Program Associate

Join People Powered to help communities around the world have a greater say in the decisions that affect their lives!

As Program Associate, you will support the design and delivery of People Powered’s global capacity-building programs that help governments, civil society organizations, and community leaders adopt, strengthen, and scale participatory democracy. People Powered works internationally to expand people’s power in public decision-making through approaches such as participatory budgeting, citizen assemblies, participatory policymaking, and participatory planning.

In this role, you will help turn ambitious ideas into practical support for changemakers. 

You play a hands-on role in implementing training programs, accelerators, and learning cohorts that connect participants across countries and sectors. This may include coordinating sessions, supporting participants, managing logistics, tracking progress, and helping ensure every learning experience runs smoothly and has a meaningful impact.

You also will create and curate content for People Powered’s tools, online resource library, training courses, mentorship initiatives, and peer-learning activities — developing materials that are accessible, engaging, and grounded in real-world practice. From guides and case studies to learning exercises and program resources, your work will help practitioners find what they need to create more inclusive and effective democratic processes.

This is a highly collaborative role for someone who is organized, curious, and motivated by learning. You will work closely with People Powered’s staff team, member organizations, and partners across regions — contributing to a global movement that is reimagining how democracy works.

If you are excited by the idea of combining strong project delivery, creative content development, and international collaboration in the service of a more participatory, equitable, and responsive world, we would love to hear from you!

Responsibilities

Capacity-Building and Resources (75%)

• Plan and develop support program activities under the guidance of other staff members and partners, integrating People Powered’s resources, tools, and materials into these programs.
• Create multimedia content for course materials and learning curriculum for webinars and online courses, such as videos, graphics, presentations, activities, questions, and documents. Adapt and compile content on participatory democracy for the online resource center, Participation Playbook, and other resources.
• Develop, configure, and deliver webinars and asynchronous courses under the guidance of other staff and partners.
• Recruit participants for online learning opportunities with other staff members. 
• Support participants in effectively using People Powered resources and capacity-building programs through regular communication, problem-solving, and reminders. 
• Manage content updates and community interactions through the learning management system. Track program progress through project and data management tools, with the assistance of other staff members.  
• Support planning and coordination of technical improvements of People Powered resources, including the development of new technology with partners and developers.

Communications (5%)

• Content Development: Create multimedia content such as blog posts, graphics, and videos to promote capacity-building activities and resources.

Community-Building (5%)

• Partnerships & Member Activities: Support the engagement with member organizations, as well as the delivery of member workshops and activities by participating in external discussions and activities.

Organizational Management & General (15%)

• Participate in organization-wide meetings, retreats, and activities. Contribute and review content, provide feedback on plans and proposals, and have fun with our team!

Desired Experience and Skills

Essential

• Three years of relevant work experience in program support or delivery, training, community engagement, or communications for nonprofit or nongovernmental organizations.
• Alignment with the People Powered mission and values. Demonstrated experience and/or interest in participatory democracy, civic engagement, community empowerment, equity and/or policymaking.
• Demonstrated experience with instructional design, online facilitation, and/or training platforms. Demonstrated experience supporting people to learn and/or use tools and knowledge content.
• Demonstrated working proficiency in English. Excellent writing and communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex information in clear, compelling, and accessible ways that translate well across languages and contexts.
• Excellent teamwork skills and the ability and desire to collaborate with people from diverse cultures, being mindful of and sensitive about cultural differences and power dynamics.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Strong computer skills, especially with Google Workspace products.
• A flexible and growth-oriented mindset.
  

Desirable

• Proficiency in another language such as French, Spanish or Portuguese
• Experience living and working in more than one country, including in the Global South.
• Experience with Asana, Zoom, and project management tools.
• Experience with coding, technology strategy and/or technology implementation. Experience with AI tools.

We understand that there are a wide variety of paths toward the skills necessary for the position. As such, there are no formal educational requirements, as long as the applicant can demonstrate proficiency with the desired skills. We do, however, value experience gained through educational programs.

Compensation and Benefits

You will join a supportive, culturally diverse and highly committed team. We are based all around the world, with the majority of us speaking English as a second language. We are grounded in our core values of collaboration, equity, inclusion, learning, and problem-solving. All of us participate actively in organizational planning and decision-making, including through in-person convenings and retreats. We prioritize the well-being and growth of our people, with an emphasis on learning and development and democratic participation in the workplace and in our member-led community. You can read more about our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion here and you can also check out our team and board members here. 

Salary: 

• $60,000 - $74,000 USD -  annual salary adjusted for local cost of living. The salary advertised is for locations with the highest cost of living and may differ based on the candidate’s city and country, as well as years of experience and additional skills (for example, languages). 

Benefits

• Comprehensive health insurance (medical, vision, dental)
• 3% pension contribution
• 3 weeks of organization-wide breaks per year (in August and December)
• 27 days of paid time off (15 vacation days, 12 floating holidays)
• 7 days of professional development leave per year
• 16 weeks of fully paid maternity leave
• 1 month fully paid sabbatical leave after 5 years of service
• Opportunity to travel and collaborate with our members and partners at annual in-person events

Employment type

• This is a full-time salaried position based on a 40-hour working week

Location

• This is a fully remote position that can be based anywhere in the world. 

Desired start date: 

• July - August 2026. Dates can be flexible depending on the right candidate and project needs.

How to Apply

Applications should include the following: 

1. Cover letter explaining your relevant experience and interest in the position (700 - 800 words maximum)
2. Resume / CV (please keep this to 1 - 2 pages maximum)
3. Answers to questions on the application form

People Powered is an Equal Opportunity Employer, strongly committed to building a team that represents the diversity of the communities we support. We especially encourage applications from women and gender non-conforming individuals; people from ethnic, national, or racial minorities; LGBTQIA+ individuals; people with disabilities and those who identify as neurodiverse; and those with lived experience of the issues we are trying to address.

Application Process

People Powered has a hiring committee of at least 3 people for each advertised job role and a 2 stage interview process, with a take-home assignment usually before the second stage interview. We provide a small stipend to compensate applicants for the time spent on home assignments. We ask for 2 references from shortlisted candidates. All interviews will be held online.

We value diversity and inclusion and are happy to discuss any reasonable adjustments you may need to ensure a fair and equitable recruitment process. Please make sure to include these in your application. 

AI Disclaimer

We can appreciate the use of AI in making the job hunt easier for everyone. To help aid your application for this role, here is what we consider acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI in applying for this position, according to our own AI Policy. 

Acceptable AI Use

• Enhancing written applications: AI can be used to improve grammar, structure, and clarity of written content
• Refining language and structure: AI can help applicants structure their responses, find synonyms, and improve the overall flow of their application. 
• Generating ideas and examples: AI can provide suggestions for structuring answers or finding examples to illustrate skills, but the content should be personalized with the applicant's own experiences. 

Unacceptable AI Use

• Fabricating experiences or skills: Using AI to invent information or claim expertise in areas where the applicant has no experience is unethical and can lead to disqualification. 
• Submitting AI-generated content without personalization: Applications that are entirely AI-generated and lack personal insights or examples are unlikely to be successful. 
• Using AI during assessments or interviews: AI should not be used to provide answers during any stage of the selection process that involves assessments or interviews.

Deadline: 29 May 2026

For more information, visit peoplepowered.org