Program Manager. New York. Posting Date: 02/04/2025. Deadline: 02/18/2025

Role Title: Program Manager

Contract Type: Regular

Reporting To: Director, Programs

Program/Department/Unit Name: Programs

Location

Washington DC or New York

Team Name: Normalizing Migration

Opportunity Description

The Normalizing Migration opportunity focuses on building new pathways for legal migration to help the world’s most vulnerable people relocate to safety and prosperity. We aim to do this in ways that mitigate threats to democracies by devolving power to local actors, building public confidence in inclusive immigration systems, and diminishing the ability of authoritarians to use migration as a wedge issue. We build support for legal pathways across diverse constituencies​, seeking to understand and shape public attitudes and foster a less divisive, more inclusive, and coordinated movement to influence and hold governments accountable for increasing legal pathways for vulnerable migrants. We also pilot innovations in technology and policy that drive power to the local level​, creating policies and systems that empower local actors to support and sponsor migrants in growing numbers, generating proof that more functional migration systems are popular and possible.​

The aim of opportunities is to dynamically organize staff, strategies, and budgets around the demands of each opportunity. It balances the need for sustained attention to complex problems and demands rigorous planning and evaluation, while also providing leaders with the autonomy to pursue radical ideas and approaches.

Role Purpose

The Program Manager will be responsible for day-to-day liaison and coordination with grantee and partner organizations in the United States. 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 and/or related topics.

Key Responsibilities

As Program Manager, you will:

• Partner with the Director of Programs to design and implement strategic opportunities, monitor progress, and assess outcomes
• Build and maintain relationships with grantees and partners across sectors, while also coordinating with OSF colleagues to deploy all the tools at our disposal and to advance the institution’s strategic objectives
• Play a critical role in ongoing strategy development and drive complex initiatives by making proposals, suggesting alternatives, and coordinating partner contributions to advance collective goals
• Exercise considerable discretion and work with a high degree of intellectual independence
• Lead day-to-day grant management, including proposal review, processing, payments, reporting, and compliance with OSF standards and regulations
• Manage consultant contracts and provide regular status updates on implementation, risks, and opportunities to the Director
• 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

People Responsibilities (Total Team/DRs

No

Key metrics

N/A

Key internal relationships

Director, Programs; Managing Director, Programs; Network Grants, Special Advisors, Senior Advisors, Grants Management, Operations

Key external relationships

External Partners

The ideal candidate

• Substantial expertise in US immigration, particularly in legal pathways, welcoming infrastructure for newcomers, and building diverse coalitions for immigration and refugee protection
• Proven track record leading complex, multi-year social and political change initiatives, including strategic planning and cross-functional team management
• Background in managing multi-stakeholder partnerships and in building novel coalitions that go beyond the civil society, such as with faith groups, the private sector, unions, and community organizations
• Experience using diverse tools including grantmaking, advocacy, litigation, and communications to execute strategies
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain partnerships across geographies and sectors—government, civil society, private sector, think tanks, academia, or multilateral organizations Build and maintain relationships with grantees and partners across sectors, while also coordinating with OSF colleagues to deploy all the tools at our disposal and to advance the institution’s strategic objectives
• Strong relationship management skills, particularly in navigating complex and sensitive topics
• Ability to maintain high performance while adapting to change
• An excellent written and spoken knowledge of English
• Fluency in other languages, especially Spanish, would be an asset

Functional Competencies:

• Design and manage complex, cross-partner/program projects, effectively coordinating stakeholders, timelines, and budgets
• Generate and analyze strategic insights through research, pattern recognition, and stakeholder input to drive management decision-making
• Build and maintain strong networks across public, private, and NGO sectors, promoting strategic cooperation and strengthening movements
• Identify opportunities for synergy and address capacity gaps across fields while demonstrating genuine commitment to partner organizations

Personal Competencies:

• Build consensus across diverse stakeholders while demonstrating cultural sensitivity and adaptability in different settings
• Work independently with high tolerance for ambiguity, risk, and frequent adaptation
• Embody OSF’s core values of humility, collaboration, respect, inclusivity, and integrity
• Willingness to adjust working hours to accommodate calls and discussions with colleagues and partners across geographic regions
• Demonstrate commitment to continuous learning in diversity, equity, inclusion, antiracism, 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.

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.

Subject to local laws, regular employment contracts may be converted to fixed-term contracts to align with the intended duration of the employment for the purposes of working on that opportunity; or alternatively the current permanent contract will be kept in place, with a side letter confirming the duration of the assignment to the time-limited project.

The salary range for this role in the U.S. is $136, 000 – $150, 000 (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.

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: No requirements