Legal empowerment is at the heart of what Open Society Foundations (OSF) stands for: confronting asymmetries of power, elevating people’s voices and providing concrete avenues for people to change their own lives and societies, claim rights, improve livelihoods, resolve problems and hold their authorities accountable. It directly grapples with the increasing consensus that justice and development cannot be narrowly advanced by technical fixes, but is about shifting power relations. Legal empowerment is defined in different ways, and the parameters of the term are different according to the perspectives of those who seek to use it. It is, broadly, what happens when poor and marginalized people are able to make the law work for themselves, to find concrete solutions to justice problems.
In light of this problem and related issues, the overarching goal of an OSF shared framework on legal empowerment is to scale community based justice services to a sustainable, national level in nine different countries: Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Ukraine, and United States.
OSF is currently seeking a Strategy Specialist who will support the assigned implementing lead, the Advisory Group, and the Strategy Unit Senior Program Manager by facilitating and coordinating work that will be implemented by participating OSF programs, foundations and offices. The Strategy Specialist will ensure the all OSF colleagues engaged in the shared framework have the information, resources and knowledge that they need to effectively execute their on the ground work and/or advocacy work.
The Strategy Specialist’s primary role will be to facilitate and coordinate work among OSF staff involved in the shared framework at the country and regional level. Reporting to the shared framework lead as well as the Senior Program Manager of the Strategy Unit. The Specialist’s secondary role will be to with the Strategy Unit team to assist in the development of guidance, tools, policy and reporting for the broader shared framework effort.
Successful candidates will hold a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field of study or equivalent experience/education; graduate degree desirable. 3-5 years of progressively responsible experience in a situation relevant to the duties of this role. They will also have strong communication and interpersonal skills, including active listening and communication with sensitivity to cultural differences, facilitation and conflict resolution skills.
Deadlines for application will be the 12 February 2016 (GMT -5).
Click here for more information of the application procedure.