Global Aid Policy - Program Associate

As a team, we are unusually flexible about our policy agenda. We’re open to any approach that could substantially increase the quantity and/or quality of aid and other forms of development finance that can improve people’s health and well-being. Our grantmaking is not restricted by sector or geography. We fund a wide range of tactics, including lobbying, incubating new advocacy and research organizations, and directly supporting analytical capacity within aid agencies.

Examples include supporting faith and business leaders advocating to protect aid levels, backing think tanks to develop high-impact policy reforms, and funding technical support to help aid agency leaders design and implement evidence-based programs. We’ve made grants in more than ten donor countries across Europe and East Asia, and we’ve also increased our U.S. policy grantmaking in response to recent changes in U.S. foreign aid policy.

You can learn more about our work
here
.

We expect our geographic focus and policy agenda will evolve over time, based on where we think we can do the most good. We’re looking for colleagues who are excited about contributing to this evolution.

You’ll work closely with our Senior Program Officer,
Norma Altshuler
, and our Senior Policy Advisor,
Hetty Kovach
, to support their work and help them get more done. The role combines strategic analysis with essential operational support, and contributes to both grant decisions and program efficiency. A successful candidate will be enthusiastic about both aspects of the role.

Strategic and analytical work (~80%)

• In close collaboration with program staff — especially Norma — help identify and assess grant opportunities. This will involve speaking with leaders in the field to identify promising grantees, analyzing whether a grant will cost‑effectively advance our program’s priorities, writing up your reasoning for making specific grants, and monitoring grantee progress. Over time, you will take increasing responsibility for these efforts, including recommending and overseeing your own grant portfolio.
• Conduct back‑of‑the‑envelope
  calculations (i.e. BOTECs) to inform grant and strategic decisions, estimating the social return on investment of different opportunities
• Help draft grant writeups for other program staff and manage check‑ins with grantees
• Contribute to program strategy discussions and help evaluate new policy priorities

Operational and administrative support (~20%)

• Lead the program’s operational work, including tracking our budget and pipeline and coordinating with Open Philanthropy’s operations team
• Handle behind‑the‑scenes administrative tasks that enable Norma, Hetty, and other senior staff to focus on high‑impact work, including by finding ways to help Norma save time and work more efficiently
• Support meeting coordination and execute on follow‑ups

There is substantial room for growth for strong performers in this position. The person who previously held this role eventually led our grantmaking in two high‑priority donor countries, and managed relationships in those countries with senior government officials and leaders in civil society. Depending on your skills and background, you may conduct research to inform the program’s policy priorities and/or represent the program externally.

Even as you take on more responsibilities, however, the bulk of this role will likely involve working with and supporting other program staff.

For a look at what life as a Program Associate might be like, see
Sam Anschell’s entry in our “Day in the Life” series.

You might be a great fit for this work if you have:

• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills, especially the ability to quickly grasp complex issues, identify and evaluate key questions, and make clear recommendations.
• Good written and verbal communication skills. This includes communicating in a clear, information‑dense, and calibrated way, with good
  reasoning transparency
  .
• The ability to identify tradeoffs and use evidence to inform your decisions.
• An interest in pragmatically analyzing the most cost‑effective ways to maximize our impact. You will conduct back‑of‑the‑envelope…