Program manager

Limelight Foundation promotes a strong and free information ecosystem in the digital age. We fund and support journalism and civil society organizations in Europe that focus on:

• producing and distributing independent quality information;
• providing the tools and infrastructure necessary to enable journalism and civil society organizations achieve their mission (e.g. legal support, tools to organize digital security, tools to build and investigate big datasets);
• protecting and improving democratic rights and principles in a digital context. For example: freedom of expression on the internet and online privacy and safety.

Limelight Foundation is an independent and private philanthropic foundation. We are a young organization (founded in March 2021) led by a board of three members, and with currently two employees – the executive director and a program manager. In order to optimally support our (future) beneficiaries, we are looking for an additional program manager to join our team.

What will you be doing?

As a program manager, you will have joint responsibility for developing Limelight Foundation’s grantmaking strategy and managing the foundation’s grant portfolio. You will work in close collaboration with the director and the other program manager to keep track of developments in the field, to reach out to new organizations, and to prepare donation proposals for the board. Your key tasks will be assessing funding applications, monitoring current partnerships, and keeping an up-to-date administration of the grant portfolio. Last but not least, as a program manager, you will be the central point of contact for Limelight Foundation’s current and future beneficiaries.

Who are you?

• You have an academic background and ca. 5 years of working experience.
• You have a good understanding of recent developments in media / technology / democracy, and you are eager to acquire more knowledge in these areas.
• You are an enthusiastic professional with strong social and communication skills. You are fluent in English.
• You enjoy strategic thinking (Where should Limelight Foundation be going? Which organizations match our strategic priorities?), while also paying close attention to detail, accuracy and completeness. You work in a systematic fashion and you follow up on work outputs.
• You do what is needed without being asked and you enjoy collaborating in a small team.
• You like contributing to building a new organization where everything is not yet cast in stone.

What do we have to offer you?

• A job for 32-40 hours per week.
• An employment contract for 1 year with the option of an extension.
• A competitive salary, in line with standards in the sector.
• An office in Amsterdam and a lot of flexibility to work from home.
• The opportunity to help build a new philanthropic fund.
• And, most importantly: the chance to make a positive contribution to a strong and free information ecosystem.

Apply for the job?

You can send your job application by Friday May 13th at the latest to merel@limelight.foundation

Your application should include:

• Your resume (max. 2 pages);
• A motivation letter that answers the following questions:
  • Why are you applying for the role of program manager at Limelight Foundation?
  • What three initiatives – in the Netherlands or in Europe – should Limelight Foundation definitely support?
  • What makes you the best fit for this job?

For more information, please send an email to: merel@limelight.foundation

Procedure

The first interview will take place in the week of May 30th. The second interview round is scheduled for the week of June 13th, and will also include a practical assignment. Around the time of the second interview, we will also want to contact two professional references who can confirm that you are a good fit for this job. We will of course not reach out to anyone without your permission.