Deputy Director Open Government Partnership Washington, DC, United States

Deputy Director Position at the OGP Support Unit

***THIS POSITION CLOSES ON DECEMBER 15, 2012***

About the Open Government Partnership (OGP)

The Open Government Partnership (OGP) is an international, voluntary effort to improve government performance, encourage civic participation and enhance government responsiveness to people.   OGP aims to secure concrete commitments from governments to promote transparency, empower citizens, fight corruption, and harness new technologies to strengthen governance.  OGP is overseen by a Steering Committee composed of governments and civil society organizations in equal numbers, a unique model that embodies the goal of civic participation. OGP is already demonstrating the power of this approach – in its first year it has grown from 8 participating countries to 57, each of which embraces the OGP Declaration of Principles, and commits to developing and implementing country action plans, all jointly developed with civil society.  OGP has a Networking Mechanism that helps participating governments and civil society connect with the expertise they need to support these efforts.  And an OGP Independent Reporting Mechanism is being established to periodically track country progress against commitments, thereby promoting greater accountability at the country level and ensuring OGP delivers real change for citizens around the world.

About the Support Unit:

The Support Unit supports the Steering Committee to advance the goals of the Open Government Partnership.  We are building a small, committed team that will work behind the scenes to help set and drive an ambitious agenda to support participating countries in achieving their open government commitments with the full engagement of civil society.  While being extremely sensitive to the diplomacy required in a multi-stakeholder initiative such as this, the team will strive to remain accessible, nimble and innovative, in keeping with the goals of the partnership.  Recognizing the significant growth of OGP and the relatively small size of the Support Unit, the team will work with the Steering Committee to outline clear strategic priorities and cultivate high-impact partnerships to achieve these goals.  As a virtual team, we will prioritize clear and open communication within the team, with the members of the Steering Committee, and with the growing number of individuals and organizations around the world who are keenly interested in OGP’s progress.  As part of a ‘start-up’ operation, Support Unit team members will be willing and able to juggle multiple, diverse tasks, ranging from high-level diplomatic outreach to the nuts and bolts of organizing meetings and day-to-day communications.

Position Description

OGP is looking for a dynamic, self-motivated individual with strong experience in the governance field to serve as Deputy Director of the OGP Support Unit.  The Deputy Director will report to and work closely with the Executive Director to implement the Support Unit’s work plan, including providing direct support to the rotating lead chair of the Partnership as needed.  In close coordination with the Executive Director, the Deputy will also be responsible for supporting regional and country-level outreach to OGP participants.

Responsibilities:

Working closely with the Director to support the OGP Steering Committee and implement OGP’s day-to-day operations
Tracking open government developments at the country and regional level and conducting outreach to current and aspiring OGP governments
Providing both remote and onsite support (as needed) to the rotating lead chair of OGP each year in implementing its annual work plan
Communicate OGP concept, values and approach effectively
Providing support for OGP’s continued institutional development and operations, including through regular donor outreach and reporting
Developing and managing partnerships with multilateral entities, civil society and the private sector
Providing other support as needed, including managing contracts with external consultants.
Job Requirements:

Advanced degree or equivalent experience in international affairs or relevant field (e.g. political science, law, economics)
Ideally at least 5 years experience in the governance field, with a focus on transparency and accountability-related initiatives
Experience undertaking high-level advocacy and outreach with governments and/or international organizations
Familiarity with international and local civil society networks working on governance issues across a range of sectors
Willingness to travel up to 40 percent of the year, including for extended periods as needed
Significant experience with both fundraising and budget oversight
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
Proficiency in multiple languages highly desirable
Personal Attributes

Ability to thrive in a multi-cultural, multi-lingual setting; passion for international travel
Self-directed, but likes working as part of a team, proactive in sharing information with team members to update on both progress and setbacks
Extremely sound judgment and diplomatic skills, ability to communicate effectively with senior government officials and high-profile civil society leaders
Experience and comfort with public speaking, strong presentation skills
Possess exceptional interpersonal skills, including relationship building and partnership development
Humility and a healthy sense of humor. Calm and poised under pressure.
Detail-oriented with ability to step back and see the big picture. Flexible and creative in the face of obstacles.
Details and How to Apply

Position likely based in Washington, DC (legal status to work in the US desirable)
Preferred start date is January-February 2013
Compensation commensurate with experience. Excellent benefits package.

A cover letter, references, writing sample and resume/CV must be submitted online via email toinfo@opengovpartnership.org.  All of your attached documents must be labeled with FIRST NAME_LAST NAME_CV.pdf  In the subject line please put: OGP SU Deputy Director

Questions

Please address any questions to info@opengovpartnership.org. Email contact is not required to be considered for the position, however.