Senior Program Manager - Global Rights and Grantmaking

OutRight Action International; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Outright International, headquartered in New York City, is seeking a Senior Program Manager to oversee a large, multi-country grant portfolio and ensure donor-compliant, locally owned program delivery.

You will work with leadership, regional staff, and in-country partners to align activities with strategy, strengthen capacity, and monitor outcomes. English and Spanish are assets; travel may be required as conditions allow.

Qualifications

• : Significant experience managing complex, multi-country grants in human rights, LGBTIQ+ rights, or international development sectors.
• : Experience working with civil society partners in high-risk or restrictive contexts.
• : Strong understanding of grantmaking, localization, and partner-led program design.
• : Experience with MEL frameworks, particularly outcome mapping or similar approaches.
• : Familiarity with donor compliance requirements (government or multilateral funding).
• : Cultural competency and sensitivity to SOGIESC dynamics.
• : Willingness to travel to program regions as security allows.
• : English and Spanish language skills are assets; English is required.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day management of a large, multi-country grant portfolio.
• Coordinate across regional program staff to ensure coherent implementation in high-risk environments.
• Oversee program inception, including Theory of Change, MEL plan, and capacity strengthening with partners.
• Manage relationships with in-country partner organizations, including risk assessment and capacity building.
• Support flexible, partner-led financing mechanisms including emergency funding.
• Coordinate participatory MEL processes and risk registers with the MEL team.
• Ensure safeguarding standards across all partner relationships.
• Coordinate advocacy with in-country partners for regional and international engagement.
• Prepare consolidated donor narrative and financial reports.

Skills

Grant management

Multi-country programs

MEL frameworks

Donor compliance

Partnership management

Risk assessment

Advocacy coordination

Travel readiness

Job description

ABOUT OUTRIGHT INTERNATIONAL

Founded in 1990, Outright International strives to help lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer (LGBTIQ) people live safer, healthier, and more empowered lives worldwide. With staff in 18 countries and global headquarters in New York City, Outright documents human rights violations, helps resource LGBTIQ movements and allies, and advocates for the rights of LGBTIQ people.

Reporting to the Senior Director of Global Programs and Grantmaking, the Program Manager will manage the program's implementation across its target regions, serving as the primary link between Outright's leadership, regional program staff, and in-country partners to ensure the program is delivered in a locally owned, demand-driven, and donor-compliant manner.

We are open to accepting candidates in any country, and this role will not require relocation to our New York office.

Key Responsibilities

Program Oversight and Implementation

• Lead day-to-day management of a large, multi-country grant portfolio, ensuring activities align with donor requirements and organizational strategy
• Coordinate across regional program staff to ensure coherent implementation in high-risk, conflict-affected, and restrictive operating environments
• Oversee program inception phase, including finalization of Theory of Change, MEL plan, and capacity strengthening plans with in-country partners

Partner Management

• Manage relationships with a diverse portfolio of in-country partner organizations, including selection, risk assessment, and reassessment processes
• Oversee co-design and rollout of individualized capacity strengthening plans with partners, ensuring demand-driven and participatory approaches
• Support flexible, partner-led financing mechanisms including emergency, programmatic, and organizational development funding

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning

• Coordinate participatory MEL processes with partners, including outcome mapping, baselines, and qualitative assessment tools in close cooperation with Outright´s MEL team
• Track programmatic and contextual risk registers, escalating significant shifts and coordinating adaptive management responses
• Liaise with external MEL consultants and support donor-led baseline and mid-term evaluation processes

Risk and Safeguarding

• Monitor evolving political, security, and civic-space risks across the program's regions and adjust implementation accordingly
• Ensure safeguarding standards (including SEAH prevention) are upheld across all partner relationships
• Coordinate risk-sharing arrangements and contingency planning with partners and internal compliance teams

Advocacy Coordination

• Support in-country partners' engagement with regional and multilateral human rights mechanisms
• Coordinate logistics and strategic input for partner participation in international convenings and advocacy weeks
• Ensure advocacy priorities remain demand-driven and reflect partner-identified needs

Compliance and Reporting

• Ensure adherence to donor financial and narrative reporting requirements across all in-country partners
• Coordinate with finance and grants teams on disbursement schedules, compliance checks, and sanctions screening
• Prepare consolidated narrative and financial reports for donor submission

Qualifications

• Significant experience managing complex, multi-country grants in the human rights, LGBTIQ+ rights, or international development sector
• Demonstrated experience working with civil society partners in restrictive, high-risk, or conflict-affected contexts
• Strong understanding of grantmaking, localization principles, and partner-led program design
• Experience with MEL frameworks, particularly outcome mapping or similar qualitative approaches
• Familiarity with donor compliance requirements (e.g., government or multilateral funding instruments)
• Cultural competency and sensitivity to SOGIESC dynamics and intersectional analysis
• Willingness to travel to program regions as security conditions allow
• Language skills relevant to program regions are considered an asset. English and Spanish are mandatory.

Please note: This is a Senior Program Manager Role and will stay that, but the program descriptor may change.

Outright is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. People of color, people who are transgender, intersex, or gender-variant, and individuals originally from the Global South are strongly encouraged to apply.