Job Opportunity for Associate Program Manager, Culture and Art at Open Society Foundation in Bengaluru

Associate Program Manager, Culture and Art. Global. Posting Date: 10/06/2022. 

The Open Society Foundations works 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 Culture and Art program within the Global Programs Expression team is seeking an Associate Program Manager to be based in one of our hub or regional offices to support a global team working to advance cultural and artistic freedom by building the power of socially engaged artists and cultural producers, using the full range of OSF’s strategic tools.

Culture and Art seeks to help challenge authoritarianism and catalyze social and political change, through advancing the power and reach of socially engaged artists, and by strengthening locally led cultural spaces around the world. It addresses the aesthetic, political, and capacity needs of arts leaders, individual artists, and cultural activists working at the intersection of culture, art, and social change. Through grants, fellowships, convenings, and public programs, it connects, convenes, and sustains a global network of locally-led cultural organizations and initiatives. The program is also now looking at ways to seed sustainable business and investment models to support the field, and at new strategies to support artists in exile or threatened with censorship, in coordination with colleagues across Regional and Global Programs.

As a member of the newly formed Expression team, working within Global Programs, you will help to leverage culture and art as a key driver of change in the world.

As an Associate Program Manager within Culture and Art you will:

• Support the Soros Arts Fellowship (SAF), a global program supporting socially-engaged artists, by managing SAF program administration, operations, grant administration, budgeting, and event planning under the direction of the Team Manager;
• Manage logistics and arrangements for SAF internal and external events, including convenings, interviews, selection committee meetings, public or internal programs (talks, lectures, performances, etc.), cohort calls and virtual events;
• Coordinate all SAF communication collateral with OSF Communications and identify and suggest press opportunities/comms support for fellows.
• Coordinate SAF selection processes and meetings, develop and manage operational systems and procedures for grants;
• Support and track grantee progress within several Culture and Art programs
• Work on assigned projects with dedicated administrative duties that include planning, research, reporting, related operations and engagement with OSF systems and platforms;
• Responsible for full project design within SAF administration and operations, with the expectation to exercise full discretion and effectively manage time, budget and stakeholders and the broader OSF network;
• Manage knowledge and information on SAF grants and programmatic initiatives focused on advancing cultural and arts strategies globally;
• Contribute to the preparation of documents, presentations and coordination of social justice, arts activism and social change efforts and the collective thinking, influence, and collaborative work of colleagues within Culture and Art, Expression and Global Programs and the broader OSF network;
• Contributes to the design and implementation of appropriate qualitative and quantitative monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) methods, tools, and approaches including by identifying relevant outcomes, milestones/indicators, and reflection points and advising relevant program staff at the outset of strategies and projects. Designs data collection tools and uses them to gather information to support evaluation work.
• Collaborate with the overall Culture and Art Team to reach goals and outcomes.
• Curate programmatic, research and related organizational capacities to increase efficiency and external impact of the overall program. The role requires collaborative work through a variety of approaches including monitoring culture and art trends and assessing cultural interventions that reflects the need of the social justice narrative ‘ecosystem’ and work within Global Programs, Expression;

What We Are Looking For

• People with a vision for how art and culture can challenge power and advance healthy societies.
• Five to seven years of experience working in program administration and operations and/or project management, ideally in a global organization.
• Experience working in a creative field at the intersection of art, culture, and social change (desirable).
• Excellent organizational, analytical, interpersonal, and proactive problem-solving skills, including demonstrated experience and desire to make operations run smoothly and efficiently.
• Superior time management and ability to work independently in fast-paced environments, managing and prioritizing multiple tasks and competing demands.
• Strong oral and written communications skills, including the ability to be diplomatic and handle confidential information with discretion.
• Working knowledge or familiarity of the unique needs of artists and arts organizations, especially in challenging economic, social, and political environments a plus.
• Knowledge of the cultural landscape of one or more of the following regions: Africa, Middle East and North Africa, Eurasia, Asia Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean.
• Working knowledge or familiarity with monitoring and/or assessing programs and budgets.

Candidates Must

• Have a demonstrated commitment to supporting and/or presenting the work of marginalized or underrepresented artists.
• Excellent organizational, analytical, project management, time management, interpersonal, and proactive problem-solving skills, strong experience with program administration, operations, and event planning. Be diplomatic and respectful when dealing with difficult situations. Have a high level of cultural competence and sensitivity.
• Have the ability to handle sensitive and confidential information.
• Be active listeners and creative problem solvers.
• Possess an open and flexible mindset; be self-aware, nimble, and willing to question one’s assumptions and adapt one’s approach to each unique circumstance and local context.
• Ability to support the complexity of working in closing spaces.
• Ability to effectively communicate with others verbally and in writing in a clear, concise, and compelling manner.
• Professional experience and aptitude of working at the intersection of social justice, artistic and cultural advancement, protecting democratic values, and multi-issue area fields.
• Commitment to continuous learning and growth in the areas of diversity, equity, inclusion, antiracism, and social justice.
• Commitment to listening and working with humility and ways of working that are respectful to all people and that support space and voice for all diverse perspectives in our workplace.
• Willingness to relocate to one of our hub or regional offices (pending visa approval) and to undertake extensive travel.

What We Offer

• Ample opportunities to learn and grow, from annual professional development allowances to onsite trainings and brown bag lunches with visiting experts.
• Top-notch benefits and perks designed for your well-being and a healthy work-life balance. With some variability according to location, this includes generous time off, flexible work arrangements, employer-paid health insurance, generous retirement savings plan, progressive paid parental leave, reproductive and family planning support, sabbatical opportunities, and much more.
• A commitment to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace that enables everyone to bring their full self to work and make a positive impact on the world.
• Application Instructions: If this sounds like the position for you, please submit a cover letter and a  resume. We look forward to learning more about you.

We aim to build an inclusive workforce that is reflective of the populations we support, and actively seek applications from those who are marginalized and underrepresented. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants and colleagues with disabilities.

Competitive rates of pay apply.