Program Director

The Open Society Foundations work to build vibrant and tolerant societies whose governments are accountable and open to the participation of all people.

We seek to strengthen the rule of law; respect for human rights, minorities, and a diversity of opinions; democratically elected governments; and a civil society that helps make government effective, equitable, and accountable.

We help to shape public policies that assure greater fairness in political, legal, and economic systems and safeguard fundamental rights.

We implement initiatives to advance justice, education, public health, and independent media.

We build alliances across borders and continents on issues such as corruption and freedom of information.

Working in every part of the world, the Open Society Foundations place a high priority on protecting and improving the lives of people in marginalized communities.

The Open Society Foundations' U.S. Programs aim to nurture the development of a society that allows all people to participate equitably in political, economic, and cultural life; encourages diverse opinions and critical debate; advances civil and human rights; and promotes broadly shared prosperity and security.

Within U.S. Programs, the Equality Fund engages in grantmaking and supports programmatic initiatives to ensure justice and equality, to prohibit arbitrary and discriminatory government action, and to lift barriers faced by marginalized groups. To advance these goals, the Equality Fund supports advocacy, legal, communications and organizing efforts to stimulate debate and achieve systemic change.

The specific areas in which the Fund is currently engaged include:

Racial justice: Recognizing the persistent effects of the United States' history of racial inequality, the Equality Fund focuses on the following areas that have the potential to yield measurable change in improving the conditions faced by people of color: combating racial profiling; ensuring access to quality public education, including by challenging unfair school discipline policies;; and fostering the development of a 21^st century racial narrative that affirms the continuing need to remedy racial inequality.

Immigrant rights and inclusion: As U.S. demographics shift, U.S. Programs is committed to ensuring newcomers are integrated into society, their contributions are recognized, and their rights and dignity are protected. To that end, the Equality Fund is actively involved at present in securing comprehensive immigration reform, and challenging harsh federal and state immigration enforcement laws that lead to profiling, detention and deportation. Affordable housing and fair credit: Building on the work of U.S. Programs' Neighborhood Stabilization Initiative, which was designed in 2008 as a short-term response to the mortgage and foreclosure crisis, this portfolio focuses on improving economic opportunities for people of color, immigrants and other vulnerable groups by promoting fair and equal access to economic opportunity through activities related to affordable housing and responsible financial services.

The Fund also houses and oversees the Campaign for Black Male Achievement, a program within OSF's U.S. Programs that seeks to address, and help reverse, the ways in which black men and boys are stigmatized, criminalized, and excluded from the U.S. economic and political mainstream.

Purpose of Position: Lead the development, grantmaking and programmatic activities of the Equality Fund within U.S. Programs and participates in the senior leadership team of U.S. Programs; Work is carried out independently.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. OSI may add, change, or remove essential and other duties at any time.

Program:

• Lead the planning, development and implementation of grant-making strategies, priorities and guidelines, as well as related programming that may include commissioning research and hosting national and regional meetings and conferences;
• Supervise and oversee the work of program officer(s) and support staff, consultants and vendors to ensure maximum impact, as well as coordination with other U.S. Programs funds and campaigns;
• Provide day-to-day management of personnel, tasks, annual review and provide periodic feedback on performance;
• Provide a rigorous review of all of the Fund's grants, consultancies and other projects;
• Oversee all financial matters that pertain to the Fund, including monitor spending throughout the year and preparing the annual budget;
• Develop plan for evaluating Fund strategies and their success in advancing the Fund's mission;
• Set priorities for Fund's various goals and implement concrete strategies and objectives;
• Collaborate with U.S. Programs senior staff and Board members on Fund goals and strategies, and communicate with them about Fund activities;
• Coordinate and manage cross-Fund and cross OSF-program partnerships and collaborations;
• Encourage strategic alliances among donors and grantees to encourage collaboration among organizations and fields with related goals, constituencies and interests.

Organizational Leadership, Vision, and Direction:

• Lead the ongoing development of the Fund by leading its work, including refining its vision, goals and priorities;
• Develop and implement a work plan for the Fund, working with dedicated staff and other key U.S. Programs staff;
• Cultivate and maintain effective relationships with colleague funders and philanthropies to identify opportunities for collaborative and complementary programming;

Senior Management:

• Work with the senior management team and the staff of U.S. Programs to develop and implement programmatic priorities and to provide vision, inspiration and leadership across all of U.S. Programs;
• Balance the needs and goals of the Fund with the needs and goals of other programs within U.S. Programs, and elsewhere in OSF;
• Participate in U.S. Programs management discussions and decisions through weekly senior management team meetings, engagement with U.S. Programs-wide strategy and budget processes, and other U.Ss Programs-wide management duties;

Other:

• Travel is required;
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Education/Experience: Advanced degree (M.A./M.S) and ten to fifteen years of relevant experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Senior leadership in one or more of the following areas: program or policy development and change, research, and management in a non-profit, philanthropic, government or private sector organization;
• Experience with a broad range of issues and strategies related to equality and opportunity, including but not limited to experience in the areas of racial justice, immigrant rights and/or economic justice.
• Significant experience supervising and managing a large team.

Skills Required:

• Demonstrated leadership skills in a non-profit organization, foundation, private institution, or government agency;
• Expertise in identifying strategic priorities to further social policy change, including best practices and improvement of internal systems;
• Excellent judgment and initiative in selecting the most effective solutions to develop and implement systems, policies and procedures;
• Experience in managing teams who face multiple priorities under pressure and accomplish deadlines with a heavy workload;
• Demonstrated budgetary, technical, human resource and financial management acumen;
• Excellent writing and public speaking skills;
• Superior organizational and strong interpersonal skills with the ability to listen effectively;
• Proven ability to build effective and cohesive teams, including the ability to effectively manage, supervise, develop and motivate staff;
• Maintain relationships with other senior staff and their teams;
• Proven leadership qualities with delivering superior results;
• Expert in identifying and resolving complex issues;
• Integrity, professional discretion and ability to handle sensitive/confidential matters;
• Extraordinary initiative, creative thinker and strong analytical skills, especially in addressing the complex intersection of policy, program, and politics;
• Strong relationship builder and communicator with experience leading diverse work teams and building partnerships;
• Ability to connect a variety of issues to broader trends and new paradigms;
• Ability to develop and implement innovative and strategic priorities;

Work Environment and Physical Demands:

Essential functions are typically performed in an office setting with a low level of noise. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Program Specific Requirements:

• Visionary leadership skills;
• Excellent management and staff development skills;
• Experience with a broad set of issues, constituencies and modalities, including but not limited to social justice and/or democracy issues, organizing and/or leadership development, translating ideas into action and making best use of new technology;
• Strong awareness of the intersection of race, gender and class;
• Ability to develop and implement innovative and strategic grantmaking priorities.

Start Date: ASAP

Compensation: Commensurate with experience. Excellent benefits package.