Program Manager, Economic and Climate Prosperity at Open Society Foundations

• Job Type Full Time
• Qualification BA/BSc/HND
• Experience
• Location Nairobi
• Job Field Project and Program Management
• The Program Manager will lead the design, implementation and ongoing development of Economic and Climate Prosperity’s country-level work in South Africa and Senegal, while contributing to selected regional and pan-African initiatives
• Combining technical policy expertise, political-economy analysis, grant-making and partnership development, the role will advance national and regional priorities in green industrial policy, international finance and trade systems. Strong understanding of South Africa’s policy environment and trusted relationships with government, development finance institutions and other partners will be central to identifying opportunities and influencing policy design, implementation and accountability.
• Develop country-level work plans including mapping of policy windows and politically feasible pathways for reform
• 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
• Translating technical evidence into policy options, briefs and engagement strategies
• Supporting partners to influence policy design, implementation and accountability
• Represent ECP in relevant policy forums and build trusted relationships with government, public finance institutions, civil society, research organisations, private-sector actors and regional institutions
• Managing sensitive relationships in complex or contested political environment.
• Convening stakeholders with different interests
• Work collaboratively with other members within ECP and with colleagues across OSF to ensure the opportunity is effectively leveraging OSF’s capabilities to reach the agreed outcome.
• Build relationships with senior government officials, public institutions, development finance institutions, civil society, researchers, private-sector actors and regional bodies
• 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
• 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 Associate Director of Programs regularly
• University degree or equivalent experience.
• Substantial relevant experience in green industrial policy, international finance and trade systems.
• Experience working with national governments, national development banks and/or other development finance institutions.
• Strong understanding of South Africa’s political and policy environment, with demonstrated ability to navigate policy processes.
• Ability to assess how political institutions, stakeholder interests, incentives and power dynamics affect policy design and implementation.
• Proven ability to build and maintain trusted relationships with government officials, policymakers and other relevant stakeholders.
• Ability to translate technical evidence into policy options, briefs and engagement strategies.
• Experience collaborating with stakeholders across countries.
• Excellent command of English.
• Extensive experience in program/grant management, climate policy, or sustainable finance or similar
• Willingness to travel internationally and adjust working h
• Experience bringing grassroots community-based organizations (CBOs), climate activists, and government together to create unified policy positions that can influence government decisions
• Background in creating and executing log-frames and theory-of-change models
• Experience designing Requests for Proposals (RFPs), evaluating grant applications from local civil society organizations, structuring grant contracts, and managing a multi-million Rand portfolio of disbursements.
• Fluency in English and knowledge of other languages is desirable.
• Travel is required. Travel frequency depends on the role requirements.
• Managing Learning across South Africa, Senegal and regional work in collaboration with OSF’s Strategy and Impact Unit (SIU).Conceives, designs and manages cross-department, cross-program or similarly complex projects; expected to effectively manage time, budget and stakeholders and network-wide or similarly complex coordination
• Able to generate, capture and organize information and knowledge to deliver prescribed outcomes including country strategies and workplan development.
• Ability to conduct research to drive decision making by managementExperience in budgeting, strategic analysis and planning
• Working well with a variety of public, private and NGO stakeholdersBuilding and maintaining networks of stakeholders including political-economy analysis and policy influenceIdentify strategic partners and promote strategic cooperation with governmental and other sectors
• Knowledge of grant making best practices and the field of philanthropy Ability to build synergies, strengthen movements, and identify and fill capacity gaps across fields