Senior Program Manager - Global Rights and Grantmaking

Out right International; United States; Remote; USD 100,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Outright International in New York City seeks a Senior Program Manager to lead the implementation of a multi-country grant portfolio across high-risk contexts. You will coordinate with leadership, regional staff, and in-country partners to ensure locally owned, demand-driven, and donor-compliant programming.

Reporting to the Senior Director of Global Programs and Grantmaking, you will oversee inception, MEL, risk management, safeguarding, and advocacy activities, while ensuring high-quality

Qualifications

• Significant experience managing complex, multi-country grants in the human rights or international development sector.
• Experience with civil society partners in restrictive, high-risk contexts.
• Strong grantmaking, localization, and partner-led program design.
• Experience with MEL frameworks, particularly outcome mapping or similar qualitative approaches.
• Familiarity with donor compliance requirements.
• Cultural competency and sensitivity to SOGIESC dynamics and intersectional analysis.
• Willingness to travel to program regions as security conditions allow.
• English and Spanish language skills are mandatory.

Responsibilities

• 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.

Skills

Grant management

Multi-country coordination

Civil society partnerships

MEL frameworks

Donor compliance

Localization principles

Risk assessment

Travel readiness

English and Spanish

Job description

Programs – Remote

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.

Only qualified candidates will be contacted. Please do not call.