SayPro Associate General Secretary Global Cohesion

Status: Full-Time, Exempt

Location: Philadelphia, PA preferred but flexible (must be based in one of AFSC’s regional offices located in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, or Washington, D.C)

Application Deadline: September 30th, 2022

For consideration, please visit our Job Center at to submit your Cover Letter and Resume to the online application in addition to answering the Application Questions.

In response to the newly adopted Strategic Plan (2020-2030), the Board of Directors approved a new Global Cohesion Division. The new division aims to make real AFSC’s intent through the new Strategic Plan to operate as “one organization” for collective learning and impact, providing the support and resources to ensure common analysis, choreographed strategies, shared learning, and various forms of collaboration across geographic and thematic divides. For greater and bolder impact, the new division will bring together programs and other units into effective collaboration across geographic and programmatic divides. The Associate General Secretary for Global Cohesion (AGSGC) is a critical member of the Leadership Team and is responsible for leading the Global Cohesion Division. The postholder will be a vital internal and public face of the organization and a key factor in the success of new Strategic Plan.

The AGSGC will lead this newly established division in providing the energies and investments needed for AFSC to increase and coalesce its intersectional work on a global level and will support deeper methodological engagement throughout the organization. This highly strategic position requires proven experience and high-level knowledge/experience in peace and social justice work in both US and international contexts.

The position also requires someone who is committed to issues of racial justice in the US, and a universal commitment to equity, gender justice and LGBTQ+ rights globally (including, but not limited to, an understanding of ethnic, religious, and other tensions and complexities).

Essential Functions/Responsibilities: The key responsibilities of the AGSGC include the following:

Organizational Support:

1. Reporting to the General Secretary, provide overall leadership for the Global Cohesion Division and maintain comprehensive, in-depth understanding of international and U.S. programs and current peace and justice issues and organizational best practices.
2. Provide direct supervision, guidance, and evaluation of Global Cohesion staff including the Director for Public Policy and Advocacy (OPPA); Director of Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (PMEL); and the Youth Director.
3. Work closely with the Associate General Secretary for U.S. Programs and the Associate General Secretary for International Programs to enhance working relationships between and among U.S. and international programs and to ensure joint program planning, learning and collaboration.
4. Work closely with the Senior Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion to ensure that the Office of DEI’s goals for organizational cohesion and inclusivity are centered.
5. Work closely with the AGS-USP, AGS-IP and the Senior Director of DEI, to ensure programs live into and impactfully mainstream our cross-cutting commitments of racial justice, gender justice and youth engagement in the program design, planning and implementation cycle.
6. Facilitate, through staff and community convenings, the development of shared analysis, research, change goals and outcomes, and advocate for resources within the organization.
7. Support and oversee efforts for the cross-cutting organizational commitment on climate justice.
8. Support and create space for enhanced program research capacities and opportunities to inform advocacy efforts and ensure coordination and promote resourcing for staff and volunteers engaged in research across the organization.
9. Ensure the creation of thematic hubs as they build cohesion across programs globally and work with staff to develop them as they evolve.
10. Convene a division leadership team and facilitate communication/coordination across subunits/departments.
11. Provide staff support for the board’s Strategic Program Committee and liaise with the board of directors on the advancement of policy positions for the organization.
12. As a member of senior leadership, participate in the establishment of management systems, policies, and frameworks, working closely with relevant leaders in this area.
13. Assist in conflict resolution, crisis management and the development of sound and creative working relationships throughout the AFSC.

Decision-Making:

1. As a member of the Leadership Team, support and advise the General Secretary in decision-making, and effective use of consultative groups.
2. Function as an effective decision maker in areas of direct responsibility, recognizing that staff members are highly skilled and motivated and that consultative decision-making (where alternative views are sincerely received) is highly desirable and an important part of AFSC’s culture.

Program Planning, Strategy and Policy Setting:

1. Set day-to-day priorities for the GC Division, engage in long-term, medium-term, and short-term planning and ensure that organizational decisions are followed.
2. Working closely with the OPPA Director, ensure that a short- and long-term program policy/advocacy strategy is developed, implemented and regularly reviewed.
3. Working closely with the PMEL Director to improve organizational and program effectiveness by facilitating common tools and processes, promoting best practices, sharing knowledge and facilitate the achievement of AFSC’s collective impact and learning goals, as embodied in Strategic Plan.
4. Keep abreast of major global political, economic, social and cultural trends that may affect the program work of the AFSC and help to ensure that the AFSC is responsive to the changing external landscape and to opportunities to bring about positive change in the world.
5. Participate in regular meetings of senior staff leadership groups charged with advancing collaborative work and the AFSC mission.

Financial Management /Fundraising:

1. Direct the development and monitoring of the budgets of the Global Cohesion Division.
2. Review financial reports and detect and address any discrepancies.
3. Support participation in AFSC fundraising efforts and ensure compliance with AFSC grant guidelines and procedures.
4. Work collaboratively with the fundraisers of the AFSC in developing funding strategies for collaborative program work. Ensure timely production by program staff members of funding proposals as well as periodic reports of program process and evaluation.

Outreach and Communications:

1. Help to ensure that effective channels of communication are maintained between and among staff members in the Programs Divisions and between the Programs Divisions and other units and offices of the AFSC.
2. Ensure the development and presentation of an annual program portfolio report is presented to the Board of and its Program Committee or other governance structure that may evolve.
3. Work collaboratively with the Communications Department to develop outreach strategies to support advocacy, joint work, and public campaigns. Represent the AFSC by speaking publicly and writing for publication on issues related to the AFSC’s collaborative work.
4. Represent the AFSC and serve as liaison to other organizations at meetings and conferences, etc. Support staff in maintaining strong relations with the Religious Society of Friends, Friends groups and other faith-based organizations.

Collaboration:

1. Work with the Global Cohesion team to organize cross organization, thematic, or other convenings as well as staff exchanges and other opportunities for building cohesion across geographies and themes towards a “one-organization” culture.
2. Actively seek opportunities to collaborate with organizations, professional groups, institutions, etc. that will expand the reach and maximize the effectiveness of the AFSC.
3. Model collaborative behavior to staff members and to the larger global peace and justice community.

Minimum Qualifications

Education*:* Advanced degree in nonprofit management, international peacebuilding, development, or a related discipline. A baccalaureate degree and an outstanding history of management performance may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree.

Knowledge and Experience*:*

1. Significant experience in program management and administration, including at least ten years of senior managerial responsibility working within AFSC or, for external candidates, similar complex, non-profit organizational structure with a minimum of five years of direct responsibility for programs.
2. Knowledge and experience in domestic and global peace and social justice environments with a keen understanding of peacebuilding in the global south.
3. Strong supervisory skills and demonstrated ability to delegate responsibility, set a standard of excellence, and support the development of staff.
4. Demonstrated leadership capacity to foster and sustain collaboration and learning from others between departments and units and local work, while shifting organizational culture toward collaboration.
5. Experience leading coordinated work and/or a clear understanding of the different roles/skill sets needed for coordinating and building successful unstaffed collaborative hubs as compared to direct management of staff.
6. Demonstrated knowledge of systems thinking.
7. Experience with /understanding youth work and community organizing approaches and methodologies.
8. Strong interpersonal skills, with knowledge of and experience in using consultative decision-making processes; experience adapting to changing situations and priorities.
9. Demonstrated capacity to incorporate both the principles and policies of affirmative action into all aspects of AFSC work, as living witness to the Quaker belief in the equality and worth of all people.
10. Understanding of and commitment to the principles, concerns, and considerations, of AFSC in regard to issues of race, class, nationality, religion, age, gender and sexual orientation, and disabilities. Demonstrated ability to work and communicate with diverse staff.

Other Required Skills and Competencies:

1. Demonstrated ability to exercise discretion; set and maintains standards for confidentiality, apply policies with consistency, use creativity in problem solving; ability to integrate information and use sound judgment and retain a positive outlook under pressure.
2. Commitment to Quaker values and testimonies. Understanding of and compatibility with the principles and philosophy of the American Friends Service Committee including non-violence, equality, anti-oppression and the belief in the intrinsic worth of every individual.
3. Experience and commitment working with consultative processes in decision-making.
4. Experience working with boards and committees and in networking with geographically dispersed individuals and groups.
5. Strong interpersonal and communications skills (oral, written).
6. Proven ability to reach out collaboratively to individuals, groups and organizations.
7. Ability to work well under pressure and adapt easily to changing situations and priorities.
8. Ability to attend frequent evening and weekend meetings. Must be able to travel nationally and internationally, and to be available for consultation outside office hours.

Compensation:** Salary Families – Senior Leadership – Division Head – Exempt – ($150,000 – $180,000) – Comprehensive medical and hospitalization plan; term life, accident and salary continuation insurances, defined benefit pension plan, plus fringe benefits; participation in unemployment and worker’s compensation and social security.

The American Friends Service Committee is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified persons are encouraged to apply regardless of their religious affiliation, national origin, race, age, sex, gender identity**,** sexual orientation or disability.

AFSC maintains a deep commitment to a mandate of care for our staff and communities and thus requires vaccination for COVID-19, as well as adherence to social distancing, masking, and office occupancy protocols.

AFSC’s Central Office and some of its offices in the U.S. are unionized workplaces. This position is not represented.

The American Friends Service Committee is a smoke-free workplace.

How to apply

For consideration, please visit our Job Center at to submit your Cover Letter and Resume to the online application in addition to answering the Application Questions.