+1 212–548–0157 info@justiceinitiative.org www.justiceinitiative.org 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: humanresources@sorosny.org <mailto:humanresources@sorosny.org> 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. www.justiceinitiative.org <http://www.justiceinitiative.org/> -- To unsubscribe from this list visit this link <http://www2.soros.org/newsletters/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=680f43aee939cacbd1feafd5b5116ac8> To update your preferences visit this link <http://www2.soros.org/newsletters/lists/?p=preferences&uid=680f43aee939cacbd1feafd5b5116ac8> -- L. Muthoni Wanyeki Executive Director African Women's Development and Communications Network (FEMNET) P O Box 54562 Nairobi Kenya Tel: (254) 20-3741301/20 Fax: (254) 20-3742927 Email: admin@femnet.or.ke URL: www.femnet.or.ke