International Harm Reduction Program
OSI-New York

Application Deadline: May 19, 2008

The Open Society Institute (OSI) 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 created OSI in 1993 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 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, Central and Southeast 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.

The International Harm Reduction Development Program (IHRD) of OSI was begun in 1995 and 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, part of OSIs public health program, 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 Senior Program Officer for drug treatment guides IHRDs efforts to document abuses committed in the name of treatment; works with international and national donors and treatment providers to support evidence-based treatment integrated with HIV treatment, harm reduction, and human rights norms; and supports advocacy to improve understanding of effective treatment and reform practices such as forced testing, overly punitive law enforcement, and compulsory institutionalization that negatively impact drug user health and human rights.

The Senior Program Officer reports to the Deputy Director of IHRD, and is responsible for a team working to increase drug user engagement in the formation of policies and services that impact their lives, to increase access to antiretroviral treatment in clinical settings, including prisons, and to increase harm reduction services in prisons. The Senior Program Officer and team also work collaboratively with IHRD country officers, senior management, and with partner organizations. Specific responsibilities will include:

Program Management

• Directly supervises work of two program officers in areas including community organizing and ARV for IDUs/prison harm reduction, and helps manage team including support staff and consultants
• Supports IHRD country program officers and senior staff in creation of materials, hiring and briefing of consultants, and development of strategy to improve drug treatment, with a particular emphasis on low-threshold substitution treatment
• Establishes and maintains linkages with IHRD partners including government representatives, donors, health and social care providers, community groups, and international organizations in support of key advocacy goals.
• 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
• Convenes expert consultations, strategy groups, and meetings to further the development of advocacy goals and support the development of pilot projects of strategic value
• Supervises provision of research and technical assistance in support of drug treatment
• Work with IHRD staff on additional issues as needed and appropriate

Policy and Advocacy

• Works to document abuses in the name of treatment and international and national failure to challenge them
• Helps guide IHRD advocacy to press for international and national guidelines on effective, humane drug treatment linked to harm reduction services and in conformance with human rights norms
• Oversees efforts to develop clear, compelling campaign materials to further understanding of drug treatment and secure political and financial support
• Assists National Foundations in the Soros Network and key partners in Asia with development, implementation and evaluation of strategies on drug treatment
• Identifies and helps manage international consultants working with IHRD to advance policy objectives
• Work with IHRD staff on advocacy campaigns as needed and appropriate

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 on drug treatment and other areas of IHRD activity as needed

Finance and Budgets

• Manages drug treatment budget, and works with supervisees on individual initiative budgets.
• 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 drug treatment, harm reduction, human rights, drug use and/or HIV.
• Commitment to harm reduction principles
• Direct experience of service provision to active drug users
• Knowledge of range of drug treatment modalities and evidence base for each
• Doctorate or masters degree (or equivalent) in health, medicine, law
• Expertise in methadone and buprenrophine treatment and advocacy preferred
• Solid experience in staff, program and grant management, preferably in international public health
• Experience in advocacy or strategic campaigning
• 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.

Start Date

May 2008.

To Apply

Email resume, cover letter and references, before 5/19/08, to: humanresources@sorosny.org. Include job code in subject line: SRPROFF/IHRD.

OR

Open Society Institute
Human Resources Department - Code SRPROFF/IHRD
400 West 59th Street
New York, New York 10019

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