Programme Fellow – Brazil Programme

Job title: Programme Fellow – Brazil Programme
Location: Remote in Brazil
Reporting to: Carolina Munis, Programme Officer; and Adrian Arena, Programme Chair
Job status: 80% (4 days a week)
Estimated start date: 14 August 2023
Estimated duration of contract: Six months, with possibility of renewal for a total period of up to 24 months
Application deadline: 22 June 2023

About Oak Foundation:
Oak Foundation is a global foundation established to address issues of global, social, and environmental concern, particularly those that have a major impact on the lives of the disadvantaged. Through our grant-making, we support others to make the world a safer, fairer, and more sustainable place to live. We make grants to organisations in approximately 40 countries.

The Foundation’s Brazil Programme focuses on people – people who see their equal worth, rights, and dignity challenged or denied, and people who see these injustices and work together to address them. Through our support to civil society, we hope to enable people and communities to have access to what they need to live prosperous lives in a secure, inclusive, and equitable society. It supports civil society organisations and communities in three thematic areas:

• socioenvironmental rights and land justice;
• drug policy; and
• disinformation, polarisation, and deterioration of the public sphere.  

Find out more about our Brazil Programme and their partner stories here.

About the Programme Fellow position:
The Fellow will assist with the administrative and programmatic development of the Brazil Programme. The estimated duration of the contract is six months, with possibility of renewal for a total period of up to 24 months. Work will be online and home-based, and occasional national travel is to be expected. We are accepting applications from all regions of Brazil and highly encourage candidates who live in the North, Northeast, and Midwest. The candidate must reside in Brazil and have a valid work authorisation in the country.

This is a consultant contract type position, and you must be able to issue Brazilian service provision invoices (nota fiscal)through a company registered in Simples Nacional. If your application is successful, Oak will accommodate the time you may need time to set up or resolve issues in your registered company.

The successful candidate will receive a monthly fee in Brazilian Reais, a corporate laptop to be used for work purposes in the duration of the contract, and, if needed, financial support for the purchase of basic office equipment.

The main tasks assigned to the Programme fellow are:

• Assisting in drafting internal recommendations of grant applications
• Supporting grantee partners in organising documents for grant applications
• Assisting in the monitoring and evaluation of grants by supporting due diligence on grant reports
• Corresponding regularly with partners and grant-holders, and supporting the latter by answering questions and guiding them through Oak processes
• Participating in and supporting team discussions related to programmatic development and grant-making strategy
• Maintaining, updating, and organising documentation and administrative processes of the Programme
• Conducting research for the team on relevant issues for the Programme, such as political and societal dynamics related to its priority areas
• Supporting the organisation of external meetings, conferences, and visits to projects with Brazil Programme staff upon request.

Working as a fellow is also a learning process. The successful candidate will have a chance to experience daily operations, strategic planning, and decision-making in the field of philanthropy for human and socio-environmental rights. They will also liaise with civil society organisations that do valuable work to strengthen the priority areas of the programme. We welcome applicants who bring an eagerness to learn as much as ability to contribute.

Who we seek
The Programme fellow we are seeking shows the following qualities:

Field-specific knowledge

• Is aware of current issues, actors, and dynamics concerning civil society and human and socio-environmental rights in Brazil
• Shows interest in one or more of the key areas of the Programme: socio-environmental rights and land justice; drug policy; and disinformation and polarisation

Skills and behaviours

• Shows tact, sensibility, and acute perception, listening, and observation skills
• Fosters a collaborative approach with internal and external partners
• Is open to embracing diversity, difference, and divergent opinions, and active promotion of practices that include multiple experiences and points of view
• Effectively communicates thoughts and ideas (verbally and in writing), including sensibility to the backgrounds and communication style of Oak’s diverse audiences
• Is able to work independently and meet deadlines and deliverables through effective planning and organising of own work
• Has good research skills
• Has excellent organisation and documentation skills
• Demonstrates ability in using Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.)

Education and language

• Has at least a bachelor’s degree in international relations, law, sociology, political science, journalism, or related fields
• Has fluent written English
• Has a minimum of intermediate spoken English.

The interviews will be conducted in English.

Values

• Is committed to social justice and human rights
• Is committed to Oak’s organisational values (http://oakfnd.org/values-mission-history/)

Any of the following qualities are highly desirable, although not indispensable:
Previous work experience

Has previously worked in one of the following:

• Civil society organisations
• Social movements and activist initiatives
• Philanthropic funds and foundations
• International organisations

Field-specific knowledge

• Is aware of trends, developments, and opportunities in the non-profit and philanthropic sectors
• Has in-depth knowledge of one or more of the key areas of the programme: socioenvironmental rights and land justice; drug policy; and disinformation and polarisation

How to apply
Interested candidates should

1. Fill out this application form: https://forms.office.com/e/u8rznQuadP, and,
2. E-mail us your CV in English and in PDF format, named FirstName_LastName_CV (for example: Maria_Silva_CV) by 22 June 2023 to brazilfellow@oakfnd.org. Please write “Brazil Programme Fellowship” in the subject line.

We will consider valid applications those in which the candidate submitted their CV to above mentioned e-mail and filled out the application form by the proposed deadline. Only valid applications will be evaluated.

Estimated recruitment calendar

Application deadline: 22 June 2023
Online interviews for long-listed candidates: week of 3 July 2023
Online interviews for short-listed candidates: week of 10 July 2023
Final result: by 21 July 2023
Desired start date: 14 August 2023

If you have questions about the position, you may send them to brazilfellow@oakfnd.org.

Our policies and commitments
Oak Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer for all qualified job applicants without regard to race, colour, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, marital/partnership status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, and any other attributes protected by law.We seekto build an organisation that is inclusive and representative of our partners and the larger world and encourageapplications from those who self-identify as members of disadvantaged or underrepresented ethnic, racial, gender, and social groups.

By submitting your application, you confirm that you have read and understood our job applicant’s data privacy notice. 

Oak Foundation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, as detailed in our child safeguarding policy. We expect all staff to share this commitment.