Deputy Director

OSI-Washington, D.C.

Application Deadline: June 9, 2010

The Open Society Institute works to build vibrant and tolerant democracies whose governments are accountable to their citizens. Open societies are characterized by the rule of law; respect for human rights, minorities and a diversity of opinions; democratically elected governments; market economies in which business and government are separate; and a civil society that helps keep government power in check.   To achieve its mission, OSI seeks to shape public policies that assure greater fairness in political, legal and economic systems and safeguard fundamental rights. On a local level, OSI implements a range of initiatives to advance justice, education, public health and independent media. OSI places a high priority on protecting and improving the lives of marginalized people and communities.

Investor and philanthropist George Soros created OSI in 1993 as a private operating and grantmaking foundation to support his foundations in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Those foundations were established, starting in 1984, to help countries make the transition from communism. OSI has expanded the activities of the Soros foundations network to encompass the United States and more than 60 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

Position Description

The Open Society Institute's Washington, D.C., office seeks a Deputy Director for Domestic Policy.  The OSI-Washington office advocacy staff works to bring about positive change on a wide range of domestic and international issues.  In addition to its advocacy mission, the D.C. office houses a number of regional and thematic OSI programs and OSI staff members.  It also hosts several nonprofit organizations with which OSI works closely.  The office houses the Open Society Policy Center (OSPC), a separately incorporated entity created under Section 501(c)(4) of the IRS Code, which has the legal capacity to take positions on legislation but which does not engage in any electoral activities.  The Washington Deputy Director must be capable of representing OSI in meetings in Washington at the most senior levels and should have a substantial background in developing and implementing advocacy strategies. 

The substantive focus of the position will be on domestic policy.  The ideal candidate will therefore have extensive knowledge and experience concerning the broad and evolving domestic policy issues of importance to OSI.  The Deputy Director will collaborate closely with other OSI staff members and including the staff of OSI's U.S. Programs in New York and Baltimore in developing advocacy strategies.  U.S. Programs supports policies that build an inclusive society that increases opportunity for all while addressing the unique struggles faced by women, people of color, immigrants, poor people, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans; promote civic participation and develop new leaders, especially among historically underrepresented communities; ensure fair criminal justice, immigration, and national security policies, and reduce the over-reliance on incarceration and harsh punishment; increase the transparency, integrity and accountability of institutions.

The Deputy Director will assist the Washington Director in interacting with OSI's headquarters in New York, will work with the Washington Director and the D.C. Director of Administration in managing the D.C. office and will assist in supervising its advocacy staff.

Responsibilities

• Participate in developing advocacy positions on critical open society issues in collaboration with the Washington Director and other OSI staff.
• Analyze US government policies on domestic issues.
• Prepare and write a diverse range of documents, including issue briefs, reports, articles, memos and summaries.
• Represent OSI in meetings with the Executive branch, Congress and other nonprofit organizations.
• Provide strategic and technical assistance to DC advocacy staff to support effective coalition building and program development.
• Supervise and work as a team with DC Advocacy staff on advocacy campaigns as needed.
• Develop close working relationships with OSI's U.S. Programs staff.
• Travel as needed to represent OSI at meetings in and outside of Washington. 
• Assist the Director and Director of Administration of the Washington Office in managing the office.

Qualifications

• College education, with an advanced degree strongly preferred, in a related field.
• A minimum of ten years of senior experience in related policy fields, with experience in a large complex organization preferred.
• Excellent knowledge of U.S. political process, and experience working with Congress on issues involving domestic policy.
• Excellent communication skills, i.e., familiarity with and demonstrated ability to communicate findings, positions, fact sheets, policy briefings, orally and in writing.
• Strong and extensive substantive knowledge of a wide range of domestic policy issues and U.S. Government policies on those issues.
• Ability to handle multiple tasks under tight deadlines.
• Excellent written and editorial skills.
• Self-starter with ability to set and meet goals.
• Flexibility and willingness to work on a range of tasks. 
• The candidate would benefit from prior managerial experience within a substantial organization

Salary

Competitive salary commensurate with experience.  Excellent benefits.

Start Date

Immediately.

To Apply

By June 9, 2010, please send resume, cover letter, brief writing sample and salary requirements to: humanresources@sorosny.org. Please make sure to enter only the job code in the subject line: DD-DC

OR

Open Society Institute
Human Resources - Code DD-DC
400 West 59th Street
New York, New York 10019

FAX: 212.548.4675

No phone calls, please. The Open Society Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer.