Communications Officer The Open Society

Public Health Program - International Harm Reduction Development Program
Open Society Institute–New York

Application Deadline: November 18, 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.

The Open Society Public Health Program aims to build societies committed to inclusion, human rights, and justice, in which health-related policies and practices reflect these values and are based on evidence. The Public Health Program works to strengthen the capacity of organizations and leaders who represent marginalized communities to advocate for better health policies and practices. It also pushes for greater government accountability and transparency in health care. The program consists of 11 core projects and initiatives and is primarily active in Central and Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Southern and Eastern Africa, Southeast Asia, and China. It has limited engagement in Latin America and other regions as part of its global advocacy efforts.

Founded in 1995, the International Harm Reduction Development Program (IHRD), part of the Public Health Program, works to advance the health and human rights of people who use drugs. Through grantmaking, capacity building, and advocacy, IHRD seeks to reduce HIV and other drug-related harms and to end policies and practices that marginalize and discriminate against drug users. Our work is based on the understanding that people unwilling or unable to abstain from illicit drug use can make positive changes to protect their health and that of their families and communities.

IHRD’s current strategic priorities are as follows:

• Improve health services for people who use drugs through civil society monitoring and advocacy
• Diminish discrimination and marginalization of people who use drugs through legal aid, strategic litigation, and legal empowerment
• Decrease abuses against people who use drugs by police and in places of detention through monitoring and training
• Increase the access of women who use drugs to harm reduction, reproductive health, and other services
• Prevent fatal overdose through pilot naloxone distribution and advocacy

IHRD works in 23 countries of Eastern Europe, Africa and Asia to advance the health and human rights of drug users. IHRD seeks a Communications Officer to advance its priorities by engaging in strategic communications, including producing and developing effective publications, providing technical assistance and capacity building, and creating and editing content on harm reduction for our website, blogs, public listservs, and other online communications.

The Communications Officer reports jointly to the Public Health Program Senior Communications Officer and to the Director of IHRD, working in close collaboration with IHRD staff, staff of the Open Society Foundations Communications Department, and other members of the Open Society Foundations network.

Responsibilities

Strategic Communications/Publications

• Help conceive of, create, edit, and oversee production of publications on IHRD priority areas;
• Help develop and disseminate key messages and advocacy strategies to advance the work of IHRD and its key partners;
• Assist with media advocacy on harm reduction and drug policy issues;
• Write blogs, letters to the editor, and opinion pieces for IHRD and other Foundations staff and partners on issues of strategic importance;
• Create and distribute news briefs on important harm reduction developments among IHRD grantees and partners;
• Assist with other communications tasks for the Public Health Program as necessary.

Technical Assistance and Capacity Building

• Assist grantees and IHRD staff to conceptualize and convey key advocacy messages, including preparation of abstracts and oral presentation at international conferences and before UN bodies;
• Support grantees and IHRD staff in developing urgent appeals, shadow reports, and oral presentations for UN human rights mechanisms;
• Review guidelines, advocacy documents, and other publications of relevance to the field of harm reduction.

Conferences and Public Communications

• Help manage distribution and promotion of IHRD materials and media presence at key international conferences (e.g., International Harm Reduction Association, International AIDS Society, and Drug Policy Alliance conferences);
• Organize press conferences, convenings, and expert meetings to advance IHRD priorities;
• Conceptualize and execute distribution of publications at conferences and electronically.

Program Administration

• Update harm reduction pages of the Foundations website, and manage IHRD communications to relevant listservs;
• Monitor scientific and grey literature and share articles relevant to IHRD and its grantees with staff and partners;
• Write briefing materials for IHRD Advisory Group meetings;
• Provide guidance with the hiring, training, and management of IHRD interns;
• Other tasks as needed to support the work of IHRD and the Public Health Program.

Qualifications

• Five years relevant work experience in the fields of harm reduction, HIV, human rights and/or public health;
• Bachelor’s degree in in public policy, public health, international human rights law or other appropriate field;
• Advanced degree preferred;
• Exceptional communication and writing skills in English, as well as strong analytical aptitude;
• Ability to work as a team member and independently, with high level of self-motivation;
• Ability to listen and communicate clearly and effectively with people from diverse cultures and backgrounds;
• Ability to effectively manage several projects simultaneously in a fast-paced working environment;
• Fluency in Russian preferred;
• Willingness to travel internationally on a frequent basis.

Compensation

Commensurate with experience, excellent benefits package.

To Apply

Please email resume and cover letter with salary requirements to: humanresources@sorosny.org. Include job code in subject line: IHRD/COMM/PO

OR

Open Society Institute
Human Resources – Code IHRD/COMM/PO
400 West 59th Street
New York, New York 10019

FAX: 646.557.2672

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