Governance Specialist

Amnesty International USA (AIUSA) is the global organization’s presence in the United States. We engage people in the U.S. to fight injustice all around the world, while we also work to protect people’s human rights here in the U.S. Amnesty International USA has more than one million members and activists in all 50 states, who are part of a larger global movement of 10 million people in 150 countries. We are a democratically governed, grassroots membership organization, which means that our members vote on key policy issues and elect our Board of Directors. Amnesty International USA’s elected Board members, staff, and members work together to lead the organization.

The Governance Specialist plays a unique role at Amnesty International USA (AIUSA). The Governance Specialist will work closely with senior leaders and the Board of Directors to ensure we advance our work as a global human rights organization. This role also provides professional career growth and opportunities for someone passionate about human rights, facilitating effective communication, problem-solving, and addressing complex governance topics.

The Governance Specialist provides programmatic, logistical, and administrative support to the Chief of Staff and Board of Directors (Board), Board committees, and working groups, ensuring the effectiveness of their work.  They work closely with the Board Chair and the Chief of Staff to keep them informed of relevant issues and important developments, to ensure that time-sensitive issues are prioritized, and to promote better coordination and effective decision-making.  This position also serves as AIUSA’s staff liaison to the international movement around issues of governance, planning, missions, and other topics as they arise.

This position handles confidential and sensitive matters and is not covered under the collective bargaining agreement.

Essential Responsibilities

• Provides operational and administrative support to the Chief of Staff and the Board Chair, ensuring an efficient governance process
• Attends and staffs all Board meetings and events to effectively advance the Board’s goals
• Serves as AIUSA’s staff liaison to the international movement, supporting international engagement by the Board and the organization, including developing strategy and preparing for international exchanges with other Amnesty sections and the annual Global Assembly, as well as other international collaborations as they arise
• Prepares quarterly board mailings and materials and drafts agendas for Board meetings in coordination with the Board Chair and Chief of Staff
• Ensures Board members are informed of key organizational developments
• Leads the process of taking, approving, and posting minutes for Board and committee meetings
• Maintain Board database (maintaining records and other documents)
• Assists the Chief of Staff in preparing and monitoring AIUSA’s budget for the Board
• Provides administrative and programmatic support to Board committees on grant programs, such as the Special Initiatives Fund and Hannah Grunwald Fund
• Manages Board correspondence and communication in conjunction with the Board Secretary
• Assists in annual board recruitment, election, and orientation according with bylaws
• Provides support for all consultant projects related to Board initiatives
• Serves as official staff liaison to all Board committees and working groups, ensuring that they can perform their responsibilities effectively
• Serves as AIUSA’s staff liaison to other international sections of Amnesty International, to include collaborating on and preparing for international exchanges and events, such as the annual Global Assembly
• Other duties and special projects as assigned

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

• Excellent project management, calendar management, and organizational skills
• Ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously
• Ability to adjust to changing priorities and deadlines
• Ability to interact and engage with diverse Amnesty constituencies
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, including an ability to listen and handle confidential matters with diplomacy, tact, and discretion
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Experience distilling content and preparing materials for presentations
• Ability to take initiative and work independently with minimal supervision

Education and Experience

• B.A/B.S. required and 5 years of relevant experience required, including experience working with a Board of Directors and/or a senior management team
• Experience with member organizations and/or international non-profits preferred
• Proficient in MS Office, including Excel, Word and PowerPoint
• Experience using different communications platforms and project management tools, such as Slack, Asana, Trello, Teams, and Outlook
• Experience handling confidential matters and an understanding of governance best practices and procedures

Physical Requirements

• Prolonged periods of sitting and/or standing at a desk and working on a computer

Travel Requirements, Weeknight or Weekend Work

• In-person attendance is required at quarterly Board meetings (typically held in Washington, D.C. and New York City),
• Domestic travel as needed for AIUSA events, as needed
• Board meetings and governance-related events are often during weekends and weeknights.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

All applications must be completed online as a PDF document through our application portal, and we do not accept submissions via email.  You must complete the entire online application and electronically sign, for an application to be considered “complete.” Due to a high volume of applications only complete applications will be reviewed and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. We currently do not sponsor candidates seeking visa support.  To learn more about our benefits please visit our Careers page.

If you are experiencing technical difficulties with your application submission, or if you require accommodations during the application process, please email talentacquisition@aiusa.org.   Please review our Frequently-Asked-Questions (FAQ) section for additional information on our hiring process.

OUR EEO STATEMENT

Amnesty International USA is an equal opportunity employer. AIUSA encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status and record of arrest or conviction, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Black people, Indigenous people, people of color; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex people; women; people with disabilities, protected veterans, and formerly incarcerated individuals are all strongly encouraged to apply.

We recognize the valuable skills that can be gained through internships, fellowships, volunteer work, and non-traditional work experience. This experience helps build competencies and knowledge that may translate to our job openings. We seek a diversity of experience and skills for our workplace and encourage people from all backgrounds to apply to our openings.

OUR COMMITMENT AS AN ANTI-RACIST ORGANIZATION AND TO INCLUSION, DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND ACCESSIBILITY (IDEA)

Dismantling white supremacy is central to the fight for human rights in the United States and around the world. As we mobilize staff and activists and work with partners to help transform the multiple systems where oppression operates in the world around us as part of our human rights mandate, anti-racism must be integral to our work. To learn more about how we integrate IDEA into our programs and workplace, visit: https://www.amnestyusa.org/idea/

REMOTE AND HYBRID WORKPLACE POLICY

Because the health and safety of our employees and candidates are a top priority, we are currently conducting our hiring process virtually.   Please review the job description, which will state whether a role is hybrid and remote. Some roles may require travel domestically and/or internationally.