Vacancies at Open Society Initiative for Eastern Africa

As a Program Manager for Fiscal Justice at Open Society you will:

• Conceive, design and manage cross-department, cross-program or similarly complex projects that advance fiscal justice, safeguard essential public services, and promote green, inclusive, and equitable economic policies.
• Play a lead role in constructing, managing and assessing grant making portfolios on fiscal justice, sharing responsibility for portfolio strategy design.
• Maintain primary relationship with grantees and with internal and external partners to advance shared goals and advocacy strategies around economic justice.
• Use a variety of tools, such as advocacy, communications, grant-making, strategic litigation and research, to advance agendas around economic and fiscal justice.

What We Are Looking For

• 5-7 years of experience in a field connected to the advancement of economic rights and justice.
• Deep knowledge of and experience, including strong networks with civil society organizations, working on at least one of the following issues: economic inequality, tax policy, public budgets, debt, development financing and/or social and economic inclusion issues.
• Practical experience using multiple tools to effect change, including grant-making, campaigning, coalition-building, NGO strengthening, and policy research.
• 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)

• Strong networks and experience working in the Global South.
• Experience working in or with multilateral organizations and international financial institutions, governments and academic networks.
• Fluency in additional languages besides English.

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Duties And Responsibilities

• Grant-making: Developing, managing, and monitoring impact-based portfolios rooted in grant making plans.
• Partner Engagement: Managing relationship with strategic partners in the private, public, civil society and philanthropic sectors on climate action and climate justice; connecting them to grantmaking, investment and advocacy work of the team and Open Society.
• Research and Knowledge: Providing foresight and analysis of systems level trends in climate justice, especially as related to: (i) human rights, including the rights of indigenous groups, (ii) the protection of climate activists and environmental defenders, and (iii) transparency, accountability and participation in areas of climate actions, especially as it relates to transition towards low carbon economies and value chains (including the use of transition minerals).
• Strategy Development and Management: Assistance with the development, management and delivery of innovative portfolios of work in a team-centered context, making recommendations to senior management to inform their selection and pursuit of results-oriented strategies around transnational climate justice.
• Communications and Advocacy: Engaging stakeholders to carry out a constructive and effective dialogue on programmatic goals; contributing to shaping long term advocacy or communications plans to advance Climate Justice’s priorities or strategic objectives; and establishing and nurturing relationships with key parties.
• Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning: Shaping learning strategies and methods for and gathering key learnings from investments, grants, and policy engagements in order to improve program delivery; designing and executing on program related research; working with OSF’s strategy team to monitor and evaluate Climate Justice portfolio strategies for iteration and adaptive management; and providing learning expertise to colleagues.

Skills And Competencies

• Substantial knowledge of the human rights issues implicated in climate change and the response to it, especially just transitions (energy and beyond), climate governance, as well as strong networks in these fields.
• A commitment to advancing diversity, equity & inclusion, including to a diversity of perspectives and voices, especially from the global South.
• An ability build and manage collaborative relationships with an array of stakeholders, and a capacity to coordinate networks of them.
• An understanding of and sensitivity to the power differential inherent in the funder-grantee relationship and a demonstrated ability and willingness to handle such relationships properly and respectfully.
• An ability to consider multiple options to achieve long-range goals, appropriately balancing risk and reward, selecting the best strategies for success.
• Excellent written and spoken communication skills in English.

Qualifications

• Comprehensive, specialized knowledge in climate justice related fields, including familiarity with current controversies and issues, leading figures and thinking, and especially actors in the Global South..
• At least 5 -7 years of progressively responsible experience working in policy, advocacy, grassroots mobilization, and/or green commercial solutions as related to climate change issues in the global South, especially equitable development, democracy, human rights and/or justice.
• Experience with the grantmaking process.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent knowledge of in environmental sciences, economics, political economy, economic sociology, public policy or other related field; graduate degree or equivalent expertise preferred.

Benefits Include

• Opportunity to work with a dynamic and diverse team in a role where you can grow.
• Allowances for professional development and generous benefits, including paid health insurance, retirement savings plan, paid parental leave, reproductive and family planning support, and potential sabbaticals.
• Location: Berlin, London, Nairobi, New York, and Washington
• Work Authorization – this position is eligible for work authorization sponsorship[YD1] .