Senior Vice President of Programs

Reports To

Chief Strategy Officer

Supervisory Responsibilities

Yes; Senior Program Managers, Program Managers and Program Specialists

Job Overview

This role will work closely with the Chief Strategy Officer and the OTF President to address requests and inquiries from the Board of Directors and USAGM. The Senior VP of Programs is responsible for the overall day-to-day implementation of OTF's mission.

Responsibilities & Duties

Government oversight management

• Works closely with the OTF President to address requests and inquiries from the Board of Directors
• Work closely with the Finance, Legal and Compliance Departments to address incoming data requests

Program Operations

• Responsible for the overall day-to-day implementation of OTF's mission and strategy
• Supervises team members in their continued development
• Manages the implementation of existing and new initiatives and programs
• Leads the effort to set goals with the various program and initiative leads, that are operationally achievable
• Work with the Program Team to oversee and motivate the team to maintain operational performance in accomplishing set goals and objectives
• Work with the Program Team to maintain and monitor team capacity levels, identifying current and future needs, expectations, and lead efforts to fulfill any required adjustments such as team learning, onboarding, or dismissals
• Oversee the entire application and support pipeline, from receiving submissions, evaluating submissions, ensuring compliance, issuing awards, monitoring/reporting/evaluating ongoing support, to closing an award
• Participate in all concept note and proposal rounds, assisting with determination messages and acting as a third team reviewer when possible
• Identify opportunities for increased efficiency without sacrificing diligence
• Continually learn new skills and share knowledge to help improve team practices

Research

• Work with senior program managers and program managers with research components in their portfolios to advance the program's intellectual growth and productivity by identifying new research projects, offer insights and contributions to other research projects, including nascent efforts to collect and utilize extractive sector data
• Deeply understand current global Internet freedom and human rights technology trends in human and tech terms
• Stay abreast of the academic and policy literature relevant to OTF's remit
• Develop and implement data collection processes that assist in assessing the effectiveness of OTF support
• Collaborate with advocacy and communications colleagues and consultants to identify main messages, design global and country dissemination strategies, and develop the optimal set of print and online materials

Qualifications

Alignment to the Mission and Culture of OTF

• Commitment to OTF's mission and core values of equity, fairness and diversity.
• Passion for social change with knowledge of philanthropy, and interest in the field of human rights and Internet freedom, including nonprofit organizations, entrepreneurship, racial and gender equity, civic engagement, etc.
• Personal qualities of humility, capacity for self-reflection, and/or a sense of humor.
• Discretion and ability to handle confidential issues.
• Action-orientated and entrepreneurial self-starter who can work well independently and in teams.

Education

• A level of education that when combined with your professional experience will adequately show you have the capability to contribute meaningfully to OTF

Experience, related skills and knowledge

• Minimum of 10 years of leadership experience in areas relevant to the research, prototyping, development, deployment, and/or maintenance of Internet freedom technologies or with Internet freedom-relevant communities, including circumvention and security technologies
• Strong written and oral communicator with excellent presentation and organizational skills
• High standards of performance, eager to pursue ambitious goals, and works hard and smart to achieve them
• Highly collaborative with excellent relationship-building skills, which are necessary to foster a resourceful, proactive, and results-oriented culture within and across teams
• Highly flexible and adaptable with the ability to serve as an effective member of a Senior Management Team, collaborating with colleagues on visioning, strategy development, and execution geared toward helping the entire organization improve performance
• Proven track record of developing and implementing innovative strategies to advance Internet freedom in coordination with other experts
• Experience managing, and committing to the growth and development of, diverse teams
• Extensive program management experience, particularly with U.S. government funding
• Trusted and recognized expert within the Internet freedom community
• Extensive expertise regarding the digital threats faced by journalists and human rights defenders
• Ability to explain complex technical subjects clearly and respectfully to audiences of specialists in non-technical fields
• Ability to simultaneously handle multiple projects effectively and adjust to changing priorities
• Ability to work efficiently and intensely within an entrepreneurial environment

Emotional & Physical Demands

It is OTF's expectation that all staff will be able to perform the following functions or will notify OTF if they require a reasonable accommodation regarding these expectations:

• Must be able to perform job functions independently and work effectively either on own or as part of a team
• Must be capable of dealing calmly and professionally with numerous different personalities from diverse cultures at various levels within and outside of the organization
• Must be able to perform responsibilities with composure under the stress of deadlines / requirements for extreme accuracy and quality and/or fast pace
• Must be capable of exercising the highest level of discretion on both internal and external confidential matters
• Must be able to occasionally move about inside the office
• Must be able to operate routine office equipment
• Must be able to remain in a stationary position to work on a computer for an average of 4-6 hours per day, when necessary
• Must be able to work extended hours whenever required or requested by management
• Must be capable of regular, reliable and timely attendance

Location

Washington, DC

Salary Range

SES 2; commensurate with qualifications and experience.

This post will close on October 16, 2026