Program Operations Associate (gn) Open Society Initiative for Europe

Do you want to help make the world a better place with your expertise and skills in administering grants, contracts and other operational projects? We’re seeking a fixed-term Program Operations Associate based in Berlin, London or Barcelona to work within our grant-making team in OSIFE’s Transparency, Accountability and Participation Division.

The Open Society Foundations work to build vibrant and inclusive democracies whose governments are accountable and open to the participation of all people. We are active in more than 120 countries, making us the world’s largest private funder of independent groups working for justice, democratic governance, and human rights.

The Open Society Initiative for Europe supports organizations that promote active participation in democracy and uphold open society values—particularly in places where civil and political rights are at risk. The Open Society Foundations’ presence in Europe dates back to 1984, when George Soros opened his first foundation in Communist Hungary. However, it was the end of Soviet Communism in the 1990s that gave the Foundations a historic opportunity to support the newly emerging democracies of Central and Eastern Europe and the Balkans. Today, the Foundations support an array of civil society groups across Europe, with the same overall focus: ensuring that everyone should have a voice in the decisions that affect them.

• Work with other program staff in the grant-making process, which may include help with system and process troubleshooting, basic desk research on organizations, application review, preparing grants for compliance, and ensuring that reporting deadlines are met and grant closure completed in a timely manner;
• Liaise with other program staff, colleagues from Legal and Finance department, to process and monitor consultant and vendor contracts and payments;
• Support the budget planning and budget tracking processes, including overseeing budget tracking with the TAP division’s portfolio teams, and working with the  Division Director and Operations Manager to ensure timely, correct and full spend-down of the budget;
• Coordinate and oversee logistics for meetings and workshops, including booking travel and accommodation, researching and contracting vendors, coordinating all event details, assisting with agenda development and participant communication, and providing support at and post meeting as needed;
• Assist with day-to-day operational needs, such as upkeep of program resources and documents, among other tasks;
• Act as a thought partner to the Operations Manager and contribute to efficient program operations by identifying gaps and needs, suggesting ideas for improvement, and effectively communicating with colleagues on processes and deadlines.

• 3-5 years of complex administrative/operational experience, ideally in a fast-paced, global context;
• Demonstrated experience and desire to make operations run smoothly and efficiently, as well as eagerness to learn and grow within a program operations position;
• Proven experience with OSF’s grant-making processes, policies and systems
• Experience working with and balancing budgets, creating and using Excel spreadsheets, and organizing, analyzing and visualizing data;
• Experience with meeting logistics and coordination;
• Ability to build and maintain relationships with a wide range of people from diverse backgrounds, as well as sensitivity to cultural communication differences;
• Interest in democracy and human rights issues in Europe.
• Commitment to the Open Society Foundation’s values of diversity, equity and inclusion.

• Proficiency in data management and visualization platforms and databases (e.g. Salesforce, NetSuite, Foundation Maps, etc.);
• Experience with contract negotiation and processing;