Grants Associate - Policy, Knowledge Training

Description :

The Open Society Foundations aim to establish vibrant and inclusive democracies where governments are accountable to their citizens.

To achieve this goal, we award numerous grants annually to global entities and individuals dedicated to promoting tolerance, transparency, and open discourse.

Additionally, we actively pursue strategic human rights litigation and impact investing, while fostering innovation and engaging directly with governments and policymakers through advocacy to drive positive change.

The Role

To support the Policy, Knowledge & Training team in the development of a wide array of knowledge resources (in written, visual, and digital form), and the design and implementation of creative communication strategies and mechanisms to effectively share these resources with various audiences across Open Society Foundations.

Key Responsibilities

• Work with the Associate Director and the Policy, Knowledge & Training team, members of Grants Management, and other Open Society stakeholders to develop, test, produce and revise knowledge resources (for example, manuals, training guides, guidance and policy documents, case studies, workbooks, videos, online learning tools, and other resources) for Open Society’s Salesforce-based grantmaking software, grants management compliance, and grantmaking policies.
• Assist a team of Grants Management trainers to facilitate trainings, both independently and as a part of the Policy, Knowledge & Training team, for in-person and remote learning sessions.
• Organize resources, information and data into useable formats to meet the needs of end users both within Grants Management and for the entire organization.
• Develop and maintain informational resources for Grants Management, while ensuring appropriate controls are in place, adjusting for accuracy, completeness and readability.
• Support the execution of communication strategies and mechanisms to share knowledge resources with diverse audiences inside Open Society.
• Stay abreast of grants management and grantmaking policies and procedures, practices, and guidelines at Open Society, and assist stakeholders as needed to understand and adhere to these.
• Build and maintain relationships with program and operational units across Open Society, helping to identify knowledge and experience within the organization that would be valuable to systematize and share broadly.
• Help to identify gaps in knowledge and experience within the organization that the Policy, Knowledge & Training team should address.
• Provide advanced administrative support for Policy, Knowledge & Training projects, including scheduling and arranging the logistics for in-person or virtual meetings, contributing to the development of agendas and facilitating work meetings when necessary, managing project’s timeline, identifying projects’ operational needs and developing solutions, and managing administrative issues related to the work of retained consultants.
• Perform various administrative tasks and other duties as assigned.
• 15% travel is required.

Direct Reports : None

Key internal relationships : Associate Director, Policy, Knowledge & Training; Grant Officers; Grant Associates

Qualifications : University degree BA or BSc

Experience

Essential :

• Experience in design and testing of training material
• Experience with evolving and complex administrative policies and procedures and operating within them and ability to quickly understand and use policies and procedures.
• Excellent computer skills, proficient in Microsoft Office, Sharepoint, and experience with other knowledge management / sharing platforms (Freshservice, Interact).

Desirable :

• Experience as an effective teacher / trainer / facilitator
• Experience working with a grant processing software / system (Salesforce or other CRM preferred) Knowledge of grant making concepts and the philanthropic and non-profit sectors in general
• Prior experience working with processes and systems either from within Grants Management or from Programmatic teams.
• Proven experience in collaborating with multi-country stakeholders within a multinational organization, and / or organization with significant complexity

Competencies

Functional Competencies :

• High level of emotional intelligence and ability to build and maintain strong, trusting relationships, internally and externally, across cultures and geographies, to further unit goals
• Demonstrated specialized knowledge of grantmaking policy, including ability to design reasonable policy, anticipate ways in which policies may succeed or fail, and effectively develop and carry out strategy to align grantmaking practices with OSF’s approach to grantmaking and goals of a given policy
• Ability to use data and information to undertake assessment and inform decision-making
• Excellent l, project management and organizational skills
• Ability to draft policies, guidance and other documents in English; and basic understanding of approaches to adult learning and facilitation
• Works with considerable independence under limited supervision, using judgment to identify issues requiring supervisory involvement

Personal Competencies :

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills enabling the individual to effectively draft policies and facilitate where needed
• Demonstrates commitment to OSF’s core values of humility, commitment, collaboration, respect, inclusivity and integrity
• Commitment to continuous learning and growth in the areas of diversity, equity, inclusion, antiracism, and social justice
• Commitment to listening and working with humility; ways of working that are respectful to all people; and that support space and voice for all diverse perspectives in our workplace

Languages :

• An excellent knowledge of English
• Knowledge of other languages would be an asset

The salary range in the United States for this role is $76, - $, (USD). The final offer is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set and level of experience

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.