OSI Education Support Program - Temporary Program Coordinator (Budapest Based)

Reports to: ESP Senior Administration Manager

The Open Society Institute works to build vibrant and tolerant democracies whose governments are accountable to their citizens. Open societies are characterized by the rule of law; respect for human rights, minorities, and a diversity of opinions; democratically elected governments; market economies in which business and government are separate; and a civil society that helps keep government power in check. To achieve its mission, OSI seeks to shape public policies that assure greater fairness in political, legal, and economic systems and safeguard fundamental rights. On a local level, OSI implements a range of initiatives to advance justice, education, public health, and independent media. At the same time, OSI builds alliances across borders and continents on issues such as corruption and freedom of information. OSI places high priority on protecting and improving the lives of marginalized people and communities.

Investor and philanthropist George Soros in 1993 created OSI as a private operating and grantmaking foundation 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 encompass the United States and more than 60 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Each national foundation relies on the expertise of boards composed of eminent citizens who determine individual agendas based on local priorities.

General Description of Duties
The Program Coordinator at the Education Support Program shall be responsible for providing administrative support for the program. Areas of responsibility will include grant processing, financial, legal, organizational, and meeting planning.

The position is based in Budapest and it is for 12 months.

Responsibilities
\ Finance and Legal Support
- Prepare legal contracts for ESP consultants, service providers, and grantees;
- Reconcile business receipts and invoices;
- Process vendor and consultant payments;
- Maintain and file copies of contracts and payments.

Office Support
- Reconcile sign-in-sheets/vacation schedules;
- Execute travel arrangements for consultants on an as-needed basis;
- Update and prepare of mailing lists;
- Organize, maintain the internal resources of the department (contact people database, department library database, mailing lists);
- Maintaining ESP intranet (info-workspace) and overseeing its content;
- Manage electronic calendar of the ESP;
- Provide information for the OSI Network events;
- Order books and publications on an as-needed basis.

Conferences/Meetings
- Identify venues, request price quotations, negotiate offers;
- Support staff by facilitating logistics either locally or abroad;
- Prepare and track pre- and post-conference budget, process payments for service providers and consultants;
- Serve as primary contact for meeting participants;
- Prepare/compile necessary conference documents.

Grant Processing
- Prepare grants and work with the OSI Grants Management, track grants, initiate payments.

Other
- Serve as back-up for other ESP administrative personnel on an as-needed basis;
- Special projects as assigned by supervisor.

Requirements
- Bachelor's degree;
- Minimum 2 years experience in program administration;
- Excellent interpersonal, writing and organizational skills;
- Able to handle multiple projects effectively in fast-paced environment and work independently;
- High level of computer literacy (MS Word, MS Excel, MS Access and Internet);
- Able to travel overseas.

Application deadline: March 24, 2010

TO APPLY
Please send applications in English, including a cover letter and curriculum vitae, to applications@admingroup.hu.

For more information about the Open Society Institute and Education Support Program, please see www.soros.org.

OSI is an Equal Opportunity Employer which supports diversity and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, ethnicity, nationality, gender, age, disability, or sexual orientation.