Meetings and Events Officer

Open Society Foundations

Meetings & Events Officer supporting the planning and coordination of global meetings at OSF. Providing logistical support, managing relationships, and enhancing operational workflows for events.

Posted 5/29/2026full-timeJohannesburg • 🇿🇦 South AfricaMid-LevelSeniorWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Help shape how OSF plans and delivers meetings and events across global offices and external venues.
Guide colleagues through event workflows, support complex convenings, and help build consistent, practical event operations across the organisation.
Provide specialist logistical and operational support for high-priority and complex events.
Support the design of the meetings and events support framework, including the event lifecycle, workflows, policies, and roles and responsibilities of various internal and external stakeholders.
Provide step-by-step guidance to the event organizers on the event planning and successful execution within the support framework.
Maintain a set of supporting materials for the meetings and events support framework that are clearly organized and shared with the event organizers for ease of access and utilization.
Manage relationships with hotels, event venues, and vendors in key operational cities.
Support the Global Associate Director in improving event workflows and policies by proactively identifying operational gaps and recommending enhancements.

Requirements

What you’ll need

Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience.
Demonstrable experience supporting or delivering end-to-end meetings, events, conferences, convenings, or complex stakeholder gatherings.
Experience coordinating multiple event workstreams, including timelines, logistics, stakeholders, venues, vendors, participant needs, and follow-up actions.
Experience working with external vendors, venues, hotels, event agencies, or service providers, including negotiation, booking, contracting support, or performance follow-up.
Strong project coordination skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities, deadlines, and changing requirements.
Strong stakeholder management skills, including the ability to guide internal event organisers through processes, policies, and practical event requirements.
Ability to remain calm, solutions-focused, and professional during high-pressure or live-event situations.
Strong attention to detail and follow-through, including documentation, task tracking, and process compliance.
Ability and willingness to travel for high-priority or complex events when required.
Excellent working knowledge of English and fluency in the local language of the office location.

Benefits

Comp & perks

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.

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

event planninglogistics coordinationstakeholder managementproject coordinationcontract negotiationevent lifecycle managementworkflow designdocumentationtask trackingprocess compliance

Soft Skills

attention to detailsolutions-focusedprofessionalism under pressureability to manage competing prioritiesstrong communicationguidance and supportorganizational skillsrelationship managementadaptabilityteam collaboration

Certifications

Bachelor's degree