We're launching a new program for economic growth in LMICs (and looking for a program officer)

By Open Philanthropy @ 2024-10-16T22:52 (+90)

Open Philanthropy is launching a search for an exceptional Program Officer to found and lead a new grantmaking portfolio focused on promoting economic growth in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). If we make a hire, we expect them to oversee at least $30 million in giving over their first three years. We are looking for someone with significant experience related to economic growth in LMICs who can develop and execute a highly effective program strategy. 

The deadline for applications is November 24, 2024. More information on the job is available here.

Our Program Officer will make, manage, and evaluate grants, allocating the program’s budget to maximize its impact through promoting LMIC growth. They will develop and execute OP’s strategy in this area with a high degree of autonomy.  

We are launching a new program focused on economic growth in LMICs because we believe there is significant potential for philanthropic grantmaking to boost economic growth and improve the well-being of the global poor. Historically, from Europe’s early modern Great Divergence to the recent rise of China, economic growth has been responsible for lifting hundreds of millions of people out of poverty. Today, for the 700 million people around the world who live on less than $2.15 a day, and the almost two billion who live on less than $3.65, economic growth is perhaps the most potent way to rapidly improve their well-being.

Initially, we were skeptical that a philanthropic donor like Open Philanthropy could do much to accelerate economic growth in LMICs. But, because of the importance of economic growth, over the last two years we have researched grant opportunities and consulted with external experts to further explore the space. As part of this process, we commissioned two reports: by Stefan Dercon, former Chief Economist of the UK’s Department for International Development; and by Dirk Willem te Velde, Principal Research Fellow at the Overseas Development Initiative. These reports explored strategies that might promote growth, analyzed examples of philanthropic grantmaking playing a significant role in historic growth episodes, and provided examples of promising grants that a philanthropy could fund. Although we are under no illusions that we have identified the ultimate determinants of growth, we have found enough promising ideas to launch a growth program, back it with significant funding, and search for someone to lead it.

We have published a high-level summary of our approach that explains why Open Philanthropy is interested in entering the growth space, and the strategies and types of grants we may pursue. In it, we describe three potential grant areas: supporting economic policy advice, advocating for policy changes to promote developing country exports, and targeting illicit financial flows. These areas are far from the only ones we plan to explore — and, based on what our Program Officer decides, we may not make grants in one or more of them — but they illustrate some opportunities we view as promising. We also describe two exploratory grants that we have already made to support economic policymaking in India’s Tamil Nadu state and Sri Lanka. We also discuss some of the difficulties and risks of launching a program in this area, such as the need to respect national autonomy around setting policy and the challenge of measuring impact on growth. Finally, we describe a set of potential strategies that our growth program portfolio could pursue: a country-focused approach, a thematic approach, and an opportunistic approach.

We are looking for an exceptional Program Officer to lead this work. Our desired candidate will likely be well-versed in the technical side of economic growth (e.g., a thoughtful consumer of frontier research) while also having relevant experience in working to promote growth in LMICs. If you are on the fence about applying because you are unsure whether you are qualified, we would strongly encourage you to apply. We also welcome referrals for promising candidates and are keen to attract a broad and diverse set of applicants. 

Our process begins with an initial application, due on November 24. Longlisted candidates will be asked to submit a work test in early January. Based on previous hiring rounds, we expect to interview shortlisted candidates in February and make an offer in the spring, but we will communicate any timeline updates to candidates who remain in the process.

We believe that with the right Program Officer, Open Philanthropy may be able to contribute modestly to accelerating economic growth in LMICs, and that that could have a remarkable impact in absolute terms. Our model of hits-based giving opens us up to highly uncertain but potentially high-reward opportunities, and we can move quickly and consider smaller grants that may not be available to other funders. We hope to complement traditional actors by acting as a laboratory for new ideas that can be scaled up.

We encourage interested candidates to apply, and welcome comments and feedback on our early thoughts on strategic directions.