Project Assistant – Walking the Talk

Region: Europe

Office: The Hague, Netherlands

Hours: 36 hours (full-time)

Starting date: ASAP

Application Deadline: June 15th 2025

Hivos is hiring a Project Assistant for the Walking the Talk program. We seek an enthusiastic, well-organized and detail-oriented person that will  provide administrative and operational support for the consortium and logistical support for the organization of small online events as well as a major in-person conference for 200 persons with the title Financing for Feminist Futures, to be held in Spain in October 2025.

About the program

European countries play a key role in advancing gender equality globally, yet funding for gender equality and feminist values through Official Development Aid (ODA) faces growing pressure. Despite being directly impacted by these decisions, (young) feminists and LGBTIQ+ individuals from the Majority World are not structurally engaged in shaping ODA or Feminist Foreign Policy (FFP). However, growing interest in FFP presents an opportunity to strengthen feminist approaches. To seize this momentum, the Walking the Talk consortium—led by Hivos (Netherlands) with Equipop (France), Restless Development (UK), and ODI Europe (Belgium)—leverages collective expertise to embed gender equality in foreign policies and ensure Majority World feminist voices shape ODA and FFP. The three-year, USD 7 million program launched in August 2023. For more information, you can visit the website https://hivos.org/program/walking-the-talk/

Job context

As the project assistant, you support program management with operational, logistical, and administrative tasks per Hivos's procedures. Working closely with the program manager and project officer, you help ensure smooth consortium operations, focusing on providing logistical support for the Financing for Feminist Futures conference in Madrid. You maintain program administration, monitor processes, support logistics, and communicate project matters internally and externally.

Responsibilities

Besides the operational and administrative support you are providing to the management of the program, you will be working closely with the Walking the Talking coordination team and the conference logistics team to organize smaller (online) events and the big in-person conference in Spain and bring them to a successful finish. In more detail you will do the following:

Program operational and administrative support

• Supporting the management, coordination and implementation of priorities for program
• Assist with minutes and notes from management meetings ensuring they capture key take-aways for implementation
• Holding and coordinating (recurring) online consortium meetings in Teams
• Assisting the finance officer with processing  invoices, reimbursements and procurement for partners, consultants and other stakeholders.
• Supporting the development of reports to the donors and end of program report
• Responding to requests from consortium partners and other stakeholders
• Monitor and coordinate the conference inbox, respond to participant queries, troubleshoot issues, liaise with logistics and consortium teams as needed, and support individual visa follow-ups.
• Provide other administrative and technical support as needed.

Logistics support

• Assisting with logistics (including procurement, booking of flights and accommodation) for planning and implementation of internal and external meetings and events, including our flagship conference in Madrid in October
• Booking flights, accommodation and meeting venues for the Hivos team, ensuring that Hivos internal procurement processes are adhered to.
• Supporting on drafting and sending logistical information and welcome notes for event participants
• Assisting with visa support for participants from the Majority world, including but not limited to invitation letters, insurances, and problem solving.
• Supporting the smooth running of logistics before, during and after the flagship conference in October and responding effectively to last-minute changes or challenges

Your Profile

The ideal candidate should be committed to the mission statements and values of Hivos and Walking the Talk and possess the following qualities and skills:

Education and experience:

• A bachelor’s degree with at least one year of professional experience in program management/administration, operations, and partner relationships.
• Proven experience in organizing events and managing projects and international teams.
• Experience with an international (non-profit) organization

Skills

• Positive, can-do attitude with proactive approach and strong social skills for diverse team collaboration. Highly organized, able to manage and prioritize tasks flexibly.
• Skilled in time management, detail-oriented, yet mindful of the big picture. Embodying Walking the Talks’s values, team-oriented, and collaborative.
• Experienced in external relationship management with a sense of humor and positivity.
• Creative problem-solver with excellent English and Spanish communication skills.
• Proficient in SharePoint and Microsoft Office for event planning.
• Willing to travel to Spain.

About Hivos

Hivos is an international development organization guided by humanist values. Together with citizens and their organizations, we aim to contribute towards just, inclusive and life sustaining societies where people have equal access to opportunities, rights and resources. We work in partnership with others in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Latin America on three impact areas: Civic Rights in a Digital Age; Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, and Climate Justice.

What we offer

In this position you will work at Hivos’ Global Office in the city center of The Hague. Other team members are based in the UK, France, Germany, and The Hague. You will also be part of an international community of highly motivated and dedicated people working to advance gender equality, diversity and inclusion in a wide variety of contexts.

We offer a contract for 36 hours per week based on Hivos Global Office labor conditions. The gross salary ranges from € 2.931,36 to €3.757,56 per month based on a 36-hour work week.

We provide a laptop and travel expenses according to our commuting policies, as well as participation in our pension fund. Hivos additionally works according to a 50/50 schedule, which means you may work from home during half of your contract hours.

How to apply

Please submit a cover letter (maximum 1 page) and CV (maximum 2 pages) by June 15th 2025 at the latest, by clicking on the ‘Apply here’ button. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Candidates are highly encouraged to provide a clear track record in their CV and description in cover letter that matches the requirements of the position elaborated above.

* Kindly note that you have to be in possession of a valid work permit for the Netherlands.

Due to the anticipated volume of applications, we regret that we can only respond to shortlisted candidates. Hivos reserves the right to close the position before the application deadline if a suitable candidate is identified. Interested candidates are encouraged to apply as early as possible.

If you are selected for the final stage of the selection process, please note that professional references and a certificate of conduct (VOG) will be requested due to our Safeguarding Policy. Exceptions will only be made, if there is a local legislation prohibition or when the candidate is unable to obtain such a certificate due to activities on LGTBIQ+ and Human Rights. We may check social media – unless applicants state they do not wish us to do so. Accuracy of information in the curriculum vitae will also be checked.

Hivos is an equal opportunity employer and encourages diverse candidates - such as women and LGBTQIA+ people, persons with disabilities, and persons from negatively racialized groups - to apply.

Hivos reserves the right to close the position before the application deadline if a suitable candidate is identified. Therefore, interested candidates are encouraged to apply as early as possible.

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