Program Manager

Program Manager. Johannesburg. Posting Date: 01/17/2025. Deadline: 01/31/2025

Role Title: Program Manager

Contract Type:Regular

Reporting To: Director, Programs

Program/Department/Unit Name: Programs

Location: Johannesburg, Nairobi, Dakar

Team Name: Transformative Critical Mineral Resources in Africa

Role Purpose:

The Program Manager will be responsible for day-to-day liaison and coordination with grantee and partner organizations. 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.

Key Responsibilities:

• Support the Director of Programs to deliver on the opportunity’s outcomes with professionalism.
• Deliver on day-to-day liaison with grantees to ensure the opportunity is designed, launched, implemented, and exited according to the outcomes defined.
• Work collaboratively with other members within the opportunity team and with colleagues across OSF to ensure the opportunity is effectively leveraging OSF’s capabilities to reach the agreed outcome.
• Effectively manage the grant-making process by communicating with grantees for proposal submission, assisting in grant record preparation, grants processing, payments, reporting, and other related processes.
• Build a strong understanding of the field and partnerships, in developing and designing the grant selection processes.
• Manage relationships with partners, in close coordination with Geographic Policy Groups as relevant, and work with them to achieve OSF’s strategic objective through the opportunity.
• Work collaboratively in developing, assessing, and revising program strategies.
• 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.
• Assist in the construction, maintenance, and assessment of grant making portfolio(s), sharing responsibility for strategy design with manager.
• Contribute to larger opportunity strategy.
• Process and oversee progress of consultant contracts.
• Monitor progress implementation, project risks, and other relevant status updates and communicate to Director of Programs regularly.

Key internal relationships:

Director, Programs; Managing Director Programs; Core Partners; Special Advisors; Grants Management; Operations.

Key external relationships:

External Partners.

The ideal candidate:

• Educated to a degree-level (or equivalent).
• Extensive experience and demonstrable expertise on Africa’s critical minerals landscape, including governance and developmental opportunities. Practical experience in critical minerals-rich African countries is highly desired.
• Strong capability to conceive, design, and manage complex, cross-departmental projects, including time, budget, and stakeholder coordination.
• Proficient in conducting in-depth research and strategic analysis to inform decision-making and drive outcomes.
• Skilled in building, maintaining, and promoting strategic cooperation with public, private, NGO, and governmental stakeholders.
• Adept at capturing, organizing, and utilizing information and knowledge to achieve prescribed outcomes.
• An excellent knowledge of English and preferably a good working knowledge of French or Portuguese.
• Experience in budgeting, philanthropy, and knowledge of grant-making best practices.
• Skilled at identifying patterns and applying strategic analysis to plan effectively across diverse projects and regions.
• Strong ability to work respectfully in diverse cultural settings and build consensus among diverse audiences.
• Demonstrates the ability to work independently, adapt to different working hours for global collaboration, and stay committed to continuous learning in areas like diversity, equity, and social justice.

What we offer:

• Exceptional opportunities to learn, grow, and make an impact; from a generous annual professional development allowance for every employee to onsite training and learning conversations with visiting experts.
• Excellent benefits and perks to promote well-being and a healthy work-life balance, including:
• Generous time off, as well as our standard Open Society close at year-end (where vacation days are not required) and flexible work arrangements.
• Employer-paid health insurance and dental plans for individuals and families (no employee contribution required).
• Exceptional retirement savings plan (non-contributory for employees) and life insurance.
• Progressive paid parental leave, reproductive and family planning support, and much more.
• Free, healthy, world-cuisine-style lunches or tokens (where our office does not have the scale for café facilities).
• A commitment to nurturing a diverse and inclusive workplace, so you can bring your whole self to work and make a positive impact.

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.

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.