Who We Are
The Free Yezidi Foundation is one of the leading Yezidi organizations providing humanitarian and human rights support to Yezidi civilians. The Free Yezidi Foundation is a humanitarian, apolitical, women-led non-profit organization formally registered in the Netherlands and the United States and licensed to operate in Iraq. The Free Yezidi Foundation is designed to assist Yezidis in need. The Foundation was established shortly after ISIS attempted to eradicate the Yezidi people in August 2014. The Free Yezidi Foundation seeks to implement projects to protect and support the most vulnerable members of the Yezidi community. The Free Yezidi Foundation is virtually headquartered in the Netherlands and the United States, with its operational base in Duhok, Iraq. The Foundation is particularly engaged with services for Yezidi survivors, with a special focus on Yezidi women and children. FYF also works to assist for all Yezidis seeking justice and accountability. FYF also plays an important advocacy role in promoting better and broader humanitarian and human rights support to Yezidis. Operations in Iraq include a variety of other activities to support Yezidi recovery and growth.
Background
The Yezidi community is recovering from a deliberate attempt by ISIS to exterminate their people specifically because of their religion. This has been recognized as genocide already by the United Nations and many countries and institutions around the world. The decision to target a small minority group for extermination based on identity has created a sense of horror not unlike that found in populations in Rwanda, former Yugoslavia, post-WWII Germany, and so on. FYF is sensitive to the particular nature of the suffering of Yezidi survivors, and all projects and activities have been tailored in this regard. The horrific crisis currently facing Yezidis is one in which an external group perpetrated unspeakable crimes against a religious minority, which is now in need of care and support.
Job Summary
The Operations and Programs Officer will be responsible for supporting the Executive Director on issues related to human resources and operational matters, and will also support the Programs Manager on implementation and oversight of FYF programs and development efforts. Although this is currently listed as a part-time position, it may expand to a full-time position in the future.
Duties and Responsibilities
Operations
- Recruitment (both HQ and IQ) – receive applications, shortlist, sharing the list with HQ or field team leadership, organize tests or interviews with field HR team, check references, ensure compliance with recruitment procedures
- Review and approve timesheets for HQ staff team members
- Assist with HQ payroll – email HQ staff regarding time allocations to grants, receive/review/approve timesheets, receive HQ staff invoices, submit documentation to HQ finance for records and payment, and sign payroll authorizations for finance
- Review policies and systems in the organization to ensure they are accurate and make edits/updates, together with HQ and field leadership
- Oversee contracts for HQ staff, volunteers, interns, track expiration dates, make updates and changes to contracts
- Track leave and PTO requests for HQ team, support field HR team
- Onboard and offboard HQ staff members
- Review contracts for HQ and field staff on a regular basis
- Complete procurement analysis for HQ purchases
- Assist Country Director in the review and approval of procurement analysis for the field team, as necessary
- Support the HQ finance team as much as possible to ensure they have the correct paperwork and procurement documents, and support field team as necessary through the Country Director
- Meet with Country Director and provide operational support as necessary to support field management
Programs
- Monitor and identify relevant grant and funding opportunities
- Support the development of high-quality grant proposals and concept notes
- Contribute to program design and implementation
- Assist with monitoring and evaluation (M&E) efforts, including data collection tools, attendance tracking, indicator and satisfaction surveys, and pre/post-test analysis
- Review monthly field reports to ensure quality and consistency of information
- Draft and support the preparation of donor reports and other external communications
- Contribute to the development of capacity-building materials and resources for field staff
- Provide general programmatic, communications, and administrative support as needed
Qualifications and Competencies
– Knowledge of and experience in providing human resource management, helpful if in the non-profit sector.
– Knowledge of working with US federal donors in the humanitarian sector is helpful but not necessary.
– A bachelor’s degree in any field relevant to operations management, human resource management, or non-profit program implementation is an advantage. A master’s degree is preferred.
– Three to five years of operations, human resource, management, or program experience in development or humanitarian programs is a plus.
– Advance skills in Microsoft Office applications.
– A good understanding of overall project cycle management. This should include a good understanding of working with donor guidelines and following up on program compliance.
– Proven capabilities in integrity and strong attention to detail are required, with the ability to work independently and with a diverse team, communicate effectively with individuals from a variety of background, and contribute to overall team capacity building.
– Fluency in English and the ability to write documents, reports, and present information in English is required.
Base of Operations: Remote. Applicants from any country will be considered.
Start Date: January 2026
Daily Routine: The successful candidate will be expected to work the equivalent of two or three full days per week. The officer’s schedule will be determined jointly between the candidate and management.
Salary: Salary is determined according to the organization’s salary scale and commensurate with experience.
How to apply
All candidates interested in this position should send their CVs and brief cover letters of interest to FYF: hr@freeyezidi.org. If you have experience particularly relevant to only operations or only programs, please indicate this on your application, and do not refrain from applying.
Women are strongly encouraged to apply.