Job Opportunities at Open Society Foundations

Do you want to help make the world a better place with your expertise in justice, equity, and expression to build stronger democracies? We’re seeking a Program Officer based in NY, Washington D.C., London, Berlin, Rio de Janeiro, Mexico City, Bogota, Seoul, Amman, Nairobi or Tunis to develop and manage strategies within Global Programs.

Global Programs focuses on justice, equity, and expression to build stronger democracies and protect rights. We design bold, transformational strategies that integrate and upscale work across regions to generate the greatest possible transnational impact. Our deeply collaborative approach emphasizes vigorous debate, thoughtful incubation, piloting, and constant learning, as well as a commitment to drawing on talent, experience, and knowledge from all parts of OSF.

Justice -- Dedicated to securing democratic freedoms, advancing intersectional justice, and ensuring accountability for human rights abuses through grant making, advocacy, and network-building

Job Profile

The Program Officer is an individual contributor that leads grant making and research in combination with other OSF tools to advance democratic renewal and electoral integrity, protect democratic institutions, and address malign transnational enablers of human rights violations, such as faith networks, transnational corporations, and international and development financial institutions. The incumbent represents the foundation, ensures the strategic allocation of funds, and shapes and assesses innovative strategies to deliver on our priorities.

As a Program Officer You Will

• Be responsible for developing and managing strategies within Global Programs, focused on grant-making and in coordination with the use of other OSF tools
• Map out and staying abreast of the democracy field while maintaining relationships with grantees and key stakeholders, convening key actors, and engaging in advocacy to advance the priorities of Global Programs
• Develop strategies to make or sustain change that use grant making as the primary tool
• Engage and support various types of groups (membership organizations, social movements, informal groups and formal organizations)
• Participate in donor collectives, networks and high-profile organizations working at a global, regional level both as direct recipients or intermediaries
• Develop and implement a strategic, organized and/or sustained effort to influence decisionmakers and those who influence them to enact or shape specific laws, public policies, practices, norms and/or attitudes at the national or international level
• Develop and/or implement the strategy for an intervention made up of multiple coordinated activities (e.g., advocacy meetings, coalition building, grassroots/community mobilization, engaging unlikely allies, driving narrative change, and public communications)

What We Are Looking For

• 7-10 yrs demonstrable international experience leading and working on issues of Intersectional justice across different geographies and movements, including at a multilateral level. Direct experience in applying Intersectional Justice approaches to grantmaking, programming, advocacy, and movement building will be an added advantage
• Demonstrable experience engaging with partners across geographies, building and maintaining collaborative partnerships, and working effectively within a complex global organization with a high tolerance for risk and frequent adaptation.
• Commitment to continuous learning and growth in the areas of intersectional justice, diversity, equity, equality, inclusion and democracy.
• Experience and knowledge of the Middle East /West Asia Region, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and Africa.

What We Offer

• Ample opportunities to learn and grow, from annual professional development allowances to onsite trainings and learning conversations with visiting experts.
• Top-notch benefits and perks designed for your well-being and a healthy work-life balance. With some variability according to location, this includes generous time off, flexible work arrangements, employer-paid health insurance, generous retirement savings plan, progressive paid parental leave, reproductive and family planning support, sabbatical opportunities, and much more.
• A commitment to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace that enables everyone to bring their full self to work and make a positive impact on the world.

If this sounds like the position you have been looking for, please submit a cover letter that addresses the specific skills and experience that OSF requires for Program Officers (guidance is located here) and CV; we look forward to learning more about you.

Work Authorization: Please note, this position may be eligible for work authorization sponsorship and relocation support is provided.

For London-based employment: We feel our salaries are competitive for our sector. The salary for this position starts at a minimum of £57,100. Your offer will be based on your level of experience.

For U.S. based employment: Open Society requires all US employees to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 unless an employee requires a reasonable accommodation for medical reasons or for a sincerely held religious belief. If you may require an accommodation, please apply for any roles that interest you and if hired, you will receive information on how to request a reasonable accommodation related to Open Society’s vaccination requirement.

Competitive rates of pay apply.

We aim to build an inclusive workforce that is reflective of the populations we support, and actively seek applications from those who are marginalized and underrepresented. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants and colleagues with disabilities.

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Do you want to help make the world a better place by holding big technology platforms to account, and by working to help digital technology serve and strengthen democracies and open societies? We’re seeking a strategic and collaborative Program Manager to lead our work on platform accountability: confronting disinformation, hate speech and other harms created by big tech, while harnessing the opportunities presented their technologies present.

The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in evolving and implementing our strategy in this area, carry out all relevant stages of grant making, and conduct advocacy on behalf of OSF as appropriate. We expect the candidate to bring sharp strategic thinking, strong communication skills, a commitment to collaboration, and deep knowledge of the issues of disinformation, hate speech, and platform regulation. You can be located anywhere in the world.

The Open Society Foundations work to build vibrant and inclusive democracies whose governments are accountable and open to the participation of all people. We are active in more than 120 countries, making us the world’s largest private funder of independent groups working for justice, democratic governance, and human rights.

The Technology & Society Division in Global Programs-Expression confronts the most significant threats and opportunities for open society spawned by changes in information technology. These technologies are transforming the ways governments and corporations exercise power, and the ways citizens communicate and mobilize to keep that power accountable. The Team supports work to understand the impacts of these technological changes, and to take risks with inventive ways to engage in and shape this fast-changing field.

As a Program Manager At Open Society You Will

• Play a vital role in the development, planning and implementation of the strategy to hold big tech to account, using a range of tools including grant making, advocacy, fellowships, litigation and program-related investments.
• Develop ideas that will best advance our strategies: including by managing, monitoring, and coordinating supportive grants, and by engaging in direct advocacy where appropriate. Responsibilities include: long-term grant planning; identifying and working with prospective grantees to develop proposals for grant recommendations; conducting organizational assessments; undertaking periodic reviews of progress with grantees; and reviewing financial and narrative reports.
• Build collaborative relationships outside OSF (e.g., with existing grantees, prospective grantees, experts and practitioners in communities, foundations, partners, etc.) as well as across the OSF network.
• Stay up to date on the issues of technology policy globally, follow key developments and debates, keep abreast of the academic, industry and popular literature, and share key findings and lessons among colleagues and the field.

What We Are Looking For

• At least 7 years of progressively responsible experience in a leading role either in the technology industry, or an NGO, government agency or research institution focused on the interplay between technology, rights and justice.
• Mastery of the key issues in the area of technology, rights, justice, and innovation - including familiarity with current controversies and thinking in the fields of disinformation, hate speech and platform regulation. Experience in corporate advocacy is a plus.
• Demonstrated success in advancing social change strategies, including the ability to adopt those strategies in response to an evolving situation.
• Project management skills, including the ability to direct others to gather evidence and research to support a key decision or judgment
• 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.
• Excellent written and spoken communication skills in English; additional languages are desirable

What We Offer

• Ample opportunities to learn and grow, from annual professional development allowances to onsite trainings and brown bag lunches with visiting experts.
• Top-notch benefits and perks designed for your well-being and a healthy work-life balance. With some variability according to location, this includes generous time off, flexible work arrangements, employer-paid health insurance, generous retirement savings plan, progressive paid parental leave, reproductive and family planning support, sabbatical opportunities, and much more.
• A commitment to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace that enables everyone to bring their full self to work and make a positive impact on the world.

See what a day in the life of a Program Officer at Open Society is like.

If this sounds like the position you have been looking for, please submit your cover letter and CV; we look forward to learning more about you.

Work Authorization: Please note, this position may be eligible for work authorization sponsorship and relocation support is provided.

For London-based employment: We feel our salaries are competitive for our sector. The salary for this position starts at a minimum of £57,100. Your offer will be based on your level of experience.

For U.S. based employment: Open Society requires all US employees to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 unless an employee requires a reasonable accommodation for medical reasons or for a sincerely held religious belief. If you may require an accommodation, please apply for any roles that interest you and if hired, you will receive information on how to request a reasonable accommodation related to Open Society’s vaccination requirement.

Competitive rates of pay apply.

We aim to build an inclusive workforce that is reflective of the populations we support, and actively seek applications from those who are marginalized and underrepresented. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants and colleagues with disabilities.