Senior Strategy and Impact Advisor. Johannesburg. Posting Date: 01/22/2025. Deadline: 02/06/2025
Role Title: Senior Advisor
Contract Type: Regular
Reporting To: Director, Strategy and Impact
Program/Department/Unit Name: Strategy and Impact Unit
Locations: Johannesburg, Nairobi, Dakar, Rio de Janeiro or Bogota
Team Name: Strategy and Impact
Role Purpose
This role is a substantive leadership, client service and change management role tasked with co-leading on the design, implementation and improvement of Open Societyโs strategy framework, and the institutional wide learning in the opportunity model. The role will assist the Director, Strategy and Impact carry out the strategy and impact functions globally, including driving cohesion on strategy and impact policies and practices within the operating model across programs and operations, and enabling the unitโs strategy setting standards, institutional learning, and the provision of high quality technical assistance and accompaniment for strategy development, execution and renewal.
With the Director, Strategy and Impact, the Senior Strategy and Impact Advisor is responsible for providing:
- High-quality methodological and technical support on strategy setting and execution, including guidance, training, facilitation, and bespoke support to programs to develop and implement focused strategies with highest potential for transformative change.
- Standard setting and oversight, including clear benchmarks and expectations strategy in the opportunity model. Designs and continuously improves governance and oversight mechanisms of decisions, processes, and systems related to strategy design and execution. Builds shared understanding of expectations and adapts approaches and standards based on internal learning and external evolution of the field of strategy and impact.
- Designing and leading institutional learning in the opportunity model, contributing to Open Societyโs organizational improvement and strategic renewal. Playing a facilitator and enabling roles in integrating programs and operations, change management processes and contributing to driving a culture that sustains Open Societyโs operating model.
- Supporting the SIU as Secretariat to the Programmatic Review Committee (PRC), ensuring consistency, transparency, and agility in strategy approval and review, as well as learning from the implementation of Open Societyโs work in the world
Key Responsibilities
Reporting to the Director, Strategy and Impact, the Senior Strategy and Impact Advisor:
Designs and delivers effective client support to Programs
Responsible for conceptualizing, planning and overseeing the implementation of SIUโs technical assistance and accompaniment function to programs, operations and leadership.
Manage, coordinate, and initiate new policy development and policy review processes in consultation with the Director, Strategy and Impact
Lead and organize the distribution of SIU โs support across the organization and the development of strategy capacity across staff, in alignment with Open Society and SIUโs strategic priorities.
Build relationships and manage the feedback loop from other units, contributing to improving relationships among programs and between operations and programs
Oversee cross-department, cross-programs, and organization-wide initiatives, or similarly complex projects, to ensure strategic coherence
Work across stakeholders, including P&C to Develop core strategic competencies across Open Society.
Support the Director, Strategy and Impact in designing and implementing strategy review processes that support rigorous, consistent and data-informed decision making about Open Societyโs programmatic work
Contribute to strengthening a network that includes varied actors with experience around strategy and impact to ensure OSF is at the cutting-edge of topics related to foresight, complexity, systems change, inside and outside of philanthropy.
Change management and organizational culture
Lead with support from Director, Strategy and Impact, and other team members on further alignment into and continuous improvement of the opportunity model.
Use insights from institutional learning to design and adopt with key stakeholders measures to maintain and improve organizational effectiveness.
Contribute to SIUโs overall work on change management in alignment with other processes across the organization
SIU operations
Support the Director in effectively managing the day-to-day of the Strategy and Impact Unit strategy and processes, including management of global projects as determined by the Director
Assist the Director in strategic planning and future planning, as requested
Key internal relationships
Director, VP/COO Office, Managing Directors and staff in their offices, Geographic Leads, Opportunity Leads, Justice Initiative, Ideas team, Operations
Key external relationships
Strategy and impact leaders outside of OSF, including on foresight, MEL, complexity, systems change, consultants, etc., inside and outside of philanthropy.
The ideal candidate
Educated to a degree-level (or equivalent)
Leadership experience in strategy and organizational change for complex challenges in globally dispersed organizations
Experience providing consulting/client support and facilitation for strategy development, execution and organizational change
Experience using analysis, futuristic thinking, and solid research and evidence to portray systems, processes, and organizational decisions
Experience managing a global portfolio of stakeholder relationships related to varied strategy topics and in a variety of sectors - public, private and NGO stakeholders
Proven ability to take decisions and provide clear and compelling reasons for decision-making
Financial administration and managing budgets, contracts, and reporting to ensure resources are responsibly used and consistently helping to achieve strategic intent
Clear communication, team-player mentality, and commitment to excellence
An excellent knowledge of English. Knowledge of other languages would be an asset
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 cafรฉ facilities).
A commitment to nurturing a diverse and inclusive workplace, so you can bring your whole self to work and make a positive impact.
Who we are
Open Society Foundations aim to establish vibrant and inclusive democracies where governments are accountable to their citizens. Our operating model organizes grantmaking around specific, time-limited projects, developed alongside support for established partners, enabling us to respond swiftly to emerging needs. We are committed to promoting human dignity, equality, and rights; reimagining democratic ideals and practice; and advancing equity in governance systems.
Guided by our founderโs values and the belief in the art of the possible, we engage directly with global entities, individuals, and policymakers through grants, advocacy, impact investing, and strategic human rights litigation to drive positive change. At the heart of our mission is a deep commitment to rights, equity, and justice, inspiring every action we take.
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 experiencesโparticularly 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.
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.