Executive · Remote
Interim Special Advisor to the CEO
Temporary, Full-Time Role (January to August 2024 Parental Leave Coverage)
About Asylum Access
We are human rights advocates who support forcibly displaced individuals and communities as they reclaim their rights, agency and power.
Our unique combination of legal empowerment, policy advocacy and global systems change creates conditions in which refugees can live safely, move freely, work legally and go to school. Our work transforms the traditional approach of endless humanitarian handouts to a sustainable solution that honors refugees’ freedom, dignity and autonomy, and equips them to make choices about their own lives.
Asylum Access’s global team and family of local civil society organizations advocate to make human rights a reality for refugees throughout Africa, Asia and Latin America. Our national organizations are led and staffed primarily by community members in those countries, and there is strong mutual trust and respect between us and our clients. On the international stage, we work with established institutions to shift the global system to better uphold and promote refugees’ human rights. We can help catalyze and lead systemic transformation because, uniquely among NGOs in the refugee response sector, we focus exclusively on rights and governance.
Position Description
Asylum Access is looking for an entrepreneurial, highly-organized interim Special Advisor who can work on a wide range of projects and activities in support of Asylum Access’ CEO. The interim Special Advisor will function in effect as a junior chief of staff to the CEO. This is a temporary role for a period of seven months, ideally starting in January 2024 through August 2024.
The responsibilities will be wide-ranging and will include support in the areas of strategy, management, human resources, fundraising, communications, and board management. The interim Special Advisor may also be called upon to contribute to key initiatives as needed.
This is an exciting opportunity to be exposed to every dimension of a fast-growing nonprofit practicing grant-making and demanding rights for forcibly displaced communities.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Support to the CEO and Executive Department Management (40%)
- Provide thought partnership to the CEO on strategic issues
- Prepare CEO for key meetings and events, and debrief with CEO after the fact to strategize and implement follow-up
- Work alongside Asylum Access’s communications team to draft remarks, talking points, and op-eds as needed
- Draft key strategy presentations for the CEO, including for Asylum Access leadership and for external stakeholders
- Support the CEO in liaising with the Asylum Access Board of Directors, including drafting agendas, presentations, and other materials, as well as developing and executing Board projects/initiatives
- Be informed and bring forward issues being discussed broadly in our sector; work with the CEO and Communications team to identify when and where we should be setting agendas and adding our voice to the conversation, including in responding to emerging global crises
- Manage and support the Executive Assistant to the CEO and ensure they have the capacity and resources to execute their role to the highest standards.
Project Management (30%)
- Monitor tasks related to CEO’s management duties; assigning, coordinating, and reviewing tasks as instructed by the CEO
- Support the CEO and COO in overseeing, project managing, and implementing major organization-wide projects, such as strategic planning or employee engagement
Organizational Growth & Culture (30%)
- Coordinate with the Human Resources Department and/or external recruitment firms on recruiting, interviewing, and hiring processes for key positions.
- Work with the CEO and Development Director to follow up on fundraising opportunities
- Lead research projects on organizational growth and culture, analyze results, and present recommendations for action
Additional Responsibilities
Additional duties may include supporting the CEO and the Global Leadership Team (GLT) in quarterly reporting and annual planning.
Reports to: Chief Executive Officer
Minimum Qualifications
- Demonstrated ability to collaborate with executive positions to carry out key organizational initiatives
- Demonstrated experience managing complex projects that are tied to key organizational priorities
- High level of discretion and excellent judgment
- Strong commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in all areas of work
- Excellent communication skills and cultural intelligence, orientation toward building and strengthening relationships
- Outstanding writing skills, with a premium on precision and clarity
- Excellent critical and analytical skills
- Superb organizational skills and attention to detail
- Proven ability to juggle multiple projects with competing deadlines and proactively take initiative to execute tasks and address roadblocks
- Proficiency in Google Workspace tools, PowerPoint and Excel
Preferred Qualifications
- Strong knowledge of and/or experience in the refugee protection sector and various actors
- Willingness and interest to learn new skills rapidly, and to take on new areas of work as necessary
- Intellectually curious with a thirst for learning
- Positive, energetic, can-do attitude
- Solutions-oriented mindset
- Spanish is a significant plus
Hours and Location of Work
This position will require approximately 40 hours of work per week. Remote work is feasible, but the location should have substantial time zone overlap with New York, NY (within 1-2 hours of US Eastern Time). Schedules and hours are generally flexible, but the position will require accompanying the CEO in meetings outside of business hours from time to time. Commitments regarding hours and work time will be formalized between the selected candidate and the position supervisor.
Compensation
Asylum Access is committed to paying competitive salaries and upholding sustainable equity practices. As a reference, the monthly gross salary established for this temporary role based in the U.S. is approximately $8,570. Due to the ways in which salary negotiations perpetuate existing structural inequities, Asylum Access as a practice does not participate in salary negotiations for any candidate.
Application Instructions to Candidates
Please submit a resume and cover letter. In your cover letter, please describe your reasons for applying, relevant qualifications, and how you learned about the position.
Asylum Access is an equal-opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We value the expertise of those who have experienced displacement and encourage people with such lived experience to apply. For more information about our organization, visit www.asylumaccess.org.