[Kictanet] Fw: Position Available - Senior Officer, Communications]

[alice at apc.org]

+1 212–548–0157
info at 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 at sorosny.org <mailto:humanresources at 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/>



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Executive Director
African Women's Development and Communications Network (FEMNET)
P O Box 54562
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Kenya
Tel: (254) 20-3741301/20
Fax: (254) 20-3742927
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