Salzburg Global Seminar: the institution and its work
Salzburg Global Seminar is an international non-profit organization with offices in Salzburg, Austria, and Washington, DC. It was founded in 1947 by Austrian and American students at Harvard University as a neutral forum for those seeking a better future for Europe and the world. From day one, we have addressed the principles, values and leadership responsibilities critical for peace and human dignity to flourish. Salzburg Global now has a unique track record of supporting regions, institutions and sectors in transition through international strategic convening, both in Salzburg and around the world. We have designed over five hundred sessions bridging cultural, ideological and geographic divides, launched cross-cultural education programs that drive institutional change, and created lasting initiatives and partnerships.
Salzburg Global’s new program strategy is driven by our mission ‘to challenge present and future leaders to solve issues of global concern’. Our three Program Clusters –Imagination + Sustainability + Justice - are guided by our commitment to tackle systems challenges critical for next generation leaders and engage new voices to ‘re-imagine the possible’. We believe that advances in education, science, technology, culture, business, law and policy must be better connected to reshape the landscape. With our partners, we address faultlines in key sectors and policy making, harness innovation and build multi-year interventions for lasting impact. We provide a space for openness where participants can analyze blockages, identify shared goals, test and refine ideas, and create new networks and strategies.
Salzburg Global is rooted in intergenerational exchange. Our recruitment targets key stakeholders, innovators and young leaders on their way to influence and ensures dynamic perspectives on a given topic. Politicians, scientists, business people, entrepreneurs, community leaders, activists, academics, journalists and artists can interact on equal terms to renew their mission and commitment – and accelerate innovation for their home organizations, sectors and communities. We maintain this momentum through the Salzburg Global Network, which connects 25,000 alumni in over 160 countries. It provides a vibrant hub to crowd-source new ideas, exchange best practice, and nurture outstanding young women and men through mentoring and support. Looking forward, we will use the Network to leverage our extraordinary human capital to advise on critical trends, future programs and in-region implementation.
Program Director: position description
The Program Director (PD) reports to the Vice-President and Chief Program Officer (CPO). S/he conceives, develops and implements four to five program events each year within a multi-year forward planning framework, working closely with the CPO, program and development staff, and partners in other organizations. S/he has primary responsibility for her/his programs, including financial oversight, and plays a proactive role in cultivating donors and partners to help leverage financial support for each program.
The PD does not have direct staff oversight but helps coordinate activities of staff working on program planning and implementation (Program Associates and interns), communications, development, recruitment and finance. As a key member of the program management team, s/he participates in strategic planning meetings with Program and Development departments and, as needed, at an institutional level.
Program Director responsibilities include:
research and stakeholder mapping for issues of global concern related to his/her portfolio;
substantive framing of program content, multi-year goals, and strategic outcomes;
developing and managing relationships with key substantive and donor partners;
drafting and overseeing program budgets;
writing compelling program descriptions and working with our Development team on program-related fundraising;
identifying, recruiting and working with speakers and initiative leaders from government, business, NGOs, academia and the arts;
providing oversight and creating strategy for the participant recruitment process;
working with in-house communications staff to identify or help create media-oriented outputs;
designing and running program events (on-site sessions, in-region meetings);
post-session reporting and evaluation;
overseeing follow-up activities, including alumni relations via the Salzburg Global Network;
providing required updates to staff and participating in planning meetings;
acting as focal point, under CPO supervision, for the Board of Directors’ Justice Committee;
coordinating with finance team on financial oversight of the program.
Program Director: profile and experience sought
The successful candidate will work primarily on programs within our Justice Cluster, which promotes an interdisciplinary approach to challenges related to democracy and participation; rule of law; civil society, gender and human rights; international relations; media, conflict prevention and peacebuilding; international criminal justice; and regulatory reform. S/he will ideally have:
a Masters Degree or above in law, international relations, economics, public policy or similar;
a minimum of 7 years professional experience in law, policy or practice related to civil society development, international relations/development, regional cooperation and security, and/or conflict management and peacebuilding (experience across different sectors or employer types an advantage);
strong interest in and understanding of the gamechanging role that social media and big data applications will play in the above fields;
proven success in conceptualizing and implementing cutting-edge programs for defined strategic outcomes and impact, including in-depth seminars or workshops;
track record of creative and critical thinking suited to identifying emerging issues and clearly communicating complex topics;
entrepreneurial flair and exceptional partnership-building skills;
experience in fundraising and/or donor cultivation (foundations, government, etc.)
excellent written and verbal English; German desirable; other languages an advantage;
experience and comfort level working in a multicultural environment and engaging with highly diverse constituents (work experience in more than one country an advantage);
enthusiastic personality with outstanding interpersonal, networking and organizational skills (familiarity with facilitation techniques an advantage);
enjoyment and aptitude for working collaboratively in teams.
Application process and timeline
Location: This position is located in the office at Schloss Leopoldksron, Salzburg, Austria.
Package: Salzburg Global is an equal opportunity employer that seeks qualified candidates from all backgrounds. We offer a salary competitive with similar non-profit organizations, commensurate with experience.
Application: Interested applicants should submit a letter of motivation in English (maximum one page) that describes what is appealing about the position advertised and why they consider themselves to be particularly well-suited to this post. They should also enclose a resume listing previous employment, education, public service, language skills, and other pertinent information, as well as current contact information and any limitations on the form and timing of follow-on communications. Applicants should be nationals of EU member states or have a multi-year permit to work in Austria. Letters and related materials should be sent by email to Elizabeth Spiekermann, Assistant to the Chief Program Officer at espiekermann[at]salzburgglobal.org.
Deadline: All materials should be received no later than Friday September 6, 2013, in order to receive consideration. All applications will receive a reply.