How to apply for Strategic Initiatives Support Officer

About CIVICUS

CIVICUS is a global alliance of over 15,000 members in more than 180 countries that works to defend civic freedoms and strengthen civil society. It monitors violations of basic civic freedoms, calls out perpetrators, and supports a more accountable and innovative civil society, with a focus on excluded voices from the Global South.

About the role

The Strategic Initiatives Support Officer provides project and administrative support to the Strategic Initiatives workstream, working closely with the Advisor, Strategic Initiatives. The role involves funder engagement, grant management, resource mobilisation, and support for cross-cutting initiatives including organisational strategy, annual planning, budgeting, knowledge management, evaluation, and learning. The officer also supports implementation of the Norad Civic Space grant and ensures funder reports, correspondence, briefing materials, and knowledge products meet a high editorial standard.

A typical day

A typical day might involve drafting and editing funder reports, coordinating with the Advisor on strategic initiatives, supporting annual planning and budgeting tasks, and managing correspondence with funders. You may also assist with knowledge management and evaluation activities, ensuring that materials meet high editorial standards.

Who CIVICUS is looking for

• At least five years of professional experience in project support, grant management, or a related role.
• Excellent writing and editing skills, with the ability to produce funder reports, briefing materials, and knowledge products to a high editorial standard.
• Highly organised, with a track record of keeping complex processes on track and supporting multiple workstreams.
• Experience or familiarity with funder engagement, resource mobilisation, and grant management, ideally in a civil society or global alliance context.

Tips for this application

• Tailor your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience with grant management, funder reporting, and supporting strategic initiatives.
• Provide concrete examples of your writing and editing work, such as reports, briefs, or knowledge products you have produced.
• Demonstrate your understanding of CIVICUS's mission and the context of civic space, especially in the Global South.
• Show your ability to manage complex processes and administrative tasks by describing specific projects you have supported.
• If you have experience with the Norad Civic Space grant or similar donor-funded programmes, mention it explicitly.

What to cover in your cover letter

['Your experience in grant management and funder engagement, with examples of reports or correspondence you have written.', 'Your organisational skills and ability to support cross-cutting initiatives like strategy development, annual planning, and budgeting.', 'Your writing and editing abilities, particularly for funder reports and knowledge products.', "Your commitment to CIVICUS's mission of defending people power and promoting excluded voices, especially from the Global South."]

Research before applying

• Read CIVICUS's website, especially their mission, strategy, and recent reports on civic space.
• Learn about the Norad Civic Space grant and its objectives.
• Research CIVICUS's membership and key focus areas, such as promoting excluded voices from the Global South.
• Look up recent CIVICUS publications or campaigns to understand current priorities.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• How you have managed grant reporting and funder correspondence in previous roles.
• Your approach to supporting organisational strategy development and annual planning processes.
• Examples of how you have ensured high editorial standards in written materials.
• Your experience with knowledge management, evaluation, and learning in a civil society context.
• How you prioritise and manage multiple tasks when supporting a busy workstream.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Submitting generic application materials that do not address the specific requirements of this role.
• Failing to provide evidence of writing and editing skills, such as samples or detailed descriptions.
• Ignoring the global and civil society context of CIVICUS's work, or not showing familiarity with their mission.