy for the grants-making program, identifying and pursuing funding opportunities that align with organizational priorities and grantmaking goals.
• Cultivate and maintain relationships with donors, foundations, and institutional partners to support sustained grantmaking capacity, build partnerships, and position Ipas in the philanthropic sector.
• Develop, maintain, and implement due diligence policies, procedures, and standards for grantmaking.
• Ensure effective staff support for Ipas implementation nodes and grantmaking advisory committees.
• Aid in developing and overseeing the grantmaking budget, working with the Finance Managers/Director and Grants Managers to ensure due diligence and accounting of all grants.
• Establish a new node in the organization and contribute to organization-wide efforts.
• Assist as needed with identifying and resolving key strategic issues or changes within the organization, including organizational structures, management process and procedures.
• Keep apprised of research and issues in the philanthropic field and participate in professional training, conferences, and meetings as needed and appropriate.
• Attend staff meetings and Advisory Committee meetings to ensure cross-functionality and information sharing with colleagues.
• Create and maintain a capability to provide timely and relevant data to stakeholders across the organization that promotes learning, improves grant processing time, and systemizes internal communications.
• Work with the implementation node staff in the creation and implementation of ongoing and uniform reporting packages regarding all aspects of grant-making.
• Lead efforts to optimize grants and funds management through streamlined workflows, seamless hand-offs, and enhanced reporting.
• Build and maintain feedback mechanisms to ensure early detection of end-user problems. Proactively adjust service, training, and communications to support program objectives.
• Continually improve the process for grants management workflows and systems.

Minimum Requirements

• A master’s degree in business, international affairs, public health or a relevant field or a Bachelor’s degree with extensive experience in program, compliance, or grants management.
• Proven ability to interpret and apply complex grant documents to ensure compliance, mitigate risk, and provide legal counsel in the context of non-profit work.
• Eight years professional experience in the international nonprofit sector, with proven expertise in grant making, grants management, program management, compliance, and legal frameworks, social justice organizations and movements.
• Demonstrated grants or subgrants management or compliance expertise, with a focus on mitigating risks and maintaining adherence to complex regulatory requirements.
• Two years’ professional experience supporting global programs in Asia, Africa, and/or Latin America.
• Fluency in English, and/or French and/or Spanish, with excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to travel internationally up to 10%.

Preferred Skills

• Direct experience managing multi-region grants and navigating complex legal and compliance landscapes.
• Three to five years’ management experience with demonstrated ability to build teams and promote collaboration to share learning, experience, and create a culture of continuous improvement to support compliance.
• Expertise in reproductive justice.
• Expertise in feminist grantmaking.
• Fluency in other languages (Spanish, French, Portuguese or others used frequently within Ipas).