Program Officer, Corporate Accountability and Worker Rights at Open Society Initiative for Eastern Africa

The Program Officer works in the Equity Pillar of Global Programs in the Corporate Accountability & Worker Rights team. The team works at global and transnational levels to advance corporate accountability from the top down by governments, and from the bottom up by civil society and worker organizations. This includes work to strengthen regulations, to use levers in financial systems and capital markets to tackle the abuse of corporate power, and to strengthen the capacity of the most vulnerable workers to defend their rights.

As a Program Officer At Open Society You Will

• Provide a strategic vision to guide programming advancing corporate accountability on labor and environmental issues, including collaborating with other OSF programs on shared strategies, issues, and joint initiatives.
• Manage, monitor and coordinate a grants portfolio, including identifying new partners, working with prospective partners to develop proposals, reviewing progress and assessing impact.
• Support coalitions of actors capable of delivering systemic change, facilitate dialogue within the wider field, and identify ways to build resilience among civil society partners.
• Build collaborative relationships with partners inside and outside of OSF, including among funders, government and the private sector.
• Inform the Equity team and OSF’s wider thinking and programming pertaining to corporate accountability, including by proactively tracking developments in the field, analysing and sharing new and relevant insights with colleagues.
• Represent the foundation and its work in key venues through participation in relevant meetings, public speaking, writing, speeches, briefings, blog posts, and interviews, and take part in funder affinity groups and collaboratives.

What We Are Looking For

• At least ten years of experience in, and nuanced understanding of issues, debates and actors in the field of corporate accountability and/or workers’ rights. This includes campaign, policy and movement-building strategies to shift business practice, and to shape and secure laws and regulatory tools to ensure decent work in global supply chains and a transition to a just and sustainable future. Knowledge of capital strategies, or strategies to drive change by corporations on specific social outcomes through investor action and/or levers in capital markets, would be an added advantage.
• Ability to articulate a deep understanding of and provide a strategic vision for systemic change based on experience and knowledge.
• Demonstrated experience as a connector and convener across sectors, including among practitioners, government officials, academics, private sector representatives, and civil society representatives. Openness and curiosity about new approaches and different points of view.
• Direct experience and knowledge of work on workers’ rights and/or corporate accountability in one or more key regions including Asia Pacific, Africa, Latin America or the Arab region/West Asia would be an advantage.
• Ability to be a flexible, collaborative, team-oriented member of a community, and to respect differences while working constructively toward shared goals.
• Experience delivering complex programmes in a fast-paced and changing environment.
• Ability to undertake some travel for work to meet with partners, attend conferences, team retreats and meetings.
• Commitment to continuous learning and growth in the areas of diversity, equity, inclusion, antiracism and social justice.
• Commitment to listening and working with humility; ways of working that are respectful to all people; and that support space and voice for all diverse perspectives in our workplace.

Desirable (but Not Required)

• Experience with budget management, grant management and/or the delivery of complex programmes.
• Fluency in additional languages besides English.