Senior Application Support Engineer. New York. Posting Date: 02/26/2025. Deadline: 03/03/2025

Role Title: Senior Application Support Engineer

Contract Type: Regular

Reporting To: Team Manager, Application Support

Program/Department/Unit Name: Information Technology

Locations: New York

Team Name: IT Governance & Outsourcing Team

Role Purpose

The Open Society Foundations works to build vibrant and inclusive democracies whose governments are accountable and open to the participation of all people. The Information Technology (IT) department provides technology empowered services and capabilities to enable the Open Society Foundations to achieve its mission.

The Application Services team wears multiple hats for the organization, far beyond what is required in a standard Application Support department typical of most organizations. This is driven by the requirement mandated by Open Society and senior management for IT to deliver agile, expedited application support services globally, while keeping overall IT staffing levels low.

The Senior Application Support Engineer of Application Support will ensure seamless support for the organization’s applications by effectively managing timelines, dependencies, and communication channels.

They will deliver change management plans, training, and product/application communications while maintaining strong vendor relationships and compliance with service level agreements. They will align application support with the organization’s strategic goals, optimizing processes and delivering value through efficiency. Additionally, the engineer will be responsible for liaising with customers to understand their business needs, managing software usage, and overseeing tools for work.

Key Responsibilities

• Actively listen to clients and sponsors to identify opportunities for improving application usability and performance
• Gather feedback, conduct user surveys, and implementing enhancements based on user requirements
• Tracking user satisfaction and utilizing feedback to drive continuous improvement
• Understand the strategic goals and objectives of the organization and align application support efforts accordingly
• Optimize processes and drive efficiency while delivering value to the organization
• Responsible for orchestrating different time zones, milestones, deadlines, and dependencies to ensure seamless support for the applications used by the organization
• Manage global timelines and dependencies effectively
• Deliver sophisticated change management plans, training plans, and product/application communications (specify more as needed)
• Manage service delivery, service levels, relationships with vendors, and compliance with agreed service level agreements (SLAs) (expand as needed)
• Monitor and evaluate vendor performance, manage contracts, and ensure cost-effectiveness
• Responsible for providing education and training to Open Society applications owners and users
• Build user capabilities and promote self-service options to enhance user adoption and satisfaction
• Identify, document, and manage a Knowledge Base for Open Society applications
• Create a comprehensive repository of application related information and best practices to facilitate efficient support
• Manage projects that introduce improvements to processes and procedures for supporting the global application user base
• Manage IT Tools or Work, ensuring they meet the business needs of the organization and are optimized for user productivity.
• Liaise with customers to understand their business needs and manage software usage to ensure it aligns with organizational objectives
• Manage projects that introduce improvements to processes and procedures for supporting the global application user base.
• Drive process enhancements, lead change initiatives, and ensure successful project outcomes
• Manage IT vendor selection, performance evaluation, contract negotiation, and maintain strong vendor relationship

People Responsibilities (Total Team/DRs)

• No

Key internal relationships

Team Manager, Technology Services, Application customers, Application owners, IT Security, IT Infrastructure, PMO, Legal, Finance and Communications

Key external relationships

Outsourcing/Service providers, Technology Vendors (core

Open Society Applications)

The ideal candidate

• Bachelor’s degree in technology or a relevant field or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Change Management Certification (PROSCI)
• Multiple years of work experience in a situation relevant to the duties of this role, sufficient to develop demonstrable competence in skills as indicated above
• Experience providing customer support, troubleshooting application issues, and working with outsourcing providers in an organization with an elevated IT Security profile
• Experience with change management methodologies, project management and risk management
• Experience managing relationships with external vendors providing application support and services
• Experience in application monitoring tools and techniques to proactively identify performance issues and optimize application performance
• Experience using and supporting Open Society applications
• IT Training and Content Creation: Experience in creating and delivering IT training programs, developing content, and managing training resources.
• Ability to travel – 25%
• An excellent knowledge of English

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, as well as our standard Open Society close at year-end (where vacation days are not required) 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 $105,834 – $129,353 (USD). The final offer is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set and level of experience.

Who we are

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.

Additional information

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.