Program Officer, Overdose Prevention Program

International Executive Service Corps; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Vital Strategies in New York City is seeking a Program Officer to provide cross-cutting administrative and operational support for the Overdose Prevention program. This full-time role is preferably based in the NYC metro area, with flexibility to other U.S.

locations. The ideal candidate will bring 5+ years of program coordination, excellent written and verbal communication, and strong organizational skills, plus the ability to handle sensitive information with discretion.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field or equivalent experience.
• At least five years of program coordination or related public health experience.
• Strong written and verbal communication and organizational skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities with diverse stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Format and refine presentations, briefs and summaries for internal and external audiences.
• Coordinate meetings, prepare agendas, and track action items.
• Maintain shared project trackers and calendars for regional teams.
• Develop and disseminate program materials and knowledge resources.
• Support procurement and contract administration activities.

Skills

Organizational & project management

Written & verbal communication

Policy/program coordination

Attention to detail

Education

Bachelor's degree in related field

Tools

PowerPoint

Google Slides

Docusign CLM

NetSuite

Airtable

Job description

Vital Strategies is a global public health organization. Our programs strengthen public health systems and address the world’s leading causes of illness, injury, and death. We currently work in more than 80 countries, supporting data-driven decision-making in government, advancing evidence-based public health policies, and mounting strategic communication campaigns. Vital Strategies’ priorities are driven by the greatest potential to improve and save lives. They include noncommunicable disease prevention, tobacco control, road safety, food policy, environmental health, and data for health. Our programs are concentrated in low- and middle-income countries and cities in Africa, Latin America, Asia and the Pacific. Please visit our website at www.vitalstrategies.org to find out more about our work.

We believe our programs are strengthened when they are developed and supported by people with diverse life experiences whose understanding of social and cultural issues can help make our work and workforce more inclusive. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion or creed, gender, national origin, ancestry, actual or perceived age, physical or mental disability, veteran or military status, marital status, sexual orientation or any other basis protected by local, state, or federal laws. As such, our commitment is to promote equal employment opportunities (EEO) for those seeking employment.

About the Program:

The Overdose Prevention Program partners with governments and communities to advance evidence based strategies that reduce overdose deaths. Through grant funding and tailored technical assistance, the program helps government, institutional, and community partners strengthen policies, implement innovative programs, and mobilize local action to address the evolving overdose crisis.

Our work spans the neighborhood, local, regional, and jurisdictional levels, supporting sustainable public health solutions that are responsive to local needs. Program staff are organized into multidisciplinary regional teams, each managing a portfolio of states or Native communities. These teams work closely with colleagues in Operations and with subject matter experts in Communications, Program Evaluation & Knowledge Management, and Legal & Policy to deliver coordinated, high-impact support.

Job Purpose:

The Program Officer provides cross-cutting administrative and operational support to link program strategy and day-to-day execution. The position keeps high priority workstreams moving by facilitating the effective flow of information.

The ideal candidate brings strong communication, time management, and analytical skills, and must possess high situational awareness and the ability to handle sensitive information with discretion.

This is anew role for the Overdose Prevention program. It is a full-time positionpreferably based in the New York City metro area; we will consider other locations in the U.S. dependent on the work (North Carolina, New Jersey, Kentucky, New Mexico, Wisconsin, Nevada, or Washington state). We offer highly competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits. The salary range for this position is $ 70,000 to $ 80,000 USD.

Reporting & Key Relationships:

Reporting to a Director who will set priorities, the Program Officer primarily provides support to a regional team, Legal & Policy team and the Principal Program Eval & Knowledge Management Advisor. The role also supports meeting logistics and communications for external partners, grantees, and government stakeholders, as directed.

To foster continuous learning and effective coordination, the Officer will participate in an internal Community of Practice led by the Senior Manager, Operations.

Duties & Responsibilities:

Programmatic and Content Support -

• Format, design, and refine presentations, briefs, one-pagers, and other materials that communicate program strategies, overdose prevention interventions, and technical content to internal and external audiences.
• Maintain working knowledge of OPP's core overdose prevention interventions — including harm reduction, treatment access, naloxone distribution, and related strategies — sufficient to support accurate and effective content development.
• Format and organize reports, summaries, toolkits, and other knowledge products in coordination with the Principal Technical Advisor, Program Evaluation & Knowledge Management and regional staff.

Meeting Coordination and Facilitation Support -

• Plan, schedule, and coordinate high-level internal and external meetings such as convenings, trainings, site visits and other ad hoc internal meetings and programmatic events.
• Prepare agendas, compile pre-read materials, and communicate with participants.
• Coordinate and prepare technology and virtual meeting platforms for use by meeting participants.
• Liaise with Operations to coordinate travel.
• Document meeting proceedings through accurate and timely notetaking; synthesize key decisions, action items, and follow-up steps and disseminate to relevant participants.
• Track and follow up on action items arising from meetings.

Team Coordination -

• Maintain shared project trackers for assigned regional team and national projects.
• Maintain shared team calendars; flag upcoming deadlines and proactively support teams in staying on track.
• Facilitate complex scheduling with internal and external stakeholders.
• Pull reports for funding proposals, stakeholder meetings, etc.
• Liaise with other departments to coordinate processes and scheduling related to recruitment and onboarding needs.

Information Management and Dissemination -

• Develop and maintain library of all prior presentations to draw on.
• Categorize, organize and maintain shared program resources, files, and database; catalog tools, products and lessons learned so information is accessible and up to date according to guidance from the relevant staff.
• Compile and disseminate program materials, updates, and resources to internal teams, grantees, and external partners, as requested.
• Coordinate distribution of legal resources, public comments, and policy updates developed by the Legal & Policy team.

Procurement Support -

• Draft Scopes of Work for independent contractor and service provider agreements to support regions for processing by Operations.
• Review information provided by contract manager to ensure that information is complete and in accordance with Vital’s procurement policy.
• Serve as an administrative point of contact for subgrantees on projects led by Senior Legal TAs. Support subgrantees in all phases of award lifecycle, flagging complex needs for support by senior colleagues.
• Partner with the relevant technical lead to draft, finalize, and issue subaward agreements and amendments that meet organizational review and approval standards.
• Maintain project progress tracking systems and management platforms to reflect, track, and monitor the status of deliverables, milestones, and program accomplishments in an accurate and timely manner.
• Compile and prepare first draft of summary progress reports for review by Senior Legal TAs.
• Other duties, as assigned.

Qualifications:

Education -

• Bachelor's degree in a related field preferred or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Skills & Abilities -

• Working knowledge of community-facing program implementation sufficient to support content development and team coordination.
• Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to track and advance multiple workstreams simultaneously.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to produce professional-quality materials and meeting documentation.
• Proficiency in designing clear, polished presentations and materials (e.g., PowerPoint, Google Slides); graphic design or data visualization experience a plus.
• Ability to work under pressure and manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong attention to detail and follow-through.
• Demonstrated capacity to learn new software tools and platforms such as Docusign CLM, NetSuite and AirTable.
• Demonstrated willingness and ability to:
  • work collaboratively as well as autonomously;
  • integrate new information and adapt with agility;
  • understand who is accountable and responsible and who needs to be consulted and/or informed to ensure efficient and effective coordination of work plans; and
  • work effectively with colleagues at all organizational levels and across a diverse range of partners and communities from different cultural, generational, ethnic, racial, educational, and social backgrounds.
• Demonstrated commitment to valuing diversity and contributing to an inclusive working and learning environment.

Experience:

• A minimum of five years of related work experience in program coordination, public health, policy, or a related field.
• Experience supporting senior-level staff and managing multiple concurrent priorities across teams preferred.

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements:

• This position is based in the New York City area, where hybrid office schedules are in place (two days/week in-office, the rest remote).
• Individuals may be required to occasionally move between partner offices in the New York City area.
• Up to 5% of time in domestic travel may be required to attend meetings.