City Advisor

Position: City Advisor, Mayors Migration Council

Location: New York City preferred, remote candidates (U.S or Global) considered

Status: Full-time fixed-term employment for 12 months with possibility of extension

Compensation: USD$90,000-110,000, commensurate with experience and qualifications

BACKGROUND

The Mayors Migration Council (MMC) is a mayor-led coalition that accelerates ambitious global action on migration and displacement. With most of the world’s migrants and displaced people living in cities, our mission is to use the power of city leadership, diplomacy, and practice to create a world where urban migrants, displaced people, and receiving communities can thrive.

To achieve our mission, we provide mayors with advocacy, coordination, and communications support to influence policy decisions at the national and international level, and connect city governments to the knowledge, technical, and financial resources they need to accelerate and scale local solutions.

Created by mayors for mayors, we are a nimble team of political advisors and urban practitioners led by a Leadership Board of global mayors. We are managed as a Sponsored Project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors and operate with the support of philanthropic and government donors.

To learn more visit www.mayorsmigrationcouncil.org.

THE CITY PRACTICE PORTFOLIO

Our City Practice program supports mayors and city governments to design, implement, and accelerate local solutions for migrant, displaced, and diaspora communities. We do this by pairing practical research and technical assistance with the mobilization of financial resources to cities—either directly through our Global Cities Fund for Migrants and Refugees (GCF) or indirectly by connecting cities with donors, financial institutions, or investors.

By showcasing city leadership in action, we build evidence of what works at the local level. This evidence strengthens our advocacy, enabling us to influence decision-makers and address systemic policy and financial barriers that prevent mayors from scaling local solutions and driving global progress.

THE POSITION

The City Advisor plays a hands-on role in helping mayors and city governments design, implement, and sustain impactful local solutions for migrant, displaced, and diaspora communities. Embedded within the MMC’s City Practice team, the role focuses on strengthening city capacity through targeted technical assistance, peer learning, and partnerships—primarily through the implementation and growth of the Global Cities Fund for Migrants and Refugees (GCF). The role supports the full lifecycle of GCF engagement—from launching new cohorts and advising applicants, to providing hands-on support to grantees and helping graduates sustain, adapt, and scale their work.

Reporting to the Director of City Practice, the City Advisor works closely with the City Finance Lead and City Practice Lead, with support from the City Practice Manager and Associate, and in collaboration with city officials, UN agencies, global city networks, and other partners.

This role is suited to a practical, relationship-driven advisor who enjoys working directly with cities, navigating implementation challenges, and translating global expertise into actionable local solutions. The ideal candidate brings experience at the intersection of urban migration and displacement and related MMC priority themes—such as economic inclusion, climate, health, sport, youth, and/or early childhood development—and is comfortable working across diverse regional contexts, from high to low- and middle-income countries.

The successful candidate will be an entrepreneurial, strategic thinker with strong project management, research, and communications skills, experience advising city governments or local partners, and a collaborative mindset. They thrive in fast-paced, mission-driven environments and are motivated by turning ideas into durable, on-the-ground impact.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Manage the implementation of the Global Cities Fund for Migrants and Refugees (GCF), from new calls for applications through project delivery, learning, and graduation.

• Manage the design and rollout of new GCF cohorts, supporting concept development, solicitation, selection, onboarding, and ongoing relationship management with cities.

• Serve as a trusted technical advisor and to current and prospective GCF grantees, helping cities solve implementation challenges, drive project success, and secure additional funding/financing, through a combination of capacity-building modules, tailored 1:1 support, and project visits.

• Work closely with the City Finance Lead to help grantees and graduates design financially sustainable projects and connect them to relevant funding, financing, and institutional partners.

• Facilitate the City Practice team’s visits to GCF grantee projects, including organizing content and logistics.

• Facilitate global communications and diplomatic engagements of city grantees in collaboration with the City Leadership, City Diplomacy, and Knowledge and Communications teams.

• Coordinate transparent processes for monitoring, evaluation, reporting, and grant management in line with MMC and donor requirements.

• Prepare, create, and customize materials as needed for city engagements, including general outreach, briefs, meetings, and presentations.

• Maintain up-to-date metrics and content related to the GCF’s impact.

• Develop, standardize, and deliver the MMC’s suite of technical assistance tools, including in-person and virtual workshops, technical sessions, peer exchanges, and network learning activities.

• Facilitate city-to-city and city-to-partner learning and exchange, promoting best practices and knowledge sharing among cities, UN agencies, global city networks, and other partners.

• Provide thematic expertise at the intersection of urban migration and displacement, including areas such as economic inclusion, climate, health, sport, youth, and/or early childhood development, with particular attention to regional contexts.

• Support, and where appropriate, lead city advisory projects, pilot initiatives, and events across the broader City Practice portfolio.

• Expand MMC’s reach by embedding technical expertise into external city network initiatives and partnerships to scale impact efficiently.

• Produce compelling content on local practices, lessons learned, and impact stories that the MMC team can use and disseminate to cities, partners, and global audiences.

• Support fundraising and business development by contributing technical input to proposals and preparing grant reports for existing donors.

• Cultivate positive and productive relationships with city leaders and officials as well as GCF Strategic Partners, including UN agencies and global city networks.

• Support the Director of City Practice in preparing briefing materials for executive leadership and external partners.

• Relevant professional experience in the humanitarian and/or development sector working with government actors and/or community organizations.

• Demonstrated experience providing technical expertise, advisory support, and/or program management to local governments or implementing partners. Direct experience in city government preferred.

• Strong understanding of urban migration and displacement issues and their intersection with areas such as climate, economic inclusion, early childhood development, and sport. Knowledge of municipal finance a plus.

• Proven ability to manage complex, multi-stakeholder relationships and support partners through implementation challenges.

• Outstanding written, verbal, and analytical skills, including editing, presentation development, and fast and effective research capabilities.

• Experience coordinating monitoring, evaluation, and reporting processes is an asset.

• Strong organizational and project management skills, with demonstrated track record of delivering high-quality results and the ability to manage multiple workstreams simultaneously.

• Ability to influence and motivate others to achieve objectives and solve problems creatively.

• Excellent interpersonal and intercultural skills, with a collaborative, solution-oriented working style.

• Genuine passion for urban innovation and commitment to the protection, inclusion, and equity of migrants and displaced populations worldwide.

• Ability to work independently with a decentralized team while maintaining a collegial, team- oriented working style.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; working knowledge of data visualization and CRM project management programs (e.g., AirTable, Canva, Illustrator, Notion) preferred.

• Fluency in English required; proficiency in Arabic, French, or Spanish preferred.

• Willingness and ability to travel internationally as required.

• Must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. without visa sponsorship.

Pay range: For New York City, the compensation is $90,000-110,000, with commensurate options for other global locations. The range listed is one component of the total compensation package for employees.

We offer a competitive compensation and benefits package including health coverage, retirement benefits, paid sick leave, vacation and holidays, and access to professional development resources.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Applicants should submit a resume and cover letter outlining relevant experience and interest via the MMC’s Careers page. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and are due no later than Monday, January 19, 2026, at 5:00 PM ET.

Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors is an equal opportunity employer.

Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors celebrates the uniqueness of our staff, our partners, and the communities we serve. We are committed to inclusion with the goal of cultivating a culture of belonging and acceptance. We strive to embed this value in our philanthropic work to advance a more just, equitable and sustainable world.