Are you ready to upend the status quo?
As an Omidyar Network associate, you will join a community working to reimagine critical systems and the ideas that govern them while gaining the skills, experience, and networks needed to take your career to the next level.
About the Associate Program
Omidyar Network offers a unique platform for professionals with 3–5 years of relevant work experience to work alongside our colleagues and network partners toward our shared goal of building more inclusive and equitable societies.
Through this two-year program, Omidyar Network associates play a critical role in advancing either the programmatic work across our focus areas or cross-organizational work on Strategy, Learning, and Impact. Associates bring their diverse perspectives to developing our strategies for driving positive change, identifying and developing portfolio investments, and collaborating with a diverse range of partners on our issues.
Omidyar Network associates benefit from on-the-job training, mentoring, and peer-to-peer collaboration and learning opportunities. At the end of the two-year engagement, associates will take with them deep knowledge of subject matter areas where we work, relationships and networks from across our programmatic portfolio, and an understanding of different approaches to influence and systems change.
In 2024, we will recruit four early-career professionals who have a passion for our vision to build more inclusive and equitable societies. As an Omidyar Network associate you will:
- Coordinate and engage across teams
Be an integral part of the Omidyar Network team as you coordinate and engage across investment, portfolio management, and learning processes.
- Grow a broad network
Grow a broad network of partners in the field by working across our multiple programmatic portfolios.
- Inform decisions
Programs associates will be a part of decisions about where our investments can create the greatest impact. Using research, analysis, and collaborative problem solving, you’ll inform our strategy, help shape existing and emerging areas of programmatic engagement, and guide specific programmatic investments.
The Strategy, Learning, and Impact associate will be a part of decisions about how Omidyar Network can adapt based on lessons learned to create the greatest impact. Using research, analysis, facilitation, and collaborative problem solving, you’ll inform how we track progress on our impact goals, identify key patterns and opportunities from a wide range of inputs, and lead processes to guide organizational adaptation.
Successful candidates bring:
- Demonstrated commitment to Omidyar Network’s vision of building more inclusive and equitable societies, and to our values.
- Excellent research, analysis, problem solving, and written communication skills.
- An ability to work collaboratively with colleagues and external partners.
- Attention to detail and an ability to track and execute multiple projects and issues at once.
- Creativity, curiosity, and a high degree of comfort with change and ambiguity.
Current Associates
Testimonials
From alumni: 2021–23 cohort
“As a queer African American from Kentucky with a background in education policy, I do not often see myself reflected in philanthropic spaces. However, as an advocate dedicated to seeking justice for my communities, I have become acquainted with the power of philanthropy to disrupt systems that entrench inequities rather than eradicate them. The associate program at Omidyar Network has conferred a network, skillset, and industry context that have positioned me to be an unlikely change agent in philanthropic spaces. From working with youth-led movements to hold big tech accountable to supporting Black- and Brown-led grassroots efforts to achieve economic justice, the associate program has enabled me to bring my intersecting identities and experiences to the table as an expert while simultaneously providing the space to learn and grow as a leader.”
“Working at Omidyar Network has given me extremely valuable experience at the intersection of venture philanthropy and policy advocacy. I have been challenged to think beyond the limits of traditional grantmaking and build fluency in a wider range of influence strategies that shift power while inspiring hearts and minds. Some of my favorite projects include leading an open innovation challenge and shaping our strategy to build worker power through state policy advocacy. Engaging with our partners has strengthened my own capacity as a cross-sector network weaver and coalition builder. The program has given me skills that I will take forward in my career in service of economic justice and responsible innovation.”
“I love that ON is continually questioning and challenging how to best show up as a partner, as a funder, and as an advocate. Between dedicated internal spaces for discussion around topics like systems thinking and watching my colleagues build partnerships grounded in transparency and respect, I feel inspired and enabled to also challenge myself to grow as a colleague and partner. This commitment to learning and deep engagement encourages us to create innovative and multifaceted strategies to enact change, which has pushed me to develop my thinking around long-term impact, my ability to draw connections between organizations and issues, and approach work with boldness.”
“Working at ON is an amazing experience for so many reasons; but the people and culture are what make it unique. You are surrounded by colleagues who are curious and want to deliver positive social change through challenging the status quo of economic and tech systems. That creates opportunities to work on investments to organizations that are unique, such as a non-profit focused on building new and healthy digital spaces. The skills and perspectives at Omidyar continuously push me to think critically about how to approach the social issues we focus on and broadens my understanding of these complex systems.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Omidyar Network is a global network of innovators, entrepreneurs, technologists, advocates, investors, activists, and organizations committed to addressing the most critical economic, technological, and societal issues of our time. You can learn more about us here.
In 2024, we will recruit three associates to join our Programmatic team, and one Strategy, Learning, and Impact Associate.
Our Programs associates are integral members of our programmatic teams. Associates bring their unique perspectives to our work and play a critical part in researching new areas of programmatic engagement, supporting our programmatic portfolios and specific portfolio investments, collaborating with partners, and engaging with diverse voices on our issues.
Examples of work that Programs associates have completed include: developing new strategies focused on the intersection of youth and technology, helping design and launch multi-donor funds, and planning and facilitating convenings involving leaders in the technology and economy ecosystems.
The Strategy, Learning, & Impact associate will be an integral member of the Strategy, Learning, & Impact team, which is housed within the Office of the CEO, and operates in close partnership with our Programs team. The associate will play a critical role in our work to set organizational strategy and foster the conditions that put learning and adaptation at the core of decision making. This includes tasks such as leading analysis of internal and external data and insights to inform key organization-level questions, supporting facilitation of learning conversations, aiding in the project management of external evaluations, and participating in broad organizational strategy conversations and projects.
We are seeking individuals who are passionate about reimagining the systems that impact our daily lives to build an equitable and inclusive economy. The ideal candidate has three to five years of relevant professional experience. This could include relevant roles in the fields of organizing, advocacy, policymaking, journalism, marketing and communications, economics, technology, pluralism, behavioral psychology, anthropology, philanthropy, consulting, investing and others.
We are currently working in a hybrid capacity and associate positions will be based out of our Redwood City, CA, or Washington, D.C., offices. We anticipate extending offers in early April, with our next associate class beginning on August 5, 2024.
Yes. The associate role is a full-time, two-year salaried position that features competitive pay and benefits, including health care (medical/dental/vision), paid time off, and a generous employer 401(k) contribution. The salary for associates will be $117,732 in Washington D.C. and $130,813 in Redwood City, CA. Candidates must have a current U.S. work authorization to be considered.
Omidyar Network has programs under three themes: Reimagining Capitalism, Responsible Technology, and Building Cultures of Belonging. Programs associates have opportunities to work on multiple portfolios over the course of their two-year tenure, making this a unique opportunity to become fully immersed in our issues, identify and inform new strategies, and tap into Omidyar Network’s extensive network of partners. Most associates will be assigned across two main portfolios or projects at any given time.
Programs associates support different programs throughout the organization. However, you will have a dedicated manager who will help you navigate your workload, access learning opportunities, and grow in the position. All associates will be paired with a senior Omidyar Network staff member who will serve as a mentor to help you think through how to make the most of your time at Omidyar Network, as well as longer-term career plans. The Strategy, Learning, and Impact associate will report to the Principal, Strategy, Learning, and Impact and collaborate with the Chief Strategy Officer and CEO.
The Omidyar Network Associate Program is a two-year professional program designed to help mission-driven, early-career professionals gain exposure to philanthropy in the social change field while building their skills and growing in a diverse, unparalleled professional network. At the end of the two-year engagement, associates who’ve successfully completed the program will take with them deep knowledge and networks around our programmatic portfolio and an understanding of approaches to influence and change, as well as enhanced functional skills around end-to-end grant-making, stakeholder engagement, and communications.
Associates are expected to leave Omidyar Network at the end of the program. We expect that alumni of the program will continue to develop as leaders at organizations that work toward transformative social change.
Applications for the 2024 cohort of Omidyar Network associates will be considered on a rolling basis and are due by Friday, Feb. 16 at 11:59pm PDT. Selected candidates will be contacted for up to three rounds of interviews: a phone screening, a panel interview, and a final round that involves the preparation and presentation of an assignment. We anticipate extending offers in early April with our next associate class beginning on August 5, 2024.
