Associate Director, Rights and Economic Renewal in the U.S.. Washington, D.C.. Posting Date: 02/27/2026. Deadline: 03/13/2026

Role Title: Associate Director, Rights and Economic Renewal in the U.S.

Contract Type: Regular (5 Year Assignment)

Reporting To: Director, Rights and Economic Renewal in the U.S.

Program/Department/Unit Name: Programs

Location: Washington, D.C. or New York

Team Name: Rights and Economic Renewal in the U.S.

Role Purpose

The U.S. Rights and Economic Renewal program is looking to hire an Associate Director to join the 5-year initiative that aims to safeguard core freedoms that are under attack, expand rights, and improve Americans’ economic wellbeing.

The Associate Director’s role will focus on supporting the development and implementation of the state strategy – our multiyear commitment to building power in a key set of states.

Associate Director brings deep expertise in their field and supports the Director, Programs while overseeing key areas of the U.S. Rights and Economic Renewal strategy.

They share responsibility for delivering outcomes and managing resources, serving as strong managers and subject matter experts who help build effective teams and a collaborative culture.

Key responsibilities

• Work with the Director to develop and implement the Rights and Economic Renewal state strategy.

• Identify key leaders and strategies that could advance political power at the state level.

• Manage effectively the grant-making process by communicating with grantees for proposal submission, assisting in grant record preparation, grants processing, payments, reporting, and other related processes.

• Build a strong understanding of the field and partnerships, in developing and designing the grant selection processes.

• Work collaboratively in developing, assessing, and revising program strategies.

• Collaborate with funding peers focused on state level grantmaking.
• Lead Program Manager working on state strategy and build a collaborative team culture.
• Develop with the Director, metrics for MEL, and track impact based on the established targets and be responsible for tracking MEL impact and ability to pivot to ensure the required outcomes are being achieved.
• Engage with embedded staff from other OSF teams in close cooperation with senior leaders.
• Monitor and regularly report on the progress of the Program to Managing Director of Programs and other senior OSF leaders.
• Leverage OSF’s work globally and employing the strategic capabilities of impact investment, strategic litigation, and advocacy to the Programmatic work.
• Manage relationships with partners, in close coordination with Geographic US Team as relevant, and work with them to achieve OSF’s strategic objective through the Program.
• 25% of travel is required.
• Other duties as required.

People Responsibilities (Total Team/DRs)
Program Manager

Key Internal Relationships
Directors, Associate Directors, Program Managers, Administrative Officers

Key External Relationships

Philanthropic Peers, Grantee Partners

The ideal candidate

• Substantial in-depth experience in organizing state ecosystems (organizing, grantmaking, advocacy, etc.)
• Understand deeply what it takes to build power at the state level.
• Multi-state experience on organizing, advocacy, policy, and/or voter engagement.
• Have the ability to be strategic – with a track record of strategy development to implementation.
• Demonstrate sound judgment with a strong learning and evaluation orientation.
• Accountable for financial ($5m+), legal, and risk at a large-scale programmatic level.
• Conceive, design and manage cross-department, cross-program or similarly complex projects; expected to effectively manage time, budget, stakeholders, and network-wide or similarly complex coordination.
• Knowledge of grant making best practices and the field of philanthropy (c3 and c4 entities).
• Innovative thinker with experience incubating new projects or organizations.
• Demonstrate commitment to OSF’s core values of humility, commitment, collaboration, respect, inclusivity, and integrity.

What we offer

• Exceptional opportunities to learn, grow, and make an impact; from a generous annual professional development allowance for every employee to onsite training and learning conversations with visiting experts.
• Excellent benefits and perks to promote well-being and a healthy work-life balance, including:
• Generous time off and flexible work arrangements.
• Employer-paid health insurance and dental plans for individuals and families (no employee contribution required).
• Exceptional retirement savings plan (non-contributory for employees) and life insurance.
• Progressive paid parental leave, reproductive and family planning support, and much more.
• A commitment to nurturing a diverse and inclusive workplace, so you can bring your whole self to work and make a positive impact.

The salary range for this role in the US: $178,100-$209,550. The final offer is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set and level of experience.

Who we are

Open Society Foundations aim to establish vibrant and inclusive democracies where governments are accountable to their citizens. Our operating model organizes grantmaking around specific, time-limited projects, developed alongside support for established partners, enabling us to respond swiftly to emerging needs. We are committed to promoting human dignity, equality, and rights; reimagining democratic ideals and practice; and advancing equity in governance systems.

Guided by our founder’s values and the belief in the art of the possible, we engage directly with global entities, individuals, and policymakers through grants, advocacy, impact investing, and strategic human rights litigation to drive positive change. At the heart of our mission is a deep commitment to rights, equity, and justice, inspiring every action we take.

Additional information

Open Society Foundations is committed to building an inclusive workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We actively seek applications from talented individuals across all backgrounds, identities, and life experiences. Each candidate is evaluated solely on their unique qualifications without regard to race, age, sex, religion, ethnic origin, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, or any other legally protected characteristics.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities

Competitive rates of pay apply.

Open Society Foundations is committed to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion, and to building a diverse staff that reflects the movements, issues and communities that our mission serves. Candidates from all underrepresented backgrounds, identities and communities are encouraged to apply.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants and colleagues with disabilities.