Program Officer, Global Programs & Partnerships

About Open Government Partnership (OGP)

Since its launch in 2011, the Open Government Partnership (OGP) has grown into a global effort of over 225 national and local governments, thousands of civil society organizations, and many others dedicated to making governments more transparent, accountable, responsive, and inclusive.

The Support Unit – OGP’s global secretariat – is the engine behind the Partnership. Its role is to advance the implementation of OGP’s strategy, support its membership, and manage OGP’s external relations and communications. It has a pivotal role in unlocking the vast network of people and partners that are a fundamental part of the global open government movement. If you're passionate about transparency, accountability, and civic participation, then apply to join our dynamic team today. 

About the role

• Grade: 3
• Reports to: Lead, Champions Network & Governance
• Locations: Washington DC or Brussels only. Applicants unable to work legally in either of these two locations will not be considered; OGP will not cover relocation costs or provide sponsorship for work visas for this role.
• Starting salary: 58,000-77,500 USD/year
• Application deadline: June 7, 2024
• Ideal start date: July 1, 2024

• OGP is seeking a full-time, exempt Program Officer for the Global Programs & Partnerships team, based in Washington, D.C. or Brussels. This strategic role involves providing essential programmatic and administrative support to ensure the effective operation of the global Steering Committee, manage OGP’s Champions Network (an extensive network of high-level government and senior civil society representatives who are key allies of OGP), and develop and implement policies for OGP participation. Reporting to the Lead of Strategic Partnerships & Governance, the Program Officer will be pivotal in advancing OGP's mission by coordinating high-level stakeholder engagement and governance processes. 

What you'll do

Programmatic

• Support the work of the Steering Committee by facilitating its activities and drafting proposals for decision-making, supporting materials, and subject matter specific research as needed.
• Contribute to the mobilization of OGP’s Champions Network across various topics and regional/global activities and events, in collaboration with multiple teams across the Support Unit. 
• Coordinate internal and external meetings and participation in events, including drafting agendas, briefing materials and presentations, talking points, meeting minutes, and tracking action items for internal or external follow-up. 
• Draft high-level communication materials (e.g. letters, memos, briefs, etc.) related to the Steering Committee and Champions Network activities, as well as periodic updates and reports for the Steering Committee and other partners, in coordination with Comms and other Support Unit teams
• Coordinate annual elections for selecting Steering Committee members and coordinate onboarding of new members.

Administrative

• Oversee necessary logistics of internal and external meetings and participation in events (virtual and in-person) of the Steering Committee and Champions Network including securing meeting spaces, coordinating travels, etc. 
• Maintain public repositories of Steering Committee meetings, decisions, and communications.
• Support monitoring and reporting on indicators related to global programs and partnerships. 
• Coordinate translation of programmatic documents and communications
• Maintain internal files, trackers, and databases
• Other cross-organizational duties as assigned

Qualifications

Education

Undergraduate degree or equivalent professional experience in one of the following or equivalent fields: International Relations, International Development, Political Science, or Public Policy.

Required Experience

• 1-2 years of relevant work experience required
• Experience working with governments and civil society organizations
• Superb English writing and editing skills, including decisional text 
• Excellent interpersonal, coordination and communication skills in diplomatic and international settings.
• Experience in engaging and supporting external relationships across diverse and international environments
• Preference for candidates with prior experience in board/governance work 

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Ability to prioritize effectively and manage complex and competing priorities with tight deadlines. 
• Pragmatic self-starter with ability to work independently in diverse team environments, across time zones and in hybrid settings.  
• High attention to detail for public-facing materials including policies and high-level communications
• General understanding of protocol for decision-making in international fora
• Thrives in a dynamic, cross-functional environment. 
• Fluency or advanced competency in a second language (Spanish or French preferred) is beneficial but not required. 

Physical requirements: This position involves regular office activities in both remote home working and office environments. We will hire in either our Washington D.C. or Brussels offices only (applicants must be legally able to work in either of these two locations). Applicants unable to fulfill this requirement will not be considered. This position is not eligible for relocation costs reimbursement or sponsorship of work visas. This role requires some travel (5-15%). 

We offer a competitive benefits package including 100% employer-paid health, dental, and vision insurance. We also provide ancillary benefits such as life, short-term disability, & long-term disability insurance and flexible spending accounts. All staff get $1500 in professional development allowance and organizational access to a meditation app. Our staff benefit from plenty of time off and flexible work schedules in order to enjoy a healthy work/life balance.

Our US headquarters are based out of the Open Gov Hub, a co-working space that is home to a network of international non-profits championing the open government space. There is no such thing as a boring day at the office! As this is a hybrid position, OGP will also provide you with an ergonomic home office allowance.

Please submit your resume and complete all the screening questions posted in our Rippling portal. A cover letter is optional but appreciated. We will accept applications for review on a rolling basis until June 7, 2024 or until the position is filled, whichever is sooner. We do our best to respond to each candidate; however, due to the large volume of applications we receive, we cannot guarantee that we can respond personally to everyone. Successful candidates will be contacted for a screening call followed by a request for a writing sample. Reasonable requests for accommodation can be made to jobs@opengovpartnership.org.  

This is a hybrid position based out of our Washington DC or Brussels offices. This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship, so applicants must have work authorization for the US or Belgium.