Program Manager. Johannesburg. Posting Date: 09/02/2025. Deadline: 09/08/2025
Role Title: Program Manager
Contract Type: Regular
Reporting To: Program Director
Program/Department/Unit Name: Programs
Location: Johannesburg, Nairobi, Dakar
Team Name: Transformative Critical Mineral Resources in Africa
The opportunity will focus on Africaโs mining sector, which is central to the global green transition due to its rich reserves of critical minerals. However, weak governance and inequitable contracts have limited local benefits. Addressing power imbalances and environmental harm through stronger value chain capabilities and regional collaboration is essential for a just and sustainable future.
Role Purpose
The Program Manager will be responsible for day-to-day liaison and coordination with grantee and partner organizations. The Program Manager will play a critical role with implementing the opportunity, which may use a variety of OSFโs 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.
Key responsibilities
Support the Director of Programs to deliver on the opportunityโs outcomes with professionalism
Deliver on day-to-day liaison with grantees to ensure the opportunity is designed, launched, implemented, and exited according to the outcomes defined
Work collaboratively with other members within the opportunity team and with colleagues across OSF to ensure the opportunity is effectively leveraging OSFโs capabilities to reach the agreed outcome
Effectively manage the grant-making process by communicating with grantees for proposal submission, assisting in grant record preparation, grants processing, payments, reporting, and other related processes
Build a strong understanding of the field and partnerships, in developing and designing the grant selection processes
Manage relationships with partners, in close coordination with Geographic Policy Groups as relevant, and work with them to achieve OSFโs strategic objective through the opportunity
Work collaboratively in developing, assessing, and revising program strategies
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
Assist in the construction, maintenance, and assessment of grant making portfolio(s), sharing responsibility for strategy design with manager
Contribute to larger opportunity strategy
Process and oversee progress of consultant contracts
Monitor progress implementation, project risks, and other relevant status updates and communicate to Director of Programs regularly
Key internal relationships
Director, Programs; Managing Director Programs; Core Partners, Special Advisors, Grants Management, Operations
Key external relationships
External Partners
The ideal candidate
Educated to a degree-level (or equivalent)
Post-graduate education relevant to the types of Opportunities that Open Society Foundations will invest in.
Multiple yearsโ experience (in one or multiple organisations) where proficiency in the specific field or subject area has been comprehensively developed
Extensive expertise in the specific topic area as set out in the โOpportunity Descriptionโ above. Experience with access to justice in mining and the impact of of resource extraction in communities.
Specific technical strength and knowledge of critical minerals management and metals policy.
An understanding of the critical minerals value chains and financing