[huridocs-tech ] Open Society Institute seeks Senior Officer for Communications

POSITION AVAILABLE
SENIOR OFFICER, COMMUNICATIONS
SEPTEMBER 2005

The Open Society Institute, a private operating and grantmaking
foundation, aims to shape public policy to promote democratic governance,
human rights, and economic, legal, and social reform. On a local level,
OSI implements a range of initiatives to support the rule of law,
education, public health, and independent media. At the same time, OSI
works to build alliances across borders and continents on issues such as
combating corruption and rights abuses. OSI was created in 1993 by
investor and philanthropist George Soros to support his foundations in
Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Those foundations
were established, starting in 1984, to help countries make the transition
from communism. OSI has expanded the activities of the Soros foundations
network to other areas of the world where the transition to democracy is
of particular concern. The Soros foundations network encompasses more than
60 countries, including the United States.

The Open Society Justice Initiative, an operational, non-grant making
program of the Open Society Institute, promotes rights-based law reform,
builds knowledge and strengthens legal capacity worldwide. The Justice
Initiative seeks to shape law reform policy and achieve concrete results
through hands-on technical assistance; litigation and legal advice;
knowledge dissemination and network building; and counsel to donor
institutions. The Justice Initiative works in the thematic areas of
national criminal justice; international justice; freedom of information
and expression; and equality and citizenship. It has offices in New York,
Budapest, and Abuja.

Based in the New York office, the Senior Officer for Communications has
primary responsibility for ensuring the clarity and excellence of Justice
Initiative publications, announcements, and other written materials. The
Senior Officer develops, oversees and edits all published and
internet-based communications, publications, press releases, and
announcements as well as relevant internal communications of the Justice
Initiative. The Senior Officer for Communications furthers the Justice
Initiative's goals of knowledge-generation and dissemination; fortifying
networks of communication among staff and various partners; and projecting
an image of the Justice Initiative as an engaged participant in law reform
grounded in human rights.

Through publication of reports and projects, press releases, announcements
and a law reform journal, Justice Initiatives, the Justice Initiative
promotes the accessibility of its work as a resource for the law reform
community at large, and increases public awareness of issues of the
Justice Initiative's priority. Justice Initiatives presents, explains and
critiques selected law reform efforts; draws on the experience and
analyses of practitioners and theoreticians; and monitors developments in
law reform internationally and at domestic level - legislation drafted,
case progress, projects launched or evaluated, new institutions founded.
Justice Initiatives strives to inform policy-makers, human rights
practitioners and the general public.

By making available regular assessments of its own work and that of its
partners, and by systematically gathering information about the law reform
activities of others, the Justice Initiative website seeks to facilitate a
continuous process of learning and reflection about law reform rooted
firmly in the practice of ongoing events and specific, real-life projects.
The website serves as a means to project, and underline the importance of,
its work by highlighting the inter-relatedness of human rights and law
reform. The website helps bridge the distances with its partners
worldwide, by facilitating information exchange and offering information
services of concrete benefit to partner institutions.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Senior Officer for Communications, a staff position within the
Justice Initiative, reports directly to the Justice Initiative
Director of Programs and works under the guidance of, and in close
collaboration with, the OSI Office of Communications to carry out the
following primary responsibilities:
- Direct the production of, and edit, publications and special
reports including a periodic, theme-focused law reform journal,
Justice Initiatives; calculate production specifications and
schedules; develop ideas for articles; monitor printing of
publications to assure schedules and
specifications are met;
- Maintain, monitor and upgrade the website as a whole ensuring the
contents meet/improve on the established format to include a legal
reform resource center composed of a resource database, a
clearinghouse for best practices, a case law library, a news center,
a network and exchange hub and advocacy tools;
- Develop, coordinate and manage the Communications strategy for Open
Society Justice Initiative; identify resource needs; recommend and
implement policies and procedures; explain Communications policies
and procedures; coordinate the development and production of
materials to support the communications strategy;
- Write and/or edit and produce press releases, other announcements
regarding Justice Initiative activities, and other material for the
website, press and/or newsletter related to the activities of the
Justice Initiative and the broader law reform field of its partners
and related institutions;

In addition, the Senior Officer will:
- Participate in the development and administration of the budget for
Communications; forecast additional funds needed for staffing,
equipment, materials, and supplies; direct the monitoring of and
approve expenditures; recommend adjustments as necessary;
- Coordinate the services and activities of Communications within
Justice Initiative and those of other OSI programs, outside agencies
and organizations; facilitate communication by assessing needs and
utility of web, press and publications with Justice Initiative staff;
- Review written work product of Justice Initiative staff and
consultants for purposes of identifying cross-cutting themes of
interest to each other and/or to persons/institutions beyond the
Justice Initiative;
- Oversee consultants and others hired/retained by OSI-NY for
assistance with the website or publications;
- Supervise translation of articles for the website and/or
publications;
- Frequent international travel as required;
- Perform related duties and responsibilities as required or assigned
by the Director of Programs.

QUALIFICATIONS:

- Exceptional English-language writing and editing ability;
- Equivalent to a Bachelors degree in journalism, English,
communications, journalism, public relations, political or social
sciences or a related field required; Masters Degree preferred;
- Advanced studies in international law and policy, human rights or
related fields an asset;
- Four years professional journalistic writing and editing
experience;
- Demonstrated practical experience in website programming and
maintenance;
- Proven ability and skills in the development, implementation and
evaluation of communications and advocacy strategies;
- Excellent knowledge of principles of communications development,
public relations strategies and techniques, and international media
relations;
- Strong management, oral and written communication, and analytic
skills;
- Extensive skills and high comfort level with computer research,
database management and word processing, including Outlook, internet,
Lexis/Nexis, and Microsoft Windows package;
- Fluency in written and spoken English mandatory; fluency in another
language pertinent to the Justice Initiative an asset;
- Ability to manage effectively multiple projects in a fast-paced
environment;
- Extraordinary initiative and creativity;
- Pleasant, diplomatic manner and disposition in interacting with
Program management, colleagues at all levels, contacts, and the
general public;
- Ability to work both independently and with others; and -
Integrity, professional discretion and ability to handle confidential
matters.

SALARY: Commensurate with experience with full benefits plus 4 weeks
vacation.

START DATE: December 1, 2005

TO APPLY: Send résumés, cover letter, short unedited writing sample,
contact details for two references and salary requirements before
October 19, 2005 to:  <       >

Include code in subject line -CODE SOCOM/OSJI

--------------------------------------------------------------

 
Open Society Institute
Human Resources Dept. - CODE: SOCOM/OSJI
400 W. 59th Street
New York, N.Y. 10019
Fax: (212) 548-4675

No telephone inquiries, please. The Open Society Institute is an Equal
Opportunity Employer.

You can also find this posting on the Justice Initiative website at the
following URL:
{http://www.justiceinitiative.org/db/resource2?res_id=102980 }

 

___________________

 
The Open Society Justice Initiative, an operational program of the Open
Society Institute (OSI), pursues law reform activities grounded in the
protection of human rights, and contributes to the development of legal
capacity for open societies worldwide. The Justice Initiative combines
litigation, legal advocacy, technical assistance, and the dissemination of
knowledge to secure advances in five priority areas: national criminal
justice, international justice, freedom of information and expression,
equality and citizenship, and anticorruption. Its offices are in Abuja,
Budapest, and New York.

{http://www.justiceinitiative.org }



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