Project Director , Global Health Financing Initiative
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 supports marginalized populations to fight discrimination and protect their fundamental rights. The 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 consists of 10 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.
The Global Health Financing Initiative (GHFI) works to ensure that global funding for health is raised, allocated, and used in ways that meet the health needs of marginalized persons, strengthen civil society engagement in decision-making, promote and respect human rights, and lead to greater accountability and transparency.
Provide strategic leadership and manage the advocacy, grantmaking, capacity building, and technical assistance activities of the Global Health Financing Initiative (GHFI). Work is carried out independently.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. OSF may add, change, or remove essential and other duties at any time.
Program Management:
- Oversee implementation of the current GHFI Strategic Plan, working to sustain existing activities and develop new initiatives that further GHFI’s strategic goals;
- Develop GHFI’s annual Activity Plan and budget (US$1.7M);
- Oversee monitoring of allocations and program expenditures;
- Provide overall and day to day management of GHFI program officer(s) and program support staff including supervision, development of workplans and annual reviews and other periodic feedback on performance;
- Develop scopes of work and supervise consultants hired by GHFI;
- Liaise with other relevant PHP initiatives and OSF programs;
- Supervise capacity building and technical assistance and research projects related to policy and grantmaking efforts;
- Devise and implement ways to monitor and evaluate progress against the Strategic Plan and to provide opportunities for continuous learning and reflection;
- At the end of the strategic period, ensure that an evaluation of GHFI’s progress toward its Strategic Plan is conducted (the input from the evaluation will be used to guide the development of the next GHFI Strategy).
Strategic Positioning:
- Lead the development of an advocacy, capacity building and grant making agenda to influence the policies and practices of global health donors and financing institutions in a manner that advances the health and rights of the most marginalized and increase sustainable resources for health;
- Establish and cultivate appropriate linkage and relationships with government agencies, international and multilateral organizations, and civil society organizations in countries where the initiative works in Eastern Europe and Africa, as well as in Western Europe, and the United States;
- Participate as relevant in strategic civil society and foundation platforms and governance bodies of key institutions, and work to strengthen these platforms and bodies;
- Work as appropriate with PHP projects, OSF policy officers in Washington, DC and Brussels, as well as the office of the International Advocacy Director, to develop a cohesive OSF advocacy strategy targeting key donor countries and institutions;
- Advise and collaboration with PHP projects on the use of global health financing tools and institutions to advance their project goals;
- Work with the National and Regional Open Society Foundations and grantees to achieve the Initiative’s goals;
- Build and cultivate strategic relationships with other philanthropic partners;
- Develop and implement advocacy and field-building activities including convenings and production of policy briefs, peer-reviewed publications, videos, fact sheets, blogs, and other strategic communicatios;
- Stay up-to-date on developments in the field and monitor trends through research and attendance at conferences and meetings;
- Write strategy/position papers that provide direction on policy issues impacting the field and offer suggestions about strategic program development for PHP colleagues, funders, and grantees.
Grantmaking:
- Manage calls for proposals and solicited grants to support GHFI strategic priorities, and make funding recommendations and declinations;
- Manage work with applicants to develop and finalize grant proposals; review proposals and manage the preparation of written grant recommendations for senior management;
- Perform regular site visits of prospective and current grantee organizations;
- Monitor grants, including through site visits and review of narrative and financial reports;
- Ensure that grantees submit narrative and financial reports as required under the terms of the contract;
- Identify and implement strategies to strengthen the capacity of grantees to successfully realize their goals.
PHP and OSF-Wide Representation:
- Participate on the PHP Directors and Deputies (DnD) team and in all DnD related activities;
- Participate in PHP and/or Foundation-wide learning initiatives;
- Participate in the development and realization of Public Health Program goals and objectives as part of the senior team.
Other:
- Travel is required;
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Advanced degree (M.A./M.S) and seven to ten years of relevant experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Strong background with programs advancing social justice through community organizing, legal advocacy, research, or policy reform work.
- Experience in grant making and project management, including managing consultants and developing and managing project budgets;
- NGO/civil society experience essential;
- Management experience preferred.
- Demonstrated management skills in not-for-profit organizations, foundations, or government agencies, particularly in matrixed organizations;
- Leadership expertise in identifying best practices and improvement of internal systems;
- Flexibility and willingness to work simultaneously on a wide range of tasks and projects;
- Experience in managing multiple priorities under pressure and accomplish short- and long- term deadlines with a heavy workload;
- Demonstrated strategic, budgetary, technical, human resource and financial management acumen, including grants processes;
- Outstanding interpersonal skills; excellent written and verbal communication skills;
- Proven ability to build and maintain relationships with a wide array of people with diverse backgrounds throughout a complex organization;
- Track record delivering superior results, commanding respect, and assuming leadership role;
- Professionally competent to make administrative and procedural decisions and judgments on sensitive, confidential issues;
- Interpersonal skills necessary in order to interact effectively with staff, all levels of management in identifying and resolving complex issues; and deal with sensitive problems and situations;
- Polished professional with ability to represent global organization with sophisticated international colleagues;
- Strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated expertise in handling all personnel related issues and information in a confidential manner.
- In-depth understanding of the field (Global Health governance, multilateral and bilateral institutions working on health, innovative financing for health etc.);
- Knowledge of and recognition by key stakeholders;
- High level of strategic thinking;
- Ability to confidently and powerfully represent the initiative internally and externally, in high-level meetings;
- Capacity to master new issues quickly;
- Demonstrated advocacy experience on complex issues;
- Demonstrated interest in health and human rights and global health financing;
- Degree in public policy, public health or the equivalent work experience preferred.
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.
Please email resume and cover letter with salary requirements. Include job code in subject line: PD-GHFI.
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