Director Integration and Institutional Effectiveness

Open Society Institute; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 232,000 - 273,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental plans

Retirement plan

Parental leave

Job summary

Open Society Foundations is seeking a Director, Integration and Institutional Effectiveness in New York. The role partners with the Chief Operating Officer to coordinate strategy, governance, and performance across functions and jurisdictions, ensuring enterprise-wide delivery and accountability.

The successful candidate will shape operating models, governance frameworks, and cross-functional collaboration while guiding complex programs and senior executives in a global, distributed

Responsibilities

• Serve as the COO’s principal integrator and senior adviser, providing enterprise-wide perspective on strategic and operational issues.
• Lead the Office of the COO, setting priorities, rhythms, and accountability for a multidisciplinary team.
• Represent the COO with Executive Leadership Team and governance forums, guiding decision-making and escalation.

Job description

Director, Integration and Institutional Effectiveness. New York. Posting Date: 09/24/2026. Deadline: 10/14/2026 Role Title: Director, Integration and Institutional Effectiveness Contract Type: Regular Workstyle Arrangement: Hybrid Reporting To: Chief Operating Officer Department Name: Office of the COO Location: New York, Washington DC Team Name: Office of the COO

Role Purpose

The Director, Integration and Institutional Effectiveness is a senior enterprise leadership role and principal strategic partner to the Chief Operating Officer. The Director leads the integration, governance and performance of the COO portfolio, operating across functions, programs, jurisdictions and executive offices to convert institutional strategy and executive decisions into coordinated delivery, measurable outcomes and sustained organizational capability. Working at the intersection of strategy, operations, governance, risk and organizational change, the Director anticipates enterprise-wide implications, resolves high-impact dependencies and provides independent, evidence-based advice on complex and sensitive matters. The role has broad latitude to shape priorities, operating disciplines and decision pathways; convene senior leaders around shared outcomes; challenge constructively; and elevate material risks, trade-offs and delivery constraints to the COO. The Director leads the Office of the COO and represents the COO, as delegated, with the Executive Leadership Team, the Offices of the President, Vice President and Chair, program and operational leadership, and external stakeholders. Success requires exceptional judgement, discretion and political acuity, together with the credibility to influence without direct authority across a complex, global, and highly distributed institution.

Key responsibilities

• Serve as the COO’s principal integrator and senior adviser, bringing an enterprise perspective to strategic, operational and organizational issues of significant complexity, sensitivity and institutional consequence.
• Lead the Office of the COO, setting priorities, operating rhythms, quality standards and accountability for a multidisciplinary team of four and ensuring the Office operates as a high-performing executive function.
• Represent the COO, as delegated, with the Executive Leadership Team, senior leadership, and governance forums; exercise sound judgement regarding when to decide, influence, challenge, negotiate or elevate.
• Support COO to strengthen collaboration, alignment, and collective accountability across all Operations functions.
• Strengthen cross-functional partnerships between Operations and other parts of the organization, including Programs, the Executive Office, and the Offices of the President, Vice President, and Chair.
• Lead the institutional effectiveness agenda across the COO portfolio, including operating model maturity, organizational design, decision rights, governance, process optimisation, and continuous improvement.
• Diagnose systemic organisational issues, unintended consequences and root causes across functions and jurisdictions.
• Design and embed enterprise-wide effectiveness frameworks, management disciplines and mechanisms that strengthen accountability, transparency, learning and execution.
• Direct complex cross-organisational initiatives and enterprise projects, including establishing appropriate project and portfolio management capability, governance and assurance.
• Translate organisational priorities, the COO’s priorities and executive decisions into an integrated portfolio of outcomes, milestones, ownership, resources, and measures.
• Establish enterprise performance reporting and executive dashboards that integrate operational, financial, workforce, risk and organisational-health information to support forward‑looking decisions.
• Lead performance reviews across the COO portfolio; identify material variances, systemic bottlenecks and emerging risks; define corrective actions; and elevate issues requiring executive intervention.
• Strengthen enterprise risk visibility and preparedness by convening functions around shared risks, interdependencies and scenarios while supporting principled, mission-aligned risk-taking.
• Ensure executive commitments are tracked through to measurable results, and that decision-making is supported by clear evidence, options, trade‑offs and implementation of consequences.
• Lead the design and effective operation of COO governance forums, including the Cross Operations Group and related leadership mechanisms, ensuring disciplined agendas, decision records, accountability and follow‑through.
• Act as an impartial escalation point for complex cross-functional issues, broker resolution where contradictions in priorities, and provide clarity between functional accountability and enterprise outcomes.
• Lead coordinated organisational responses to emerging institutional priorities, operational disruption, or sensitive matters requiring rapid executive attention.
• Oversee the Office of the COO budget, contracts and resource plan, ensuring effective stewardship, compliance, value for money and timely escalation of material concerns.
• Shape and model the culture, standards and ways of working expected across the COO portfolio, reinforcing the organisation’s values, equity, inclusion, transparency, and learning.
• Handle highly confidential and politically sensitive matters with exceptional discretion, objectivity, and integrity.
• Drive continuous improvement across the Operations portfolio by identifying opportunities to simplify process through re-engineering.

People Responsibilities (Total Team/DRs) 4

Key Metrics: COO priorities and enterprise commitments are translated into clear accountability and delivered to agreed outcomes, quality, and timelines. Material cross-functional dependencies, risks and bottlenecks are identified early and resolved at the appropriate level. Executive decision‑making is supported by timely, integrated and decision‑ready performance, financial, workforce, and risk insight. Governance forums demonstrate disciplined decision‑making, transparent accountability, and sustained follow‑through. The COO portfolio shows measurable improvement in operating maturity, institutional effectiveness, collaboration, and organisational health. Senior stakeholders report increased clarity, confidence, and credibility in the Office of the COO as an enterprise integrator and delivery partner. The Office of the COO operates within approved resources and maintains high standards of stewardship, confidentiality, and professional execution.

Key Internal Relationships

Chief Operating Officer; Executive Leadership Team; Offices of the President, Vice President and Chair; Managing Directors and program leadership; Finance; People & Culture; Information Technology; Grants Management; Global Security and Risk; Global Operations; Strategic Capabilities; governance bodies; and senior leaders across all jurisdictions.

Key External Relationships

Board and governance of stakeholders, peer institutions, strategic partners, advisers, service providers and other senior external stakeholders relevant to the COO’s portfolio and institutional priorities.

The Ideal Candidate

Essential Substantial senior leadership experience operating at enterprise level in a complex, global and matrixed organization, with accountability spanning multiple functions, jurisdictions and stakeholder groups. A sustained record of advising C-suite or equivalent executives on high‑stakes strategic, operational, organisational and governance matters, including the preparation of decision‑ready analysis, options and recommendations. Demonstrated success leading institution-wide transformation, operating model, organisational effectiveness or strategy‑execution agendas with material organisational impact. Experience directing a portfolio of complex, interdependent initiatives and resolving contested priorities where authority, resources and accountability are distributed. Proven ability to influence executive and senior stakeholders without relying on formal authority, build coalitions across organisational boundaries, and negotiate durable outcomes. Experience designing and embedding governance, performance, risk, portfolio management or organisational‑health frameworks that improve executive visibility and accountability. Experience leading and developing high‑performing teams and coordinating delivery through both direct and indirect reporting relationships. Demonstrated ability to exercise discretion and sound judgement in politically sensitive, confidential and high‑ambiguity environments. Strong financial and resource stewardship experience, including oversight of budgets, contracts and investment choices. Experience working across cultures and jurisdictions, with an appreciation of the legal, political and operational implications of global delivery.

Languages and Travel Requirements

Excellent command of written and spoken English, including the ability to produce concise, compelling executive‑level materials. Knowledge of additional languages is an asset. Travel is required. Travel frequency depends on the role requirements.

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 is $232,400- $273,450 (USD).

The final offer is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set and level of experience.

Description of the organization

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. 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 under‑represented backgrounds, identities and communities are encouraged to apply. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants and colleagues with disabilities.

About Us

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. We are committed to promoting human dignity, equality, and rights; reimagining democratic ideals and practice; and advancing equity in governance systems. This is work worth doing. Driven by Purpose 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.

Equal Opportunity Statement

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.