Program Officer - Eurasia

Job Details

Description

Every employee of IRI is responsible for carrying out the Mission of IRI and demonstrating the Core Values in their day-to-day operations. The Core Values, which are IRI’s foundational building blocks include:

Excellence- We believe in quality results delivered by investing in people. Freedom- We believe in exploration and experimentation to be agile and responsive. Respect- We believe in trust, empathy and empowering people. Teamwork- We believe in diversity, inclusion and the power of global collaboration. Transparency- We believe in open communication and clear decision-making. Accountability- We believe in personal responsibility as the foundation of success.

The Program Officer (PO) is responsible for designing and implementing a strategy for IRI's programs in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and other Eurasia regional programming. S/he closely monitors and analyzes political and economic developments in countries of responsibility, develops program ideas, and drafts proposals on a range of democracy and assistance programs. S/he also identifies program partners and develops and maintains close relationships with them and with funders. The PO is also involved in new business development efforts.

Position Requirements

• Strong written and oral communication and presentation skills.
• Working knowledge of the politics, economics, history and culture of Eurasia.
• Undergraduate degree in political science, international relations or related field.
• Ability to travel to new and challenging environments.
• Experience with program management, implementation and basic accounting necessary to draft and oversee a budget.
• Demonstrated experience working with U.S. Government-funded projects and familiarity with USG regulations and processes.
• Working knowledge of Kazakh, Uzbek, and/or Russian (preferred).
• Three to five years’ professional experience in democratic governance and politics, preferably working directly with political parties, civil society organizations/NGOs or legislative bodies, or equivalent combination.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively direct or participate in complex negotiations with bilateral and/or multilateral government agencies, other funders or relevant audiences.
• Ability to work independently and as a member of a team to coordinate and lead the efforts of other professionals to effectively meet program goals.
• Demonstrated management experience including ability to motivate and manage staff.

Primary Functions & Responsibilities

• Develops and coordinates new program ideas.
• Represents IRI at external events.
• Assists with assessing new funding opportunities and serves as proposal manager (as assigned) for new bid opportunities.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
• Participates in cross-functional teams and initiatives.
• Supervises the Program Associate and is involved in hiring and evaluation process. Sets specific goals and provides ongoing performance feedback.
• Anticipates potential problems, troubleshoots problems and actively takes part to lead resolution of them with creative and immediate solutions.
• Actively supports IRI’s communication strategy, including IRI’s branding and outreach plans, and drafts and updates program summaries and other outreach materials, web stories, tweets, etc.
• Maintains an understanding of funder and IRI policies and procedures related to grant compliance and oversight.
• Leads efforts to evaluate and uses information related to the approved grant work plan.
• Oversees implementation of specific grant(s) and associated grant activities.
• Oversees and participates in all monitoring and evaluation efforts for grants assigned.
• Monitors, analyzes and reports on political and related developments in Central Asia and the wider Eurasia region to provide regional and country analysis and information.
• Reviews and edits/adds information to ensure high quality quarterly, semi-annual, final and other relevant reports for funders [Depending on staffing, may be responsible for drafting funder reports].
• Understands assigned grant’s substantive, financial and compliance requirements.
• Monitors and ensures proper tracking of budget estimates and program expenditures to ensure that IRI projects remain within budget allocations.
• Contributes to the substantive design of new programs and contributes to the development of new program ideas.
• Travels as needed for program oversight and implementation; if an immediate need arises deploys on short- to long-term service in a program in the field to maintain continuity of the program.
• Supports efforts to ensure that grants are in compliance with grant agreements and completed on time.
• Oversees updates to budget tracker and leads regular team budget analysis discussions.
• Establishes, maintains, and develops strong working relationships with relevant stakeholders in DC and abroad.

Qualifications

Education

Required

Bachelors or better in Political Science.

Experience

Required

3-5 years:

• Must have authorization to work in the U.S.
• Demonstrated experience working on or studying the politics, economics, history and culture of Eurasia.
• Experience with program management, implementation and basic accounting necessary to draft and oversee a budget.
• Strong written and oral communication and presentation skills.
• Demonstrated experience working with U.S. Government-funded projects and familiarity with USG regulations and processes.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)