Job title: REF Alumni Relations Manager
Type of contract: Consultancy Agreement
Location: Belgrade, Serbia
Closing date for applications: 05 May 2023
Background:
Since its establishment in 2005, the Roma Education Fund has provided over 8,000 Roma university students in Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe and Turkey with scholarships to complete their education in numerous fields. Additionally, REF has supported over 200 university graduates to continue their education in postgraduate programs at prestigious universities abroad. Besides its scholarship programs, REF has provided financial and educational support to young Roma through grants to Romaversitas programs. Many consider this unprecedented pool of highly educated Roma to be the biggest hope for Roma communities to improve their living conditions and prospects.
As part of a broader strategy redesign process (still under development) aiming to place Roma communities and their resilience at the center of any measure of success, REF plans to introduce a comprehensive human resources development program. The program should incorporate diverse initiatives led by REF that focus on nurturing future generations of Roma leaders who possess specific expertise and share the determination to engage in efforts to increase the resilience of Roma communities.
The program will aim to reconnect to its former beneficiaries, and nurture opportunities for alumni participation, with the following goals:
- Identify and nurture a new generation of Roma leaders who are proud of their identity and ready to take on leadership positions at the local, regional, national, or transnational level to improve the situation of Roma communities.
- Support the development of professional and technical skills among members of the REF Alumni Network through diverse opportunities – including trainings, internships, fellowships, workshops, webinars, etc. – with the prospect of employability in Roma-led organizations and structures that promote positive change and increased resilience in Roma communities.
- Channel much needed expertise and talent to key Roma institutions and structures by involving alumni as interns, fellows, allies, staff, consultants, members, volunteers, allies, etc.
- Bring innovation and new ideas into the work of Roma formal and informal leadership structures on different levels to benefit Roma communities.
- Engage members of the REF Alumni Network to support the next cohorts of scholarship recipients as well as education initiatives across age groups in their respective communities (if relevant) and the new strategic goals of REF.
- Promote different forms of engagement and contributions by REF Alumni Network members to different initiatives and organizations led by Roma on the local, national, or transnational level.
Purpose of the role:
The role of the REF Alumni Relations Manager (the Manager) is to develop and implement a strategy – in cooperation with REF staff and key stakeholders – that enables former scholarship recipients to connect to each other, to the REF network, as well as to other Roma-led structures and organizations. The Manager will also be responsible for nurturing the sense of belonging to a community among current REF scholarship recipients and involving them in the REF Alumni Network. The Manager works under the supervision of the REF Director.
Responsibilities:
- Spearhead the development of REF Alumni Network Development Strategy as an integral part of the new program.
- Engage with REF Alumni to map their status and involve them in the development of the REF Alumni Network.
- Identify, train, and support volunteers who are ready to initiate and coordinate local, regional, national, or thematic alumni chapters and take on different roles in developing the REF Alumni Network.
- Elaborate a communication strategy with the REF alumni community (e.g., through social media, a newsletter, the REF website, reunions, and networking events).
- Solicit the approval of alumni to share their contacts with Roma leadership structures.
- Perform an assessment of human resource needs within the most credible Roma-led formal and informal organizations.
- Map relevant training programs (e.g., executive trainings, management trainings) and professional development opportunities within the most credible Roma leadership structures based on the needs assessment.
- Design the selection process for different professional and skills development opportunities for the REF Alumni Network (internships, fellowships, training opportunities, study trips, webinars, etc.).
- Support the development of leadership skills among interested alumni network members and facilitate their future employability in Roma-led organizations.
- Organize programs and events with relevant partners to nurture a sense of pride in Roma identity among REF Alumni Network members and nurture a culture of excellence and intellectual curiosity, as well as commitment to a set of shared values and a shared vision for Roma communities.
- Develop and implement a plan to establish relationships and regular interaction between the REF Alumni Network and the most credible formal or informal Roma-led leadership structures and nurture a shared commitment to community values.
- Coordinate contributions by REF alumni to ongoing REF education initiatives –mentoring activities, donation drives, etc. – as well as to ongoing campaigns and initiatives by Roma leadership structures.
- Facilitate REF alumni community solidarity action – including public statements – with alumni members, Roma leaders, organizations, groups, and communities.
- Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the different aspects of the alumni engagement strategy, including the feedback of the alumni, REF network entities and departments, as well as the field of Roma leadership.
- Provide regular analyses for REF senior management about alumni engagement.
- Manage the budget available for alumni engagement and support fundraising efforts for alumni activities.
- Perform other tasks that support the goals of the REF Alumni Network.
Expertise required:
- MA degree, preferably in areas such as social science or business and marketing.
- Excellent English language skills, and one additional CEE/SEE language (knowledge of Romani language is an asset).
- Being a former REF scholarship recipient is a strong advantage.
- IT skills, social media management expertise.
- Project management skills and experience.
- Analytical skills.
- Experience with organizing events with international participation.
- Strong ability to communicate with people from diverse backgrounds.
- Understanding of and passion for promoting the access of Roma children and youth to quality education.
- Familiarity with key institutions and actors of the Roma movement on the international level is a strong plus.
- Experience of university administration or marketing tasks is an advantage.
Compensation: Commensurate with experience
How to apply:
Qualified candidates are invited to send their cover letter and CV (both in English) and the contact details of three reference persons by 05 May 2023 via email to office.serbia@romaeducationfund.org with the subject line “REF Alumni Relations Manager”.
Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Individuals identifying themselves as Roma and fulfilling the above-mentioned profile and requirements are particularly encouraged to apply.
