Founded in 1919, Zonta International is a global human rights organization working to build a better world for women and girls. Today, Zonta operates in 65 countries, bringing together members worldwide to advance gender equality through service and advocacy. 

Guided by its core values of integrity, respect, equity and inclusion, friendship, and global community, Zonta works to ensure that women’s rights are recognized as human rights. Its global efforts focus on eliminating violence against women and girls, promoting equal access to education, strengthening women’s participation in decision making, and advancing gender responsive approaches to climate justice.

Zonta International is nonpartisan and nonsectarian and holds consultative status with the United Nations, reflecting its long-standing commitment to ethical leadership, strong governance, and global impact.

Why This Role Matters

As Governance Manager, you will sit at the center of Zonta International’s global decision-making, ensuring sound governance and effective leadership across a worldwide organization working to advance women’s and girls’ rights. Your work directly enables the International Board and volunteer leaders to act strategically, ethically and efficiently.

What You Will Focus On

The Governance Manager will demonstrate solid knowledge of governance and association operations while developing trust with volunteer leaders. This individual provides executive-level support to the International Board and Executive Director on organizational governance activities, coordinates meetings of the International Board, committees and governors, and tracks and maintains all Board-approved policies. The Governance Manager reports directly to the Executive Director and has no supervisory responsibilities. This position has extensive membership contact and interaction with member leaders.

Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities

Board Governance

• Manages governance operations working in tangent with the Executive Director to establish priorities, draft reports, anticipate change, and identify rising concerns.
• Supports the International Board in adhering to nonprofit governance best practices, including fiduciary oversight, ethical standards and conflict of interest compliance.
• Manages scheduling, preparation and maintenance of agendas, meeting materials and minutes for meetings of the International Board in OnBoard meeting management platform.
• Takes minutes at International Board meetings, ensuring the final minutes are a complete and accurate reflection of the discussions and decisions taken in the meetings
• Maintain action and motion logs of all meetings of the International Board.
• Tracks and updates the Board-approved policies and maintains current policy documents in collaboration with the Policies & Manuals Working Group.
• Organizes contracts for meetings of the International Board, including meeting space, accommodations, catering and technology requirements.
• Interfaces with Board members and Headquarters Finance Team to ensure the timely submission and processing of Board expense reimbursements.
• Maintains and updates International Leadership section of the Zonta International website.

Committee and Governor Support

• Serves as a staff liaison to the International Nominating Committee and Policies & Manuals Working Group.
• Maintains records for all international committees in iMIS membership database.
• Requests and tracks conflict-of-interest disclosures for current committee members.
• Ensures that standing committee conflict-of-interest disclosures and rosters are updated annually.
• Coordinates onboarding and regular meetings for the International Committee Chairs and Governors per schedule established by the International President and Executive Director.
• Coordinates Governors’ Orientation logistics and meeting details, including hotel contracts, local transportation, room setup, AV orders, food and beverage and day-of meeting needs.

Nominations and Election Processes

• Manages logistics for the biennial nominations and elections process for the Zonta International and Zonta Foundation for Women Boards and International Nominating Committee.
• Collaborates with the International Nominating Committee to prepare the Call for Nominations for elected positions and related communications to the membership.
• Coordinates communications about the nominations process with the Communications Manager.
• Informs candidates who were selected by the International Nominating Committee for the slate for election. Prepares letters to unsuccessful candidates.
• Creates and manages the elections ballot.
• Administers the biennial election and prepares the election report in collaboration with the Elections Committee.

Executive Support

• Provides high-level executive support to the International President and Executive Director, including managing correspondence and sending communications, coordinating meeting logistics, and arranging travel and accommodation
• Ensures effective follow-through on actions and clear line of communications between International Board, international committee chairs and governors to enable the International President and Executive Director to focus on strategic and leadership responsibilities.
• Other duties as assigned.

What We Offer

• A team that genuinely cares for and discusses issues related to women and girls.
• Ability to establish a personalized daily 7.5 hours work schedule with a start time between 7:00 am and 9:00 am. Note: some overtime hours are required based on priorities throughout the year.
• Substantial paid time off and holiday pay (11 paid holidays, plus the period between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day).
• Generous health insurance benefits, 401K, and life and disability insurance.

 Location (hybrid)

• This is a hybrid position based in Oak Brook, Illinois.
• The staff works remotely three days a week and in-office a minimum of two days a week (Tuesday and Wednesday).
• Additional in-office work is required for training and special meetings, including orientation and onboarding.

What You Will Bring

• Passion for Zonta International’s mission to build a better world for women and girls.
• Bachelor’s degree, or higher education preferred.
• Minimum of 5 years of non-profit management experience; international experience is a plus.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Access, Power Point, Outlook) required; experience with OnBoard and/or iMIS a plus.
• Past success working with a volunteer board or volunteer leadership teams.
• Ability to handle sensitive information and maintain confidentiality.
• Ability to manage multiple projects, prioritize, meet deadlines, and manage evolving expectations to the highest standards.
• Accurate and impeccable attention to detail.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively in collaboration with diverse groups of people in an international organization.
• Ability to lift 15 lbs.
• Ability to travel as required (1-2 times per year).
• Occasional evening and weekend hours will be necessary to support Board and committee meetings. Frequency will vary as it depends on the organization’s needs.

About Zonta International

Zonta International is a leading global organization of individuals working together to build a better world for women and girls. Zonta International envisions a world in which women's rights are recognized as human rights and every woman is able to achieve her full potential. In such a world, women have access to all resources and are represented in decision-making positions on an equal basis with men. In such a world, no woman lives in fear of violence.

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