What are the responsibilities and job description for the Program Manager position at Open Society Foundations?
Program Manager. New York. Posting Date : 02 / 04 / 2025. Deadline : 02 / 18 / 2025
Role Title : Program Manager
Contract Type : Regular
Reporting To : Director, Programs
Program / Department / Unit Name : Programs
Location
Washington DC or New York
Team Name : Normalizing Migration
Opportunity Description
The Normalizing Migration opportunity focuses on building new pathways for legal migration to help the world's most vulnerable people relocate to safety and prosperity. We aim to do this in ways that mitigate threats to democracies by devolving power to local actors, building public confidence in inclusive immigration systems, and diminishing the ability of authoritarians to use migration as a wedge issue. We build support for legal pathways across diverse constituencies, seeking to understand and shape public attitudes and foster a less divisive, more inclusive, and coordinated movement to influence and hold governments accountable for increasing legal pathways for vulnerable migrants. We also pilot innovations in technology and policy that drive power to the local level, creating policies and systems that empower local actors to support and sponsor migrants in growing numbers, generating proof that more functional migration systems are popular and possible.
The aim of opportunities is to dynamically organize staff, strategies, and budgets around the demands of each opportunity. It balances the need for sustained attention to complex problems and demands rigorous planning and evaluation, while also providing leaders with the autonomy to pursue radical ideas and approaches.
Role Purpose
The Program Manager will be responsible for day-to-day liaison and coordination with grantee and partner organizations in the United States. The Program Manager will play a critical role with implementing the opportunity, which may use a variety of OSF's strategic capabilities, including advocacy, impact investing, strategic litigation, in addition to grant making. The expectation is that the Program Manager is a subject matter expert in the specific opportunity and / or related topics.
Key Responsibilities
As Program Manager, you will :
- Partner with the Director of Programs to design and implement strategic opportunities, monitor progress, and assess outcomes
- Build and maintain relationships with grantees and partners across sectors, while also coordinating with OSF colleagues to deploy all the tools at our disposal and to advance the institution's strategic objectives
- Play a critical role in ongoing strategy development and drive complex initiatives by making proposals, suggesting alternatives, and coordinating partner contributions to advance collective goals
- Exercise considerable discretion and work with a high degree of intellectual independence
- Lead day-to-day grant management, including proposal review, processing, payments, reporting, and compliance with OSF standards and regulations
- Manage consultant contracts and provide regular status updates on implementation, risks, and opportunities to the Director
- Work with leadership to maintain grant-making practice aligned with OSF's approach to grant-making and in compliance with organizational and external standards and regulations
People Responsibilities (Total Team / DRs
Key metrics
N / A
Key internal relationships
Director, Programs; Managing Director, Programs; Network Grants, Special Advisors, Senior Advisors, Grants Management, Operations
Key external relationships
External Partners
The ideal candidate
Functional Competencies :
Personal Competencies :
What we offer
Generous time off, as well as our standard Open Society close at year-end (where vacation days are not required) and flexible work arrangements.
Who we are
Open Society Foundations aim to establish vibrant and inclusive democracies where governments are accountable to their citizens. Our operating model organizes grantmaking around specific, time-limited projects, developed alongside support for established partners, enabling us to respond swiftly to emerging needs. We are committed to promoting human dignity, equality, and rights; reimagining democratic ideals and practice; and advancing equity in governance systems.
Guided by our founder's values and the belief in the art of the possible, we engage directly with global entities, individuals, and policymakers through grants, advocacy, impact investing, and strategic human rights litigation to drive positive change. At the heart of our mission is a deep commitment to rights, equity, and justice, inspiring every action we take.
Additional information
Open Society Foundations is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building an inclusive workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We actively seek applications from talented individuals across all backgrounds, identities, and lived experiences-particularly those from marginalized and underrepresented groups. Each candidate is evaluated solely on their unique qualifications, without discrimination based on race, age, sex, religion, ethnic origin, nationality, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy and maternity, or any other legally protected characteristics. Reasonable adjustments are available for candidates with disabilities. To request adjustments or inquire about our equal opportunity policies, please contact recruitment@opensocietyfoundations.org.
Subject to local laws, regular employment contracts may be converted to fixed-term contracts to align with the intended duration of the employment for the purposes of working on that opportunity; or alternatively the current permanent contract will be kept in place, with a side letter confirming the duration of the assignment to the time-limited project.
The salary range for this role in the U.S. is $136, 000 - $150, 000 (USD). The final offer is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set and level of experience
Competitive rates of pay apply.
Open Society Foundations is committed to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion, and to building a diverse staff that reflects the movements, issues and communities that our mission serves. Candidates from all underrepresented backgrounds, identities and communities are encouraged to apply.
We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants and colleagues with disabilities.
Salary : $136,000 - $150,000
