Executive Director, Women's Refugee

Women’s Refugee Commission Executive Director

Location:

New York, NY or Washington, DC

Compensation range: $275K – $320K

Significant travel required.

Women’s Refugee Commission (WRC) protects and empowers 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, women, children, and youth bear the brunt of the impact as life‑changing services vanish. In the United States, intensified immigration enforcement has led to mass detention and deportation, family separation, and complex cross‑border relations. The crisis is compounded by drastic funding cuts across the sector and a growing backlash against gender equality, threatening decades of progress.

WRC intensifies its role by exposing the far‑reaching impact of funding and policy shifts, documenting 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. It has an annual operating budget of $5.3 million and is in a stable financial situation with a healthy reserve. The Executive Director will report to a globally engaged Board of Directors and manage a mid‑size staff that works primarily in New York City and Washington, D.C. in a hybrid work environment.

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WRC seeks a bold and visionary leader who can guide WRC forward, ensuring that the needs and voices of refugee, displaced, stateless, and migrant women and girls are centered in global humanitarian response and reform. The ideal candidate is a passionate human rights and gender‑equality champion, collaborator, innovator, and effective communicator who will unite staff, Board, Commission, partners, and funders to improve the lives of women and girls worldwide through WRC’s life‑changing programs, research, and advocacy.

The Executive Director will lead the organization into its next chapter of impact, building on 36 years of success and a strong and sustainable financial foundation. The Executive Director will design and implement a new organizational strategy that strengthens WRC’s impact and continues to diversify and increase its funding sources.

The ideal candidate has a track record of uniting individuals around a shared goal and increasing awareness and support for a cause. The strongest candidates authentically and adeptly build and sustain trust while gaining and sharing knowledge about the rapidly changing sector. They are future‑focused, thinking creatively, and infusing innovation across all program and functional areas with staff and Board. They are accustomed to engaging senior leaders, the media (including traditional and online/digital platforms), and other high‑profile audiences.

They also have a strong record of engaging with and cultivating a variety of major funders—individual and institutional—and of overseeing implementation of successful fundraising plans.

• Refine the WRC strategy, in collaboration with the Board of Directors and with input from staff and key stakeholders, to achieve the desired impact.
• Clearly define and communicate WRC’s role, vision, mission, values, and impact across all audiences, programs, and partnerships.
• Actively assess relevant trends and drive the organization to adapt accordingly.
• Champion and advance the WRC reputation as a leader in research and evidence‑based policy.

• Engage, lead, develop, and mentor the executive team and inspire and empower all staff in the organization to share a collective vision and set and reach meaningful, mission‑driven goals.
• Strengthen internal communications and cross‑department collaboration to cultivate strong, trusting working relationships at every level.
• Ensure organizational growth, excellence, and consistent…