International Harm Reduction Development Program
OSI-New York

Application Deadline: May 23, 2008

The Open Society Institute works to build vibrant and tolerant democracies whose governments are accountable to their citizens. 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. At the same time, OSI builds alliances across borders and continents on issues such as corruption and freedom of information. OSI places a high priority on protecting and improving the lives of marginalized people and communities.

Investor and philanthropist George Soros in 1993 created OSI 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. Each Soros foundation relies on the expertise of boards composed of eminent citizens who determine individual agendas based on local priorities.

Founded in 1995, the International Harm Reduction Development Program (IHRD) of the Open Society Institute (OSI) works to reduce HIV and other harms related to injecting drug use, and to press for policies that reduce stigmatization of illicit drug users and protect their human rights. IHRD, which has supported more than 200 harm reduction programs in 26 countries of Central and Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, and Asia, bases its activities on the understanding that people unable or unwilling to abstain from drug use can make positive changes to protect their health and the health of others. Since 2001, IHRD has prioritized advocacy to expand availability and quality of needle exchange, drug treatment, and treatment for HIV; to reform discriminatory policies and practices; and to increase the opportunities for political engagement by people who use drugs and who are living with HIV.

The IHRD Deputy Director, supervised by the program director, carries substantial responsibility for coordination of four program areas: program: management; policy and advocacy; grantmaking; finance and budgets. Responsibilities include:

Program Management

• Directly supervises work of three program officers and two administrative staff in areas including community organizing, technical assistance to harm reduction services, NGO strengthening, and policy/advocacy efforts
• Directs IHRD’s approaches to external funders, and oversees reporting for and compliance with third-party grants.
• Establishes and maintains linkages with IHRD partners including government representatives, health and social care providers, community groups, and international organizations.
• Participates in management team of Public Health Program, and represents IHRD as required at meetings of the Open Society Institute, the Soros network, and at international, regional and national conferences
• Coordinates conferences and expert consultations related to drug use and HIV
• Supervises provision of research and technical assistance projects

Policy and Advocacy

• Helps guide implementation of policy and advocacy initiatives and related strategies at the international, regional and national level throughout the former Soviet Union and Asia
•  Assists National Foundations in the Soros Network with development, implementation and evaluation of strategies on harm reduction.
• Identifies and helps manage international consultants working with IHRD to advance policy objectives

Grantmaking

• Develops and oversees calls for proposals or grant competitions to support policy initiatives.
• Manages the review process, of proposals, grant reports, and identification of expert committees.

Finance and Budgets

• Produces IHRD’s annual budget and works with program staff on individual program budgets.
• Monitors financial allocations & general program expenditures,
• Tracks and ensures staff compliance with OSI financial guidelines, accounting procedures and reporting requirements

Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years relevant work experience in issues related to public policy, human rights, drug use and/or HIV.
• Doctorate or Masters degree in law, health, medicine, sociology, social work or relevant field.
• Solid experience in staff, program and grant management, preferably in international public health
• International experience in Asia or the former Soviet Union strongly preferred
• Excellent spoken and written English, and presentation skills
• Russian language fluency preferred, though not required
• Proven commitment to advocacy and civil society engagement
• Willingness to travel internationally as required.

Compensation

Commensurate with experience, qualifications. Excellent benefits.

Start Date

Immediately

To Apply

E-mail resume, cover letter, and references, before May 23, 2008 to:

humanresources@sorosny.org Include job code in subject line: DEPDIR/IHRD

OR

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

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