Title: Governance and Membership Coordinator
Duty station: Geneva, Switzerland
Contract type: Fixed-term contract
Duration: 2 years with possibility for renewal
Target starting date: 01/01/2025
Worktime: 100 %
Reports to: General Secretary
Travel: Occasional
Languages required: English & Spanish/French
Experience: minimum 5 years of experience in senior administrative or executive support roles
Application deadline: 20/September/2024
About ACT Alliance
ACT Alliance is one of the world’s largest coalition of churches and church-related organizations engaged in humanitarian, development and advocacy work. It consists of 150+ members working together in over 120 countries, whose aim is to create positive and sustainable changes in the lives of poor and marginalized people regardless of their religion, politics, gender, sexual orientation, race or nationality and in keeping with the highest international codes and standards. Headquartered in over 73 countries, 64% of our members are based in the Global South, 30% in the Global North, and 6% are Global members. For more details about the general work of ACT, please refer to http://www.actalliance.org/.
Job Summary
ACT Alliance is looking for a Governance and Membership Coordinator. The Governance and Membership Coordinator holds an important role in ensuring the smooth operation of the ACT Alliance’s governance and policy frameworks. This position provides high-level administrative and operational support to the ACT General Secretary and plays a key role in coordinating activities across various governance structures, including the ACT Governing Board, Executive Committee, and Membership and Nominations Committee. Additionally, the role involves engagement with ACT’s National and Regional Forums enhancing the Alliance’s strategic direction. Proficiency in English, and solid knowledge of Spanish and/or French are required.
Duties and responsibilities
Governance Support
- Organize and coordinate activities related to the ACT Governing Board and ACT Executive Committee, including scheduling meetings, preparing agendas, drafting minutes, and ensuring the timely dissemination of information.
- Collaborate with relevant stakeholders to follow up on action points arising from Governing Board and Executive Committee meetings, ensuring accountability and progress.
- Liaise with the Logistics Team to provide administrative support, including venue arrangements, travel coordination, and documentation management.
- Support the Membership and Nominations Committee in managing membership applications, ensuring compliance with established criteria and procedures.
ACT National and Regional Forums
- Provide strategic policy-related support to ACT National and Regional Forums, working closely with ACT regional representatives.
- Ensure effective communication between the General Secretariat and regional forums, coordinating the flow of information and aligning regional activities with global priorities.
- Assist in the organization of the “Global Forum Coordinators Meeting”, including agenda preparation, participant coordination, and documentation management.
Membership Management
- Receive, process, and track membership applications, ensuring completeness and adherence to requirements.
- Maintain accurate records and documentation related to membership status and applications.
- Coordinate communication with prospective and existing members, responding to inquiries and facilitating the application process.
- Collaborate with the Operations Team (Finance and Quality & Accountability) to ensure the timely and accurate processing of membership fees and adherence to mandatory policies and guidelines.
Proofreading and Document Preparation
- Review and proofread documents, reports, and presentations prepared for the Governing Board and Executive Committee, ensuring accuracy, coherence, clarity, and adherence to established guidelines.
- Assist in the preparation and formatting of official documents, including correspondence, briefing notes, and resolutions.
- Coordinate with relevant staff to compile, organize, and distribute documents for Board meetings and other high-level official gatherings.
Support for Leadership Team Meetings
- Assist in the preparation of leadership team meetings, including the Core Management Team and Global Leadership Team, by preparing agendas and compiling briefing materials.
- Ensure that relevant documentation and information are available to support discussions and decision-making during Leadership Team meetings.
- Follow up on action items to facilitate effective collaboration and communication among team members.
Coordinating the Agenda of the General Secretary
- Work closely with the General Secretary to coordinate and prioritize his/her agenda, integrating key priorities, upcoming events, and strategic initiatives.
- Prepare comprehensive briefing materials and background documentation for the General Secretary ahead of meetings and official engagements, ensuring they are well-prepared and informed.
Competences and behaviors
- Committed to the values of the ACT Alliance and takes pride in delivering on agreed priorities according to the highest standards individually and as part of a global team.
- Proactively finds innovative and creative solutions, is efficient and reliable, adapts to change and uncertainty, is decisive and acts with integrity.
- Builds effective internal and external relationships, involves others when solving problems and treats others with consideration and respect in an alliance where faith is a key ingredient of people’s lives.
- Passion for building and developing core skills for the role and contributes knowledge outside of immediate own role.
- Effectively motivates, influences and develops others, drives high performance, inspires people to follow them and acts as a role model.
Working relationships
- Liaises with membership organizations and ACT Secretariat colleagues
- Reports to General Secretary
Qualifications and Skills
- Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, with substantial experience in senior administrative or executive support roles within an international or NGO context.
- Proficiency in English and solid knowledge of Spanish and / or French, with excellent written and verbal communication skills, especially in English.
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines effectively.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office 365 and other relevant software applications.
- Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively in a multicultural environment.
- Familiarity with governance structures and processes within non-profit and faith-based organizations is highly desirable.
How to apply
Due to strict permit requirements in Switzerland, only Swiss or EU/EEA nationals or those with a valid Swiss work permit can be considered for this role. ACT provides equitable compensation and pension packages and flexible working conditions. ACT also applies a non-discriminatory approach to recruitment and celebrates a diverse workforce. Interested and qualified candidates should send only their CV and a cover letter, in English and by email only, to recruitment@actalliance.org by 20th September 2024 (24.00 CET). Please put “Governance and Membership Coordinator” in the subject line and name your documents: “Firstname lastname CV” and “Firstname lastname Cover letter”. Please be sure to provide your nationality and Swiss work permit status in your application.
Please note that ACT adheres to the SCHR misconduct scheme https://www.schr.info/the-misconduct-disclosure-scheme. As part of reference checking, ACT will contact the current and former employer(s) of the preferred candidate, asking them to complete a Statement of Conduct form.
We ask for understanding that we are only able to contact shortlisted candidates.
