Job Vacancies Open Society Foundations, May 2011

Job Vacancies Open Society Foundations
Latin America Program
Position: Program Associate
Location: United States of America ( The )
Closing Date: Friday, 10 June 2011

The Open Society Foundations work to build vibrant and tolerant democracies whose governments are accountable to their citizens. To achieve this mission, the Foundations seek to shape public policies that assure greater fairness in political, legal, and economic systems and safeguard fundamental rights. On a local level, the Open Society Foundations implement a range of initiatives to advance justice, education, public health, and independent media. At the same time, we build alliances across borders and continents on issues such as corruption and freedom of information. The Foundations place a high priority on protecting and improving the lives of people in marginalized communities.

Investor and philanthropist George Soros established the Open Society Foundations, starting in 1984, to help countries make the transition from communism.  Our activities have grown to encompass the United States and more than 70 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America.  Each foundation relies on the expertise of boards composed of eminent citizens who determine individual agendas based on local priorities.

Purpose of Position
Provide administrative and programmatic support as part of a team; work is carried out under general supervision.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Provide administrative support to the Director and/or Deputy Director;
Generally assist in program administration and carry out office duties, including: photocopying, faxing, mailings, preparing expense reports, and updating electronic and paper files;
Coordinate logistics for internal meetings, including scheduling, booking rooms, preparing materials, and setting up conference calls;
As directed, coordinate travel including arranging itineraries, tickets, visas, and travel authorizations for project staff and non-Open Society Foundations colleagues;
Handle correspondence for program/department staff as needed;
Process and track payment requests and budget allocations;
Provide administrative support to the legal and finance departments as needed, in order ensure smooth and timely processing of  contracts and payments;
Act as a point of contact (telephone and/or e-mail) for grant- and program-related inquiries and respond to routine telephone and written inquiries from applicants and others;
Prepare necessary internal paperwork to ensure timely payment of grants; produces pro-forma financial reports on grant spending;
Track and monitor consultancy payments;
Attend and observe strategy meetings with program staff in order to take notes and complete routine documentation;
Assist in compiling, editing and drafting program material, including updates to the Open Society Foundations website;
Perform research and assist with special projects as requested;
Perform other duties as assigned;
Travel may be required.

The Open Society Foundations may add, change, or remove essential and other duties at any time.

Education/Experience
Bachelor’s degree from a four-year college or university and minimum of two to three years of relevant experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
NGO or foundation experience/interest in human rights preferred.

Skills Required
Excellent written, verbal, organizational, analytical and interpersonal skills;
Excellent computer skills, proficient in Microsoft Office;
Excellent listening and communication skills with sensitivity to cultural communication differences;
Shows discretion and ability to handle confidential issues;
High level of self-motivation and at ease working independently when necessary;
Poised and works well under pressure, attentive to detail and prioritizes and works well under pressure;
Flexibility and willingness to work simultaneously on a wide range of tasks and projects and ability to prioritize tasks;
Pleasant, diplomatic manner and disposition in interacting with senior management, co-workers and the general public.

Program Specific Requirements
Bilingual Spanish–English with ability to compose effective business correspondence in both languages, as well as translate from English to Spanish;
Basic financial skills related to preparing and monitoring budgets annual administrative budget;
Knowledge of Latin American politics and general political awareness.

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.

Start Date
Immediately
Compensation
Commensurate with experience. Excellent benefits package

To Apply
Please email resume and cover letter with salary requirements before June 10, 2011, to: humanresources@sorosny.org. Include job code in subject line: PGA-LAP/DC

OR
Open Society Foundations
Human Resources – Code PGA-LAP/DC
400 West 59th Street
New York, New York 10019

FAX: 212.548.4675
No phone calls, please. The Open Society Foundations are an Equal Opportunity Employer.




Incoming search terms for the article:

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 31st, 2011 at 9:58 am and is filed under Program Associate, Tags: , , , , , , , , , — You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

Previous:

Next: