HR and Operations Capacity and Efficiency Support Consultant RFP

About Urgent Action Fund for Feminist Activism (UAF)

Urgent Action Fund for Feminist Activism (UAF-FA) provides fast, flexible funding to women, trans, and non-binary activists who take and face enormous risks to challenge oppressive systems and build a more just and equitable world. Our holistic resources enable frontline feminist movements to respond to real-time threats and opportunities, protect and care for themselves and one another, and sustain and propel solutions to the most critical crises and injustices of our time. 

Founded in 1997, Urgent Action Fund for Feminist Activism is one of four independent Urgent Action Sister Funds who share and build power collectively on behalf of frontline feminists around the world. Based in the United States, Urgent Action Fund for Feminist Activism supports individuals, organizations and movements in the Middle East, Europe, the Balkans, the Caucasus, Turkey, Central Asia, Russia, Canada and the U.S. Together with our Sister Funds – who resource women, trans and non-binary activists in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean – we seek to provide an interconnected tapestry of flexible support to feminist movements globally.

Project Summary

UAF’s People, Culture, and Operations Team is seeking a consultant or consulting firm to offer detail-oriented, compassionate, and comprehensive human resources support for our team. The successful candidate will provide critical support to Human Resources functions for Urgent Action Fund. They will be passionate about ongoing learning and development, and excited about culture work and best practices for fully-remote, multicultural, and multiracial teams expecting a high level of accountability.

This remote engagement will focus on organizational development and policy creation. The scope includes contract management, administrative support, and compliance oversight through third-party vendor management, alongside core HR functions like biweekly payroll processing support and employee onboarding/offboarding processes. Key deliverables include developing and updating a full suite of policies, including procurement policies, comprehensive employee handbook revisions, and operational manuals, while ensuring all materials are developed through a feminist and equitable values lens. Additional responsibilities include organizational development through job description audits, and operational efficiency improvements through process development, system optimization, and filing system enhancements.

Scope of Work

This engagement will include:

• Payroll Processing Support: Biweekly support with payroll processing 
• Process Development: Creating operational processes to enhance system efficiencies that facilitate participation 
• Policy Development
• Employee handbook audit and support with updating, drafting of internal policies grounded in feminist and equitable values
• Procurement policy (SIDA) (Funder-required policies (e.g. procurement) - more urgent)
• Staff Travel Policy
• Risk Management Process and Policy
• Digital Security Policies
• Operations Manual
• Performance Evaluation policy and process design
• Updating/IDing what’s missing from our Handbook 
• Performance Evals policy and process
• Language and framing
• Values-based audit
• Financial Policies 
• Accounting Procedures
• Job Descriptions: audit and updating JDs for the entire organization or just PCO & Finance
• Onboarding and offboarding support
• Administrative Support: 
• Create/revamp filing systems for efficiency, clarity, and uniformity
• Staying on top compliance issues or needs by overseeing vendor (third party vendor: Labyrinth)
• Checking voicemail and admin inbox
• Contract management

Budget: Approximately $30 - $35K for the entire project 

Format and Proposal Details

To help us select the best partner for this project, please submit your application on Workable and include the following information in your proposal:

• A description of your experience, your firm, and the services you offer
• A description of past experiences with similar projects
• Detailed experience working with nonprofits, funders, or other like-minded institutions 
• Your proposed approach to this work
• At least three professional client references

Timeline for Selection

• Proposals will be reviewed on a rolling basis
• March: Proposals review, interviews, and selection
• Late March/April: Partnership begins

Urgent Action Fund for Feminist Activism’s work is grounded in the values of justice, diversity, racial equity, feminisms, and inclusion. We encourage firms owned by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), LGBTQIA+ and other underrepresented individuals to submit a proposal. 

Requirements

Required:

• At least 5+ years of HR and Operations consulting experience in a remote environment
• Advanced experience with payroll processing
• Comfortable and experienced in using different technology systems and platforms to facilitate remote work, tech-savvy 
• Background in systems design, organizational development, and change management
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to work collaboratively across departments and build effective working relationships with colleagues of varying backgrounds and expertise
• Experience with project management with the ability to stay on top of multiple projects: plans backwards, anticipates obstacles, identifies and involves stakeholders appropriately, and uses resources wisely.
• Takes initiative and works to continuously improve systems and processes; suggests innovations to use resources strategically and to maximize positive impact.
• Exhibits a proactive approach to problem-solving, asks questions to seek understanding, anticipates and addresses issues and risks before they escalate.
• Strong background in operationalizing social justice principles in organizational work 

Preferred:

• SHRM and PHR certification but not required
• Experience working with nonprofits, especially funders, social justice organizations, social activists, and humanitarian aid organizations