Jobs at WRC

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The Women’s Refugee Commission (WRC) is deeply committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and we are an equal opportunity employer. We believe social change happens when people with a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, and identities come together with a common purpose.

It is our policy to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination on the basis of race, sex, color, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, religion, marital status, veteran status, or disability. All qualified people, including those with lived experience relating to a particular role, are encouraged to apply. The Women’s Refugee Commission is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

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Location: New York, NY or Washington, DC

Compensation range: $180K – $240K

Significant Travel Required

ABOUT THE WOMEN’S REFUGEE COMMISSION

Women’s Refugee Commission (WRC) is dedicated to protecting and empowering refugee, migrant, stateless, and displaced persons by serving as a witness to their struggles, amplifying their voices, and acting on their recommendations to ensure humanitarian systems better respond to their needs.

At this time of intensified threats and harsh treatment of refugees, migrants, and displaced persons globally, the women, children, and youth are bearing the brunt of the impact, as life-changing services are vanishing. In the United States, multipronged immigration enforcement actions have led to mass detention and deportation, family separation and complicated relations with scores of countries. The crisis is compounded by dramatic funding cuts across the sector and a growing backlash against gender equality that threatens to undo decades of progress.

To meet the growing needs, WRC is intensifying its role, exposing the far-reaching impact of funding and policy shifts, documenting the lived experiences of displaced women and young people, and insisting that their voices and recommendations inform the policies and actions that affect them.

WRC works domestically, regionally, and globally, has an annual operating budget of $5.3 million and is in a stable financial situation with a healthy reserve.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Vice President of External Engagement (VP) is a senior leader responsible for growing and diversifying the organization’s revenue and elevating its visibility and reputation.

Reporting to the Executive Director (CEO) and serving as a key member of the leadership team, the VP oversees:

• Individual Giving (major gifts, annual giving, planned giving)
• Institutional Giving (foundations, corporations, government, UN, private sponsorships)
• Communications & Brand (marketing, media relations, digital media, storytelling)

The VP will design and execute an integrated external engagement strategy that increases philanthropic revenue, deepens stakeholder relationships, and strengthens the organization’s brand and influence in support of its mission and strategic plan.

The Vice President will manage a high-performing team that currently includes a Senior Individual Giving Officer, an Associate Director of Institutional Giving, a Senior Communications Specialist, and an external media and branding consultant. The VP will have the opportunity to strategically grow and evolve the team over time in support of the organization’s expanding development and communications goals.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Strategy & Leadership

• Partner with the ED and Board to develop a multi-year external engagement strategy aligned with the strategic plan and revenue goals.
• Set clear annual goals and dashboards for fundraising and communications and regularly report progress to the ED and Board.
• Serve as a key ambassador and thought partner on issues related to visibility, positioning, and stakeholder engagement.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team across development and communications; foster a culture of collaboration and accountability across all WRC departments and teams.

2. Individual Giving

• With staff and Board, design and oversee a comprehensive strategy for the individual giving program (major gifts, mid-level, annual fund, and planned giving) that sets monthly and annual revenue goals and a strategic direction for growing this Provide staff oversight and direction to implement the plan.
• Manage, cultivate, and grow a personal portfolio of high-capacity donors and prospects and engage directly in deepening those relationships and soliciting gifts.
• Partner with the ED and Board to engage them as effective fundraisers and ambassadors (e.g., prospect identification, donor visits, events).
• Ensure systems and practices for meaningful stewardship, donor recognition and sustained cultivation, and impact reporting.
• Supervise fundraising-related event design, management, and follow up for donor cultivation and solicitation.
• Collaborate closely with program and finance teams to develop compelling messages and content for donor engagement and to leverage WRC work to increase and deepen donor interest.

3. Institutional Giving (Foundations, Corporations, Government)

• Lead a comprehensive institutional fundraising strategy that sets annual revenue goals and focuses on multi-year, sustainable support from foundations, corporations, and, where relevant, governmental agencies.
• Oversee pipeline development, proposal writing, reporting, and relationship management with institutional funders.
• Collaborate closely with program and finance teams to develop compelling cases for support, accurate budgets, and strong reporting on outcomes and impact.
• Identify and pursue strategic opportunities such as challenge grants, sponsorships, and co-branded initiatives.

4. Communications, Brand & Visibility

• Develop and implement an integrated communications and brand strategy that raises the organization’s profile among donors, partners, traditional and digital media, policymakers, and the public.
• Oversee brand positioning, messaging, and visual identity to ensure consistency and clarity across all channels and throughout the organization.
• Direct the creation and distribution of compelling content (stories, impact reports, videos, newsletters, social media, website) that drives engagement and giving, working in close collaboration with program staff for content.
• Manage and deepen media relations, including proactive outreach, press releases, op-eds, and crisis communications as needed.
• Align communications calendar with fundraising campaigns, program milestones, advocacy opportunities, and events.
• Leverage the expertise of WRC staff, partners, Board and Commissioners to increase the WRC visibility, profile, and influence.

5. Data, Systems & Operations

• Oversee department budgets and revenue forecasts; ensure accurate and timely revenue tracking and reporting.
• Ensure compliance with all fundraising and communications regulations and ethical standards, including donor privacy, acknowledgments, and branding guidelines.
• Ensure strong use of CRM and data systems to track relationships, revenue, and engagement across donors and audiences.
• Ensure strong use of analytics to segment audiences, inform strategies, and refine tactics in fundraising and communications.

6. Board & External Partnerships

• Lead Board Development Committee and provide Board members with clear, actionable data and strategies to support their role in fundraising and ambassadorship.
• Build and maintain strategic partnerships with peer organizations, coalitions, and stakeholders that extend the organization’s reach and impact.

QUALIFICATIONS

Experience:

• 10+ years of progressively responsible experience in nonprofit fundraising and/or external relations, including at least 5 years in a senior leadership role.
• Demonstrated success leading integrated development functions (individual and institutional giving).
• Experience engaging with and cultivating professional relationships and record of successful story placement with journalists and other media.
• Experience leading, conducting, or overseeing with communications/marketing functions; familiarity with brand strategy, digital engagement, and media
• Effective public spokesperson and thought leader with experience presenting at influential public and private events.

Skills & Knowledge: 

• Proven track record of securing and stewarding significant gifts from individuals and institutions.
• Strong strategic planning, organizational, and project and staff management
• Effective public spokesperson with strong ability to represent the organization at high level events and in the media.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to craft and articulate a compelling case for support.
• Comfort working with data and analytics to drive decision-
• Ability to effectively engage and support the ED, senior leaders, and Board members in fundraising and external relations.

Personal Attributes:

• Deep commitment to the organization’s mission, vision and values
• Relationship-builder with high emotional intelligence and cultural humility and demonstrated skills working across departments to foster organization-wide collaboration and cohesion.
• Entrepreneurial, results-oriented, and comfortable in a fast-paced environment undergoing growth or change.

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred or equivalent
• In addition to English, proficiency in at least one additional language is

SUCCESS METRICS

Within 12–36 months, success for this role could include:

• Year-over-year increase in unrestricted and restricted revenue from individual and institutional donors.
• Growth in the number and size of major gifts and multi-year
• A stronger, more consistent brand presence across media, digital channels, and key stakeholder groups.
• Improved donor and stakeholder cultivation, retention, and satisfaction.
• A cohesive, high-performing External Engagement team with clear goals and professional development plans.
• Excellent collaboration across WRC departments that fosters one cohesive and compelling message, elevates the WRC public profile through consistently effective public events, and successfully fundraises to support the WRC as a whole.
• Appropriate leveraging of Board and Commissioners to enhance WRC engagement with strategic audiences.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

The salary range for this position is $180K – $240K. This is a full-time position offering a comprehensive benefits package, which includes medical, dental, vision, life, and disability coverage, as well as paid time off and a 401K matching plan. This position can be based in New York City or Washington, DC in a hybrid environment with frequent travel. This role requires work authorization in the U.S.

HOW TO APPLY

WRC has partnered with the executive search firm LeaderFit on this search. Interested candidates should upload their resume and a brief cover letter here.

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ORGANIZATIONAL BACKGROUND:

The Women’s Refugee Commission (WRC) is a research and advocacy organization that seeks to improve the lives and protect the rights of women, children, and youth displaced by conflict and crisis. Through rigorous research, strategic advocacy, and innovative programmatic solutions, we work to strengthen resilience and drive lasting change on the ground for displaced communities worldwide.

SCOPE OF WORK:

The Program Officer of Impact and Research is a nine-month temporary position with two connected areas of responsibility. The primary focus is supporting WRC to better understand and communicate its organizational impact, helping to strengthen the systems, processes, and culture of monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) across the organization. The secondary focus is providing research support to the research team, contributing to WRC’s evidence base on issues affecting displaced women and girls.

This role is suited to someone who is comfortable moving between the analytical and the practical, someone who can help design a learning framework one day and support the write-up of a research brief the next. It is a hands-on, collaborative position that will require working across teams and communicating clearly with a range of audiences.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

Organizational Impact and MEL (primary focus, approximately 70%) 

• Support the development and maintenance of WRC’s organizational MEL framework, including indicators, data collection tools, and reporting processes.
• Work with program teams across WRC to gather, consolidate, and analyze data on outputs, outcomes, and organizational reach.
• Help translate MEL findings into accessible formats, including internal learning summaries, donor reports, and communications materials, that speak to different audiences.
• Contribute to WRC’s efforts to embed a culture of learning, including supporting after-action reviews, pause-and-reflect sessions, and lessons-learned processes.
• Identify gaps in WRC’s current impact data and recommend practical improvements to how the organization tracks and communicates its work.
• Support the preparation of impact-related content for fundraising, board reporting, and external communications as needed.

  Research Support (secondary focus, approximately 30%) 

• Provide research assistance to the Director of Research across active projects, including literature reviews, data collection, analysis, and write-up.
• Support the preparation of research outputs including briefs, reports, and background papers for internal and external audiences.
• Assist with the coordination of research activities, including logistics, stakeholder engagement, and project tracking.
• Contribute to the quality and rigor of WRC’s research by applying sound methodological practices and maintaining careful documentation.

  What We’re Looking For:

• Master’s degree required.
• Minimum of 3-5 years of relevant experience.
• Solid understanding of monitoring, evaluation, and learning principles and practice, ideally within the humanitarian, development, or non-profit sector.
• Experience designing or contributing to MEL frameworks, results frameworks, or theory of change processes.
• Strong research skill including qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis and experience producing clear, evidence-based written outputs.
• Ability to synthesize complex information and communicate it clearly and accessibly to non-specialist audiences.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple workstreams simultaneously, working with a degree of independence.
• Proficiency in standard data and productivity tools; familiarity with data visualization tools is an advantage.
• Ability to embody WRC’s core values of inclusion, equality, integrity, dignity, and forward-thinking.
• Commitment to gender equality, refugee rights, and the meaningful participation of affected communities in humanitarian and development work.
• Understanding of the humanitarian sector and the policy and advocacy landscape within which WRC operates.
• Collaborative, curious, and committed to learning comfortable with uncertainty and motivated by the opportunity to contribute to a growing organizational function.

Nice to Have:

• Experience working on issues related to forced displacement, gender-based violence, or the rights of women and girls.
• Familiarity with feminist research methodologies or participatory approaches to MEL.
• Experience working in or closely with organizations based in low- and middle-income countries.

Reports to: VP, Programs and Partnership

Position: Regular, full-time hours

Salary Band 6: With up to $78k currently budgeted for the role, commensurate with experience

Work Schedule: Hybrid remote (2 days in office, 3 days working remotely)

Location:  NYC

Closing Date: Once filled

How to Apply : Interested candidates must submit a cover letter and resume. APPLY HERE

Why Join Us:  At the Women’s Refugee Commission, you’ll join a passionate, mission-driven team dedicated to making a tangible difference in the lives of displaced women, children, and youth. You’ll have the opportunity to lead a transformative communications strategy, contribute to global advocacy efforts, and shape public conversation on issues that matter.

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ORGANIZATIONAL BACKGROUND:  

The Women’s Refugee Commission (WRC) works to improve the lives and defend the rights of refugee and internally displaced women, children, and young people. As a research and advocacy organization, WRC is dedicated to securing systemic changes in policy and practice that ensure uprooted women, children, and young people can fully exercise their rights to protection, services, and self-sufficiency.

 Scope of Work:

Under the supervision of the Senior Officer, Individual Giving and working across the development team (Individual and Institutional) the Development Operations Coordinator will provide experienced and essential support by managing a range of development activities and ensure the integrity, accuracy, and strategic use of donor data across fundraising operations. This role maintains CRM efficiency, oversees gift processing and donor acknowledgments, supports reporting and analytics, and ensures donor data flows effectively into communications systems to enable targeted outreach and engagement

The successful candidate for this role will bring to WRC 2+ solid years of full cycle data management experience, preferably in Donor Perfect.  In addition to being able to successfully handle the essential list of activities as outline below:

What’s Needed:

Development Operations Support 

• Support development operations including donor research and database management for individual giving campaigns and initiatives, as well as institutional giving proposals and grants.

• Manage administrative tasks that are related to fundraising activities.

• Generate mail merges for appeals, report mailings, and acknowledgements.

• Support the financial administration and operations of donor cultivation events, including vendor management, payment processing, and budget tracking.

• Coordinate with development staff on data needs related to grant administration and institutional giving.

Database Administration and Data Analytics

• Serve as the primary administrator for WRC’s CRM donor database which contains over 20, 000 contacts ensuring and maintaining functionality, security, and maintenance.

• Manage donor record updates, queries and analytics to support development strategy and leadership reporting.

• Ensure donor data flows effectively between development, communications, and finance systems.

• Conduct wealth screening and donor research on donors and email subscribers.

• Generate lists and segmentation for fundraising campaigns, stewardship, and targeted outreach.

• Create dashboards and analytics to support development strategy and leadership reporting.

Gift Processing and Financial Reconciliation  

• Receive mail on in-office days and process all gifts received, including scanning checks and confirming accuracy of transfers and disbursement reports.

• Enter all individual and institutional gifts and awards in the database, ensuring accuracy of information and updating donor records and notes as necessary.

• Support the financial team to ensure incoming payments are tracked against institutional gift commitments.

• Maintain tracking and reporting of campaign and event revenue and lead monthly and annual financial reconciliation processes. Support financial administration and logistics of planned donor cultivation events, including vendor management, payment processing, and budget tracking.

Donor Stewardship and Communications

• Manage donor correspondence, including receipting, timely acknowledgements, and tributes— collaborating with fundraisers and the executive office to document acknowledgement for large gifts. Cultivate positive relations between donors and prospects by addressing donor inquiries, responding to special donor requests and requests for additional information.

• Support project coordination and implementation of monthly giving, annual fund campaign communications, and activation plans with cross-functional colleague project teams and external consultants and vendors.

• Maintain records of donor communications and stewardship activities.

What we are looking for:

• Experience in nonprofit development or fundraising operations.

• Experience supporting grant administration or institutional fundraising processes.

• Strong proficiency in Donor Perfect, Blackbaud’s Raiser’s Edge , NXT or any similar CRM dedicated to donor management.

• Strong attention to detail and ability to maintain complex datasets accurately.

• High proficiency with Microsoft Excel and Word, including mail merges.

• Experience processing donations and managing donor records.

• Ability to handle confidential donor information responsibly.

• Familiarity with donor research and wealth screening tools.

• Team player, customer service oriented

• Knowledge of (or willingness to learn) applicable IRS regulations, Generally Accepted Account Principles (GAAP), and fundraising data compliance procedures.

Reports to: Senior Officer, Institutional Giving

Type: Regular, full-time (Hybrid): with Tuesdays in office presence required plus one   additional day  as designated by development team

Salary Band 8: $53,170 – $63,600* (commensurate with experience)

Location: New York, NY

Posting Date: April 2026

Closing Date: Until filled

How to Apply: Interested candidates must submit a cover letter and resume via this LINK.

* The salary as depicted above represents the top half of the designated salary band for this role. The actual salary of someone hired into the position will be based on various factors that include but are not limited to professional and academic experience, training, associated responsibilities, and other business and organizational needs. Individual salary decisions remain dependent on the circumstances of each individual hire. The range as listed represents just one component of WRC’s total compensation package.

The Women’s Refugee Commission (WRC) is an equal opportunity employer. It is our policy to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination on the basis of race, sex, color, national origin, gender identify, sexual orientation, age, religion, marital status, veteran status or disability and qualified applicants from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply. The Women’s Refugee Commission is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.